Going to manual camera mode

Having left the Auto mode some time ago, using either Aperture or Shutter Priority modes, it is time to take more control of my camera. To do so I will do this in some logic order to ensure I get a full understanding of the many options, their impact and errors I may encounter.

Since practice makes perfect, the first round will be about experimenting with the basic exposure settings:

• ISO
  • 100 – bright daylight
  • 200 – sunny day
  • 400 – day lit room or overcast day
  • 800 – dimly lit room
  • 1600 – darker scene
• Aperture
  • f/2.8 to f/5.6 – portraits
  • f/8 to f/16 – landscapes
• Shutter Speed
  • 1/30 to 1/250 – subject not moving
  • 1/250 and above – subject moving

To help me with reviewing the result for each photo take, I will be using auto exposure bracketing (+/- 0.7EV, 3 frames). This will point me in the right direction for any correction that may be needed.

To start easy, I selected two locations in my backyard. The first was a corner on the East side. I started with setting at ISO 200, f/8 and 1/60 sec, (1/100 and 1/40 for the brackets). The result I got were:

It seems I was off a bit, the photo @ 1/100 sec seems to be it, but to make sure I took another set, using ISO 200, f/8 and 1/100 sec, (1/160 and 1/60 for the brackets). It confirmed that the best speed was 1/100 sec:

Next up, the West corner of my backyard. This time I started with setting at ISO 200, f/8 and 1/100 sec, (1/160 and 1/60 for the brackets). The result were:

The differences between the 1/100 and 1/160 made me think that 1/125 sec might just do the trick, so I went for it:

Judging by the results, 1/125 sec seemed to be the best setting.

This concluded my first day of shooting in manual mode. I even stayed away from cheating by first selecting the “Program” mode to see what setting I would get. Next up will be more shutter speed testing using varying light conditions, and trying to shoot moving objects.

Note: Original size photos are available via My Flickr Album!