Great post Joseph, thanks.
I did the intro course with Nikon fir my D80 and one tip I found quite useful was to set the mode to auto, half press the shoot button and read the settings, then, switching to Manual, use those settings. You're then free to experiment and see what happens. For me, it was fantastic how I could improve the light in my indoor flash photography.

Well someone has found a very good use for Auto Mode. I had my D80 for two years and now my D90 for a year and I don't think I have ever used the Auto Mode on either one. Good suggestion. Thanks for posting it.

Originally Posted by Patrick Molloy

Great post Joseph, thanks.
I did the intro course with Nikon fir my D80 and one tip I found quite useful was to set the mode to auto, half press the shoot button and read the settings, then, switching to Manual, use those settings. You're then free to experiment and see what happens. For me, it was fantastic how I could improve the light in my indoor flash photography.

Or, go ahead and take a shot or two in AUTO (or one of the program modes) and see how they look. Then, check to exposure settings and adjust from there.

good post, I've been using manual mode virtually since I've had the D90

THANK YOU!!! Brilliant explanation... will re-read it a few times... I have just moved from "Auto" to "P" ..."M" is my destiny!!!

This is a great post, thank you. I've been using a DSLR for almost two years now, and just moved from a D60 to a D90. It's time to stop relying on "A" and move to "M"!

FYI Joseph, when I first stumbled on the Nikonites site, I read this post. For me (who only shot in "auto mode") this thread was most informative. I had no interest in becoming a member of a site like this; but after reading this article I felt compelled to learn more about my camera and joined. Since then I shoot in M mode 95% of the time and have added a D700 to accompany the D90. So I sincerely thank you for taking the time to write up this article as it has lead to great new experiences for me!

Chris

Wow, thanks for the kind words guys. When I first started in photography everything was manual. You either had a separate light meter or made an educated guess. The manual mode system can be somewhat intimidating but once you use it a few times it's not really not that difficult to understand. And it gives you so much more control over the exposure. Enjoy your Nikons.