First step towards exploring manual settings

Reagan

I just bought a Canon 60D and so far am very happy with it. I wanted a higher end camera that would give me great pictures in 'Auto' when I just want to point & shoot. But...I'm past that now.

What should be my first step towards exploring manual settings and taking some practice shots. I was thinking Av mode would be a good start, but I need someone to point me in the right direction to begin my exploring. Total novice here. Coming from Canon SureShot and iPhone (LOL). Ya gotta start somewhere right?

PBked

Hi @Reagan - Welcome to the forum. Yes Av mode is a good starting point. Think of it like your own eye.

When there is a lot of light the pupil narrows right down and when there is little light it widens up again. The aperture on a camera is it's pupil.

When there is little light you need to make the aperture wider and smaller when there is lots of light. However, the aperture is not as clever as the eye, it has to work in tandem with shutter speed and ISO.

Aperture behaves differently to the eye in terms of DOF (depth of field) ie. the zone in which objects will be in focus. If you are prepared to experiment then try the following.

1) Set your camera to Auto ISO (max 1600).

2) Forget about shutter speed for now as the camera will adjust your ISO and speed for you.

3) Choose a day when the light is fair (not too dull or dim).

4) If you have a tripod, one of those cheap table-top ones will do, mount your camera on it and switch the IS (image stabilizer) on the lens to off.

5) Now, about 3ft. in front of you, position three objects eg. plant pots, beer bottles in a diagonal line about 18 inches apart. Set the focus distance on the barrel to about 35. (focus on the middle object)

6) Starting with the lowest aperture eg. f/3.5 (large aperture) take a series of shots closing down the aperture 1 F stop at a time up to say around f/16 (use the click wheel).

7) Now review your shots. You'll be able to see how the DOF is affected on each of the shots. Use the info screen and note down also the changes in shutter speed and ISO. You will notice in the first few shots that the shutter speed is quite long and the ISO quite high, but as you go through your shots the shutter should get quicker and the ISO lower.

This may sound long-winded, but it is extremely quick to set up and should show you that at large apertures f/3.5 DOF is short, but as the aperture gets smaller (higher numbers eg. f/8, f/11, f/16) the DOF gets longer.

I was given this task over 40 years ago and what I learned has stayed with me ever since. Of course in those days it meant sacrificing a roll of film, but with digital no such problem.

You will see plenty of threads on this site about photography in low light with recommendations for fast lenses (f/1.2, f/1.4 or f/1.8), but the larger the aperture, while capturing more light, the shallower the depth of field. I'm waiting for someone to post a thread saying that they bought a fast lens, but their pictures are still out of focus.

Hope this has been of some help. Regards - PBked

Moose

@Reagan - As you mentioned, starting with a 'Priority' mode makes the most sense if you're transitioning from full Auto. There are two priority modes on the 60D...Aperture priority (Av) and Shutter priority (Tv).

When you want to control the depth of field (area in focus), then use Aperture priority (Av on the mode dial). Use lower f-numbers to isolate a subject against a blurry background (great for portraits) and use higher f-numbers to put more of the scene into focus (great for landscapes).

When you want to control motion, then use Shutter priority (Tv on the mode dial). Use slower shutter speeds to capture movement (waterfall, light trails, etc...) and faster shutter speeds to freeze subject movement (sports, wildlife, etc...).

I recommend sticking with Auto ISO for the time being until you learn how to control both aperture and shutter speed. This will ensure you end up with an accurate exposure.

That should get you going in the right direction. If you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help. Happy shooting! :)

Moose

@PBked - Great points about Aperture priority (Av). Thanks for sharing. :)

Reagan

WOW! Thanks for the immediate responses and great advice. I'll dissect this information and begin my first assignment. Very excited and thanks again!

Allegory19

Wow, such great information for a newbie like me. I already have a whole page of notes. Thanks :)

Moose

@Reagan and @Allegory19 - Glad you found the info helpful. Happy shooting! :)

cobramike427

Very helpful! Thanks!