[jim-e]

On that picture (which is beautiful BTW), did you obtain the desired exposure by looking at the LCD, or purely by metering?

[jim-e]

Interesting discussion – @cameraclicker – There is no  EV compensation available in manual, well, because it’s manual. You are controlling both aperture and shutter speed, and whether you believe the meter(as you stated) or not is your decision, but it can be used as a guide if you understand what’s it’s telling you. Darker overall scene minus on meter , brighter scene + on the meter. The only time I know of it working is 0n Nikon’s, where it will adjust flash output if one is attached.

My biggest use of manual mode is if I’m using flash (mostly indoors), or if I want consistent exposures from one shot to the next –  as long as the light is not changing. But in the end you have to use your brain and understand what the meter is telling you to get the proper exposure for that scene. I used to obsess over blown highlights, but in some cases who cares? If the subject or subjects of the photograph are properly exposed then so be it. If it’s a major problem than I will try a different composition to eliminate the problem. The biggest complaints of over/underexposure in any one of the automatic modes usually pertains to high contrast scenes. If the scene is outside the dynamic range of the sensor, than the camera has to make pretty ruthless decisions – blow the highlights or zero details in the shadows.

I, like the OP, have no problem using one of the “auto” modes(aperture 90% of the time). I’m a hobbyist that shoots wildlife most of the time, so lighting conditions can change rather quickly. I’m amused at some(not all!) of the “manual only” shooters, who in reality are still a slave to their camera’s meter. If your flipping your dials until the meter reads “zero”, how is this any different than using one of the auto modes? The answer is it’s not.

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