I use Manual - on Pen F and M1 mark 11 - I like to see whats happening - I shoot in RAW so I like POST control as well. I like your expatiation of Olympus products - Thank you Peter
I like M - Manual mode because I want to control all three: Shutter, Aperature and ISO. I like to play around with my camera and see the results I get. If I dont have time to adjust the camera, I then set ISO to Auto and Aperature to Auto and I just adjust the Shutter based on the circumstances.
I mostly use A with fixed iso. But when shooting sports I shoot M with Auto ISO - this allow me to make sure aperture is opened up all the ways, while maintaining plenty fast shutter, leaving iso at around 800 and the camera works from there. In studio or with flash i stick with full manual. Thanks for your great videos
(Lumix G85) I tend to use A mostly, some S -- rarely P -- Movie mode *sometimes* for movies, but I also can get good results using A and then doing video recording. There is an intelligent-program/automatic mode which I only use in those times when I see something and grab the camera and don't have time to think about the exposure modes. On this camera it seems to be a little better than just using P mode. Thank you for the video! Nice beard!
I trie to play with all to experience due I am not Professional or better to say I have learned all by myself by reading all books from Time Life as I was 13 years old, and 5 times have I read all the books. Many times I don´t really know wich is the better mode, even if I have learned how work aperture and speed in relation with Iso. I am still learning and I will get it, for sure.
I mainly use "P" mode with slow kit lenses because the camera will always pick the widest aperture, which suits me fine. When using one of the 2.8 pro zooms I switch to "A" & "S" only use "M" for macro flash that I do at night time.
These tips are very helpful if you have a subject that you are planning to photograph. But what about an unexpected moment when you want to take a photo as soon as you turn on the camera (amazingly enough I don't have a cell phone)? Until I learn to use the camera better it will likely be auto mode. For an expert maybe P mode with auto iso or maybe that is effectively the same as auto. Your videos are a treasure trove of information and very entertaining -- thanks.
That is funny. Because that is how I feel about learning it with the high-cost preciousness of 36 images. (I still have a lot of pictures of my family dog at the end of every film-strip - in the emptying film roll that one did have to do to afford a new roll of film). Heck - to spool back the film for new WB - to spool it back to change to new ISO. It was never an option - because that was a very expensive thing to do. I want you as my teacher. Because to do 36 images at the time at a minimum taught me about "lux". And what aperture and shutter does. 36 frames at a time. When those 36 presses of shutter did cost a substantial amount of money. (back in the days when the camera was cheap - like a good printer - until one realized how much one image can cost). There was some teaching in that idea of 36. And I did get some pretty decent shots of my family dog - from the reason to max out 36 a time. (It would be interesting to see an exhibition of those frames - when we just did shoot to fill the cartridge)
M for long exposures, off the camera flash shots, and also for something experimental sometimes and A with compensation dial for almost everything. S is good for sport and action shots. I guess, I almost never use the P mode.
Hey Peter. All of my cameras over the last thirty-some years have been stuck in the aperture priority mode. Actually, if you've bought a camera body from me over the last thirty-odd years, you would probably need to take a hammer to the dial to shift it!
I usually wor with ISO200, Apperture Priority and EV compensation with my OM-D E-M5 Mark II. It is pretty much the same work flow than 25 years ago with my analog Minolta XE-1 ... just with more flexibility like adjusting the ISO if necessary without changing film.
Hi Peter, I don't often use P but would like to make a point P on most cameras allows Ps - which means you can slide up and down the f/no x shutter speed - you don't have to use the initial choice that the camera chooses. At the end of the day, whether you use P A or S with EV Comp, it is one combination of f/no and ss that you are choosing. Oh, and M is for flash
@@ForsgardPeter not same as manual as you only can change the EV (1/60, f/4 is same as 1/15, f8) but only use compensation to adjust exposure. While in M you adjust all directly without hassle.
Dear Peter, as I told you in the exposure video I use constantly manual mode using the exposure figure for at least positioning the main motif into the appreciated zone . So for me M is anything else but useless! Beside the panorama shots mentioned by Libor before - tracking of moving motifs requires the manual mode otherwise different backgrounds would cause different exposures without having the time to compensate!
I know what PASM means: P = Professional A = Amateur S = Snapshot M = Moron I am clearly the moron, so keep moving, nothing to see here. I am happy that there are so many Professionals out there that every amateur and snapshotter feels they are special. On a DSLR I used almost always A or S modes, because you needed the camera automation to get you in the 1-3 stops ballpark of the exposure and then use exposure compensation to correct exposure. Usually it took few snapshots and chimping the screen to get in the 1 stop ballpark and then in post use raw benefits to recover the shadows or highlights. With m4/3 on Olympus, I have maybe in the last 5 years used a few times A or S modes, and that only for testing that how they work. I am parked permanently now to M mode. Because the Olympus E-M1 dual dial design, I am faster to adjust exposure, DOF and shutter speed for my likings than I was ever with DSLR with semi-automatic modes or with any other mirrorless camera (because the E-M1 dual dial design with 2x2 lever). And because the amazingly accurate EVF in Olympus OM-D, I get exposure nailed with 1/3 stops accuracy. I don't need to use histogram, blinkies or anything like that. Just see the shutter speed, aperture and ISO values on screen and that is all I need. EVF shows the actual exposure and final image results. And I can only perform focusing and framing. Far far easier than with anything else. In the last 5 years through my hands has gone almost all Fuji and Panasonic cameras, most Canon and Nikon top DSLR and all Sony E-mount FF cameras too. And none of those has been in the performance and accuracy as the Olympus OM-D has been. The Olympus as well converted me from raw to JPEG. I shoot now only raw, but I do have a Fn button (REC button) to switch from JPEG to raw+JPEG when moment come that I notice that I might need to adjust image more than JPEG allows. That happens rarely, but maybe one photo from 1000 is such that raw offers little benefits. One of the huge difference makers was as well Olympus Automatic White Balance. It is just amazing. Since 2013 I have almost always kept camera in the AWB because it just nails it 99% of the time, and that when not exactly, JPEG allows the correction without compromise in quality. Now and then I need to use custom white balance, so I have one Fn button to allow quickly snap a CWB from piece of white paper in bag and assure that all is same from shot to shot. Using camera in M mode is huge benefit. No hassle, no fighting with camera, no guessing that what comes out, no meddling with the exposure metering or its modes. Be it a high contrast scenes like landscapes or wedding couple in black and white in direct sunlight or in shadows, the M mode and EVF just saves the day. And it is so relaxing and big relief that you don't need to fight with the camera gear. Something that no other manufacturer camera can do like Olympus OM-D. (I do have couple PEN cameras, but all those are not so nice, excluding about E-P line or PEN-F), in various levels.
Mostly I use A with EV comp. Would sometimes like to use M with ISO-Auto IF there were a EV-Comp but my Oly can't do that unfortunately. Intersting to hear, that the E-M1II can control the ISO with the back-wheel - that ist really interesting!
Can‘t figure out how on my E-M1 Mark 1 with Firmware 4.3. On the dials are only possible: Aperture, Shutterspeed, Exposure comp. and Flash Exposure comp.
Hello Peter, Lets say, I have a tele (Panasonic 100-300) and I know this is sharpest at f7. Then I want to set the maximum aperture to f7, choose shutter speed manually, and let the camera select the ISO. This is often needed in nature animal photography, because you have moving targets, and 10 stops of brightness variance in shadow and sunlight and you must react fast. I tried to do this with my E-M1.1, but in M mode auto ISO is not available. Is this possible with the E-M1.2? (I have plans to upgrade)
It is available in Manual mode in E-M1. You need to go to the Special menu E turn ISO-Auto to All. In E-M1 MKII it is in special menu E1. Make sure you have the latest firmware on your camera.
Hey Peter I have a different question. Lately I found that the aperture 45mm 1.8 lens rattles because of DOF lock I guess?? Even when I am at wide open it closes it down to f22 when pointing it to a strong light source.. how to turn it off it bothers me so much... While pointing it back to a dark area it's wide open again.. hoe to disable the feature completely ? I found the that assigning the DOF lock on a button does solve this momentarily but the it comes back again.. any idea?
I have to say that I do not know what the problem is. But it sounds that you have some automatic modes on. The aperture is closing down because the camera getting more light. If you have any more info about the case.
There's at least one more use for manual mode: taking multiple images of a scene that you want to merge into a panorama. My Nikon D7100 requires using full manual mode (aperture, shutter speed and ISO all constant) to create a panorama from multiple images. (I don't know how panoramas are created using Olympus cameras, but I'm about to find out, because I just ordered an EM-1 II.)
@@ForsgardPeter I've found that if I take multiple exposures while panning a scene that I intend to stitch into a panorama and leave the camera in aperture priority invariably not all the images are exposed the same (different shutter speed and/or ISO). This means that there is a very obvious line in the stitched-together panorama where one image ends and the next begins. Easy to prevent using manual mode. Another time I use manual mode is when photographing the moon or stars. Too much to ask from any light meter. One last use for manual mode is for taking portraits. I have a light meter that I bought probably 40 years ago. I position the subject where I want them, then take a reading with the light meter held next to their face. I then set the camera's aperture and shutter speed to what my antique light meter told me. Works for me every time.
![Mastering Exposure - [5 Tips to Get the Right EXPOSURE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/33LPaj2rYhw/mqdefault.jpg)
I use Manual - on Pen F and M1 mark 11 - I like to see whats happening - I shoot in RAW so I like POST control as well. I like your expatiation of Olympus products - Thank you Peter
Hello Peter, I also use Manual mode for panoramic images where I need to stitch several images together and can't have variation between exposures.
I like M - Manual mode because I want to control all three: Shutter, Aperature and ISO. I like to play around with my camera and see the results I get. If I dont have time to adjust the camera, I then set ISO to Auto and Aperature to Auto and I just adjust the Shutter based on the circumstances.
I’m a throwback to the days of film and manual cameras. I shoot mainly in M, sometimes S for action, rarely A, can’t say I have used P.
I mostly use A with fixed iso. But when shooting sports I shoot M with Auto ISO - this allow me to make sure aperture is opened up all the ways, while maintaining plenty fast shutter, leaving iso at around 800 and the camera works from there. In studio or with flash i stick with full manual.
Thanks for your great videos
I usually take most of my photos on aputure priority. For depth of field control. Thanks Peter for doing the videos.
Thanks!
I am learning so much from your channel, thank you!
Happy to help!
(Lumix G85) I tend to use A mostly, some S -- rarely P -- Movie mode *sometimes* for movies, but I also can get good results using A and then doing video recording. There is an intelligent-program/automatic mode which I only use in those times when I see something and grab the camera and don't have time to think about the exposure modes. On this camera it seems to be a little better than just using P mode. Thank you for the video! Nice beard!
I trie to play with all to experience due I am not Professional or better to say I have learned all by myself by reading all books from Time Life as I was 13 years old, and 5 times have I read all the books.
Many times I don´t really know wich is the better mode, even if I have learned how work aperture and speed in relation with Iso. I am still learning and I will get it, for sure.
Very helpful, thanks Peter
Glad it was helpful!
I mainly use "P" mode with slow kit lenses because the camera will always pick the widest aperture, which suits me fine. When using one of the 2.8 pro zooms I switch to "A" & "S" only use "M" for macro flash that I do at night time.
These tips are very helpful if you have a subject that you are planning to photograph. But what about an unexpected moment when you want to take a photo as soon as you turn on the camera (amazingly enough I don't have a cell phone)? Until I learn to use the camera better it will likely be auto mode. For an expert maybe P mode with auto iso or maybe that is effectively the same as auto. Your videos are a treasure trove of information and very entertaining -- thanks.
Thank you.
If I were teaching photography, I’d only allow my students to change ISO once every 36 images.
That is funny. Because that is how I feel about learning it with the high-cost preciousness of 36 images.
(I still have a lot of pictures of my family dog at the end of every film-strip - in the emptying film roll that one did have to do to afford a new roll of film).
Heck - to spool back the film for new WB - to spool it back to change to new ISO. It was never an option - because that was a very expensive thing to do.
I want you as my teacher. Because to do 36 images at the time at a minimum taught me about "lux". And what aperture and shutter does. 36 frames at a time. When those 36 presses of shutter did cost a substantial amount of money. (back in the days when the camera was cheap - like a good printer - until one realized how much one image can cost).
There was some teaching in that idea of 36.
And I did get some pretty decent shots of my family dog - from the reason to max out 36 a time. (It would be interesting to see an exhibition of those frames - when we just did shoot to fill the cartridge)
M for long exposures, off the camera flash shots, and also for something experimental sometimes and A with compensation dial for almost everything. S is good for sport and action shots. I guess, I almost never use the P mode.
Hey Peter. All of my cameras over the last thirty-some years have been stuck in the aperture priority mode. Actually, if you've bought a camera body from me over the last thirty-odd years, you would probably need to take a hammer to the dial to shift it!
I usually wor with ISO200, Apperture Priority and EV compensation with my OM-D E-M5 Mark II. It is pretty much the same work flow than 25 years ago with my analog Minolta XE-1 ... just with more flexibility like adjusting the ISO if necessary without changing film.
Hi Peter, I don't often use P but would like to make a point P on most cameras allows Ps - which means you can slide up and down the f/no x shutter speed - you don't have to use the initial choice that the camera chooses. At the end of the day, whether you use P A or S with EV Comp, it is one combination of f/no and ss that you are choosing. Oh, and M is for flash
Yes, the ability to change the combination of shutter speed and aperture and exposure compensation in P mode makes the P mode same as manual.
@@ForsgardPeter not same as manual as you only can change the EV (1/60, f/4 is same as 1/15, f8) but only use compensation to adjust exposure. While in M you adjust all directly without hassle.
Dear Peter,
as I told you in the exposure video I use constantly manual mode using the exposure figure for at least positioning the main motif into the appreciated zone . So for me M is anything else but useless!
Beside the panorama shots mentioned by Libor before - tracking of moving motifs requires the manual mode otherwise different backgrounds would cause different exposures without having the time to compensate!
The same thing can be achieved when using the flag colors. but yes, the way you are using manual mode is very good.
Mostly A or M if stitching into a pano sometimes S if motorsport for background blur when panning
In P mode can you adjust the shutter speed or set a minimum shutter speed?
I know what PASM means:
P = Professional
A = Amateur
S = Snapshot
M = Moron
I am clearly the moron, so keep moving, nothing to see here.
I am happy that there are so many Professionals out there that every amateur and snapshotter feels they are special.
On a DSLR I used almost always A or S modes, because you needed the camera automation to get you in the 1-3 stops ballpark of the exposure and then use exposure compensation to correct exposure. Usually it took few snapshots and chimping the screen to get in the 1 stop ballpark and then in post use raw benefits to recover the shadows or highlights.
With m4/3 on Olympus, I have maybe in the last 5 years used a few times A or S modes, and that only for testing that how they work. I am parked permanently now to M mode.
Because the Olympus E-M1 dual dial design, I am faster to adjust exposure, DOF and shutter speed for my likings than I was ever with DSLR with semi-automatic modes or with any other mirrorless camera (because the E-M1 dual dial design with 2x2 lever).
And because the amazingly accurate EVF in Olympus OM-D, I get exposure nailed with 1/3 stops accuracy. I don't need to use histogram, blinkies or anything like that. Just see the shutter speed, aperture and ISO values on screen and that is all I need. EVF shows the actual exposure and final image results. And I can only perform focusing and framing.
Far far easier than with anything else. In the last 5 years through my hands has gone almost all Fuji and Panasonic cameras, most Canon and Nikon top DSLR and all Sony E-mount FF cameras too. And none of those has been in the performance and accuracy as the Olympus OM-D has been.
The Olympus as well converted me from raw to JPEG. I shoot now only raw, but I do have a Fn button (REC button) to switch from JPEG to raw+JPEG when moment come that I notice that I might need to adjust image more than JPEG allows. That happens rarely, but maybe one photo from 1000 is such that raw offers little benefits.
One of the huge difference makers was as well Olympus Automatic White Balance. It is just amazing. Since 2013 I have almost always kept camera in the AWB because it just nails it 99% of the time, and that when not exactly, JPEG allows the correction without compromise in quality. Now and then I need to use custom white balance, so I have one Fn button to allow quickly snap a CWB from piece of white paper in bag and assure that all is same from shot to shot.
Using camera in M mode is huge benefit. No hassle, no fighting with camera, no guessing that what comes out, no meddling with the exposure metering or its modes. Be it a high contrast scenes like landscapes or wedding couple in black and white in direct sunlight or in shadows, the M mode and EVF just saves the day.
And it is so relaxing and big relief that you don't need to fight with the camera gear. Something that no other manufacturer camera can do like Olympus OM-D. (I do have couple PEN cameras, but all those are not so nice, excluding about E-P line or PEN-F), in various levels.
Mostly I use A with EV comp. Would sometimes like to use M with ISO-Auto IF there were a EV-Comp but my Oly can't do that unfortunately. Intersting to hear, that the E-M1II can control the ISO with the back-wheel - that ist really interesting!
All dual dials Olympus has been able adjust ISO with dial when in M mode or any other.
Not just E-M1 II.
Can‘t figure out how on my E-M1 Mark 1 with Firmware 4.3. On the dials are only possible: Aperture, Shutterspeed, Exposure comp. and Flash Exposure comp.
Hello Peter,
Lets say, I have a tele (Panasonic 100-300) and I know this is sharpest at f7. Then I want to set the maximum aperture to f7, choose shutter speed manually, and let the camera select the ISO. This is often needed in nature animal photography, because you have moving targets, and 10 stops of brightness variance in shadow and sunlight and you must react fast. I tried to do this with my E-M1.1, but in M mode auto ISO is not available. Is this possible with the E-M1.2? (I have plans to upgrade)
It is available in Manual mode in E-M1. You need to go to the Special menu E turn ISO-Auto to All. In E-M1 MKII it is in special menu E1.
Make sure you have the latest firmware on your camera.
Another question: why do you set the exposure comensation to the rear dial?
It is fast to adjust it with my thumb and I can have my finger on the shutter button.
Hey Peter I have a different question. Lately I found that the aperture 45mm 1.8 lens rattles because of DOF lock I guess?? Even when I am at wide open it closes it down to f22 when pointing it to a strong light source.. how to turn it off it bothers me so much... While pointing it back to a dark area it's wide open again.. hoe to disable the feature completely ? I found the that assigning the DOF lock on a button does solve this momentarily but the it comes back again.. any idea?
I have to say that I do not know what the problem is. But it sounds that you have some automatic modes on. The aperture is closing down because the camera getting more light. If you have any more info about the case.
There's at least one more use for manual mode: taking multiple images of a scene that you want to merge into a panorama. My Nikon D7100 requires using full manual mode (aperture, shutter speed and ISO all constant) to create a panorama from multiple images. (I don't know how panoramas are created using Olympus cameras, but I'm about to find out, because I just ordered an EM-1 II.)
Yes, you need to use Manual when making panoramas. Well, not need, but it makes it a lot easier.
@@ForsgardPeter I've found that if I take multiple exposures while panning a scene that I intend to stitch into a panorama and leave the camera in aperture priority invariably not all the images are exposed the same (different shutter speed and/or ISO). This means that there is a very obvious line in the stitched-together panorama where one image ends and the next begins. Easy to prevent using manual mode.
Another time I use manual mode is when photographing the moon or stars. Too much to ask from any light meter.
One last use for manual mode is for taking portraits. I have a light meter that I bought probably 40 years ago. I position the subject where I want them, then take a reading with the light meter held next to their face. I then set the camera's aperture and shutter speed to what my antique light meter told me. Works for me every time.
Never use P. Mostly A and once in a while S and M.
I don't use much else than PASM.
80% of my shots are "A"...
You lost me when talking about P. Too much info. Stick to simple and later get into all the other stuff you bored me with and made me leave.
Maybe you have ADHD. I understood his video and appreciated the information.