Modes

[etaf]

I do read my manual, but sometimes I end up getting frustrated as I am not always fully understanding everything.

i'm sure there are loads of people here who could explain in a different way, until you do understand

[Kalaine]

Thanks so much etaf, that is so encouraging. I feel that I will be able to learn quite a lot on this site.

[scoundrel1728]

Originally Posted by Kalaine

I do read my manual, but sometimes I end up getting frustrated as I am not always fully understanding everything.

Considering the many conflicting requirements for a user's manual, that is no surprise. For starters, the user's manual must serve casual photographers who have never used a dSLR before who just want to know how to take some passable pictures and don't want to know about the advanced features. That same manual must also serve the beginner like you who likewise may not have used a dSLR before but would like to learn photography and needs more detailed information on when to use these different features and how to invoke them. The intermediate and advanced photographer may already know his way around a dSLR, but may need some information about what features this particular model has and how to invoke these features. Different photographers may need different kinds of information on different features.

To serve all of these different needs adequately would require a full-sized volume or perhaps a set of volumes, thoroughly indexed. However, this manual also needs to be portable and inexpensive. For this reason, the user's manual by itself is not nearly enough to teach photography to a beginner. For example, you won't find much in the user's manual about the artistic aspects of photography or how to juggle lens opening (f-stop) exposure time, and ISO rating to get the right exposure, nor will you be likely to find any information about the secondary effects these changing these settings will have on your image. You will also find only a sentence or two about what the exposure compensation feature is used for, but perhaps nothing to indicate that this feature doesn't work in full manual mode, let alone why it doesn't work. (In answer to this last point: in full manual mode, the camera itself has no control over any of the settings to compensate the exposure. The photographer is is therefore fully responsible for exposure compensation and performs this function through suitable adjustments in shutter speed, f-stop, and ISO rating.)

I therefore suggest holding onto your user's manual and going through it every few months so you can pick up information about features of your camera as you learn more about general photography. As you learn more from other sources or experience about the technical aspects of photography, some of this other information will start to make sense.

Originally Posted by Kalaine

I just tried to post a picture, but couldn't.

There are several ways of doing this. Which you use depends on the image resides in one of your albums here on PhotoCamel, somewhere else on the web, or you just want to attach a one-off copy to a particular post. The Just Testing category in ther PhotoCamel Miscellany forum is a good place to practice using features of the site such as attaching pictures.

If you expect to use an image more than once, the preferred method is to post a single copy to your album and to post a link in your post where you want your image to appear.

For the one-off attachment, scroll down to the Manage Attachments button in the Additional Options button below the Submit Reply and Preview Post buttons. This will open up a pop-up window where you can type in the full path name where the image resides on your computer. The Bwowse buttons are a big help in this. Once you have all the attachments specified - file size and number of attachments per post is limited - you can push the Upload button to upload your attachments and then the Submit Reply button to complete the process.

[Dubyacee]

I tend to agree with Shadowlands - start out in full auto until you learn the basics of composure. Join a camera club and/or take a beginners course at a local deal or or community college and take the time to learn about your camera before jumping to manual operation.

I also began with a 35mm manual camera many years ago but why buy a modern camera with on-board computer and ignore its recommendations for good exposure. When I switched to digital I began in Auto, switched to Programmed auto and now shoot in either Aperture or Shutter priority except when doing portraits where I use Manual for consistency.

Learn to walk before you run. You've got plenty of time to develop your skills so don't be intimidated into rushing directly to Manual mode. Keep your manual handy as suggested and it will become useful as you begin to understand the process. Good luck!

[jerryph]

I was recently watching a professional photographer and looking at their pretty nice portfolio. I had to laugh when he told me he shoots in P-mode 90% of the time... but the thing is, though he shot in P-mode, he thought "manual" and treated the camera as such.

I have not been in P mode since I tested it out ONCE many years ago when I first got my D200, but we all have to start somewhere, right?

Don't be afraid to read the manual several times over, also get a book called Understanding Exposure by Bryon Peterson, after going through that book twice and your manual a few times, things get a lot clearer fast.

[scoundrel1728]

Originally Posted by jerryph

I was recently watching a professional photographer and looking at their pretty nice portfolio. I had to laugh when he told me he shoots in P-mode 90% of the time... but the thing is, though he shot in P-mode, he thought "manual" and treated the camera as such.

I am having trouble understanding what you mean when you say "[T]hough he shot in P-mode, he thought "manual" and treated the camera as such." Can you go into more detail on this?

[Steven G Webb]

I shoot in A mode quite frequently but I think "manual". I keep an eye on the shutter speed much the same as I would if I were manually setting it for each shot.

[scoundrel1728]

I do that too, but am still having trouble understanding how that would work in P mode. As best I can determine, the photographer uses P mode but uses the exposure compensation and shutter speed/aperture bias to set the result he wants as if he were working in full manual mode. If that is the case, it seems to be easier just to work in the manual mode rather than faking it in the P mode. The only advantage to the P mode I see is the ability to use automatic exposure bracketing. For that particular application, I would more likely use the A mode instead.

[Steven G Webb]

I don't have a camera at hand and I don't use Automatic or Program, so I may be speaking a little out of school. I believe at least one of those offers the ability to change one setting and the other(s) follow suit. For example: Half pressing the shutter release gives you f16 at 1/125th and you reason that the shutter speed is too slow, rather than swapping to "S" or "Tv" you adjust the shutter speed upward and the camera changes the aperture in ratio. Likewise, if you had decided the depth-of-field was too deep at f16 you could adjust the f-stop and the shutter speed would go in line.

So, thinking manual in that setting would be as I suggested above.

[etaf]

it seems to be easier just to work in the manual mode rather than faking it in the P mode.

probably , but with P mode you get the correct exposure immediately and then just using one control you can very quickly set for aperture or for speed you want - ie think in manual, and make a change to the default "P" setting