Those with DSLR's

[boBQuincy]

I use P for almost everything and twirl the dials to suit (exposure compensation & aperture/shutter). It's not that I have any problems with M but P seems to get the job done as well and easier.

For night scenes I use Av to blend the flash with the lighting.

 

[fairestoneofall]

(I'm new to this section.)

I pretty much always shoot in Manual.

Now, when we were meeting characters and taking snapshots at WDW, I just left in it Program so I didn't have to think about it. But otherwise, I always have my camera in Manual.

 

[jann1033]

just a question for those who use manual exclusively..what does that give you you can't get in shutter or aperture priority? i see the benefit if you are taking photos in odd settings and need to adjust more than those settings will allow but what's the point other wise? ( rereading this i am not being sarcastic cause it might sound like i am, just wondering)

 

[boBQuincy]

just a question for those who use manual exclusively..what does that give you you can't get in shutter or aperture priority? i see the benefit if you are taking photos in odd settings and need to adjust more than those settings will allow but what's the point other wise? ( rereading this i am not being sarcastic cause it might sound like i am, just wondering)

I have the same question.
I used to use M most of the time (in the olden days when that was all that we had) but with Tv, Av, and even P, we still have complete control over exposure, aperture, and shutter speed.
Like Jan, not being sarcastic but just wondering why M? (Except for fireworks, where the meter just can't figure out what is going on).

 

[fairestoneofall]

just a question for those who use manual exclusively..what does that give you you can't get in shutter or aperture priority? i see the benefit if you are taking photos in odd settings and need to adjust more than those settings will allow but what's the point other wise? ( rereading this i am not being sarcastic cause it might sound like i am, just wondering)

I am a natural light portrait photographer, and when doing that, I want to make sure I am setting the correct exposure for my subject. If I were to shoot in Ap (and I have tried) for some of my photos, the camera meter would expose my background properly and under-expose my subject. It isn't always the case, but I have had it happen before. So, now I just always shoot Manual. It's become a habit and I really don't even think about it.

Now, when on vacation, I did use Program some, which helped when DH took pictures too (he does not know how to use any of the manual settings).

 

[ukcatfan]

just a question for those who use manual exclusively..what does that give you you can't get in shutter or aperture priority? i see the benefit if you are taking photos in odd settings and need to adjust more than those settings will allow but what's the point other wise? ( rereading this i am not being sarcastic cause it might sound like i am, just wondering)

I am leaning more and more towards manual, but it is just me getting used to my camera more than anything else. In overcast daylight/shady situations, it seems to me to underexpose about 1/3 to 1/2 of a stop, so I correct it manually. I could use exposure compensation, but with the K100D there is a firmware quirk that forces ISO 200 with exposure compensation. As long as I am getting the correct shutter speeds, I sometimes stick with the ISO 200 and compensation, but that gets trickier when the sun is either blocked more or is setting. It seems to meter properly inside and with relatively bright sunlight.

Also, it makes you slow down and think about each shot more, which can be good in some situations, but not for action shots. I just do not try on those. I can always get back that 1/3 to 1/2 stop without too much added noise in PP anyway.

Kevin

 

[Groucho]

Manual gives you control of aperture AND shutter speed at the same time. That can be important for some, though obviously you need to keep adjusting them. I did find myself using it a fair amount for night photos, when I wanted to brighten up the shot more than the exposure compensation would allow me.

I am looking forward to the Hyperprogram mode of the K10D - it's normally regular old program mode until you spin the front or rear dial, then it instantly goes into aperture or shutter priority. Tap a button and it returns immediately to regular program mode. Pretty slick and it would be very handy when you want to change things in a hurry.

 

[tinksdad]

The above mentioned reasons are some of my reasons for using manual. You can do some very creative things with the control over both shutter and aperture. Thus another reason for me to change the metering method along with using the manual mode depending on the situation.