Before taking the picture.. hmm

I am a total newbie to manual settings but I try.

right now I am thinking that I should first think what the ISO setting
should be.
then f stop and then shutter speed.

if you walked into an empty apartment or house how would you determine the
settings for your first pic?
today for the first time I will be experimenting with EV. I think this will
allow me to see out the window
and at the same time not make the apartment seem so dark.

JSM

Just Shoot Me wrote:

I am a total newbie to manual settings but I try.

right now I am thinking that I should first think what the ISO setting
should be.
then f stop and then shutter speed.

if you walked into an empty apartment or house how would you determine the
settings for your first pic?

Assuming no tripod, shutter speed is the first descision. Then increase
ISO if you need more DOF.

If you have a tripod, forget ISO, consider the DOF you want, set the
aperture & let the shutter land where it may.


today for the first time I will be experimenting with EV. I think this will
allow me to see out the window
and at the same time not make the apartment seem so dark.

EV is exposure compensation? You'll be able to brighten the room but the
window will blow out so make 2 exposures & merge later.

--
Paul Furman Photography
http://edgehill.net
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com

Just Shoot Me wrote:
I am a total newbie to manual settings but I try.

In my opinion you rarely need total manual settings and in 99% of cases they
don't give you much advantage.

right now I am thinking that I should first think what the ISO setting
should be. then f stop and then shutter speed.

I almost always leave the camera on "Program" mode (not "Scene mode",
because you cannot adjust anything there).
Let the camera select the defaults. Then I check the numbers and decide if I
need to adjust some parameter like aperture to correct the DOF or shutter
speed to emphazise or eliminate movement, etc. The "Program" mode will still
ensure a proper exposure! And then adjust the EV if I want a special effect
there.

Aperture priority or shutter priority are nice if you take multiple photos
in the same situation and you want to set limits to the one of those values.

if you walked into an empty apartment or house how would you
determine the settings for your first pic?

Let the camera figure it out. Then adjust whatever parameter you think will
result in a better picture.

today for the first time I will be experimenting with EV. I think
this will allow me to see out the window
and at the same time not make the apartment seem so dark.

Probably not. The contrast between inside and outside is usually way too
large to have both areas exposed properly in a single shot, at least unless
you use artificial lighting (flash, studio lights, ...) inside.
Other option: take two photos, one with good exposure inside, the other with
good exposure outside, and merge them in a photo editor.

jue

Just Shoot Me wrote:
I am a total newbie to manual settings but I try.

right now I am thinking that I should first think what the ISO setting
should be.
then f stop and then shutter speed.

if you walked into an empty apartment or house how would you determine the
settings for your first pic?
today for the first time I will be experimenting with EV. I think this will
allow me to see out the window
and at the same time not make the apartment seem so dark.


Unless the window area is huge, there is often so much light difference
as to require a bit of flash indoor to bring the apartment up to the
exposure for the outside.

Think in terms of composition including depth-of-field.

Think in terms of image sharpness due to camera stability (tripod).

Think in terms of subject motion (if any).

Now re-think focal length, aperture setting (depth of field).

re-think "motion freezing" (subject and need for tripod).

How much light is there?

Finally come to speed (shutter speed + subject motion) and thence
required ISO.

Reciprocity is three variables:
film speed, shutter speed and aperture.

Cheers,
Alan

--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.

"Jürgen Exner" wrote in message
news:rtDAi.4377$Ay3.1671@trndny02...
Just Shoot Me wrote:
I am a total newbie to manual settings but I try.

In my opinion you rarely need total manual settings and in 99% of cases
they don't give you much advantage.

right now I am thinking that I should first think what the ISO setting
should be. then f stop and then shutter speed.

I almost always leave the camera on "Program" mode (not "Scene mode",
because you cannot adjust anything there).


I read this just before I went out. Sounded great... I said.. IM going to do
that.
but found I could not adjust things in Program mode at least not like I am
used to.
after I do a bit of work I will read the manual on Program mode and see what
I was doing wrong.
thank you for the great tip and great post thank you..

JSM

On Aug 27, 12:45 pm, "Just Shoot Me"
wrote:
I am a total newbie to manual settings but I try.

right now I am thinking that I should first think what the ISO setting
should be.
then f stop and then shutter speed.

if you walked into an empty apartment or house how would you determine the
settings for your first pic?
today for the first time I will be experimenting with EV. I think this will
allow me to see out the window
and at the same time not make the apartment seem so dark.

JSM


I can't really comment on any "program" or "scenic" modes because I've
never used them and have no idea how they work. My guess would be
that they end up making a whole bunch of bad decisions for you.

If you need to start somewhere, put your camera in shutter priority
mode, often abbreviated Tv. Now spin your adjustment wheel or do
whatever it is you do on your camera and set the shutter on 1/60th for
indoor without a flash or 1/200 otherwise. Set your ISO to 400. Use
200 if you are outside on a bright day.
Now your camera will take care of the rest, within reason.

If you want to go "manual", and that's not nessarily a bad idea --
then use the same ISO and shutter setting. Start at your lowest
aperature indoors -- probably something like f2.8 or f4 or possible
f5.6.

Now look through your viewfinder and there should be some sort of
metering, possibly lights left and right of center. Otherwise, just
take a picture, see what it looks like, and adjust accordingly.

"Paul Furman" wrote in message
...
Just Shoot Me wrote:

I am a total newbie to manual settings but I try.

right now I am thinking that I should first think what the ISO setting
should be.
then f stop and then shutter speed.

if you walked into an empty apartment or house how would you determine
the settings for your first pic?

Assuming no tripod, shutter speed is the first descision. Then increase
ISO if you need more DOF.

at this point I am still using a tripod. when I get MY NEW CAMERA I will
start
experimenting no tripod with faster shutter speeds. I tried that before but
found the pictures came to dark in order
to stop a blur. I now know that apeture and ISO can help me out here also
my photo editor.
but right now a tripod makes it a bit easier for me.
it is very good to finally talk to people about this stuff. I was lucky
enough today to see someone using the
newer rebel. he said it was his first dslr and very happy he made the
change. but that was as far as it got.


If you have a tripod, forget ISO, consider the DOF you want, set the
aperture & let the shutter land where it may.

for now the tripod works great for the window switch. tonight I will see
what the help files say
about merge .




today for the first time I will be experimenting with EV. I think this
will allow me to see out the window
and at the same time not make the apartment seem so dark.

EV is exposure compensation? You'll be able to brighten the room but the
window will blow out so make 2 exposures & merge later.

o i thought the EV would help brighten the shadows with out too much
effect on the already
light areas. Mege sounds like it is something I need to learn. I might
need to spend the left over money
on an upgrade to the real adobe photoshop. I know I have to atleast down
load the trial to see what it has.
1 of the books I am reading does have a bit of a tutorial in it for adobe
photoshop elements.
I hope I have a chance tonight to do a side by side comparison.

JSM



--
Paul Furman Photography
http://edgehill.net
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com

"Alan Browne" wrote in message
...
Just Shoot Me wrote:
I am a total newbie to manual settings but I try.

right now I am thinking that I should first think what the ISO setting
should be.
then f stop and then shutter speed.

if you walked into an empty apartment or house how would you determine
the settings for your first pic?
today for the first time I will be experimenting with EV. I think this
will allow me to see out the window
and at the same time not make the apartment seem so dark.


Unless the window area is huge, there is often so much light difference as
to require a bit of flash indoor to bring the apartment up to the exposure
for the outside.

I always thought there was something I was doing wrong or beyond my cameras
ability.


Think in terms of composition including depth-of-field.

Think in terms of image sharpness due to camera stability (tripod).

Think in terms of subject motion (if any).


Alan

I see I will have lots of thinking to do . I am finally at this stage
were I can think of these things.
I just used to keep trying different settings. there is also something on
my camera that will let me take a burst of pictures
at different exposures. I still have not tried that. I don't think MY NEW
40D is going to have it so why bother.
Its time to do some thinking. Now its time to edit the pictures I have
taken today.
thank you very much

JSM

Pat wrote:
On Aug 27, 12:45 pm, "Just Shoot Me"
wrote:
I am a total newbie to manual settings but I try.

right now I am thinking that I should first think what the ISO
setting should be.
then f stop and then shutter speed.

if you walked into an empty apartment or house how would you
determine the settings for your first pic?
today for the first time I will be experimenting with EV. I think
this will allow me to see out the window
and at the same time not make the apartment seem so dark.

I can't really comment on any "program" or "scenic" modes because I've
never used them and have no idea how they work. My guess would be
that they end up making a whole bunch of bad decisions for you.

Well, those Scene (not scenic) modes are coming from compact cameras and
they work reasonably well in maybe 80% of the typical cases for those
cameras. They are e.g. Portrait, Landscape, Night, ... For the remaining 20%
they do make bad decisions and even worse, the settings cannot be overruled
in those modes.

"Program" mode is totally different. It enables the camera to control
exposure automatically, just like shutter or aperture priority modes, except
that the camera will try to balance both, shutter and aperture. Details can
usually be found in a graph in the operating manual.
The big advantage compared to Scene modes is that in Program mode you can
adjust either to match your artistic needs while still trusting the camera
to automatically correct exposure as needed.

jue

I really wish my web site was up already.
While one of the places I took pictures turned out to be a waste of time.
Everytime I look at the pictures I start to laugh.
wall to wall clothes everyplace. no place to sit with out sitting on
clothes.
i guess i should be happy that there was nothing floating in the water.

JSM