I think the "guessing" of the exposure is really only a thing for cameras with optical view finders, in an electronic you see what your image will look like so their isn't that guessing. I don't understand the argument about Aperture over Manual with auto ISO. With aperture you are saying that we should control the aperture and the ISO since you want us to bump the ISO if the shutter is too slow. Isn't that kind of the same as controlling the Aperture and Shutter with an Auto ISO? As stated the ISO is probably the least important of the 3 since, as noted, there are many excellent software options to remove/reduce the noise on the image in post. Personally I shoot in a mix of manual with auto ISO (bird in a tree) and Shutter priority with auto ISO plus a ISO 400 base (bird in flight). I tried Aperture priority for a while but even with limiting how the camera reads the exposure often the subject would not be properly exposed or my shutter speed would to be too slow for the subject.
I used to shoot aperture priority for the reasons you mention but now find that manual setting and auto iso is far more useful. Especially as I don't have the luxury of a 400 f2.8 or 500 or 600 f4 lens.
I did my first portrait photoshoot using priority mode on my Sony a7iii and found out the following before I did it..hubby modeled for me so I could try out my 3 lenses... a 35mm resulted in soft nice details in the background which is what my client ultimately wanted....the 55mm was blurred pretty well background wise but the 85mm was completely blurred in the background and hubbys pics were sharp with each one. I have not tried out a 600mm lens as I don't have one. I do have a 300mm lens on my Nikon D5300 so I will try that out next with wildlife.
Thanks for sharing your experience...I am only a hobbyist & still learning photography at 78 yrs old.... your comments will help me a lot, so I appreciate your video... cheers 😀
The excellent Steve Perry (US Wildlife Photographer/RU-vidr) taught me Manual with Auto ISO - couldn’t be easier. Choose your preferred aperture and shutter speed, ISO does its own thing within parameters you set. I’d shot mainly Aperture Priority for years but, wouldn’t change back now. Thanks for this series of videos, I’ve really enjoyed them.
Yeah I agree. The manual ISO option is the optimum to me - choosing the shutter and aperture are both important to me - for depth of field and to freeze or blur the action.
In my experience, shutter priority has taught me that bokeh is overrated. If i want bokeh i,ll just increase my ss until i see fstop wide open. It will still use the lowest iso and photos are sharp. Quicker than manual with auto iso. I rarely use manual with auto iso. Id rather go full manual, as miso alao slows you down at some point. I know it is quicker just to select fstop, but sometimes when metering is overexposed and already at lowest iso, neg exp comp will not work.
What about those of us who don't have an F2.8 or F4 lens and are shooting at a minimum F5.6 or F8 with 1.4x teleconverter. It's not very often I'm shooting in great light either so 1/2000 sec is a dream. I've been shooting woodpeckers recently and now the canopy has greened out even on a sunny day there isn't much light. At F8 minimum for me it's about balancing the shutter speed and ISO. I do that by using Shutter priority and Auto ISO where I know the minimum speed I can get away with to get a sharp shot. Great channel but this episode didn't seem as relevant to me because I haven't got the same professional lenses as you and all the other pros that shot this way.
Exactly, and what I think is missing, is the compositional aspect of using a fast aperture. My lens starts at 5.6 and I use this aperture most of the times, because I like the animals the pop out.
That's like saying a hammer is best over a saw or a drill. It depends on the job. Aperture priority is not always gonna work best with high speed birds in flight.
From the comments this video seems to have created some confusion. I think the point is that while shooting mode will influence how quickly you can arrive at the optimal combination of shutter speed, aperture and iso this does not necesarily mean that this "best achievale" set of conditions will result in acceptable image quality. Higher quality lenses with faster apertures will allow effective images to be obtained at lower light levels than slower lenses, but ultimately as light levels fall similar considerations apply and it may just not be possible to get acceptable image quality. Personally I set aperture and shutter speed manually and allow ISO to float using auto ISO. I accept that under conditions of low light this can lead to high ISO values causing noisy images. But under such conditions if I were to fix aperture and ISO and allow shutter speed to float I risk subject blur from too low a shutter speed. In practice modern post processing software is far more effective at removing noise than correcting blur.
Yeah I do the same. And really as you said its not that using manual with auto ISO gives noiser image than if you had used any other exposure mode, its just about how you get there.
A very nice explanation, well done. When I was a beginner, Aperture priority made a lot of sense but after shooting wildlife for a while I came to understand that 1/2000 - 1/2500 freezes most birds in flight quite well and a cheetah hun really needs about 1/4000 so there is no longer a need to leave that setting to chance by having the camera try to decide that for me and probably get it wrong at the ultimate moment. I rather fix the shutter speed in Manual mode and just leverage the auto ISO. At full zoom I'm dealing with 5-6f, if I use a TC then I'm at 7f. So I am already shooting wide open by force and I think the majority of photographers fall in that category because 2f lenses are pricey and out of reach. That's why I think manual with auto ISO will end up being the most practical option for photographers especially those who have been shooting long enough to know the required shutter speed for the type of animal or action.
Mark, great overview, however I disagree that AV is the sigle best way to go.Camera shooting modes are tools to be used in the most appropriate shooting circumstances. M has it’s place and is most definitely the preferred method in constant light. AV is always my choice in varying and changing light conditions. TV is often used by photographers who require a specific and often critical shutter speed. To know and understand when a specific mode is the preferred choice is the key to greater enjoyment and better more consistent results. Respectfully your Jean-Louis
I shoot in manual. Auto ISO. Complete control of my camera is what I want. I plan. Take test shots. This makes it easy. When I started I was in aperture . Aperture and Manual in the camera can be fooled. I love to control my camera.
This was a breath of fresh air for me. Amateur bird photographer struggling with exposure as shooting in shutter priority and missing the subject as they have gone for lunch by the time I’m ready or greatly underexposed! I ant wait to get out and try this. Thank you.
Started with Aperture priority for Landscapes but moved on to Manual with auto ISO mainly for wildlife ! Particularly difficult exposures last week with a little Dipper in and out of shadows with white fast flowing water, really no alternative with this one ! Great examination of the various modes ! 👍😍
Hi, do you also use Exposure compensation as well to fine adjust your shot with Manual and Auto ISO? Just subscribed to your channel by the way, and liking it :)
As you said, we are getting sensors better at dealing with noise and there is software to lower the noise, it is impossible to adjust motion blur in post production. This makes manual + auto ISO (with a limit matching your camera and taste) the way to go, in my honest opinion.
THE BEST VIDEO ABOUT APERTURE PRIORITY, SO FAR. THANKS. But let me share my own setting if it is acceptable: I turned ON the AUTO-ISO, with maximum of 800 and minimum of 1/30. Is that ok as a beginner photography enthusiast? I have purchased my Nikon D7000 around 13 years ago, and I barely used it. I am now starting to be with it (or her) again to learn more about photography.
With respect: I don't believe shooting in Manual is "more worthy" as you say. I use Manual because using Aperture Priority can present issues when photographing birds in flight. For instance when tracking the bird flying against a blue sky and then suddenly against dark trees. Your exposure changes automatically beyond your control dropping your shutter speed- exactly what we don't want in birds in flight. Similar uncontrollable results come from results come utilizing Shutter Priority- however now the camera is controlling the depth of field- not good either. In my experience, Manual Mode and Auto-ISO give me the creative control over both shutter speed and depth of field and also gives me the best chance off getting the shot utilizing Auto-ISO. It's the component of the exposure triangle with the least creative penalty and most speed- especially with today's high ISO capable sensors.
I’m with you on Manual & Auto ISO. Sometimes when shooting a bird in flight overhead, I’ll switch to manual ISO so not under expose the bottom of the bird. For some reason , I never use Exposure Compensation. Probably couldn’t find the button with moving the camera down & looking at the top of it= even knowing it is close to the shutter button.
Yeah Manual + Auto-ISO works if you have +/-EV compensation available otherwise bird from below is backlit and detail is lost. Fixed WB can also reduce how much the camera re-adjusts exposure with lighting. As does changing the metering mode to more on the subject.
Excellent comparison of the possibilities. I use the Canon RF 800mm f/11, so I'm in "aperture priority" all the time. However, I use manual with auto ISO. As you mention, you have to watch your shutter speed anyway, so this works fine. Also, I use exposure compensation via a quick control dial. This setup gives complete control with a minimum of faffing with camera controls. I just got another lens which is not fixed aperture, so I'm going to try all these approaches. Thanks!
Sorry but i don‘t agree with Aperture priority being general purpose. It will truely ensure the „fastest“ shutterspeed at a given iso but that may be way too slow, if the light gets darker while the subject still moves fast. Only fixed Aperture and shutter speed (M or Canon Fv) with auto iso (and exp compensation if needed) will ensure a fast enough shutterspeed. Of course, maybe because of high iso, the noise will be too high. I prefer noisy images over blurred unsharp images. Noise can later be fixed way better than motion blur. I also would recommend it for beginners as a good way to figure out the best settings before the shot.
Really well presented. Back in 1971, I shot slides and almost always used shutter priority. Around 2012, I turned mostly to aperture priority mostly to control depth of field. Still, I did not think it through as rigorously as you have done. Thanks.
Shoot birds in flight, Tv 1/2000 with auto ISO and this works great. If I have 2 birds and they are not in parallel but one is closer to camera and birds on a perch use Av F8 with Auto ISO.
I shoot full manual and have no issues making adjustments using my meter in the viewfinder on my D500. I used to sit with auto ISO in manual but I now shoot full manual. I only shoot in aperture when doing macro, certainly not fast wildlife action like BIF
Liking these videos, but this one I think might throw those who are more at beginner level with their photography (I'm a keen amateur; don't understand everything but enough to know what I'm doing). Yes, if you have the quality, professional lenses that you have then you are of course right. However, if like me the pro lenses are out of my budget, and a long lens starts at F4.8, and it isn't a bright day/conditions, then you will struggle at lot following your method. If I did what you explained, I could be at 300mm (and I'm on crop sensor so FF 600mm equivalent - though I usually hate the 'FF equivalent' stance!) and have a resulting shutter speed way down; let's say as low as 1/100 (or lower); then it is highly likely the images will not be sharp. I've seen so many people post images and ask why they are soft. In nearly every case it's because the shutter speed is too low, especially when looked at with the focal length shot at - I try to make sure the shutter speed is at least equal to focal length. I try wherever I can to use aperture, but it's often not possible because of the resulting low shutter speed; so I will switch to shutter speed and set it at what I know will give me a chance of a good, sharp image. If the ISO is high, then I will have to accept it; but at least I've got a good shot and I can use certain software that is very good at removing noise.
I agree I shoot with 100-500 with auto iso and I control my speed and use compensation to get the exposure how I want it. For wildlife, birds in flight I really can't imagine not being in control of my speed
His method works perfectly fine, in the case you described low light situation then you can simply increase your iso till you get a shutter speed you can put up with. He is not saying to lock your iso at 100 and shoot at absurdly slow shutter speeds.
@@tobiasyoder I agreed his method works (with a caveat that you may need pro equipment in some circumstances) - I know he didn't say to lock ISO at 100, that was just my example. I do mostly use aperture priority, but in some circumstances it just won't cut it (with my equipment). At 4.58 he talks about the pitfalls of high ISO; at 8.42 he says 'you set the ISO'; later he does say to push the ISO up accordingly. Yes, all these are of course correct, but I stand by what the whole of my post above says; and especially if you are newer to photography and don't have pro lenses, in my opinion you might struggle, based on your equipment and maybe even lack of understanding of how ones camera/photography works. The most important thing though, is for anyone to know what their camera can do and understand it's benefits and pitfalls; practice using different modes (aperture, shutter etc.) until you understand how your camera behaves in different situations. For me, this means I know if I want to capture small birds in flight, my priority is to set the shutter speed very high, as with my camera, aperture priority will not do the job, unless I have very bright light. Anyway, I'll continue to strive to be as good as Mark and enjoy his videos.
@@008nigel You are still in control of the shutter speed in aperture priority. If the shutter speed is too low, simply increase the iso. Say you are wanting to do bird in flight, you notice that your settings are f5.6, iso 200, 1/200. Say you need 1/1600 for a flying bird. If you were in aperture priority, all you would need to do is increase your iso from 200 to 1600 to yield settings of f5.6 iso 1600, 1/1600. In this case, the only option is to increase your iso if you want a fast shutter speed and no exposure mode can change that. . Let me know if that makes sense now :)
As a wildlife photographer I have to agree. I shoot in Aperture Priority the vast majority of the times, switching the Manual or Shutter Priority only when required for creative reasons like slow-shutter panning, zoom bursts, stitched panoramas, etc.
Really enjoying this series! I used to be an aperture priority shooter myself, but a couple of years ago with the switch to a mirrorless camera, I've now found that manual with (limited) auto-ISO works better for me as I can set the aperture and shutter on the fly and see the changes straight away in the EVF, then tweak exposure with the exposure compensation dial as needed...
Few cameras allow Manual mode with auto-ISO /and/ compensation (which is a must). Set the fast shutter for birds. Set the aperture to the lens' sharpest for birds. DoF on aperture is more a thing for larger wildlife and closer subjects, shorter lenses. Unless the bird is very close, no it won't be.
I kindly disagree. Noise is the least of my concern. I would rather have slightly more noise in my image but tack sharp bird, than have a less noisy image but a blurry bird due to motion. The only time I would shoot Aperture priority is when shooting portraits of people outdoors. But with birds, Manual with Auto ISO is the best option. I don’t want to be thinking about changing my ISO when a bird is in mid flight going to bright clouds down to a dark tree line. Not saying it can’t be done with Aperture priority, but you will have less keeper images using that mode.
I will stick with auto iso. Being outside in daylight for wildlife today's camera's have no problem with noise in iso. I don't want to have aperture priority slow my shutter speed in a critical shot.
in Av mode if I’m awaiting for a static bird to fly how can I get the Ss to stay high to capture bird in flight. my canon 80 d is too high for static bird & too slow for flying bird. Hence I’m missing the shot.
Couldn’t watch this to the end, needs less bias, you’re too fixed on your beloved aperture priority. You really have little understanding of other modes and we’re derogatory about what doesn’t suit just you.
Great tutorial; ThanQ Sir! Loved it... I use 'Manual' mode most of the times ; now experimenting with Aperture-Priority mode after watching your video... It definitely is more easier!
I respectfully disagree If i am shooting a fast noving subject of BIF and there is good bright light and i want blurry background and choose my wide aperture the camera will choose a slower Shutter speed than i wish to have or slower than the shutter speed that the fast moving subject requires Because not all subjects move at same pace and some are faster than others so they may need a very fast shutter speed
Very good, the only problem is the lens😳 i only have a kit lens 55-200 5.6 it only has decent focus at about F11-F14 so i shoot manual. One day i may try for a better glass. Not a $10K one though😂😂😂 all the best from the Bahamas
I disagree with manual mode. One thing i like to do in manual mode is to choose a static F stop number say f. 5.6 then use the highest cleanest ISO your camera can handle say 400-800 ISO. THEN only the shutter control is the one you are to turn and watch your metering. Its quit easy.
I think I would be more helped by Aperture Priority if I had an f2.8 or f4 lens. The lowest I can go is f7.1 or f10 with 1.4x extender (RF 100-500mm and I'm always shooting at the long end). I just don't have the luxury of playing with aperture for artistic effect or for adjusting exposure. So I shoot manual. Set a good ballpark ISO and give it some minor tweaks as necessary, but mostly use the shutter speed dial to adjust exposure. I really do like the full control I get over image quality that way. I guess I could try the Manual plus Auto ISO approach that so many people in the comments seen to like, but I think I need to invest in Topaz Denoise first because I'm guessing the camera will choose some very high ISOs if left to its own devices and Topaz will be essential.
Brilliant as usual Mark any chance you can do a video on shooting very fast birds ie peregrines swift’s swallows and getting them pin sharp any help Would be much appreciated 👌👍
I agree with aperture, you can shoot manual only with controlled light but when changing light conditions are a problem you will lose photos that could you have been real keepers. Auto iso a valuable tool also. Thank you for the video.
What a great video with lots of interesting information. I love the fact of not guilt-tripping into using manual, like a lot of pro photographers on RU-vid do.
Excellent Video Mark... thank you! Do you still recommend this setting if you have a slower lens such as a 400mm ASPC lens at 5.6? I find I'm underexposed often in this situation.
never use auto iso. I was shooting a product in a warehouse. The warehouse was already well lit. When I got pics, I noticed they’re fairly grainy. Then realized the pics were taken in 2000 iso and the camera was set to auto. I went back and the took the same images in 320 iso and pics looked fantastic. I don’t know why the camera decided to choose 2000 when the brightness of the pics taken in 300ish iso were nearly identical.
Hi great lesson and truly one of the best camera mode explanations ever. Moving forward I will be changing how I use the camera modes. Do you use exposure compensation?
Says who? I had a pro photographer with over 20 years experience give me some advice…shoot in whatever mode that keeps you wanting to shoot photos and that he knows individuals that can shoot in Auto that would almost every time deliver better looking photos then he who shoots in aperture priority mode. So does that mean we shouldn’t use cruise control on car? Sure depth of field is important in some shots but, I think this fascination with bokeh is ridiculous. Unfortunately it’s clear that trends seem to hit photography as well!
I’m also a fan of Steve Perry and have followed his advice (manual aperture and shutter speed with auto ISO). Out of interest following Mark’s video I had a go at using aperture priority with manual ISO. I was very surprised to see that the shutter speeds were higher than expected and the results seemed far better. I’m in a quandary now: do I continue you with aperture priority or go back to manual/auto ISO. More trials with aperture priority may be the way to go before making any firm decision I suppose.
There is a presumption to consider when comparing the two practices: the camera will choose, for a correct exposure, an ISO as low as possible to avoid noise (but the camera will not necessary choose, with autoISO, a shutter speed as high as possible). Appointing a fixed ISO does not make much sense today with the HDR sensors (e.g., when ISOs 50-3200 all produce acceptable noise). However, the suggestion that using AP instead of auto ISO allows one to reduce a selection of 1 setting and therefore increase operation efficiency is technically correct. In the M plus auto ISO setting, one would dial two dials (aperture and shutter speed) and review the metering information before taking a shot; while in the AP plus fixed ISO setting, one would dial only one dial (to control the aperture only) and achieve similar control of DoF and motion freezing. As said, the latter gives up ISO variations -- this may matter in low-light conditions when the camera is capable of handling high ISOs (such as 6400 with similar noise as 400-800 in the old days). At the end, the decision can be made based on: (1) if dialing only one dial could save time; and (2) if a variable ISO would help the changing lighting conditions. On Nikon cameras, one can turn both dials simultaneously (thumb for the back dial, index finger for the front dial, the rest three fingers holding the grip) without issues. On Canon, the back dial is in a different plane (i.e., vertical) so the simultaneous dialing is harder.
Not convincing at all. For birding and wildlife, I (mostly) shoot wide open. Aperture is not going to change unless I want to change. When I change ISO, but in addition to looking at ISO numbers, need to keep a tab of shutter speed. However, in M with Auto ISO, I exactly know my shutter speed I need for the shot. With latest cameras low light performance is quite good. In a recent workshop, I was told to use Aperture priority, and I ended up with blurry pictures. Later switched over to M with Auto ISO, got all super sharp. Only on some early morning shots the ISO was 5000 (one has 12000) and yet the photo was not bad.
The "letting in more light" thing makes no sense to me. I am NOT saying that the author doesn't know what he's talking about because he's obviously very experienced, but at least the way he describes it with this phrase does suggest something that's, frankly, incorrect, so I must be misunderstanding him. The amount of light getting to the sensor is determined by not only the aperture, but also the shutter speed. If you are at f/8 and 1/1000 shutter speed, you're not letting in any more or less light by moving to f/5.6 and letting the camera go to 1/2000 shutter speed. It's the same amount of light. The light gained from increasing the aperture is "lost" by reducing the shutter speed. What is he trying to say?
You are letting more light with the aperture going from f8 to f5.6. this is why you can have a faster shutter speed. It's the same light but with faster shutter speed. If you were letting in less light with the aperture, then you have to slow the shutter speed to expose correctly. He's talking about letting in more light with the lens. Just now light would overexpose.
Great video, I always use Av for wildlife but most of the pros seems to promote M. There is one other advantage that you did not mention. When necessary, I adjust exposure compensation down slightly to give an even faster shutter speed.
Many aspiring photographers have problems discerning when and how much to add or subtract exposure from the Evaluative/Matrix recommendation. I prefer to eliminate as many variables as I can, choosing not to use Matrix/Evaluative in situations where experience has shown the readings to be erroneous, inconsistent or in doubt. Eval/Matrix works well as long as the subject is not small in size and/or of very different tonal value relative to the background, and in low contrast lighting. I prefer the Spot Pattern as there is never a deviation in the method, no second guessing what built incamera algorithms are doing, subject size to background is irrelevant, etc. The Spot pattern does one thing, it renders whatever is in the pattern as a midtone value, and it does it accurately and consistently. I know exactly what is in the pattern, and how it reacts every time I depress the shutter. Most times I am in Manual Mode. However, I will use Av in conjunction with AEL in fluctuating light…along with the Spot pattern. In sunlight I already know the exposure, sunny f/16 rule, 1/800 @ f/8, ISO 200.. no meter necessary
Thank you for the tutorials. A question/s: Why am I not able to see shutter speed values(numbers change on the screen) while in Aperture priority mode? I understand this mode controls Aperture but on other cameras while in Aperture, you can still see when and what shutter speed changes to when for example you over expose or decrease ISO. On gh6 there's is no sign of shutter speed reading even though I know it's changing internally. Is there a way to have it displayed on my screen while in Aperture priority? Question no.2: Can you still focus manually while in either shutter speed or Aperture priority? Does focusing manual when in one of the two modes have any effect to how light works or its absolutely okay? Thank you so much.
"Your subject will have died from old age." LOL. I used to work for a wildlife photographer. He used aperture priority for most photos. Thanks for the explanations.
I loved this video! And I love your humour! Ha ha ha! Yes if I had to use manual mode my subject would have died of old age or simply flown away! 😅 I always use AP but in auto ISO. I will start trying to use manual ISO for different lighting situations? Thank you so much!
Great explanation, I’m new to the wildlife photography world, and have stumbled across aperture priority, still researching my settings, and realizing I’m actually doing something right. Haha… I’ve learnt more in 11min than hours of research… new follower here.
Question from a newbie: I would like to take videos of birds in my backyard similar to this example on RU-vid: ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xbs7FT7dXYc.html ) where the camera is stationary on a tripod and pointed at one spot while recording birds landing and eating food ( not flying in the air ). I have am considering buying a Sony A7Siii and a Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom Lens but don't know if that is the best option. I am concerned the SonyA7Siii does not have enough pixels and I am concerned the Sony FE 200-600mm will not work well at dawn or dusk which I read is a problem with that lens. Do you have any advice on which camera and lens to buy to take bird the type of bird videos I want to capture ? Thank you.
Nice Video...I have a micro four thirds camera (Lumix G85) and a Lumix 100-400 mm lens with a max aperture of 6.3 at 400mm zoom...and the problem i face with Aperture priority is that the shutter speed often falls low ...and since in any case i cannot have a lower aperture than 6.3 , i choose to shot in manual with Aperture 6.3 and a shutter speed of 1/640 and Auto ISO...if i find the ISO too high, i just lower the shutter speed as needed for still subjects...and this way have a certain degree of greater control over the exposure while avoiding blurring due to camera shake or subject motion.
Shutter priority will usually slap the aperture wide open which will not be the sharpest. Depending on how good the lens is they need to be stopped down by 1/3 to 1 stop, so if you have a massive f/2.8 Canon, you need to stop it down to f/3.3 otherwise they can be soft at the edges. So if you are "filling the frame" you need to stop the lens down. Few lenses are dead sharp wide open, even a Leica might need 1/3 stop down. This applies to aperture priority too. Auto-ISO is not a shooting mode. It is they way the ISO gain is assigned by the camera metering. It works fine if you also have +/-EV compensation available to adjust what it chooses. Few cameras allow this and why you have to fiddle with a fixed ISO in Manual mode. When they do have this function Manual mode becomes automatic (not to be confused with Program mode which is meh). The metering mode may well need to be changed often, centre-weighted, spot, etc. With the advances in technology in the camera, new sensors, dual gain, amplifiers, as well as the firmware, noise reduction for high ISO in the camera has become better than anything software editors can do. However there are sweet spots at certain ISOs that are better than the ISO below that, experiment. Getting a bit technical but we no longer need to be frightened of going over ISO3200. We can usually set some upper ISO limit, depending on lighting and contrast ISO12800 is reasonable now, and on some cameras ISO16000 is acceptable. Unless birds are stuffed and nailed to the perch they invariably want a shutter of at least 1/500. Improvements in stabilisation have meant that even a huge lens may be used hand held at say 1/60, which is ridiculous and far too slow for birds. We may be able to set a slowest shutter in Aperture priority, or switch to Manual mode with auto-ISO and compensation for backlighting. If you do have to use a fixed ISO put it on a dial so you can change it easily, but you have to do the metering solution by hand which rather defeats the object. Wildlife is usually opportunist, we have no time to set up or fiddle. Burst or bracket? Auto White Balance is another thing that will keep varying the metering/gain as the camera swings about. Sometimes it is best to use a fixed WB to keep the same 'look' and not keep changing the colours.
I shoot in Manual 98% of the time. I arrive and set my exposure, as long as the light don't change I can just shoot. Often the light changes so I will have to tweak it between shooting. It just don't seem to slow me down, in my opinion. After all, back in the days before computer cameras, manual mode was the only mode and those photographers captured some really stunning photos.
Great video. Best explanation why aperture priority is a good choice. Up til now, I have been shooting manual, but I think I will start trying aperture priority. Thanks!
Thank you and very informative - will experiment! I can see this working especially in well-lit situations with a fast lens. If you have a slower lens and conditions are darker, however, modern cameras do very well set to M/Auto ISO. Different tools for different fools!
I mainly use auto iso with my Pentax K-1 ( Tav mode ). You control your depth of field and motion blur, and depending on the proposed ISO you can choose which parameter you have to adjust. But even with aperture priority you can check the proposed shutter speed and make decision about the ISO ... There is always something to check and adjust.
Thank you for this wonderful and generous video, sharing your amazing technique! I did my first photo shoot the other day and chose Aperture Priority mode with a 35mm lens on a Sony a7iii for portraits. The light kept changing that day quickly and with light editing it was perfect, I set the F stop to the appropriate setting but the light cycled 5 times during the shoot. I had ladies who were drinking and it was fun! Yes they also moved around. It was overcast, then darker, then lighter, then golden light flooded in..then it was sunset. I had taken an 80 hour photography course online by a professional photographer who is world class. I was familiar with Aperture Priority but not using it for portraits. It boosted my confidence..I had FUN I was posing them, suggesting different backdrops...I placed them in strategic areas...My client did not want blurred out backgrounds...she wanted details but soft ones. They all were wearing no make up...they wanted their skin tones even without any blemishes etc. By using this technique I got outstanding pictures! They love what I did and it really made me feel like I managed to pull it off! I did use the same F stop setting with an 85mm wide lens and saw the very blurred background she did not want. The 55mm was also too blurry for her so the 35mm was just right. I literally made my husband pose before this shoot to see what each lens would do with that setting. I do have a 300mm for my Nikon D5300 I can use for my beloved wildlife shots!
Manual with Auto-ISO is the way with mirrorless. Noise is less and less of a problem with every next camera model unless u shooting very high res sensor.
Greetings! As you said there are many ways to capture an image! Interesting points of view but the only way to have full control of your camera and moments is manual! I don’t know any single camera that does well enough in Aperture mode! Regardless of the camera brand or model! There is a way to do it right in manual and it’s to learn your subject well enough! At least it has worked for me in the past 3 decades!
Nice video. I've gone back and forth between different shooting modes (sans full auto) and it wasn't until last month did I decide to learn placement for every useful quick setting button on my camera like a pro. AP is bar none the quickest way to achieve near perfect creative results under the ever changing landscape when out shooting a diverse range of wildlife. Turning a wheel to change aperture, clicking a button and spinning a wheel to change ISO, and/or spinning a dial to adjust EV can be achieved in a second. If money wasn't a concern, I'd buy a $3k+ mirrorless and consider shooting auto iso because sensors have come a long way, but that ain't happening when my money's better spent on glass. And a tip for 7Dmkii owners, 160 is the sharpest ISO.
Thanks for this video. I was taught to use full manual mode for just about everything. Aperture mode was something I never tried before. After watching your video I did some simple shotting in the backyard. Wow!! What a difference. I gave up on my 150-600 Tamron G2 because I could never get focus right. It wasn't the lens that was the problem, but rather shooting in full manual. Great info. Thanks again.
An excellent instructive video that I shall make use of. Unfortunately, none of the photographs depicted here are in pin-sharp focus and that is a huge disappointment.
@@matthewbell1968 Is that all you have to say? Compare these snaps with some other wildlife offerings on RU-vid and you'll see which are sharp and which are not.
All exposure decisions require the same cognitive reasoning, deciding first what is most important, aperture or shutterspeed? If you cannot get the combination of variables desired alter the ISO. Manually changing either one of these and any given light problems can be effectively resolved. Fast and simple.
so u set aperture while u watch shutter speed and set ur iso higher if shutter speed drops. how about u use manual+auto ios, so u same way set ur apperture, >you pick< shutter speed for what u photograph(flying bird? still bird? etc) and u watch the auto iso value, if it goes too high u evaluate if u can adjust the previous two variables or not. same amount of variables but i rather have noiser image while capturing the intended moment successfully, than having shutter speed drop unexpectedly during a burst or quick action and be left with no-photo but less noise.
I used to shoot Man. + Auto ISO on my Nikon D500 now with a Sony A6600 I mostly shoot SS + Auto ISO preferring to keep the lens aperture wide open. But I've found that at times, due to low light, this isn't satisfactory so I have a button programmed for Aperture mode with a modest Auto ISO and use this ensure a reasonable exposure and SS be dammed. Using burst mode also helps to ensure at least a few decent shots
