[KeyAndFill]

My intentions were not to make people choose sides and draw lines (red rover, red rover).  However, I do feel that this post was a success.  I started the thread in hopes that people may realize that shooting on Manual isn’t the defining characteristic of a Pro.  I think jim-e said that turning dials in manual mode to get the ev meter to read zero still makes us slave to the light meter, and that’s what we are supposed to be, slaves to the light.  I’m afraid that people who are aspiring pro, or have recently went professional have it embedded in their brain that manual is the only thing a photographer should shoot in.  Camera manufactures like Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and the rest put light meters in their high end DSLR not so that mom can run out and buy the weekly Best Buy special and open shop.  They put it there as a tool we can use, and should use.  Let’s back up to my original post.  By putting the camera in P mode and pointing it at your subject you will get a reading from your built-in reflective light meter, f/16 at 1/250th.  Now you have a jumping off point.   Its up to you, as a smart, patient, well-informed photographer to interpret that information.  You may want to over expose that scene a stop for whatever reason.  Now you can switch to manual and dial in f/16 at 1/125 or f/11 at 1/250, that’ll depend on your focal length.  Or I suppose some will just switch it to manual and keep turning dials until the arrow points to zero, shoot, and then decide to open up.  Yes, we would both get the same exposure probably, I do it my way, you do it yours.  The reason for the original post was the bashing of the automatic modes.  Manual doesn’t make you a good photographer.  Manual says you understand some terminology.

I’ve not heard it neigh for a while, this horse could be dead.

[KeyAndFill]

The Histogram tells me the dynamic range data of my shot and indicates whether I have my highlights or shadows properly exposed. By observing whether it is slanted to the left or the right,  I can tell whether my exposure has been weighted towards the highlights or the shadows, and I can then adjust it either by switching over to manual or using the exposure compensation dial to fine tune the image.

Egglington for the win!  One other thing to mention.  We all use EV to “adjust” our shutter or aperture to get the “correct” exposure (and I’m guilty too.)  If anyone has read any about Exposure Value – it was created, primarily, for use in Shutter priority or Aperture priority.  Lets say you take a photo of a kid playing in the water and you are shooting in Aperture Priority, you press the shutter release, review the image, and determine (by whatever means necessary) that it is either under exposed or over exposed.  Bollocks!  You really want to use that shallow depth of field, but the glare on the water is just too bright (because you exposed for the kid’s shadowed face.)  You use the EV button to change your Exposure Value so that your camera knows you either want to open up, or close down one stop, or more. At least that is how I understand it’s function, and what I would use it for.

One more item to close on.  Ask yourself one important question.  What is correct exposure?  CameraClicker and I are in a church  photographing the architecture.  A lady comes in, chooses a pew, and kneels to converse with her God.  CC and I both notice the window high above the lady and the beautiful light spilling directly on top of her.   Standing shoulder to shoulder, with identical cameras and lenses we compose, expose, and go home.  In looking at our photos I see that the light is illuminating our subject, the pew, and there is lots of detail in the photo, you can even see the tiny mouse in the corner, watching all of us.  Exactly what he wanted, perfect exposure!  We look at my photo, same composition, same focal length.  Our subject is illuminated by the window, but then light falls off from there.  A good portion of detail in the rest of the frame is either very dark or lost to the shadow.  Exactly what I wanted, perfect exposure!

 

[KeyAndFill]

Wow.  I am by no means suggesting that we all start shooting in P.  I just stated the fact that it is useful to set it to P and use the light meter, then use that information for exposure.  It is true, the light meter functions in any mode, but instead of holding it up to the subject and it giving you a read out in manual it tells you whether you’ve over exposed or under exposed.

Just trying to point something out, not change the world or even start an argument.

[KeyAndFill]

JLiu, whether it is a step above green box mode or not, a light meter is a light meter is a light meter.  It doesn’t care what mode you are in.  Like I said, use it for the meter, it’s what you do with that information that counts.

[Author]

Posts