What professional photographers set normally in a DSLR. Aperture or Shutter Speed?

[lachaine]

<p>I sometimes use shutter priority simply because most of my pictures favor handheld sharpness over depth of field issues (and my hands are a little shaky these days), and I don't hesitate to use aperture priority if I need it. But 99% of the time, it's just in Program mode. I can get a lot more photos of opportunity that way than I could using manual exposure, just because it's faster. I can easily shift the program to favour a particular shutter speed or aperture if I need to.<br>

I used all manual cameras for decades, so it doesn't really hold any magical appeal for me. I mean, if I have an electric drill and I need to drill a hole, I guess I could unplug it and turn it manually. It would take a lot longer to get the hole done, though.</p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>The last fully manual camera I shot was about 50 years ago. You know the kind. The box camera where the Kodak film came with an exposure sheet. Bright sky, Overcast,, Bright sky-subject in shadow, Snowy or beach scene, etc. They had those cute little scene drawings to those who could read. Then you set the exposure, shot away, and waited a few days until the prints came back and you would see if you caught it or not. Even SLR film cameras like my Nikon or Nikormat had metering that you had to move shuter and aperture to get the exposure right. But the meter made it less manual. </p>

<p>Digital manual i similar to SLR but the digital has LCD and histograms. AP is more automatic, but you still can override the exposure as you adjust the picture in the LCD or according to the histogram. Or you can move the camera into varying light to change the exposure and then lock it before you re-aim and shoot. So you still have final manual control over the final exposure setting even in the auto positions.</p>

<p> </p>

[rashedahmed]

<p>The main job of Shutter & Aperture is to control the light getting in your DSLR sensor through the lens.It also minimize or maximize the Depth of Field (DOF) in your image ( background & foreground sharpness control ) You have to decide what effect you want in your final image. Here, manual control is important. </p>

 

[nick_peters]

<p>Depending on what you wish to achieve. What I find with Nikon is that using Aperture Priority in situations where you may be taking a photo of someone and there is a bright sky or reflections off background subjects, the camera's light sensor can often be confused by the background reflections or bright sky and alters the shutter speed to something far faster than you wanted to achieve a good exposure (being a persons face).<br>

I typically 90% of the time use manual mode for this fact and will adjust my shutter to what the light is doing around me, assess what the raw image looks like after shooting. After a while of working in manual, you'll be able to judge straight away what settings to use to what light you have available at the time and you photos will often be more consistant, it's just a matter of practice. Just remember also any slightly overexposed or underexposed images can be adjusted in photoshop also.<br>

All the best.<br>

Nick<br>

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[andrew_laverghetta1]

<p>I don't understand people who ONLY shoot in manual mode. You still have to use a meter of some sort, it's not like you can always guess exposure (besides sunny 16 which is only useful in a pinch), you still have to pick one setting to start.<br>

I would suggest never using Auto ISO. I was actually astounded when I noticed my 60D has auto ISO because my 20D didn't. "What a stupid idea for a camera of such level," I thought. I still do think that actually.<br>

Anyways, I usually use AV/Aperture Priority mode.<br>

I set my ISO depending on what lighting conditions are. 100 or 200 for outside, 400 or 800 for inside with decent lighting, and 1600 for darker conditions like stadiums or churches. Then I'll use AV and set my ISO to usually wide open or if I'm concerned about more depth of field, I'll use something more like f/5.6. I just always watch my shutter speed and make sure it stays somewhere above 1/80 depending on which lens and focal length I'm using.<br>

I'll use manual in the studio or when I'm shooting something like a landscape, metering with a handheld meter, or don't want to deal with metering a certain part of a scene when I'm on a tripod or something like that. Often though, I will use partial metering or spot metering.<br>

The only time I use TV/Shutter Priority is when I need a certain shutter speed to give me a certain effect, like panning along with a bird or biker. If I need a fast shutter speed, I just set max aperture since that's what needs to happen for a high shutter speed anyways. I also like to lock exposure after spot metering.</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>I don't understand people who ONLY shoot in manual mode. You still have to use a meter of some sort, it's not like you can always guess exposure (besides sunny 16 which is only useful in a pinch), you still have to pick one setting to start.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It is not clear to me what you mean by this paragraph.<br>

Using Manual Mode does NOT exclude using the camera’s TTL metering system.<br>

The commentary implies that it does.</p>

<p>? ? ?</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p> </p>

[mike_p4]

<p>In situations where I want the maximum possible shutter speed I use aperture priority. This may seem backwards but by setting the aperture to minimum workable value, the camera will select the maximum shutter speed.</p>

[James G. Dainis]

My first camera was a Minolta XG-1. aperture priority. I could twist the aperture ring and watch the shutter speed move up and down in the viewfinder. Basically, I was using the aperture ring to set the shutter speed to 1/60 or faster. I still tend to do the same with my DSLR set to Av.

[ammlan]

 

<p >To decide which one to choose among shutter priority and aperture priority you must have an idea on Exposure. It is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium (film/sensor) during the process of taking photographs.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Exposure depends on (if I say in very generic way):-</p>

<ol>

<li>

<p >Light Condition</p>

</li>

<li>

<p >Reflecting Capacity of Subject</p>

</li>

<li>

<p >Film Speed /ISO</p>

</li>

<li>

<p >Shutter Speed (Higher the shutter speed less amount of light)</p>

</li>

<li>

<p >Aperture (Higher the f/number Less amount of light)</p>

</li>

<li>

<p >and others...</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Depth of field (DOF) depends on the Aperture setting in the lens. DOF is the distance in front and beyond the object that is in focus. Higher the f/number (i.e. f/11, f/16 etc…) is higher the DOF, i.e. you get focus in longer distance. And lower the f/number i.e. (f/4, f2.8, f/2 etc...) less DOF.</p>

<p >So if your interested in setting depth of field (a general example is higher DOF in case of Nature Photography and less DOF in case of Portrait) set your camera in Av (Aperture Priority) mode to compensate the exposure value automatically by your camera.</p>

<p >This can be done manually as follows:-</p>

<p >In a bright sunny weather for a subject with normal reflecting capacity with ISO 100; the aperture should be f/11 and shutter speed 1/125 sec. Suppose you want to increase the DOF. As it stated earlier you should increase your f/number as you need higher depth of field in case of nature and suppose you set it as f/22. As you are in manual mode and if you change only the aperture value; less light will come and hence you will get an under exposed image. (f/11 → f/16 → f/22, light decreased by two steps). So you have to increase the amount of light by two steps. Set your shutter speed at 1/30 sec. (1/125 → 1/60 → 1/30) or change you ISO to 400. (100 → 200 → 400).</p>

<p >Now question arises among Shutter speed or ISO which one you will choose. Let us reshuffle our problem as follows:-</p>

</li>

</ol>

<p > </p>

<p >In a bright sunny weather you want to photograph of a nature (a filed, mountain etc.) where wild horses are running. Let us assume initially the ISO set at 100.</p>

<p >Firstly you need a higher depth of filed and you set aperture as f/22 ( amount of light is 2-steps down.)</p>

<p >Secondly to capture running horses you need a higher shutter speed and you set it as 1/500 sec ( amount of light is 2 steps down, 1/125 → 1/250 → 1/500)</p>

<p >So light is decreased by 4 steps. You cannot change aperture or shutter speed. So now change the ISO by 4 steps and set to ISO 1600 (100 → 200 → 400 → 800 → 1600).</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Let us take easy examples:-</p>

<p >Let us recap: In a bright sunny weather for a subject with normal reflecting capacity with ISO 100; the aperture should be f/11 and shutter speed 1/125 sec.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Example 1: You want photograph a portrait where aperture you want to set as f/2.8 ( amount of light is 3 steps over, 1/11 → f/5.8 → f/4 → f/2.8). So set your shutter speed to 1/1000 sec (adjusting light amount 3 steps down, 1/100 → 1/250 → 1/500 → 1/1000). Or you can choose Aperture priority mode (Av) in your camera.. just adjust the aperture and rest of job will be handled by camera itself.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Example 2: You want to photograph a football match (or any fast moving subject) where you need a shutter speed 1/250. (amount of light is 1 sept down.. so you can set aperture as f/8 ( 1 step over; f/11 → f/8). Or choose Shutter Priority mode (Tv) in your camera... just adjust the shutter speed and the rest of the job will be handled by camera itself.</p>

<ol>

<p > </p>

</ol>

<p >Hope this will help you to decide to choose among Av or Tv mode.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Regards.</p>

[benny_alexander1]

<p>I started using a DSLR on July 14. I was under the impression that I can learn to use Manual mode only after couple of years, My first few shots in M mode were great disasters. But after reading a lot, and trying several shots in other modes, I found manual gives the best controls. <br>

I still use Aperture priority and Shutter priority modes when I do not have much time to shoot, But when I find I can shoot leisurely, manual mode helps much to decide. Many times the results miserably failed with poor exposure, ( I do not delete them though), and I know I need to practice a lot. I have a confidence now that sooner or later I can decide the modes easily. </p>