Learning to use the MANUAL MODE
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Learning to use the MANUAL MODE
i have recently purchased an advanced P&S that has a bunch of features and even a full manual mode like a DSLR. i started researching on the web for learning about the apertures and shutter speeds. what i am wanting to do is get a photo that has my focused object in focus and the background blurred. i like how these kinds of photos look, but i can not seem to produce one.
what i have learned, or think i learned, is that the aperature set to a lower number should produce this by opening the lens alot more. example a f/2.8 vs. an f/8. having the shutter speed at a fairly fast setting like a 1/100 to eliminate camera shake. (camera has image stabilization to help this)
well when i set the camera up to this and manually focus on the object it just get extremely dark. i turned the ISO up to ISO1600 from the ISO400 that it was at adn this helped slightly.
my question is that am i doing something wrong? im fairly certain im understanding how this works correctly, i just can not seem to get any results. please correct me if im wrong. keep in mind i am only entry level into this so i will have alot of questions, but i learn pretty quick.
here are 2 shots that somewhat acheived what im trying for, but the settings were pretty far off the ones above just to be able to see them.
thank you for any input to help me along!!! Lee
what i have learned, or think i learned, is that the aperature set to a lower number should produce this by opening the lens alot more. example a f/2.8 vs. an f/8. having the shutter speed at a fairly fast setting like a 1/100 to eliminate camera shake. (camera has image stabilization to help this)
well when i set the camera up to this and manually focus on the object it just get extremely dark. i turned the ISO up to ISO1600 from the ISO400 that it was at adn this helped slightly.
my question is that am i doing something wrong? im fairly certain im understanding how this works correctly, i just can not seem to get any results. please correct me if im wrong. keep in mind i am only entry level into this so i will have alot of questions, but i learn pretty quick.
here are 2 shots that somewhat acheived what im trying for, but the settings were pretty far off the ones above just to be able to see them.
thank you for any input to help me along!!! Lee
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From: Pembroke
The effect you are looking for is what's known as "Bokeh". A focused subject with a blurry background.
There are a few factors that effect bokeh which include
- focal length (the amount of zoom you're using)
- aperture (the smaller the number, the better)
- the size of sensor in the camera
Its more difficult to achieve bokeh using a p&s camera because the sensor is much smaller than that used in SLR cameras, so the depth of field (the amount of foreground vs background in focus) is a lot wider in the p&s. In order to maximize bokeh in your camera, you need to use the widest aperture the camera will allow, along with the maximum zoom. If you're still unhappy, you'll need to upgrade the camera.
Shutter speed doesn't affect the amount in focus. In your situation, it only affects the exposure (how dark your photo is). The the settings I mentioned above, you'll need a longer shutter speed to allow more light in to make your photos brighter. The disadvantage is susceptibility to blur, so you'll need, at a minimum, your image stabilization, or better, a tripod. LIke you tried already, a higher ISO also solves the problem slightly, at the expense of image noise.
There are a few factors that effect bokeh which include
- focal length (the amount of zoom you're using)
- aperture (the smaller the number, the better)
- the size of sensor in the camera
Its more difficult to achieve bokeh using a p&s camera because the sensor is much smaller than that used in SLR cameras, so the depth of field (the amount of foreground vs background in focus) is a lot wider in the p&s. In order to maximize bokeh in your camera, you need to use the widest aperture the camera will allow, along with the maximum zoom. If you're still unhappy, you'll need to upgrade the camera.
Shutter speed doesn't affect the amount in focus. In your situation, it only affects the exposure (how dark your photo is). The the settings I mentioned above, you'll need a longer shutter speed to allow more light in to make your photos brighter. The disadvantage is susceptibility to blur, so you'll need, at a minimum, your image stabilization, or better, a tripod. LIke you tried already, a higher ISO also solves the problem slightly, at the expense of image noise.
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So far your line of thinking is correct. Lowest number aperture will get you the effect you are looking for, but there are 2 more things to consider. First the size of your cameras sensor will make a difference as well, this is one place where almost all point and shoots fail. Since the image sensor is so small, even when you open your aperture all the way you still have a depth of field (DOF) that is larger/deeper then what you are looking for. Another thing to consider is your dof will change based on your focal length, so zoom in as far as your optics allow (optical zoom only, digital zoom will only hurt you in this respect). Also to maximize this effect, get closer to your subject so you separate the foreground from the background as much as possible (for example if your subject is 6ft from the background and you are 30ft away, the area between is 20% of your total distance; if you are 3ft away it becomes 200%, putting your background further out of focus).
It is strange that your viewfinder goes dark when you open up all the way, since you are actually letting more light in. Is it going dark when you set it to f2.8 or when you put the shutter speed up? Perhaps it is showing you what your final exposure will be, which means you will have to use a lower shutter speed and put the camera on a tripod, or some other type of support.
conclusion:
f2.8 (or as low as you can)
full optical zoom
get as close as you can
adjust ISO and shutter speed for exposure, use support if needed
choose subject with background farther away
It is strange that your viewfinder goes dark when you open up all the way, since you are actually letting more light in. Is it going dark when you set it to f2.8 or when you put the shutter speed up? Perhaps it is showing you what your final exposure will be, which means you will have to use a lower shutter speed and put the camera on a tripod, or some other type of support.
conclusion:
f2.8 (or as low as you can)
full optical zoom
get as close as you can
adjust ISO and shutter speed for exposure, use support if needed
choose subject with background farther away
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okay well that makes me feel a little better that i am understanding it correctly. as far as my camera goes i have a Cannon PowerShot SX10 IS Link to Specs im not sure what the sensor size is. i will try the zooming in idea and see how that works out. some how i have a picture that kinda turned out that way totally by mistake. it was in full auto mode and had a really far zoom
what are some other techniques i could play with to get some interesting photos?
what are some other techniques i could play with to get some interesting photos?
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From: Socal - West Covina
HAHAHAHA ^
I recommends you check out this book.
It's an excellent book that will explain everything you will want to know.
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposu...32132541&sr=8-1
you can pick one up at your local Barness & Noble. Listening to different people theory will just confuse you even more.
I recommends you check out this book.
It's an excellent book that will explain everything you will want to know.
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposu...32132541&sr=8-1
you can pick one up at your local Barness & Noble. Listening to different people theory will just confuse you even more.
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From: Miami, Florida
You are all forgetting something very basic in here. OP is shooting in manual mode. It doesn't matter how wide or narrow his lens aperture is, if he's not adjusting shutter speed accordingly the exposure will be all over the place (over or under). That's why his pictures are coming out dark. He needs to select the right shutter speed, not bump up the ISO.
Manual mode means you can control both aperture and shutter speed yourself. You can't just pick any aperture, igonre shutter speed and go take some pictures. At any given aperture, there is a specifc shutter speed, only one, that will result in the correct exposure (well... maybe you can deviate a step or two, but you get the point). How do you know which shutter speed is the right one? You need to meter (measure) the light! There are three ways to do this:
1) Use the camera's built-in meter. This is not always the most accurate method, but if you know which setting to use (point, area or matrix) and what neutral colors to read off (grays work great, and I've found that grass is prety close), then you can get good results most of the time.
2) Gray card. Very accurate and cheap (only $4 or so). Not the most convenient method, especially if you're shooting objects in the distance with variations in light, but works great just about everytime if used correctly.
3) Light meter. Can't go wrong if used right. There are two types of meter: reflected light, which you point to the subject from a distance and read the light off it (like your camera's meter), and incident light, which is placed on the subject to get a direct reading of the light falling onto it (like a grey card). Both have the same advantages and disavantages mentioned above, though with the incident meter you can walk to the subject to read the light without taking your camera.
Now, going back to the way you were shooting. If you just want to set a given aperture and forget about shutter speed, then set your camera to "aperture priority" (in Nikon speak). This means that aperture is in manual mode, but the shutter speed is chosen by the camera. Of ourse, the camera picks the speed by measuring the light just the same, so to get good results, you should still uderstand how colors and meter modes work (as in #1 above).
Once you got that down, to get shallow depth of field (blurry background) follow the tips already mentioned (wide aperture, long focal lenght, shorter distance, etc)
Hope this helps.
Manual mode means you can control both aperture and shutter speed yourself. You can't just pick any aperture, igonre shutter speed and go take some pictures. At any given aperture, there is a specifc shutter speed, only one, that will result in the correct exposure (well... maybe you can deviate a step or two, but you get the point). How do you know which shutter speed is the right one? You need to meter (measure) the light! There are three ways to do this:
1) Use the camera's built-in meter. This is not always the most accurate method, but if you know which setting to use (point, area or matrix) and what neutral colors to read off (grays work great, and I've found that grass is prety close), then you can get good results most of the time.
2) Gray card. Very accurate and cheap (only $4 or so). Not the most convenient method, especially if you're shooting objects in the distance with variations in light, but works great just about everytime if used correctly.
3) Light meter. Can't go wrong if used right. There are two types of meter: reflected light, which you point to the subject from a distance and read the light off it (like your camera's meter), and incident light, which is placed on the subject to get a direct reading of the light falling onto it (like a grey card). Both have the same advantages and disavantages mentioned above, though with the incident meter you can walk to the subject to read the light without taking your camera.
Now, going back to the way you were shooting. If you just want to set a given aperture and forget about shutter speed, then set your camera to "aperture priority" (in Nikon speak). This means that aperture is in manual mode, but the shutter speed is chosen by the camera. Of ourse, the camera picks the speed by measuring the light just the same, so to get good results, you should still uderstand how colors and meter modes work (as in #1 above).
Once you got that down, to get shallow depth of field (blurry background) follow the tips already mentioned (wide aperture, long focal lenght, shorter distance, etc)
Hope this helps.
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From: Pembroke
Originally Posted by X4DLuvOfSpeedX' date='Jan 17 2009, 01:11 PM
You are all forgetting something very basic in here. OP is shooting in manual mode. It doesn't matter how wide or narrow his lens aperture is, if he's not adjusting shutter speed accordingly the exposure will be all over the place (over or under). That's why his pictures are coming out dark. He needs to select the right shutter speed, not bump up the ISO.
Manual mode means you can control both aperture and shutter speed yourself. You can't just pick any aperture, igonre shutter speed and go take some pictures. At any given aperture, there is a specifc shutter speed, only one, that will result in the correct exposure (well... maybe you can deviate a step or two, but you get the point). How do you know which shutter speed is the right one? You need to meter (measure) the light! There are three ways to do this:
1) Use the camera's built-in meter. This is not always the most accurate method, but if you know which setting to use (point, area or matrix) and what neutral colors to read off (grays work great, and I've found that grass is prety close), then you can get good results most of the time.
2) Gray card. Very accurate and cheap (only $4 or so). Not the most convenient method, especially if you're shooting objects in the distance with variations in light, but works great just about everytime if used correctly.
3) Light meter. Can't go wrong if used right. There are two types of meter: reflected light, which you point to the subject from a distance and read the light off it (like your camera's meter), and incident light, which is placed on the subject to get a direct reading of the light falling onto it (like a grey card). Both have the same advantages and disavantages mentioned above, though with the incident meter you can walk to the subject to read the light without taking your camera.
Now, going back to the way you were shooting. If you just want to set a given aperture and forget about shutter speed, then set your camera to "aperture priority" (in Nikon speak). This means that aperture is in manual mode, but the shutter speed is chosen by the camera. Of ourse, the camera picks the speed by measuring the light just the same, so to get good results, you should still uderstand how colors and meter modes work (as in #1 above).
Once you got that down, to get shallow depth of field (blurry background) follow the tips already mentioned (wide aperture, long focal lenght, shorter distance, etc)
Hope this helps.
Manual mode means you can control both aperture and shutter speed yourself. You can't just pick any aperture, igonre shutter speed and go take some pictures. At any given aperture, there is a specifc shutter speed, only one, that will result in the correct exposure (well... maybe you can deviate a step or two, but you get the point). How do you know which shutter speed is the right one? You need to meter (measure) the light! There are three ways to do this:
1) Use the camera's built-in meter. This is not always the most accurate method, but if you know which setting to use (point, area or matrix) and what neutral colors to read off (grays work great, and I've found that grass is prety close), then you can get good results most of the time.
2) Gray card. Very accurate and cheap (only $4 or so). Not the most convenient method, especially if you're shooting objects in the distance with variations in light, but works great just about everytime if used correctly.
3) Light meter. Can't go wrong if used right. There are two types of meter: reflected light, which you point to the subject from a distance and read the light off it (like your camera's meter), and incident light, which is placed on the subject to get a direct reading of the light falling onto it (like a grey card). Both have the same advantages and disavantages mentioned above, though with the incident meter you can walk to the subject to read the light without taking your camera.
Now, going back to the way you were shooting. If you just want to set a given aperture and forget about shutter speed, then set your camera to "aperture priority" (in Nikon speak). This means that aperture is in manual mode, but the shutter speed is chosen by the camera. Of ourse, the camera picks the speed by measuring the light just the same, so to get good results, you should still uderstand how colors and meter modes work (as in #1 above).
Once you got that down, to get shallow depth of field (blurry background) follow the tips already mentioned (wide aperture, long focal lenght, shorter distance, etc)
Hope this helps.
Shutter + Aperture + ISO = exposure.
Keeping shutter and aperture constant, changing the ISO will definitely alter your exposure. That's the whole point of ISO. When a low light condition didn't initially allow a certain shutter/aperture combo to expose properly, bump the ISO a stop or two, now it does. Its a fundamental rule of photography.
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okay well i have given it a shot with the advice given and have had some luck but not alot here is a picture of a statue that we have and i some what achieved the "bokeh"
and after that i went and tried my luck with the S2K not alot of luck with the bokeh but all the shots were in MANUAL mode so i think they are pretty good for my knowlege in photography
and here are a couple with the MACRO
again all advice is welcome!!!! Lee
and after that i went and tried my luck with the S2K not alot of luck with the bokeh but all the shots were in MANUAL mode so i think they are pretty good for my knowlege in photography
and here are a couple with the MACRO
again all advice is welcome!!!! Lee