Digital Camera World » exposure modes

How to use a camera: master manual mode for total control

jmeyer — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:01:42 +0000

In the final post in our Shoot Like A Pro series on how to use a camera, we show you how to take total control of the image-making process by learning how to master your camera’s manual exposure mode.

Once you’ve worked out how to control the aperture and shutter speeds using Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes, the next step is to move on to fully manual exposure.

While Manual mode gives you complete control over your camera’s settings, it doesn’t mean you can use any setting that you like. Just like in any other mode, you have to choose a combination that will  give the correct exposure.

Your camera will have a display either on the LCD screen, in the viewfinder, or both, indicating the correct exposure according to the camera’s meter. This is usually the +0- display that’s used to measure Exposure Compensation in most other exposure modes.

You’re the boss
The real advantage of using Manual mode is that unlike any other exposure mode, none of the settings will change unless you decide to alter them.

This is perfect for situations where you have the time to think about your exposure, such as when shooting landscapes, but it’s also great for action shots where the light on the subject is constant but the lighting or colour of the background changes.

Pros of using manual mode

When the light on the background is changing, but the light on the subject stays the same.
Studio photography.
Low-light photography.

Cons of using manual mode

Subjects and situations when you don’t have time to change settings.
When the light on the subject is changing, or the subject is moving from lighter to darker areas.
When you only need to control either the shutter speed or aperture for the effect you want.

PAGE 1: Pros and Cons of manual mode
PAGE 2: Use longer shutter speeds in manual mode
PAGE 3: How to get started in manual mode
PAGE 4: How to use your histogram in manual mode

How to use a camera: exposure modes made simple

jmeyer — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 01:00:22 +0000

Buying a good camera and staying on auto settings is like buying a Porsche for the school run. In our latest Shoot Like A Pro series we show you how to use a camera in a more meaningful way that lets you take control of the picture-taking process.

In this series we’ll run through all of your camera’s exposure modes and explain when – and why – you should use them. This week we’ll start with Program Mode.

Your digital camera’s auto settings make it easier to just point and shoot, and often that’s enough to capture a moment in time. But what if your subject’s moving, if the light is constantly changing or you want to get creative with blur?

If you’ve started to feel as if you’re missing out on photo opportunities because you can’t work out how to take control, it’s time to master your camera’s creative shooting options.

Choosing and using the different exposure modes can transform the pictures you take, but venturing off fully automatic modes can be daunting, and even experienced photographers can find choosing the right settings tricky.

So here we’ve put together a guide to the four main exposure modes, covering everything from taking control in Program mode to mastering full manual operation. It will forever change the way you shoot!

Before we get started, in the infographic below we’ve highlighted the icons you’re likely to see on your digital camera’s top dial and what they mean. Click on the cheat sheet to see the larger version of this file.

PAGE 1: How to use a camera’s top dial
PAGE 2: How to use Program mode
PAGE 3: Program Mode Pros and Cons
PAGE 4: Your camera display explained
PAGE 5: Using Program Shift / Flexible Program
PAGE 6: What is Aperture Priority mode?
PAGE 7: Highs and lows of Aperture Priority mode
PAGE 8: How to control depth of field in Aperture Priority mode
PAGE 9: What is Shutter Priority mode?
PAGE 10: How to use Shutter Priority mode?

Bulb Mode: hot to get pro-quality shots in low light

jmeyer — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:30:54 +0000

The longest automatic shutter speed setting on digital cameras is 30 seconds, which is fine for most subjects. However, there are some situations when you need to make much longer exposures – after dark, for example. This is where your camera’s Bulb mode – (B) exposure setting – comes in. This handy setting allows you to hold the shutter open for as long as required, enabling exposures of minutes (or hours) to be made.

It’s best to use Bulb mode when shooting star trails, night scenes illuminated by the moon, vehicle light trails, firework displays, lightning and when using long exposures created by a strong Neutral Density filter.

It’s very effective for recording a succession of fireworks over a period of time on a single image. You can shield the front of the lens with your hand or a piece of card between fireworks to stop light reaching the sensor.

Bulb mode is accessed on most cameras either by a designated exposure mode setting often displayed as ‘B’ on the top dial or via Manual exposure mode – by scrolling one click below 30 seconds until BULB appears in the display.

In Bulb mode, the shutter will remain open for as long as the shutter-release button is depressed, allowing you to make exposures of any length of time. It’s possible to do this with your finger, but it’s not very practical. Instead, you can use a remote shutter release to open and close the shutter.

How to set up and use Bulb mode

01 Avoid camera shake
Use a tripod or solid support to ensure there is no camera movement during a long exposure. Make sure the tripod is secure and won’t be subject to any vibrations from the wind, keeping it low if necessary. Turn off any anti-shake features on the lens and camera.

02 Use a remote release
A remote shutter release with a lock facility allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as necessary. The shutter is then closed by releasing the lock, which ends the exposure. Some remotes have an integrated timer to set the exposure length.

03 Expose manually
Bulb is a manual mode, so you need to determine aperture and exposure settings before you shoot. Set an aperture of f/8 and experiment with exposure times. If your shot is too dark, extend the time; if it’s too light, shorten it. Use a low ISO to eliminate noise.

When to use spot metering

jmeyer — Mon, 28 May 2012 10:34:52 +0000

Knowing when to use spot metering is one of the questions we often hear from photographers who are struggling to get accurate exposures.

The default matrix, or multi-segment, metering on most digital cameras is accurate and reliable in most shooting situations. However, if you’re shooting into the light or against a light or dark background, the results can be under- or overexposed (for more on using light, read See the light like a pro: everything you were afraid to ask about natural light). It’s not always easy to get the exact light level you want using exposure compensation.

For complete control, use spot metering. Instead of taking several readings all over the subject, your camera’s spot meter takes one from a tiny area of the subject. Spot metering requires a little more effort than matrix metering but can give much better results.

The trick is to position the test area over the correct part of the subject. As with all metering systems, the exposure you’re given will be based on a mid-tone.

So, once you know when to use spot metering, such as in our original image above, you need to meter from an area of the subject that you want to be recorded as a midtone. Here’s how it’s done…

How and when to use spot metering

01 Spot the mode
To change the metering mode on most Nikons, either go to the shooting menu or press the metering mode button and use the input dial. Spot metering is shown by a small dot in the centre of the metering display. High-end cameras often have a metering mode switch.

02 Make your change
Spot metering is available in the P, A, S or M modes, so make sure you’re using one of these. For subjects such as portraits where you want control over the depth of field, it’s easiest to use Aperture Priority (A) mode, which enables you to control the aperture selection.

03 Select the AF area
The spot metering region is linked to the autofocus area on most Nikons, so make sure you’ve selected the single-area AF mode. Now select the AF area using the four-way selector on the back of the camera. It should match the area of the subject you want to be in focus.

04 Use AE-L
To control the exposure and focusing separately, make sure the AE-L/AF-L button is set to ‘AE lock only’ in the Custom Settings menu. This means you can lock the exposure from the spot meter, then focus by half-pressing the shutter release.

05 Pick a point
Position the focus point over the area of the subject you want to be a mid-tone. Then press and hold the AE-L button on the back of the camera. For portraits, the point you need will usually be a skin tone. It could be grass or foliage for outdoor shots.

06 Focus and shoot
While holding down the AE-L button, you  can now recompose your shot and focus on the main subject by half-pressing the shutter release. Once you’re happy with how the focus and composition look, it’s time to take your shot and see the effects of spot metering.

Dial M for…? Your exposure modes exposed

jmeyer — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:00:12 +0000

If you have a new digital camera, or if you’re new to digital photography, all hose abbreviations on the top dial of your camera might seem a bit confusing. Your top dial is where you will find your camera’s exposure modes.

Contrary to popular belief, the exposure modes you shoot with aren’t a reflection of your technical ability. Your exposure mode of choice is also about selecting a mode that gives you the freedom to stop worrying about other settings and start concentrating on taking great shots.

Your digital camera will offer a number of automatic settings, including modes that help you to shoot action, close-ups and portraits, but these shooting modes can be restricting and should generally be ignored. Get to grips with your camera’s semi-auto and manual settings and you’ll soon see your shots improve.

1. Auto/Green square
This is the ideal mode for complete beginners. The D-SLR is practically converted into a compact point-and-shoot, with exposure settings, aperture and shutter speeds all taken care of.

2. Program
Here, aperture and shutter speed are set automatically. However, you control ISO, Exposure Compensation  (ie, going lighter or darker) and other settings. You can override the D-SLR’s suggested settings if you wish.

3. Aperture Priority
This semi-automatic mode enables you to choose an aperture value for your desired effect (blurred backgrounds, for example), and the camera then selects the shutter speed that’s needed for a correct exposure.

4. Shutter Priority
This mode is similar to Aperture Priority, but you select the shutter speed you require and the camera takes care of the aperture. This is perfect for freezing high-speed action by choosing a fast shutter speed, or for creating motion-induced blur using a slow shutter speed.

5. Manual
In Manual mode, you set both the shutter speed and the aperture for any given scene, which places you in total creative control. You’ll now have access to all of the available shutter speeds and aperture values, and can also use Bulb mode. This additional mode enables you to shoot exposures for as long as the shutter button is held down, and is ideal for night photography.

The right way to set up your camera

jmeyer — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:00:37 +0000

DSLRs enable you to take much more creative photos. But this extra functionality does require you to spend a bit more time getting to know your camera settings. This can be frustrating if you’re keen to get shooting, but it’s the only way to ensure your camera’s set up properly for the best results.

To help you get started on your journey, here are the key things you should know about how to dial in the best camera settings for your DSLR.

Quality control 
When it comes to file formats, shoot in RAW rather than JPEG. The extra data that’s captured by shooting in the uncompressed RAW format gives you more flexibility to improve your shots post-shoot.

Try to keep light sensitivity as low as possible – between ISO100 and 400. Most cameras produce digital noise at higher ISO ratings. Noise looks like grain in your images.

As for white balance, you can leave it on auto, but you’ll become more confident at knowing when certain lighting conditions require you to switch to a specific setting, such as Cloudy or Tungsten.

Key controls
Aperture and shutter speed are crucial. The combination of these two settings affects not only the amount of light you let into the lens, but also the way your images look.

The aperture controls the depth of field by determining which areas of an image appear sharp. If you want a shallow depth of field, with a sharp foreground but blurred background, you need to select a wide aperture (such as f/2.8), and vice versa.

The shutter speed controls whether a moving object is frozen or blurred in your shot. The slower the speed, the more motion blur you’ll create.

Setting the right exposure mode
DSLRs offer a range of exposure modes, from fully automated – like a compact camera – to fully manual. Two popular ‘semi auto’ modes are Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority, which give lots of creative control.

Aperture Priority enables you to dial-in your chosen aperture and the camera automatically works out what shutter speed is needed. If you know what shutter speed you want to use to create a certain effect, Shutter Priority lets you select it.

The camera then works out the aperture you need for a correct exposure. Simple!

Get metering right
Metering modes depend on the camera and the brand, but the three most common on a DSLR are Multi-zone, Centre-weighted Average and Spot.

Multi-zone mode takes a light reading from across  a whole scene. It’s suitable for everyday use and pretty accurate in most situations. Centre-weighted Average takes a reading that concentrates on around 70% of the centre of the frame and feathers out towards the edges. It’s ideal for shooting portraits.

Spot metering reads a tiny area of the scene and is therefore the most advanced and precise mode.

Setting the AF and Drive modes
To make your shots pin-sharp, DSLRs offer a number of focus modes. The two main settings are single-servo,  for stationary subjects, and continuous-servo, for moving subjects. Most DSLRs enable you to select a focus point manually, so that you can lock focus on off-centre subjects.

The Drive modes enable you to determine whether a single frame is captured each time you press the shutter release, if shots are taken continuously for as long as the shutter is pressed down, or if the shutter is fired automatically after a set delay.

Make the most of the rear LCD screen
Now you’ve got an SLR it’s time to ensure you are using the bigger, brighter LCD properly. By this we mean using the zoom buttons to zoom into parts of an image on the rear screen, so you can check for sharpness or excessive noise.

And you should also get into the habit of checking your image’s exposure by calling up the histogram, or tone chart. A histogram bunched up to the left indicates under-exposure; bunched up to the right it indicates over-exposure.

Set up your camera

crutter — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:16:27 +0000

Congratulations on getting a new camera! It’s only natural that you can’t wait to start using it, but it’s worth spending a few minutes configuring it correctly first. Not only will this save you time and effort in the long run, but it’s a good way of familiarising yourself with your camera’s layout, features and functions. With the help of our quick-start camera set-up guide, it will only take a few minutes…

Select high-quality pictures

When it comes to file format, shoot in raw rather than JPEG. The extra data that’s captured in the uncompressed raw format gives you more flexibility to adjust your shots post-shoot if necessary (see page 7 for more on the raw file format). Try to keep the ISO as low as possible, ideally between ISO100 and 400, because digital ‘noise’ can be a problem at high ISO settings. As for white balance, set it to auto for now – as you progress you’ll become more confident at knowing when to switch to a specific setting, such as Cloudy.

Choose the right exposure mode

SLRs offer a range of exposure modes, from fully automatic – like a point-and-shoot camera – to fully manual. In between these two extremes are the two popular ‘semi auto’ modes – aperture priority and shutter priority – which provide lots of creative control. In aperture priority mode, you set an aperture and the camera automatically works out what shutter speed you need for a correct exposure, while in shutter priority mode, you set the shutter speed and the camera works out the correct aperture. Simple!

Choose the right metering mode

Metering options depend on the camera, but the three most common are multi-zone (also known as evaluative or matrix), centre-weighted, and spot. Multi-zone mode takes a reading from the entire scene and then sets the exposure accordingly. It’s pretty accurate, and is suitable for most conditions. Centre-weighted mode takes a reading that concentrates on the central 60% of the frame, making it ideal for portraits, and spot mode takes a reading from a tiny area and is therefore potentially the most accurate.

Set the aperture and shutter speed

Aperture and shutter speed affect not just the amount of light you let into the lens, but also the way images look. The aperture is used to determine the depth of field, which is the amount of the scene that’s in focus. If you want a blurred background, you need a wide aperture, such as f/2.8; and if you want everything in focus from front to back, you need a narrow aperture, such as f/22. The shutter speed controls whether a moving subject is frozen or blurred; the slower the shutter speed, the more motion blur there will be.

Set the focus and drive modes

To ensure your shots are razor-sharp, SLRs offer a number of focus modes. The two main settings are single-shot, mainly for stationary subjects, and continuous or servo, for moving subjects. Most SLRs feature multiple focus points that can be selected manually. The drive modes enable you to select whether a single shot is captured each time you press the shutter release, whether a sequence of shots are taken in rapid succession, or whether the shutter is fired after a delay of two or ten seconds.

Take a test shot

Now you’ve set up your SLR, it’s time to ensure you’re using its LCD properly. By this we mean using the zoom buttons to zoom in on parts of the image on the rear screen, so you can check for sharpness or excessive noise. And you should also try to get into the habit of checking your image’s exposure by calling up the histogram, or tone chart. A histogram bunched up at the left can indicate under-exposure; a histogram at the right suggests over-exposure. If you’re unsure, adjust your settings and try taking another test shot.

Back to: Get to know your camera – introduction

Forward to: Explore your SLR

Explore your SLR

crutter — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:15:01 +0000

With your camera’s basic settings taken care of, you’re ready to start snapping away, but you’ll soon want to know how to take advantage of all the other features your SLR has. Read on to find out how to take your camera craft up a notch.

Exposure modes

Choosing an exposure mode gives you the freedom to stop worrying about settings and start concentrating on taking great shots. Your camera will offer a number of automatic settings, including modes that help you to shoot action, close-ups and portraits, but these modes can be restricting and should generally be ignored. Get to grips with your camera’s semi-auto and manual settings (below), and you’ll soon see an improvement in the results.

Auto

This is the basic beginner mode, with minimal manual control. The SLR effectively becomes a point-and-shoot compact, with all the exposure settings taken care of.

Program (P)

Here, aperture and shutter speed are set automatically for you. However, you can control ISO, exposure compensation and other settings, enabling you to override the suggested settings if you wish.

Shutter priority (S/Tv)

This mode is similar to aperture priority, but you select the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture. This mode is perfect for freezing high-speed action or for creating motion blur.

Aperture priority (A/Av)

This semi-automatic mode enables you to choose an aperture value that gives you your desired effect (blurred backgrounds, for example), and the camera then selects the shutter speed that’s needed for a correct exposure.

Manual (M)

In manual mode, you set both the aperture and shutter speed for any given scene, which places you in total creative control. It gives you access to all of the available aperture values and shutter speeds, and an exposure level indicator in the viewfinder (or on the LCD screen) tells you whether your shot is correctly, under- or over-exposed. The Bulb mode enables you to shoot exposures for as long as the shutter button is held down, making it ideal for night photography, when exposures of 30 secs or more are required.

File format

As mentioned here, there are two main options here – JPEG or raw. The JPEG format was created for digital photography, and is now a universal standard that’s viewable on any suitable device. In contrast, raw files are specific to individual makes and models, and specialist photo-editing programs are required to open or edit them. The big advantage of shooting in raw is that the image contains more information, which can be used to get the highest quality images. JPEGs compress the image slightly, losing quality.

ISO sensitivity

Your SLR’s sensitivity to light is determined by the ISO setting. To produce noise-free images, it’s best to use your camera’s lowest ISO, but this isn’t always possible. In low light, for example, a slow shutter speed is often needed to expose the image correctly, and this can result in motion blur caused by camera shake. If you’re already using your lens’s widest aperture, the only way to get a faster shutter speed – and therefore avoid camera shake – is to increase the ISO. And the higher the ISO, the more noisy the image.

White balance

You can rely on the auto white balance (AWB) setting in most shooting situations, but there are some occasions where it can’t be relied upon. If you’re shooting in mixed light or in dark shade, for example, your camera’s auto white balance setting may produce images with a so-called ‘colour cast’. To eliminate this cast, switch to the preset closest to the type of light you’re shooting in. When it’s important to get the white balance exactly right, shoot in raw, because the white balance in a raw file can be fine-tuned later.

Custom functions

Scroll through your custom function menu for the first time and you’ll be amazed at the volume and complexity of the changes you can make to the way your SLR operates. Don’t be daunted, though – configuring some of these to suit your preferences will enable you to work much faster than sticking with the defaults. Some cameras enable you to save the most commonly used functions in a quick-access menu, or to assign custom function settings to different shooting situations. See your SLR’s manual for your options.

Back to: Set up your camera

Forward to: Get better exposures