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Thread: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

  1. #1

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    First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Maybe I should have started with fully auto but I didn't. Aperture priority, 2 second delay on a tripod and shade. The shot has been scaled and cropped but otherwise is as is shot at a 'fine jpeg' setting.

    I am pleased with the subtle colour, the three layers of blurred, and I am okay with the sharpness.

    In time when I get more understanding of all of the options I am sure this camera will do a lot better than this.

    First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

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    rpcrowe's Avatar
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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    I am sure that it is the same with your new camera as it is with my Canon SX50-HS. The learning curve is relatively steep in order to get everything out of the camera that the camera can produce...

    Maybe it is because there was less of a transition between a 35mm film SLR to my first DSLR than from my DSLR to the SX50-HS. OTOH, it has been many years since I began with the Canon 10D (my first DSLR) and I know that I put more work in learning that camera than I have learning the SX50-HS.

    However, Brian, the wonderful thing about the world of digital imaging is that after the initial hardware expense, shooting is virtually free.

    You can play and learn, learn and play; without worrying about the expense of film or processing!

    Good luck and keep shooting...

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by rpcrowe View Post
    I am sure that it is the same with your new camera as it is with my Canon SX50-HS. The learning curve is relatively steep in order to get everything out of the camera that the camera can produce...

    Maybe it is because there was less of a transition between a 35mm film SLR to my first DSLR than from my DSLR to the SX50-HS. OTOH, it has been many years since I began with the Canon 10D (my first DSLR) and I know that I put more work in learning that camera than I have learning the SX50-HS.

    However, Brian, the wonderful thing about the world of digital imaging is that after the initial hardware expense, shooting is virtually free.

    You can play and learn, learn and play; without worrying about the expense of film or processing!

    Good luck and keep shooting...
    Absolutely!

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    First photo's with a new camera mate, how exciting
    Sharpness is good, maybe a little under exposed?
    Have fun with it.

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by gregj1763 View Post
    First photo's with a new camera mate, how exciting
    Sharpness is good, maybe a little under exposed?
    Have fun with it.
    underexposed it is. and I am having fun

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Plenty of fine detail there. Maybe you could selectively increase brightness on just the flower during editing but I wouldn't have wanted it any brighter when shot; otherwise the background would have become too bright and you would risk losing some of the detail with over exposure.

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    The photo came out nice. But I'd like to comment on "Aperture priority".

    Aperture Priority, like shutter priority is a crutch. Set aperture priority to force a certain depth of field and set shutter priority to capture (or Not capture) movement. Just so you don't have to think about setting it for each shot.
    If you use Manual you can do either on the fly......................I guess that's why I've only used M and P.

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by dennybeall View Post
    The photo came out nice. But I'd like to comment on "Aperture priority".

    Aperture Priority, like shutter priority is a crutch. Set aperture priority to force a certain depth of field and set shutter priority to capture (or Not capture) movement. Just so you don't have to think about setting it for each shot.
    If you use Manual you can do either on the fly......................I guess that's why I've only used M and P.
    I strongly disagree with the word 'crutch'. It is a choice. When I get accustomed to the camera and all of the needed moves to make adjustments I will move over to manual for some shots. Just as I use RAW or JPEG to fit the situation.

    Your choice is to always use manual and I am happy for you. But please don't belittle myself or others that do not make the same choices you do. Thanks.
    Brian

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Brian - Don't take what Denny said as belittling, it's just one person's opinion.
    I might suggest that you put your camera on manual. That way you'll be 'forced' to think about how to set the speed/aperture with each shot. The more you do that the sooner it'll become second nature to you.
    I used to use my D7000 on auto all the time. When I got my Nex-7 I was 'forced' to set everything when using my legacy glass. I still mess up on occasion and forget to focus or look at the aperture setting or ISO. It still is a learning experience to me each time I change lenses too.
    I think you might find your camera a lot more adventurous if you were in manual mode to start out.
    Good luck with it and I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it.

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by dennybeall View Post
    Aperture Priority, like shutter priority is a crutch.
    It is indeed but a person's opinion. I shoot Manual all the time, so have no particular axe to grind on this one. However, there are many people who will argue the exact opposite of what Denny suggests. Their point, generally, being that the camera manufacturers have invested heavily in R & D to offer us the technology that can support good picture capturing, so why on earth would we not use it.

    You can describe using Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority as you wish, but to try and give the impression that it's a 'cop out' from using full manual is, I suggest, very misleading and not helpful to anyone who is still on the learning curve towards mastering the use of all available modes.

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by AlwaysOnAuto View Post
    Brian - Don't take what Denny said as belittling, it's just one person's opinion . .
    . . . and if that person has used 'P' mode, (even just once), a pinch of salt would be in order . . .

    I might suggest that you put your camera on manual. That way you'll be 'forced' to think about how to set the speed/aperture with each shot. The more you do that the sooner it'll become second nature to you.
    Brian, if the thought of full manual is a little daunting, a lot of people use Aperture Priority but consciously select exposure compensation (EC) appropriately for each and every shot.

    By the way, that is really no different to setting the aperture in manual (for depth of focus or other preference) and then cranking the shutter speed around to where the metering shows what you would have set the EC to in Aperture Priority.

    With what I've seen of your shooting, like myself you have little use for shutter priority I would have thought.

    Now you should know how to suck eggs!

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by dennybeall View Post
    The photo came out nice. But I'd like to comment on "Aperture priority".

    Aperture Priority, like shutter priority is a crutch. Set aperture priority to force a certain depth of field and set shutter priority to capture (or Not capture) movement. Just so you don't have to think about setting it for each shot.
    If you use Manual you can do either on the fly......................I guess that's why I've only used M and P.
    Denny as someone who has shot manually for perhaps a mere 40 years, I find your position a bit difficult to understand. All of the modes that one can use in a camera have distinct purposes and when used properly can and do produce great images. I know a number of commercial photographers who shot much of their work using aperture priority and to a lesser extent shutter priority. Generally the only time they shoot using manual is when they are shooting with studio flash.

    You will have to explain how selecting a specific aperture and letting the camera then calculate the appropriate shutter speed is any different than selecting an aperture and then using the meter reading to select the appropriate shutter speed. other than perhaps the camera being a touch faster at it than a human operator. The same argument can be made for shooting shutter priority and then either having the camera or the operator make the appropriate aperture selection. Where I compensate for a lighting condition that is a bit off by manually selecting the appropriate aperture / shutter speed for a given scene at a given ISO or use the exposure override function, the resulting image will be the same. I make exactly the same type of judgement when I shot aperture priority or shutter priority, as I did when I shot 100% manually; I assess the lighting situation and compensate appropriately.

    The same argument goes for "P" mode where the camera makes an initial determination and the photographer can either change the aperture or shutter speed (or ISO) and play with the exposure compensation function. I know a lot of photographers that look down on "P" mode. To be perfectly honest, it is not a mode I use very often, but that has a lot to do with my workflow rather than there being anything wrong with shooting with it.

    Your view of aperture priority or shutter priority being a crutch is an interesting view, but one I find difficult to accept. It's rather like saying that "autofocus" is a crutch' and frankly, if it is one, I like it, just as I like the various exposure modes. I get a lot more "keepers" today than I ever did when shooting a manual film camera. The automation works for me.

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by AlwaysOnAuto View Post
    Brian - Don't take what Denny said as belittling, it's just one person's opinion.
    I might suggest that you put your camera on manual. That way you'll be 'forced' to think about how to set the speed/aperture with each shot. The more you do that the sooner it'll become second nature to you.
    I used to use my D7000 on auto all the time. When I got my Nex-7 I was 'forced' to set everything when using my legacy glass. I still mess up on occasion and forget to focus or look at the aperture setting or ISO. It still is a learning experience to me each time I change lenses too.
    I think you might find your camera a lot more adventurous if you were in manual mode to start out.
    Good luck with it and I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it.
    I do move in and out of manual. One of the lessons I learned when I was a flight instructor is that step by step is a good way to learn.

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by xpatUSA View Post
    . . . and if that person has used 'P' mode, (even just once), a pinch of salt would be in order . . .



    Brian, if the thought of full manual is a little daunting, a lot of people use Aperture Priority but consciously select exposure compensation (EC) appropriately for each and every shot.

    By the way, that is really no different to setting the aperture in manual (for depth of focus or other preference) and then cranking the shutter speed around to where the metering shows what you would have set the EC to in Aperture Priority.

    With what I've seen of your shooting, like myself you have little use for shutter priority I would have thought.

    Now you should know how to suck eggs!
    All of my best shots so far have been aperture priority with as much playing around with the other settings as made sense or was possible. The Sony has a ton of options to use in A.P..

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by JBW View Post
    I do move in and out of manual. One of the lessons I learned when I was a flight instructor is that step by step is a good way to learn.
    Well the nice thing about digital is you won't 'crash and burn' if you make a small mistake.
    Like I said, using manual lenses on my Nex has really opened my eyes to what is possible with my camera. Even playing with my D7000, I'd take a still picture during the evening hours with only a floor lamp for lighting, I'd crank the aperture closed just to see how long an exposure I could get out of it. Makes for great fun.

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by GrumpyDiver View Post
    Denny as someone who has shot manually for perhaps a mere 40 years, I find your position a bit difficult to understand. All of the modes that one can use in a camera have distinct purposes and when used properly can and do produce great images. .... The automation works for me.
    Well said.

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by AlwaysOnAuto View Post
    Well the nice thing about digital is you won't 'crash and burn' if you make a small mistake.
    Like I said, using manual lenses on my Nex has really opened my eyes to what is possible with my camera. Even playing with my D7000, I'd take a still picture during the evening hours with only a floor lamp for lighting, I'd crank the aperture closed just to see how long an exposure I could get out of it. Makes for great fun.
    If I was ever to post even a small portion of my foot shots you would realize how much we are on the same page. I can sit with my feet up for hours and play with all the settings and bells and whistles as i photograph them in all their glory.

  18. #18
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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    I think that the fallacy of many comments demeaning programmed, aperture priority and aperture priority exposure is that they tend to assume the photographer using these modes is just blindly accepting what the camera selects for exposure.

    Perhaps some photographers shoot this way but, it seems to me that matching the exposure meters choice using manual is no different from using any of the first three ways to shoot. What gets you the best exposure is running the exposure through the camera's computer and then through the computer you (should) have between your ears...

    Using any one of the three (P, AV and TV) with my Canon 7D (and also with the 30D and 40D cameras that I used previous to the 7D) I can select any combination of shutter speed and f/stop I want, without taking my eye away from the viewfinder.

    I can dial in extra or less exposure with ease.

    I will use manual when I am shooting with studio strobes and when I am shooting for panorama conversions. I used to use manual when shooting night shots but, have developed a way to use Programmed exposure combined with Auto Exposure Bracketing and Exposure Compensation that will put me in the ballpark every time!

    IMO, the mark of a good photographer is not how that photographer shoots but the results the photographer achieves from his camera.

    I remember a gallery of war photos from Iraq that was shot by a photojournalist who used an Olympus 5050-Z P&S camera on full auto. His results were just short of spectacular...

    That said, I have never, nor will I ever, use full auto for any of my shooting...
    Last edited by rpcrowe; 29th June 2015 at 12:28 AM.

  19. #19
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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Brian, the best 'mode' to use is the one that gets you the exposure you want effectively in the time you have available.

    If my cameras on a tripod and I'm shooting a static landscape I can use all of the modes available and each will give identical results (same settings) if adjusted correctly.

    On the other hand if I'm panning a BIF or car through an angle of 90 degrees with a major change in light condition the cameras auto modes will do a far quicker and consistently better job than I would do using manual settings.

    I suspect anyone that states they only use certain modes either does not have a very varied shooting subject range or does not understand their cameras 'auto' modes too well.

  20. #20

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    Re: First decent outside shot using aperture priority.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stagecoach View Post
    Brian, the best 'mode' to use is the one that gets you the exposure you want effectively in the time you have available.

    If my cameras on a tripod and I'm shooting a static landscape I can use all of the modes available and each will give identical results (same settings) if adjusted correctly.
    Such has been my experience. Playing in post processing has taught me that a standard work flow just doesn't always work. I have found the same lesson applies to taking the shot. Manual on a tripod to get up close and personal with a wee beasty is rarely going to work.

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