You can never say you’ve mastered your DSLR until you can shoot in manual mode. But relax, it’s easy! In this tutorial we answer all of the common questions about shooting in manual mode, as well as the advantages it can give you.
When there’s a lot of light and dark contrast in your scene, using Manual mode can help get the best out of your picture. Image by Frans Lemmens
Common questions about using manual mode
Manual mode – that’s when I have to make all the decisions?
Sort of. Manual mode is an exposure mode similar to Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority, but unlike those semi-automatic options, you have to set both the aperture and the shutter speed by hand.
The camera won’t make any changes to the exposure, although you will still be guided to the ‘best’ exposure by the metering system, and all the other key shooting parameters such as focusing, white balance and ISO can be set automatically if you so wish.
OK, so explain to us how Manual exposure actually works?
Once you’ve selected Manual mode, you’ll need to decide what is most important to the success of the picture: the depth of field (how much appears sharp) or the duration of the exposure (how movement is rendered). Doing this allows you to work out which setting to adjust first.
If control of depth of field is crucial, such as when you’re shooting a landscape (where a greater depth of field is required) or a portrait (where a shallower depth of field may help to blur the background), then set the aperture first.
Small apertures (such as f/16 and f/22) increase the depth of field, whereas wide apertures (such as f/2.8 and f/4) decrease it. If the length of the exposure is essential, then choose the shutter speed first. Fast shutter speeds (such as 1/1000sec) can help you freeze motion, whereas slow shutter speeds (such as 1/10sec) will blur it.
Now what’s the next step?
Once you’ve set the first parameter, you can set the corresponding shutter speed or aperture to produce a suitable exposure. Although the exact combination will change according to the situation, the principle remains the same: small apertures let in less light and require slower shutter speeds to make an exposure; wider apertures let in more light and enable the use of faster shutter speeds.
As you make the adjustment, keep an eye on the exposure scale in the viewfinder – this will indicate if the subject being metered for is being exposed as a neutral mid-tone, or if it’s being either under or overexposed. You can, of course, adjust the ISO setting to change the exposure, too.
The ISO essentially controls the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor. Choosing a higher ISO setting makes the sensor more sensitive to light (so less of it is required to make an exposure), while a lower ISO setting makes the sensor less sensitive (so more light will be required to make the same exposure).
This gives you the freedom to select a more suitable combination of aperture and shutter speed for a given situation – such as using a high ISO to enable the use of both a small aperture and fast shutter speed when shooting landscapes in low light, for instance.
So what’s the point of Manual mode when my camera is automated?
Having to dial in both the aperture and shutter speed settings can indeed slow you down. Manual mode isn’t designed for grab shots in situations where the light is changing, as you’ll need to keep making adjustments to compensate.
The camera does this for you in the automatic and semi-automatic exposure modes, tweaking the aperture, shutter speed or both in order to maintain a consistent exposure.
However, the fact that the aperture and shutter speed settings stay locked in with Manual mode is its chief advantage. This is particularly true when it comes to active subjects: as long as the lighting conditions are constant, you can set an aperture, shutter speed and ISO combination for the subject and be sure that they’ll remain perfectly exposed, even if the background changes.
Why would the background cause the exposure to change?
Normally, the exposure will be automatically adjusted according to a range of factors, such as the quantity and quality of light, the metering mode being used, the spread of tones throughout the frame and the size of the subject relative to the background.
This can produce perfectly usable results in many situations, although you may need to dial in some exposure compensation to ensure the subject isn’t underexposed or overexposed as a result.
For example, imagine you’re taking a sequence of pictures of an airplane taking off on a cloudy day; as it taxies along the runway, the exposure is likely to be fairly neutral overall.
However, as the plane lifts off, the expanse of bright sky is likely to fool the camera into reducing the exposure (remember that the camera wants to try and average out the picture close to a neutral mid-tone).
The result? White clouds that look grey and a plane that’s now a silhouette. To bring back the brightness level and restore detail in the aircraft, you’d need to dial in some positive exposure compensation.
By switching to Manual mode, you could set the exposure at the start of the sequence and ensure that the plane is accurately exposed throughout.
Couldn’t I just use the Exposure Lock button on my camera?
Yes, you could shoot in Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority and press Exposure Lock to maintain the same combination of aperture, shutter speed and ISO, but it’s just another thing to think about!
Using Manual mode enables you to forget about the exposure and focus on the trickier aspect of composing a good picture.
So when should I switch to Manual mode?
As we’ve mentioned, Manual mode is often the perfect choice for photographing moving subjects in constant light, but you can use this exposure mode for any subject. If you want to get your head around exposure, Manual mode is the perfect learning tool. It’s also a good choice when you use flash, allowing you to balance the ambient and flash light precisely.
How to set manual exposure
Choose your exposure setting by hand for more pinpoint control
Dial M for Manual
Rotate your camera’s main dial to the position marked ‘M’. The aperture and shutter speed settings that appear in the viewfinder, rear screen or top display will be the settings that were dialled in the last time that Manual mode was used.
Rotate your camera’s main dial to the position marked ‘M’. The aperture and shutter speed settings that appear in the viewfinder, rear screen or top display will be the settings that were dialled in the last time that Manual mode was used.
Set the exposure
If your camera has two control dials, one will allow you to make the aperture larger or smaller, while the other enables you to make the shutter speed faster or slower. On one dial models, you press a button to switch between the settings.
If your camera has two control dials, one will allow you to make the aperture larger or smaller, while the other enables you to make the shutter speed faster or slower. On one dial models, you press a button to switch between the settings.
Check the scale
The indicator will move up and down the exposure scale as you alter the aperture, shutter speed or ISO. When it’s set in the dead centre, it means the subject or scene being metered will be exposed as if it were a mid-tone.
The indicator will move up and down the exposure scale as you alter the aperture, shutter speed or ISO. When it’s set in the dead centre, it means the subject or scene being metered will be exposed as if it were a mid-tone.
Why metering matters in manual mode
How to use spot-metering and the exposure scale for accurate exposures in Manual mode
Metering from a mid-tone
The spot meter measures the light reflected from a subject, so it makes sense for the exposure indicator to be in the middle of the scale when you meter a mid-tone area. Adjust the aperture, shutter speed or ISO until it is.
The spot meter measures the light reflected from a subject, so it makes sense for the exposure indicator to be in the middle of the scale when you meter a mid-tone area. Adjust the aperture, shutter speed or ISO until it is.
Metering from a bright area
When you meter from a bright area, the exposure indicator should move towards the + end of the scale. If it doesn’t, choose a larger aperture, slower shutter speed or higher ISO. If the indicator goes too far the other way, then it will be underexposed.
When you meter from a bright area, the exposure indicator should move towards the + end of the scale. If it doesn’t, choose a larger aperture, slower shutter speed or higher ISO. If the indicator goes too far the other way, then it will be underexposed.
Metering from a dark area
When you meter from a dark area, the exposure indicator should move towards the – end of the scale. If it doesn’t, choose a smaller aperture, faster shutter speed or lower ISO. If the indicator goes too far the other way, then it will be overexposed.
When you meter from a dark area, the exposure indicator should move towards the – end of the scale. If it doesn’t, choose a smaller aperture, faster shutter speed or lower ISO. If the indicator goes too far the other way, then it will be overexposed.
Working in stops
When it comes to balancing the exposure settings of aperture, shutter speed and ISO, you need to think in stops. It’s an easy concept to grasp: each time you double or halve the exposure, you change the exposure by a stop.
To maintain a consistent exposure, you need to decrease one of the exposure settings if you increase one of the others.
Understanding the scale
The exposure scale shows the current exposure of 1/50sec at f/8, ISO 3200. That’s fine if we’re metering an area 1 stop darker than mid-tone, but what if we’re metering a mid-tone? Then it will be 1 stop underexposed. There are three ways to correct this and nudge the indicator back to the middle…
The exposure scale shows the current exposure of 1/50sec at f/8, ISO 3200. That’s fine if we’re metering an area 1 stop darker than mid-tone, but what if we’re metering a mid-tone? Then it will be 1 stop underexposed. There are three ways to correct this and nudge the indicator back to the middle…
1 Open the aperture by 1 stop
Pros: You can maintain the same shutter speed.
Cons: The reduced depth of field can reduce the apparent sharpness in an image.
Pros: You can maintain the same shutter speed.
Cons: The reduced depth of field can reduce the apparent sharpness in an image.
2 Slow the shutter speed by 1 stop
Pros: The aperture stays the same, sharpening the image.
Cons: Could blur the shot if it’s too slow to freeze the subject or reduce camera shake.
Pros: The aperture stays the same, sharpening the image.
Cons: Could blur the shot if it’s too slow to freeze the subject or reduce camera shake.
3 Increase the ISO by 1 stop
Pros: Lets you choose the ideal combination of aperture and shutter speed settings.
Cons: Image quality will deteriorate beyond ISO 3200.
Pros: Lets you choose the ideal combination of aperture and shutter speed settings.
Cons: Image quality will deteriorate beyond ISO 3200.
The real advantage of using manual mode
In our latest photography cheat sheet we illustrate one of the key advantages of using manual mode: shooting a subject that passes through changing backdrops. To view the larger version of our cheat sheet, simply click on the infographic or drag and drop it to your desktop.
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