 Joseph M. Kolecki |
Metering/F Stop/Shutter Speed Range I'm curious... How do I know F-stop and shutter speed to meter too... For instance, and I hope I make sense, I can achieve a blurred image with a number of shutter speeds, all images achieved from any of the shutter speeds I select all look about the same... Same idea with F-stop, I can achieve the same Depth of Field with a number of different F-stops, again, the images look about the same. How do I know what to use? Given the scene, how do I know what would be the best to use every time?
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Bob Cammarata |
What camera and lens are you using? How are you focusing (...manual or auto)? Can you post (or link to) an example of what you're trying to do?
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Joseph M. Kolecki |
I'm using a Nikon D200 with a 24-120 Nikon VR. I mainly use priority mode and then I switch to shutter priority to drag the shutter... Other than that though I'm really unsure (say if I were shooting manual) of the best settings to use for various scenes, or any scene. How do you know or determine that?
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Pete H |
Hello Joseph, ahhhh, what a great question! I have no intention of writing a book, although your question would require one...and many have been written already. "the best settings to use for various scenes..." If you will allow me a blanket statement in saying; (there is no best setting.) I say this because photography is probably more art than science, even though what photographers do is deeply based in science weather we choose to understand that aspect or not. If you are setting and changing the speed and see little difference, you are probably shooting in "shutter priority." You pick the shutter speed and the camera figures out a f/stop for a good exposure...or you are on "Full Auto" and don't know it. Example: A babbling winding brook, bracketed by colorful trees in full fall foliage. The settings are all about YOU! 1)How do you capture this? ..and the list goes on. Now if you are just talking about a good "exposure", any number of speed-f/stops can achieve that. Ex 2) I could photograph a speeding car with a slow shutter speed and a closed down f/stop and get a great exposure which would show motion blur. Plenty of depth of field too. The former blurs the image and the latter freezes the action...both would give me a good exposure. So; this is why I say there is no "best" setting in choosing a speed/aperture setting. You also have white balance settings to set a mood or correct for a meter mis-read of the light. I can say with some authority; and I tend to be rather rigid in my thinking on this..."If you are shooting (Full Program) mode or ANY mode that determines speed and f/stop, you might as well have purchased a quality Point & Shoot camera." Your question is the reason people love photography..an almost limitless flight of imagination; from the birth of the idea, to mind, to eye, to finger to finished print; and hopefully an enhancement of our inner self and to those around us who have eyes and mind to see...If we fail in that; well; we had a great time just being there, and we WILL be back to try again. All the best, Pete
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Anne Gro Bergersen |
Looking at your photos and your homepage, I guess your question here must be a joke? Anyway, great answer from Pete!
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Joseph M. Kolecki |
Anne, my question is not a joke... I am always trying to further my understanding of the camera, in my opinion, I have much to learn. Pete, thank you for your response, it makes sense and I understand your examples. Your quote "there is no best setting" sounds like the answer I was looking for.
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Kathleen Rinker |
Anne that was really mean. Your arrogance floors me.
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