How to set manual mode in your DSLR Camera
This post was inspired by a question in my Take 52 group on Facebook. If you are not in that group then you are missing out on all kinds of good information and a cool bunch of photographers friends too 🙂 – So join us!
“How do you set Manual Mode in your DSLR”
Shooting in manual mode is often considered the holy grail to many beginner photographers but its important to remember that there are many levels of manual shooting and it really is not the be all and end all. If you are comfortable making a few mistakes here and there though, its a great way to start taking control of your camera and learning to use it to the max.
What do I mean by Manual Mode?
Manual Mode should really be more clearly defined as Manual Exposure Mode. This means that you, the photographer are taking full control of the exposure of the shot. You will decide on the the Shutter Speed, the Aperture and the ISO value you need to shoot at. It is these three variables that go to make up the correct exposure. If you change one of these variables it will impact one or both of the others.
Its important to remember therefore, that there is no one correct combination of Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO for any one scene – there are several combinations that will work. Which one you choose is at your (the photographer’s) discretion depending on the look and feel of the image that you are trying to create.
So for example, if you are a portrait photographer, and Depth of Field is really important to you, then that is the variable that is top of mind for you and you will have a certain f/stop in mind that you will want to stay within to achieve your particular look.
If you are a Sports photographer, Shutter Speed is usually the most important thing to, so you will strive to shoot at as fast a shutter speed that the conditions will allow.
Its the combination of these variables and which one do you change that trips people up in my experience.
Just remember which the the one that is most important to you, hold it where you need it to be and fiddle with the other two until you get a correct exposure.
How do I know when I’ve got a correct exposure?
In through the viewfinder of your camera you have a little meter that reads -3..-2..-1..0..+1..+2..+3 The goal is to have the indicator right on the 0, unless you are trying to deliberately over or underexpose your shot (then you’d shot towards the + or – side of the meter.)
In Canon cameras such as the Rebel T5i, there is a command wheel at top of the camera. Turing this dial changes the Shutter Speed value. If you have a mid-range DSLR like the new Canon 7D ii (lucky you!) you may also have a second dial either on the back of the camera body or at the top right hand corner (Nikon.) Turning this dial will change the Aperture. If you do not have this second dial then consult your user manual as you will need to press and hold another button while turning the main command dial. This gets a bit tricky and takes a bit of practice!
What about Manual Focus?
You can shoot in Manual exposure mode and have a whole host of other things taken care of Automatically in your camera, including Focus. The Auto-Focus on modern DSLR cameras is really excellent and there are only a few times when it doesn’t work well. (If you are shooting in low light for example or trying to photograph through glass)
So I prefer to always shoot in Auto-Focus as I trust my camera more than my eyes!
Semi-Manual Modes
So we’ve established that in Full Manual you are in control of all three exposure variables – Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO. The other modes in the creative zone let you control some of the settings whilst the camera controls the others.
In Av, A or Aperture Priority Mode YOU control the Aperture and the camera sets the Shutter Speed to compensate. You also can control the ISO or leave it to Auto in this mode.
In Tv, S or Shutter Priority Mode, YOU control the shutter speed and the camera sets the corresponding Aperture. You can also set the ISO in this mode.
In Program Auto you can only control the combination of the the values, you cannot change each one independently, but you can still control the ISO.
So you see there are many steps from that little Green Box of Full Auto to Full Manual. Don’t frustrate yourself by jumping in the deep end too soon and just keep shooting and paying attention to the numbers and you’ll get there eventually.
Happy snapping
Continuous Shooting Mode – Learn a Mode Monday
Hi Guys,
For today’s Learn a Mode Monday I thought I’d try something a little different and post a video of how to use your continuous shooting mode. This mode is perfect for capturing fast moving subjects like wildlife, athletes and 11 month old babies!
Check it out and let me know your thoughts!
- So remember, for shooting fast moving objects look for your camera’s Continuous Shooting Mode button
- Keep your finger fully depressed on the shutter button and capture all that action!
A great way to use up an entire memory card 😉
Here’s the Transcript of the video for those of you who like to read:
Hi everyone! Welcome to the 1st Camerashy Learn a Mode Monday via video. This is an exciting day for me because this is the first time that I’ve ever done a video blog. Also I would like to give a special warm welcome to all my Facebook fans. Over the last number of days our numbers have actually doubled on Facebook so I’m super excited about that. I hope that I will be able to deliver all the good content that your guys are looking for. In the meantime, lets go over to the Learn a Mode Monday since it is Monday. Today’s mode is going to be continuous shooting mode. Now this is a good mode if you are at a sporting event and you want to catch fast movement or if your kid is just on the go like my little Sophie who is always moving all the time. I want to be able to just snap quickly as she moves along and not missing a shot. So what I use for that is I use my continuous shooting mode. You might have seen this on some of the more professional looking cameras but most compact cameras can actually do this feature as well.
I’ll show you first where it is on my Digital SLR which is my Canon so that I can show you where the mode is. First of all I’ll have to turn it on at the top and the mode is usually at the back of the camera that usually has a symbol like a stack of papers.
Holding up closer, this one is just there. So all I do to select that is to turn on the continuous shot mode. Usually with most cameras you have to scroll through a couple of different modes to get the one that you want. If you are looking for that little icon like the stack of papers which I’ll be posting so you will know what it looks like under this blog.
All you do is keep your finger on the button while you’re shooting. So it’s just a matter of snapping. All I do is to continually keep my finger pressed down on the button. The method of doing it if you are at a sports event is to keep your focus onto what you are looking at. Keep your fingers on the button and you should move the camera and follow the actions along. That action is called Panning and we will probably talk about that in another blog.
On the compact camera, it’s the same exact icon. At least it is for the Canon cameras and most cameras have the similar thing. And for this Canon, it is the shortcut button on my particular camera – it is the little stack of papers symbol that you can actually see better than on the Digital SLR.
So that’s Continuous Shot Mode or Continuous Shooting Mode. Remember you keep you fingers pressed on that button and you will never miss any of the action. Thank you very much for tuning in to my latest blog cast. Hopefully I can keep them coming so keep snappin’! =)
Keep snapping!
Ingrid