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Aug 19, 2010 17:23:24 GMT
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There isn't any reason to use manual apart from when using flash lighting with no ttl metering, under extreme lighting conditions (such as a backlit subject that exposure compensation can't deal with), panoramas, shooting with tilt and shift lenses and long exposures (multiple seconds or bulb). The only ones that rtlkyuubi is likely to come across are long exposures and backlit subjects, the former is easy enough to do some trial and error tog et the desired settings and the latter can 9 times out of 10 be sorted with exposure compensation.
Really all most shooters need are Av and Tv and they don't require any difficult calculations, just choose the desired aperture or shutter speed and the camera sorts out the other variable.
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rtlkyuubi
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Low and Slow
Posts: 2,922
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berendd
Europe
why do I need 3 keys for one car?
Posts: 1,449
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Aug 20, 2010 12:56:26 GMT
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leave ISO at 100/200 picture quality will benefit from that shots as above can be made better using the Shutter setting, put the camera on a tripod and use the delayed shutter (usually for making pics of oneself) to stop the camera moving when you press the shutter. usually around 30seconds shutter time gives good night shots. You can also take a torch or a manual flash and paint with light in these kind of pictures took this on the RRG2010 campsite and used a small torch which i walked around the car for a bit of fun
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Aug 20, 2010 13:18:32 GMT
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the sony should be able to pull iso400 off without to much issue. noise will start to creep in above that though. as for painting with light. it's a great technique which is worth learning but after that try not to use it, it is very over done these days thanks to places like 28dayslater (along with HDR). best bits of advice i can give. READ THE MANUAL then read it again, and keep your lense clean as nothing ruins a good shot like a mark that shouldn't be there. have some PWL for your troubles.
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Aug 20, 2010 13:22:30 GMT
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awoo
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Posts: 1,506
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Aug 20, 2010 17:44:46 GMT
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or put it in manual and get the settings right so theres no camera shake. sorry i don't mean to sound like an bandit saying that but learning how to use your camera is always going to be better than buying more gear for it to paper over the cracks. I personally only ever use manual - you have waaaaaaaaay more control over everything.
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DSLR Camera'sDeleted
@Deleted
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Aug 20, 2010 17:58:17 GMT
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Why not think about a second hand DSLR to get a hang of? I got my 350D for peanuts and it takes as good a pictures as any of the ones I see on here and many photography sites. I find it's more the nut on the back of the camera that determines how good the pictures are rather than the camera itself. Bonus of a second hand one is you won't be too precious about it and it won't matter if it gets bashed about.
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rtlkyuubi
Posted a lot
Low and Slow
Posts: 2,922
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Aug 20, 2010 20:05:31 GMT
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some great photo's and advice guys ;D mine were taken on iso 100 and on a tripod, will have to try some techniques mentioned and try again. i bought mine 2nd partly for that reason jonny
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Aug 20, 2010 22:07:09 GMT
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leave ISO at 100/200 picture quality will benefit from that Low ISOs are fine when using flash or you're outside on a sunny day but in less than ideal you're not going to get anywhere with a kit lens. His best bet would be to just stay at 400 which should be fine for most conditions and then if he finds the camera is giving him shutter speeds slower than his focal length he can try 800 or just use the flash. That's assuming he's going to use Av or Tv, the auto mode should have auto ISO (although it may need to be turned on in the menu. I personally only ever use manual - you have waaaaaaaaay more control over everything. In most situations going full manual is silly and unnecessary, the situations when it isn't I've mentioned above.
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yeah I don't believe going fully manual all the time is the way to go, as when you change enviroments it all needs setting up again! its a waste of time when you just want to get a quick picture of a jet flying past you at 500mph for example lol the principle is If you know how to set up your camera in manual mode and then press the button without causing the camera to shake on a tripod, then please let me know cos i couldnt find a way and the remote shutter has been a life saver when taking dark photos
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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Aug 21, 2010 23:24:25 GMT
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i stand by manual being the way forward.
for a low light photo like that above only using ambient light, assuming hes using a tripod he could simply use a 2 second timer instead of a remote. or increase the iso/aperture or if hes got a sturdy grip open up the shutter for longer, sans tripod.
set up times are rarely a consideration, you might need to play with the aperture or shutter speed a little but thats fairly intuitive.
i say this as i do photography freelance and shoot for a music magazine, which almost always requires low light photos and off camera flash work which is all done in manual also to turn the creative output and quality levels upto 11
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god ur clever!! never thought of changing the timer! haha I wonder if I can do that on my camera lol
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I stand by manual being the way forward. for a low light photo like that above only using ambient light, assuming hes using a tripod he could simply use a 2 second timer instead of a remote. or increase the iso/aperture or if hes got a sturdy grip open up the shutter for longer, sans tripod. set up times are rarely a consideration, you might need to play with the aperture or shutter speed a little but thats fairly intuitive. I say this as I do photography freelance and shoot for a music magazine, which almost always requires low light photos and off camera flash work which is all done in manual also to turn the creative output and quality levels upto 11 As you shoot in manual all the time do you meter by eye or use a seperate meter? If you do neither then I assume you just adjust the settings until the meter in the bottom of the viewfinder is in the middle. By doing that all you end up doing is exactly what the camera does in a fraction of the time. Say you want to shoot at f/2.8 and ISO 400, you'll then end up cycling through shutter speeds until the meter says you've got the right one for a correct exposure, the camera can do this nearly instantly.
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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Aug 22, 2010 11:02:31 GMT
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tbh i don't go for perfect exposures so i use the meter as a guide to when its in the area of receptive light. apart from when using film then I'm a slave to the meter for the sake of not wanting to kill film and getting it right. usually i'd under expose to just bring out the highlights of a person or car and make everything in the background black, or just expose the lighting. this wouldnt really work in any auto mode, hence not wanting to use it. i do that and other things which usually require setting the iso to whatevers suitable then messing with the shutter speed anywhere from 250-1sec and usually having the aperture somewhere around 1.8-8 only takes about 3 estimation shots and that gets it right then cycling around to get a varied set of photos. but it often will need a fair bit off pp to get the desired results in terms of colours and contrast. these for example i did last week, i wouldnt have thought they would have worked out in an auto mode, a couple used flash which no way would have happened in auto and the fisheye shot was using a manual lens. if i was to send in a bunch of photos all the same with no creative variation i probably wouldnt get asked to do any more. hence the need for manual to get the most out of it. equally you can overexpose to good effect and get a normal exposure too although admittedly if you wanted a shot of something instantly not using a flash and with little effect needed then yeah auto all the way
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Aug 22, 2010 14:33:21 GMT
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You could use flash in any mode if you have one that does TTL, if it doesn't then manual is a must and also if using studio strobes. As for always under exposing, just set exposure compensation and leave it so you don't have to keep changing settings for different lighting conditions and subjects. Also manual lenses work in Av as well as manual.
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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Aug 22, 2010 15:19:26 GMT
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aye, could do the exposure comp thing but then all the images will turn out more or less the same which isnt the name of the game. the lens is fully manual the aperture as well as focus is manual, same more or less with the flash too as that was off camera, much needed to make the shot look more interesting. theres a massive difference when you take the flash off camera as I'm sure you are aware.
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Aug 22, 2010 15:38:55 GMT
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You could still use the lens on Av though, just do stop down metering. As for the images looking the same, having correct exposure won't do that, the content and composition of the photograph is what sets them all apart.
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awoo
Posted a lot
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Aug 22, 2010 16:15:20 GMT
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well like ill give this Auto settings business a go next saturday but I'm still not convinced. i don't see the point in buying a dslr if youre only going to use it as a point and shoot.
the whole point of using manual is that it gives you full control and its not like it takes ages to set it up, its second nature and no slower than using an auto mode if you know how to use it.
plus if you ever go to any studio courses for photography of what ever sort they always tell you to shoot in raw and set to manual. has to be a reason for it....
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Aug 22, 2010 16:28:44 GMT
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It's not full auto though, in Av or Tv you still have control over the aperture or shutter speed respectively as well as the ISO, then the camera chooses the complimentary setting for a correct exposure. You can then adjust that setting it chooses using exposure compensation.
Say you're shooting at f/1.8 with ISO 200 and the camera chooses a shutter speed of 1/500, you take a test photo and notice that it's under exposed for what you need. No problem, just turn the exposure compensation up a stop and you have 1/1000, half a stop and you get 1/750, etc. You don't lose any control compared to manual unless you find the camera is metering over or under more than 2 or 3 stops (the amount of exposure compensation you get depends on the body), in that case you'd go to manual.
It really is so much quicker and easier than using the trial and error method in manual, and then the lighting changes and you've got to change settings again and so on.
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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Aug 22, 2010 16:47:11 GMT
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ok i see what youre saying but if i wanted full control of the aperture and the shutter speed to produce the desired effect i could only do that in manual right?
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