Manual Mode Photography

For you, dear Nikonites Members is this for sure normal, but for me is photographing in full manual mode something I started view days ago. I have to say it is so great. I switched from M mode to P mode. After reviewing the photo on the camera screen, I deleted it and put the switch to M. Also ISO Auto turned I off.

It doesn't take me longer to get a great photo, but it makes me much more sensitive to my subject and the environment. It makes me feel good to create a photo. Why I am doing M mode now? From my experience, shots didn't turn out the way I thought I wanted them to. So, now my new learning curve starts and I am very confident that I can do it.

So far, it is such amazing to take photos knowing I controlled the cam and not the cam me.

I would say with the D7100, 70% of my shots are in manual mode, where I can take my time and compose the shot. The rest are a mixture of P mode and auto,

With the Nikon J1, I just leave it in auto, I like its simplicity, kind of point and shoot.

Nice thing to do Michael,doubt i will go there had too many years trying to catch wildlife in manual every thing, including focusing now ime very happy with the speed auto gives me.

mikew said:

Nice thing to do Michael,doubt i will go there had too many years trying to catch wildlife in manual every thing, including focusing now ime very happy with the speed auto gives me.

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Maybe I should have added for my style of photography

I actually find manual the easiest mode to shoot in and I never use auto iso. The awesome meter in the D7000 makes it so easy to get correct exposure. Glad to see that you have switched Michael.

I'm taking it in small steps... I'm liking manual mode recently, but with auto ISO, so utterly auto really! But it really is nice to pick shutter speed (birds), whilst keeping a bit of DOF (gives me more of a chance of getting focus nailed!), but ISO is a necessary evil that is unavoidable, so leave camera on auto ISO. Will try to take control of that too, but one thing at a time!

And still getting used to back button focus - half way there, and just starting to like/see the benefits.

Griso said:

And still getting used to back button focus

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Some times ago I read about bbf here on this forum. It was the best suggestion about photography. I switched to bbf and never switched back again since that day. I love it, it is so much easy for me to handle the cam, especially in M mode. I can dial the buttons without loosing the focus.

i switched a while back, 100% of my shots is in MM, now i do use auto focus, with the exception of last weeks luner eclipse it was manual focus and a tripod, two things i really don't use enough.

Some times the thought of change is harder than the change itself.

I think pretty much every serious photographer will be very well-served by knowing how to shoot in full manual confidently. I'll shoot in full manual if I need to but I don't mind letting go if a semi-automatic mode (A, S or P) is delivering the goods. Shooting in Manual in conjunction with Auto ISO works well for me since I rarely concern myself with ISO unless I'm shooting in low light.
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Manual with DSLR and Auto ISO. Auto and manual with Nikon AW1

Stil I didn't switch back. Just set Auto ISO to 400. Maybe I'll go to 800

Except for WB, every shot I take is in full manual. Because I don't use ISO, it's as fast as shooting A or S.

When I use my Camera on a tripod I use ISO manual as well. But I think M Mode is such a great power of Photography. I tried P mode for 5 photos a few days back, no that was very strange. So far I love M Mode. Thanks to Nikonites I got tons of great infos at looking photos as well as reading commands of members. I got the confidence to do it. I am so happy that I got over my uncertainty. Maybe I miss some shot or better said I don't take it as well as I would like it to take, but this are just few.

What I have to practice more is to reach the ISO button, still I have to take the camera down and look at it. Aperture, Shutter or Metering Mode are now in my finger tips

Michael Jaeger said:

When I use my Camera on a tripod I use ISO manual as well. But I think M Mode is such a great power of Photography. I tried P mode for 5 photos a few days back, no that was very strange. So far I love M Mode. Thanks to Nikonites I got tons of great infos at looking photos as well as reading commands of members. I got the confidence to do it. I am so happy that I got over my uncertainty. Maybe I miss some shot or better said I don't take it as well as I would like it to take, but this are just few.

What I have to practice more is to reach the ISO button, still I have to take the camera down and look at it. Aperture, Shutter or Metering Mode are now in my finger tips

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How right you are Michael. Only wish we could get all newbies to shoot Manual and in Raw. I feel it is actually easier to do, especially with camera models that have 2 command dials

With time and experience you will come back around to using some of the other modes for the right applications if they are photography that's in your wheelhouse. For example, when I'm on an outdoors sports shoot auto iso and shutter priority are to valuable to even explain.

All my shots have been manual, though I'm not a fast shooter adjusting settings by feel. Most of my shots are done after I take a moment to get my settings adjusted. I never spent any time learning to use other modes, so manual truly is the easiest mode for me! Lol

Congrats Michael buddy! Way to go my friend!

After better than 45 years of photography... I've moved up to an occasional auto-ISO...

I grew up with manuel cameras. ISO was ASA and it was determined by what film you bought or when really aggressive how you developed the film. Did not have autofocus lenses. I spent good money for cameras and lenses that have some of the best computers and sensors in the world so that it could do a lot of the work for me so I could just enjoy what I really like to do. Take photos.

I use every mode on my camera with the exception of AUTO. I base what mode on what I am shooting and the conditions at the time. Whatever works best is what I use. Auto ISO when controlled correctly is the best thing since sliced bread. I do think growing up in the dark ages and only having manual controls forced me to know photography better and knowing the basics allows me to use the automatics in my camera better now.

I think it is great for someone to want to learn how to shoot in manual all the time but don't lose sight of the real reason for shooting. That is the final photo. Getting the photo that you see in your head and being able to get it on the computer is the main reason for shooting Do whatever it takes to get that photo. And never forget to just have fun doing it.

Well I started out in photography with a borrowed Canon T-50 and shot it on full Auto. Did not even realize I could have manipulated my exposures. Despite that, I got enough good pictures to fall in love with photography. It has been a long journey to shooting in full manual but now I could not image shooting any other way.
As to Auto ISO, I tried it once and did not like the settings the camera produced or the end results. ISO 400 has always been my default setting going back to when I shot film and is still the one I mostly use accept in extraordinary circumstances.
Of course subject matter is very important to setting camera parameters and sports and wildlife enthusiasts may need entirely different settings than I use for my mostly stationary subjects. Nonetheless, I really do not see what can be achieved in the the specific programs that can not be duplicated in manual. And again, once I became familiar with manual I simply find it easier to use. But of course, anything that gets you the desired result is what you need to use. I am reminded of that everytime I take a photo on my cell phone. It is if I am reverting to those far away days with the T-50. The camera is making all the decisions.

With landscapes and stationary stuff, I am in Aperture Priority and use EV compensation as needed. Manual ISO

With BIF or other moving stuff I have the cam set to Auto ISO a minimum shutter speed of 1/1600th and CF (F/stop controlled manually ) saved to a one of the user settings.

This works for what I'm doing.