What Does Manual Mode Mean And Do I Have To Learn It? (Yes You Do). Hi and welcome to Episode 117 of the Photography Explained podcast.
I’m your host Rick, and in each episode I will try to explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 10 minutes (ish) without the irrelevant details. What I tell you is based on my lifetime of photographic experience. And not Google.
Before I go on I need your help. I need your questions to answer. More on this at the end, but please have a think while you listen to this splendid episode.
Here is the answery bit.
Manual mode is the mode where you set the aperture, shutter speed and ISO when you take a photo. You decide all the camera settings, not the camera. You should learn how to use manual mode as there are times when you will need it, and understanding manual mode helps you learn the exposure triangle.
You should learn how to use manual mode, but you do not have to use it all the time.
OK – that was my answer. You should learn how to use manual mode, but you don’t have to use it all the time. Unless you want to that is.
Shall I explain?
OK – for this one I would like to go back in time, to my photography blog actually, which you can find at rickmcevoyphotography.com. Plug over.
I wrote a blog post with the same title as a result of seeing one of the things that I hate the most online. It was someone saying something along the lines of this.
“To be a real photographer you have to take all your photos in manual mode”. More on that in the talky bit. But I want to answer the fundamental question first.
Manual mode is the mode where you set the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. You can do what the camera meter tells you that you should do, or you can do something completely different. You can use whatever settings you want.
The camera will take the photo using the settings that you choose, and not what the camera suggests.
In manual mode the exposure is down to you and you alone.
What is manual mode?
Well, there are many modes on cameras, and I will use my Canon 6D as the basis of this bit. Don’t worry, the principles of what I am telling you apply, even if you have a different camera made by a different camera manufacturer.
After all, I tell you what I know based on what I do myself, and not just google searches ok?
On my Canon 6D you have what are called Basic Zone Modes. I will quote from the Canon 6D manual here, which I like to do.
“With Basic Zone modes, all you do is point and shoot while the camera sets everything automatically. (page 83 and page 342).” Yes, page 342……”Also, to prevent botched pictures due to mistaken operations, the main shooting function settings cannot be changed”.
Botched pictures – nicely put Canon!
OK – so that is called Basic Shooting.
For what Canon calls “Advanced Operations”, you use what are called the Creative Zone Modes. The manual says “In Creative Zone modes, you can set the shutter speed and/ or aperture to set the exposure as desired. By changing the camera settings, you can obtain various results”.
The Creative Zone Modes are
- P for Program – and not P for professional!
- AV, Aperture Value, Aperture Priority
- TV, Time Value, shutter priority
- B - Bulb
- M for Manual
So manual mode is called an advanced operation by Canon, using one of the Creative Zone modes.
And whatever your camera system, in manual mode you set the aperture, shutter and ISO. So whatever camera system you have we are talking about the same thing here.
Manual mode is, pretty much, manual mode.
OK – that is what manual mode is – you set the aperture, shutter and ISO yourself, and the camera uses those settings to take a photo, regardless of what the camera meter is saying about the settings that you have chosen.
Do I have to learn how to use it?
When I say I, I mean you, my dear listener. Not me, I learned it a long old time ago. So I am talking to you here – do you have to learn how to use it?
Well you don’t have to, but I strongly recommend that you do, if you want to that is. Why?
Because learning properly how to use manual mode will give you an understanding of the exposure triangle, which can only help you with your photography.
And once you have learned how to use it, then it is there when you need it.
- When will I need manual mode?
- Any time that the camera is struggling to get the correct exposure.
- Any time that the lighting is tricky.
- Any time that you want direct control of the exposure, and the photo that you take.
- Any time you want to use specific camera settings.
- Anytime you just want to use manual mode.
OK?
The talky bit
Should I Shoot In Manual Mode?
If you want to yes. If you do not want to, then no.
It is that simple.
There is a still an amount of disinformation and snobbery about manual mode, yes people still say that to be a “real photographer” you have to shoot in manual mode. Well, let me tell you this.
I do not shoot in manual mode, so according to those people I am not a real photographer. Whatever. If people want to think that, then up to them. I really do not care.
But what I do care about is that you understand what manual mode is, and when you might want to use it.
And more importantly, that you are not intimidated into using it. You have to be comfortable using manual mode, it is a tool to be used, not an entry requirement to being a real photographer. And certainly not a barrier, a reason to give up on photography.
We need to think about this a little bit.
In AV Mode, you select the ISO first, and then the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed to give you the correct exposure.
If you take photos in manual mode and use the camera’s suggested metering reading, then how much difference is this from using AV Mode, where you select the aperture and the camera selects the shutter speed?
Not a lot is it?
Some people use manual mode, and just follow the cameras suggested settings. But they are real photographers right? Wrong. You might as well use Program Mode.
Manual mode to AV, or TV actually, is not a huge leap, they are virtually the same. And if you use exposure compensation with AV or TV Modes you are making the same adjustments that you would/ could do in manual mode, you are doing pretty much the same thing, just in a different way.
I have explained these different camera modes and exposure compensation in previous episodes, so if you do not know what these things are just check out the episodes page on the Photography Explained Podcast website.
Manual mode is a tool for us photographers to use. That is all.
Manual Mode is as valid as AV Mode, which is as valid as TV Mode. Not more valid. Not better. Just another way of getting the exposure. Just another tool to be used when needed, or wanted.
If you want to use manual mode all the time then great, I am happy for you. If you have no interest in learning how to use the exposure triangle, how to fathom out aperture, shutter and ISO, equally fine. If you are happy letting the camera make all these decisions for you then great, that is up to you.
Whatever your preference is though, do please check out that magical thing called your camera manual so you can get the best out of whatever mode you are using, to get the best photos that you can. And you never know, there might be some clever modes in there that you did not even know about.
But, if you do want to understand the exposure triangle, if you do want to develop your photography skills, if you are interested in opening up the possibilities to take better photos, then do learn how to use manual mode.
I say possibilities here – using manual mode does not equal better photos.
In fact, next episode I am going to tell you how to learn how to use manual mode, by taking lots of rubbish photos. Are you up for that?
What do I do?
I have learned how to use manual mode. I use AV Mode most of the time, and use manual mode when I either want to or need to. Manual mode is a tool that is available for me to use.
And I am a real photographer.
And if someone says to me that I am not a real photographer because I do not use manual mode do you know what?
I don’t care. I am more than happy with what I know, how I work, how I create my photos.
Related episodes
Well lots of episodes about camera modes, check out the episodes page for the full list.
Next episode
Photography Explained Podcast Episode 118 - How Do I Learn To Use Manual Mode On My Camera? Time For Some Fun Stuff!
Yes really – it’s time to take lots of photos, a lot of which will be rubbish. But don’t worry, you will learn lots of good stuff here.
Get your question answered. Or questions. You are not limited to one question here.
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions. Not mine. So please get in touch with your question, and not only will I answer your question, but I will give you a shout out on that episode, which is nice. Just head over to photographyexplainedpodcast.com/start.
OK - I’m done
Thanks for listening to my small but perfectly formed podcast. To find out more about my podcast and do stuff to help me check out the podcast website, which is photographyexplainedpodcast.com/.
This episode was brought to you by rather a lot of coffee in my soundproofed emporium. Well it works for me…..
I’ve been Rick McEvoy, thanks again very much for listening to me and for giving me 10 (ish) minutes of your valuable time, and I will see you on the next episode.
Cheers from me Rick