What exposure mode do you shoot in.

I started out with a Nikon FA and I tried the program modes and always come
back to manual mode. when I got a F4s I basicaly just shoot in manual with
spot meter, I really haven't tried alot of different modes but latley my
exposures have been off and I'm just wondering with all the new technolgy
and thinking about getting a D2x, what seems to work for wildlife
photgraphy. I mostly shoot a 500 f4 manuel focus. seems like a waste to get
a D2x then shoot all manual.

Tahnks
Gary


Nature & Wildlife Photography
of
Gary & Debbie Langley
http://www.gllangley.com

gll wrote:
I started out with a Nikon FA and I tried the program modes and always come
back to manual mode. when I got a F4s I basicaly just shoot in manual with
spot meter, I really haven't tried alot of different modes but latley my
exposures have been off and I'm just wondering with all the new technolgy
and thinking about getting a D2x, what seems to work for wildlife
photgraphy. I mostly shoot a 500 f4 manuel focus. seems like a waste to get
a D2x then shoot all manual.

Tahnks
Gary

Nature & Wildlife Photography
of
Gary & Debbie Langley
http://www.gllangley.com

It seems to me a bad idea to use a camera with an infinite number of
possibilities and limit yourself to "modes". If your used to shooting in
manual, you will probably continue to do so. Of course, I have no choice but
shoot "manual" with my old F 1. I have never thought of myself as
"handicapped" with such equipment.

F1

--
Message posted via http://www.photokb.com

In article , gll
wrote:

I started out with a Nikon FA and I tried the program modes and always come
back to manual mode. when I got a F4s I basicaly just shoot in manual with
spot meter, I really haven't tried alot of different modes but latley my
exposures have been off and I'm just wondering with all the new technolgy
and thinking about getting a D2x, what seems to work for wildlife
photgraphy. I mostly shoot a 500 f4 manuel focus. seems like a waste to get
a D2x then shoot all manual.

The 10D is my first camera in my career that has automatic functions. I
use mostly Tv and then change the f/stop if I don't agree with it.
Didn't think I'd like auto-focus, but I really do in most cases.

gll wrote:
I started out with a Nikon FA and I tried the program modes and always come
back to manual mode. when I got a F4s I basicaly just shoot in manual with
spot meter, I really haven't tried alot of different modes but latley my
exposures have been off and I'm just wondering with all the new technolgy
and thinking about getting a D2x, what seems to work for wildlife
photgraphy. I mostly shoot a 500 f4 manuel focus. seems like a waste to get
a D2x then shoot all manual.

Tahnks
Gary

Nature & Wildlife Photography
of
Gary & Debbie Langley
http://www.gllangley.com

I use aperture priority mode most of the time. I select aperture
to control depth of field, the camera sets exposure, but I also
use exposure compensation and ISO as needed to control the
recording of the image.

Roger
Photos at: http://www.clarkvision.com

"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in
message ...
gll wrote:
I started out with a Nikon FA and I tried the program modes and always
come back to manual mode. when I got a F4s I basicaly just shoot in
manual with spot meter, I really haven't tried alot of different modes
but latley my exposures have been off and I'm just wondering with all the
new technolgy and thinking about getting a D2x, what seems to work for
wildlife photgraphy. I mostly shoot a 500 f4 manuel focus. seems like a
waste to get a D2x then shoot all manual.

Tahnks
Gary

Nature & Wildlife Photography
of
Gary & Debbie Langley
http://www.gllangley.com

I use aperture priority mode most of the time. I select aperture
to control depth of field, the camera sets exposure, but I also
use exposure compensation and ISO as needed to control the
recording of the image.

Roger
Photos at: http://www.clarkvision.com

Most of the later Nikon's (N75, N90, F100, D50, D70) have a program-mode
which can be varied with the "command dial" to any equivalent exposure just
by twirling it. I spend most of the time in P-mode but look at every
exposure and modify it as necessary. I find that most of the time I can't
stay in either S- or A-modes because the things I'm shooting are so varied.

Norm

Norm Dresner wrote:


Most of the later Nikon's (N75, N90, F100, D50, D70) have a program-mode
which can be varied with the "command dial" to any equivalent exposure
just by twirling it. I spend most of the time in P-mode but look at
every exposure and modify it as necessary. I find that most of the time
I can't stay in either S- or A-modes because the things I'm shooting are
so varied.

Norm

Norm,
I do not understand. In aperture or shutter priority modes, one has
complete control of the settings: you choose the exact aperture or
shutter, and the camera choose the other. You then use the compensation
dial to modify the cameras "best exposure." In P mode, the camera
chooses the aperture and shutter based on some pre-programmed
table. You have compensation control, but only over a very
narrow range compared to all apertures and shutter speeds, and
the compensation modifies both aperture and shutter according
to a formula for which you do not have control.

So aperture or shutter priority modes have the most flexibility,
unequaled by any other mode, and only surpassed by full manual.
At least this is the way it is on canon film and dslrs.

Roger

"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in
message ...
Norm Dresner wrote:


Most of the later Nikon's (N75, N90, F100, D50, D70) have a program-mode
which can be varied with the "command dial" to any equivalent exposure
just by twirling it. I spend most of the time in P-mode but look at
every exposure and modify it as necessary. I find that most of the time
I can't stay in either S- or A-modes because the things I'm shooting are
so varied.

Norm

Norm,
I do not understand. In aperture or shutter priority modes, one has
complete control of the settings: you choose the exact aperture or
shutter, and the camera choose the other. You then use the compensation
dial to modify the cameras "best exposure." In P mode, the camera
chooses the aperture and shutter based on some pre-programmed
table. You have compensation control, but only over a very
narrow range compared to all apertures and shutter speeds, and
the compensation modifies both aperture and shutter according
to a formula for which you do not have control.

So aperture or shutter priority modes have the most flexibility,
unequaled by any other mode, and only surpassed by full manual.
At least this is the way it is on canon film and dslrs.

Roger

Roger -- sorry to be so late in responding but life doesn't always follow
the plans we make.

Anyway:
1. In P-mode with both film and digital Nikon SLRs and even my EVF camera,
I can choose any equivalent exposure (shutter speed/aperture combination)
the camera allows which gives me complete control over motion-stopping and
depth of field. I also apply exposure compensation (+/-) on top of this to
correct for situations in which the light fools the meter.
2. Since most of the time now I'm shooting as a "tourist" with no
correlation of subject or lighting from one shot to the next, I can't decide
in advance whether A or S would be more appropriate for my "next" shot.
3. If I get into a situation in which there's a high degree of similarity
between shooting conditions from one frame to the next, I'll most likely
switch to either "A" or "S" as appropriate -- e.g. "S" when shooting from a
moving car or playing grandchildren and "A" when walking around a flower
garden.
4. With 50+ years of experience, I've learned to be very conscious of the
settings the camera chooses for *each* shot (assuming it's not an unexpected
grab-shot) and I think I never press the shutter release without looking at
both the speed and the aperture first. At least by keeping the camera in
P-mode, I'm guaranteed that I'll get something reasonable when I don't have
time to do anything else.
5. I'd estimate that only about 1/3 of the pictures I take are actually at
the first P-mode setting and that I change the exposure to something
equivalent the rest of the time, at least for the first exposure on a
digital -- then I look at the LCD and determine if exposure compensation is
also required, though sometimes I'll just go that way for the first shot as
well based on prior experience and prior results.
6. When I use MF & LF cameras, I always work at the equivalent of M-mode
since none of my larger-than-35mm cameras has even an internal meter.

Do I recommend that everyone shoot the way I do. Hell, NO! But after
decades of shooting in a large variety of situations on three continents,
I've found that the older I get the more selective I am about what I shoot
and I can take the time to modify each exposure to suit the shot. That
said, I feel that P-mode gets me "close" and I feel comfortable using that
as a starting point.

Norm

"Norm Dresner" wrote:
1. In P-mode with both film and digital Nikon SLRs and even my EVF camera,
I can choose any equivalent exposure (shutter speed/aperture combination)
the camera allows which gives me complete control over motion-stopping and
depth of field. I also apply exposure compensation (+/-) on top of this to
correct for situations in which the light fools the meter.

That doesn't make sense. In Program Mode the camera chooses
both speed and aperture, and you have *no* control at all. If
you apply exposure compensation, the *camera* decides whether to
change speed, aperture, or both. You have *no* control over
that choice.

That is as opposed to either Shutter or Aperture Priority Mode,
where you *do* have control, because you can preset one or the
other and the camera (either automatically or in response to
changes in the exposure compensation settings) changes the
other. Or, of course, Manual Mode where you set everything.

2. Since most of the time now I'm shooting as a "tourist" with no
correlation of subject or lighting from one shot to the next, I can't decide
in advance whether A or S would be more appropriate for my "next" shot.

Which is exactly what Program Mode is for, and you let the
camera totally decide everything.

3. If I get into a situation in which there's a high degree of similarity
between shooting conditions from one frame to the next, I'll most likely
switch to either "A" or "S" as appropriate -- e.g. "S" when shooting from a
moving car or playing grandchildren and "A" when walking around a flower
garden.

I don't see the correlation to "a high degree of similarity".
What you meant, I think, is that in situations where you want
more flexibility because the required exposure does not fit into
the "average" situation where the Program Mode will be
correct, you switch to one or the other of the more flexible
modes.

4. With 50+ years of experience, I've learned to be very conscious of the
settings the camera chooses for *each* shot (assuming it's not an unexpected

Then why would you ever want to use Program Mode?

grab-shot) and I think I never press the shutter release without looking at
both the speed and the aperture first. At least by keeping the camera in
P-mode, I'm guaranteed that I'll get something reasonable when I don't have
time to do anything else.

Why bother looking if you aren't inclined to make adjustments
and instead are looking for "guaranteed ... reasonable"?

5. I'd estimate that only about 1/3 of the pictures I take are actually at
the first P-mode setting and that I change the exposure to something
equivalent the rest of the time, at least for the first exposure on a
digital -- then I look at the LCD and determine if exposure compensation is
also required, though sometimes I'll just go that way for the first shot as
well based on prior experience and prior results.

That certainly is reasonable. But it doesn't match your
description above! In practice *this* (using Program Mode)
is exactly what you want to do when there is a series of very
similar shots to be made. You don't need flexibility...

6. When I use MF & LF cameras, I always work at the equivalent of M-mode
since none of my larger-than-35mm cameras has even an internal meter.

Do I recommend that everyone shoot the way I do. Hell, NO! But after
decades of shooting in a large variety of situations on three continents,
I've found that the older I get the more selective I am about what I shoot
and I can take the time to modify each exposure to suit the shot. That
said, I feel that P-mode gets me "close" and I feel comfortable using that
as a starting point.

That sounds very reasonable, and is essentially what I do most
of the time too. Program Mode gets me close, and shows me what
I'm working with. But more often than not, one look at what it
is and I know that I want either Aperture, Shutter, or Manual
mode instead of Program Mode.

--
Floyd L. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)

Wildlife is best in aperture priority. Set it on wide open and you get the
fastest shutter speed available to stop action. The limited DOF blurs the
background. If the subject is not moving and you want more DOF, just stop
down a little. Spot metering won't work well, because you often don't want
the subject smack in the middle of the frame. Or can you set exposure and
reframe, or set the spot to off-center? Difficult for moving subjects.

--
- Alan Justice

"gll" wrote in message
m...
I started out with a Nikon FA and I tried the program modes and always
come
back to manual mode. when I got a F4s I basicaly just shoot in manual with
spot meter, I really haven't tried alot of different modes but latley my
exposures have been off and I'm just wondering with all the new technolgy
and thinking about getting a D2x, what seems to work for wildlife
photgraphy. I mostly shoot a 500 f4 manuel focus. seems like a waste to
get
a D2x then shoot all manual.

Tahnks
Gary


Nature & Wildlife Photography
of
Gary & Debbie Langley
http://www.gllangley.com

In message t,
"Alan Justice" wrote:

Wildlife is best in aperture priority.

You must shoot wildlife in bright light. I shoot wildlife at ISO 1600,
and still get heavy under-exposure with the lens wide-open in Tv mode,
set to the slowest hand-holdable shutter speed, even with IS. Had I set
the camera to Av mode, I would have unusably blurred images.

I only use Av mode when I am trying to avoid diffraction limitations and
sharp sensor dust in bright light.
--


John P Sheehy