MANUAL + AUTO ISO With A TWIST! | Get The PERFECT EXPOSURE! | Is It The BEST Camera Mode?
Vložit
- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- Full Manual Mode too difficult to learn and use in the field? Then Manual Mode & Auto ISO may be what you are after for your wildlife photography!
MASTERCLASS - Editing Your Bird Images To Perfection
👉 aviscapes.com/masterclass-edi...
____________________________________________
Check out our PROSETS here and save up to 30%!
👉 thebirdphotographyshow.com/pr...
____________________________________________
NEW Brush Pack w/ Custom Layers
👉thebirdphotographyshow.com/bru...
_____________________________________________
MASTERCLASS & PERCHED BUNDLE - 25% off!
👉 aviscapes.com/perched-masterc...
_____________________________________________
How to Attract Amazing Birds Ebook & Video Perched
👉 aviscapes.com/video-and-ebook/
_____________________________________________
SET UP GUIDES | Z8, R3, R5, R6 II, R7 & MORE
👉 thebirdphotographyshow.com
_____________________________________________
My Twitter
👉 / jan_wegener_
_____________________________________________
Instagram
👉 / jan_wegener_
_____________________________________________
The Lens used in This Video is a SAMPLE and not a fail proaction model
Bird Photography Helpers:
DXO Pure RAW 3 Free trial:
tidd.ly/3HsjB6M
tidd.ly/3uOpwhl
Topaz DeNoise AI - topazlabs.com/ref/1347/?campa...
Topaz Gigapixel & More
www.topazlabs.com/downloads/r...
Flex Shooter Pro Head
👉 www.ballhead.eu/flexline-full...
This is the Equipment I recommend:
Canon EOS R5 amzn.to/2FV1Fpq
Canon EOS R6 amzn.to/3qOtEbQ
Nikon Z9 amzn.to/3GeMscb
Sony Alpha 1 amzn.to/2WsXKYZ
Canon RF 100-500 L IS amzn.to/3liEIx0
RF Extender 1.4x amzn.to/3bMD5nO
RF Extender 2x amzn.to/3cuMdwD
Sony FE 200-600 amzn.to/3faCMVj
Sony 1.4x TC amzn.to/2WsXMA5
RF 800 F11 amzn.to/3ldq6Pr
RF600 F11 amzn.to/3bIBrDJ
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV amzn.to/2ToffWf
Canon 600 L IS III (I have v. II) amzn.to/3dZM7wn
Canon EF 5.6/400 L amzn.to/2AJwbQk
Canon 1.4x TC III amzn.to/2T7vAhz
Canon 2x TC III amzn.to/3fPnYdr
Canon 600 EX - RT amzn.to/3czhDRf
Wimberley Head II amzn.to/3dOuqzI
Gitzo 5543LS (new version of my tripod) amzn.to/3dRfxg3
Gitzo GT2545T Travel Tripod amzn.to/3BSmhXJ
Wimberley Flash Bracket amzn.to/2LweMg5
Wimberley M-6 Extension Post amzn.to/2LxCvfQ
Better Beamer (check for compatibility) amzn.to/2AxbbfF
Flash Battery (Godox & Flashpoint is the same) amzn.to/3fNDWVD
Power Cord amzn.to/3cBJGzt
Y connector amzn.to/2X22zoT
Novoflex STA-SET amzn.to/2y5s1Bt
LensCoat LensHide amzn.to/3bAkoAo
LensCoat Lens Hoodie amzn.to/3fStHiI
Canon 2.8/70-200 II amzn.to/3cArBSB
Canon 4/24-70 amzn.to/2AwjeJE
Canon 4/16-35 L IS amzn.to/3fPqPDb
JBL Clip3 Speaker amzn.to/36225D5
Sandisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Card type B 512GB amzn.to/38FPKHg
Sandisk Extreme Pro amzn.to/2WXKt7n
Panasonic Eneloop Pro amzn.to/2X2SQ1q
Minox 8x43 amzn.to/2Z7YxxQ
Canon LP-E6N amzn.to/3byTSYg
Manfrotto Mini Ballhead amzn.to/3dR2pYm
FStop Gear Sukha Backpack amzn.to/2Q3e4fZ
Atomos Ninja V amzn.to/3GYFV5v
LINKS USED IN THE DESCRIPTION MAY OR MAY NOT BE AFFILIATE LINKS
By using the affiliate links I earn a small commission on your purchase, it does not cost you anything extra to use them. It helps me to create more content for you. Thank you for the support!
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Tricky Bird Of Paradise
0:30 The Struggle
0:56 The Perfect Exposure
3:02 The Next Best Thing!
5:07 The Drawbacks & Solutions
My main setup for birds: Manual with auto ISO. I use the Canon R7, RF 100-500 mm and EF 500 f4 IS USM II. The R7 has only two wheels, so I also use the control ring as the 3. direct control. First priority is shutter speed, so I put shutter speed on the top wheel for my index finger. Then exposure compensation at the back wheel for my thumb. Then I can adjust the exposure +/- without moving my index finger from the shutter. Last I put aperture to the control ring as the least important ranged by access time. This setup gives direct access to all the controls, and is faster than Fv and other setups.
R7 user also and do exactly that, thumb wheel for EV, index for shutter 👍
@@baldheadedwarbler and @SteinaBerheim0th1hv Thanks for your settings, might try it too.
exact same here, that's why I like the control ring adapter!
I missing here...?
When I try to set the above mentioned setting for the back weel the menu only shows the AV, TV of OFF options. What am
I have the Canon R5 and almost always photograph wildlife in manual + auto ISO, using center weighted average metering. I try to expose so that the histogram is 3/4 the way to the right, to give myself some wiggle room to avoid blowing out elements of the photo during fast action (note that my histogram in the VF disappears when pressing the shutter release). Therefore, I use exposure compensation (EC) when appropriate. The R5 has 3 buttons across the top right rear of the camera, easily accessed with my thumb, so I have programmed triple back button focusing (1 for spot AF, 1 for face eye tracking AF, and 1 for square box zone AF). Note that sometimes, depending on the background, the R5 using eye tracking will lose the bird but zone AF will usually snap it right back in focus (especially during BIF). I have the DOF preview button on the front of the camera programmed to EC. While keeping the DOF preview button pressed, I can then adjust EC up or down using the main dial. With my R5 set up like this, I can adjust everything I need to in a split second without taking my eye away from the viewfinder as I shoot. I find my most challenging conditions to be BIF when the background behind the bird goes instantly from bright sky to darker land/trees/vegetation (or vice versa as the bird increases/decreases altitude), changing the backlighting, requiring fast adjustments to EC while trying to track the bird in the VF -- serious multi-tasking LOL...
On both my R5 and R7, I use Fv mode. I have the ISO set to Auto. I then use one dial to select either the shutter speed, aperture, or exp comp. I find that I use exp comp most often, followed by shutter speed. By using Fv it allows me to use both cameras the same no matter which lens I have attached since the R7 relies on the lens for the third control wheel.
Jeff, same here, I love this mode - I leave the front dial symbol next to the shutter speed and the rear dial symbol next to exp. comp. It is also so quick to move the top dial to select which other setting to adjust if needed, aperture or iso, which is then adjusted with the front dial.
LOL. I talked about this in your comments a while back. I run spells of shooting a lot of birds in flight, and I live in a coastal area that has wind just about all the time. The birds are almost always moving fast, and there just isn't a lot of time to carefully make three adjustments without missing far too many opportunities. (Actually, what I mentioned was FV Mode, because you can use it for full manual shooting if you want, but quickly pop over to an auto-ISO setting when conditions require that. And you still have access to the exposure compensation.)
I guess it depends a litttle on what your biggest challenge is, in the current situation. If it's changing/variable light conditions, then full manual is the way to go. But if the bird itself is the biggest challenge, I think it really helps to let the camera help with the ISO - just because it doesn't help to nail the settings if the bird is already gone.
I tried this on my Canon EOS Rebel T7 Manual Mode with Auto ISO. Also learned to adjust the shutter speed to adjust the exposure meter until it reads 0 on the meter. All shots came out in focus and looked good. So thank you sir for this great tip. I didn't know you could go Manual with Auto ISO.
For birds, almost always manual with auto ISO. The dense trees and forest edges here in North Carolina make it hard at times to find the perfect combination of aperture and SS when it’s dark and the birds are moving, so I use exposure compensation quite often.
Thank you for making this video Jan. I use manual with auto ISO but this video has convinced me I need to "bite the bullet" and start looking after the ISO values as well. Especially so when a subject is heavily backlit.
Hi Jan! Great tips, thanks!
Auto ISO helped me a lot ever since I started, it really takes the pressure off.
I also use exposure compensation for extreme scenarios and, one thing that I like in my R6, it let’s me momentarily override the ISO value, to better expose my subject in those extreme situations. After that shot the ISO goes back to auto again automatically after a few seconds. That’s something I couldn’t do with my 80d.
All best!
Great video Jan. Lots of great info here. Well done 👍
I have been using manual +Auto ISO and exposure compensation now for about 5 years now and have found it the best way to work for me
It's nice to watch these videos to repeat the basics, every time there is some new practical advice. I have R7 with tamron 100-400, thus i am left with two dials. I like to use Fv mode with auto ISO. Usually i try to anticipate which variable will need adjusting and set it there. For me it's usually exposure compensation. But it was really great to read the comments. I will try also the set up with shutter speed on the front dial and exposure compensation on the back one. As that is what i change most of the time. The Tamron lens it's sharpest around f8 which is already pretty dark so i just set it there and do not touch it most of the time. Before i used to photograph dance performances with shorter f2.8 lens on aperture priority so I guess I am spoiled.
Brilliant video Jan :)
I stopped using the histogram because it is evaluating the whole scene and went back to using blinkies and full manual mode. I find this gives me far more accurate results that using the histogram especially on white birds. I like your method of processing the raw file twice and will certainly be giving that a go.
I really love the FV Mode.
Hi Jan, I fully agree with your conclusion this method is the best of the rest, and it is an excellent step in the learning curve before reaching for the final step towards manual ISO.
Even with the twist you explain, auto ISO doesn't satisfy me because the metering behind it isn't focusing on my bird. The metering considers the full sensor or the center .. but no Canon camera today is limiting the metering to the eye-AF (body-AF) point(s).
This and zebras for stills would be great features for the R5ii & R1, and I think some Sony's already have that. Not aware of Nikon in this corner.
Learning to manually set ISO while birding is not trivial because they mostly move around significantly more than a nightjar ;-)
So, I teached my fingers last year while taking long exposure shots of waterfalls in Iceland. And after these training weeks, I never enabled auto ISO again. Instead, I set ISO to expose for the bird, and when he's moving around I don't care as much when the background switches between being over and under exposed.
Reading through the comments, nearly everyone has at least one very valid reason for using the method they do. But I also think some folks overcomplicate things. It's important to understand how exposure works, and everyone should use the method they feel comfortable with, but let's face it, with today's mirrorless cameras, getting the proper exposure has never been easier, no matter what method you use. With histograms in the viewfinder, as well as dof and exposure simulation, and the opportunity to review the image on the back of the camera, the only thing you really have to worry about is if you have enough shutter speed to freeze (or not) your subject. It is no longer brain surgery! Many of us learned in a time when we really didn't know if we nailed it for sure until we got the developed film back from the processor (or in my case, finished up in the darkroom) weeks after we got home from our trip!
Totally, in the end you have to use what works best for you
I like Canon's Fv mode, at least for now. Best compromise for me between full M and M + auto ISO. I then assign my RF 100-500mm control ring (easy middle finger access for me) to exposure compensation on my R7.
Zebras in the R5 VF for stills would be nice. I used to edit exclusively in LRC and now I'm sold on DXO 3 and PS following your channel.I am really enjoying the Master Class. I can now spend rainy days going back and editing images I had previously discarded !!!
I have been using Manual with Auto ISO for a while on my Canon cameras ,r5 and r6, but I’ve never relied on it giving the right exposure going from dark ground level birds in flight to sky shots so I use exp. comp on my thumb dial and the histogram to help me control the exposure 👍
Thanks for this video Jan, very timely as we head into our summer with large light changes from shady tree areas to open space. As suggested by Mark Galer, Sony Ambassador, I shoot A priority with auto ISO for birds. In patchy light environments I tend to expose to the left which copes with the bright and dark lighting changes. I have also toyed with spot metering when a bird is in strong contrast against the background. Not sure though.
I love auto ISO, and use the exposure compensation when needed. As you mentioned though, there are times when the range of exposure is way too wide, and I need to just use full manual. Great video! I just forwarded it to a friend who is getting started with manual settings. It is easy to say "just balance your exposure triangle", but each component of the triangle brings a myriad of results. So, overall, really nice job getting these concepts across!
you can adjust the range of iso adjustment
Great video, delivered very well. I am a city/urban hobby photographer and take a lot of my photos on the fly going from meeting to meeting, so mostly use Manual +Auto ISO. But am beginning to experiment more with full manual. Time is a big factor, If I am taking in some quality photography time then try for full manual, but if I am shooting while I am on the go to my next meeting/destination, the put on Auto ISO
Thanks for sharing
One of your most informative videos...I personally use Tv mode and control exposure by Shutter speed and ISO...I use a Canon 80D body with Tamron 150-600mm and mostly do bird photography...
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jan
Shoot mainly auto iso. Agree control of speed and aperture creatively critical. Also compensate exposure +/-. Works well for me but you have stimulated an interest to explore full manual again.
Jan I like to use auto exposure bracketing I do it in a 5 stop increment on my R3 and my R7 and of course I am shooting in manual mode like what you said here , it has worked fantastic because with the bracketing I have the colors to choose from when I look at the Colors of the Birds on the monitor .
Very informative video Jan! I have been using aperture priority for a long time and have been pretty happy with that, unless you suddenly have a bird in flight and the shutterspeed drops like a brick 😢😊
I switched to full manual about 6 months ago after having issue's with Manual + Auto ISO on birds like Bald Eagles and Kingfishers where the whites where still blown out - then trying exposure compensation in this mode I realized all that was doing was adjusting the ISO, So, I'm like well if that's the case I just as well shoot full manual - so I switched and now the only time I use Auto ISO is for birds in flight or fast action where you simply can't adjust fast enough, otherwise I see no reason to ever shoot Manual + auto iso ever again. my best shots are always full manual.
Agree. Though I've been using full manual for years, I've tried using auto ISO and exposure compensation but I don't think it's any quicker or easier. After awhile you can just guess the ISO and usually no more than a couple stops off. One simple turn of the ISO wheel and that's it. Much easier than finding exposure compensation button and then adjusting
You can set highlights spot metering not just spot metering so you never blow them
But yeah fully manual is way better
@@jakecook716I have set exposure compensation on the lens ring so it’s way faster
@guglielmo_nature_photography the lens ring is rather awkward to use imo. Much easier to just use the ISO dial with my index finger. Just check exposure often before anything happens, hard to go wrong
Lots of experienced advice!
Glad you think so!
I use auto ISO on my Sony A1. I use manual mode. I set up three buttons, one button just normal back button focus with variable aperture and shutter speed to suit the situation and I use this for perched or ground based birds, also using exposure compensation if required, then one other button with a set of preset settings including focus tracking, faster shutter speed of 1/2500 or 1/3200 and aperture of say f8 or f11 (no depth of field issues against the sky) auto ISO with negative exposure compensation to suit conditions for white birds in flight (pointing at the sky is generally brighter than foliage or the ground), then a third button preset with the same focus tracking, shutter speed and f stop but with positive exposure compensation for brown birds in flight (to avoid that unwanted silhouette against a bright sky). These last two buttons I adjust the shutter speed and aperture settings when I arrive at a site to suit the light and then adjust as the day progresses and how images look when checking. This way when birds take flight and there just isn’t time to change settings but to move my thumb to another button on the back of the camera becomes second nature with practice. This works well for me.
I mostly shot Aperture Priority, Auto ISO Minimum Shutter Speed. Mark Galer, Sony Ambassador got me on this path. I love it….. I shoot an A1.
Fully agree, full manual gives you the most control. I shoot manual 95% of the time. Other times Fv.
Interesting topic. I have always used M with auto ISO and then EV to rather under expose. I know Canon and M43 for years professed Exposure to the right. I never shot Canon so cannot comment. However, with Nikon and Sony and Fuji many people expose to the left as the sensors capacity to recover details from the shadows without raising noise is very good, this does two things, protect the highlights and either give you a higher shutter speed and lower ISO. So, a few yrs back I changed to aperture priority and set ISO at around 800 to 1200 and in lower light situations even up to 3200. With Noise reduction software this is not a problem. I expose up to -1.7 or even -2.3 get a very high shutter speed for action and sharpness. I even do it with my Olympus OM system. A big proponent of this is Lou Coetzer from CNP Safari's with 50 plus years' experience from Sport, Landscape wildlife and specifically bird photography. There is a lot written about modern sensors being ISO invariant. But there are different methods used by photographers. Great content as always
I to find exposing to the left helpful when shooting birds in shades environments with a Sony a7iv. Scott keys has an interesting video on ISO Invariance that aired a few months back.
Agreed (1). If/when you shoot "RAW only" then forget White Balance (WB), especially Auto WB. Whatever WB number you set or the camera figures out only gets into the image's metadata and the image data themselves do not change. At my latitude, London-Amsterdam-Berlin, I leave WB at Cloudy (in my Nikon) all the time. This tells Lightroom Classic (LrC) how to open my image on first display (after Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) did the raw processing). In the golden hour, my shots look golden instantly.
On my Nikon I like to shoot in Aperture priority and then I use my ISO control to choose my shutter speed and exposure compensation when needed.
My preference is full manual but with the r7 fv mode with auto iso is more effective.
Agreed (2). The point with ALL the manual and auto modes is actually how you measure exposure with your camera. Having shot my film Nikons "manual" all my film life, I tend to do that in digital too, but I have discovered "Highlight-Weighted" metering as a metering option in the mirrorless Nikon (Z).
This is not fool proof, though [1]. As the sensor is the actual lightmeter in the camera, through each individual photosite (that you erroneously call pixels), and the processor/firmware scans the sensor all the time, the processor/firmware can easily walk through the EV data and find the brightest photosite. If I set my camera to a form of Auto exposure, then the brightest photosite scan value will become 11,111,111,111,111 (14 bits, 16,384 in decimal) and everything less bright will get a lower EV number.
In full manual mode, the camera will indicate over-exposure as long as there are highlights outside the camera's contrast envelope.
The sensor cannot measure the sun, so that is ignored. Also, as this measures exposure from the brightest point in certain cases it shifts exposure - in your thinking - to the left and you feel your shots are under exposed. Not fool proof, I wrote. Shoot a landscape in backlight, birds in the water and some reflection twinkles in the water surface and these twinkles can drive exposure to the left.
But zero highlights have lost detail.
In Jan's video, the black bird with the beautiful parading to convince a potential mate has relatively bright sections in the background (0:17) and exposing for the highlights may cause you to lose detail in the black bird's feathers. The birds of prey with white feathers at 1:50 and 3:00 however would retain all detail in their white feathers.
I would stay away from Auto ISO [2] as long as possible. As these modern mirrorless cameras under the hood rely on "fixed ISO" and may only have two amplification levels, they trade contrast envelope for higher ISO. In low light (low contrast because low subject dynamic range) losing contrast envelope is no big deal, but with the black bird at 0:17 it likely will be.
Another thing about exposure is gradation and gradation resolution. In the film days the materials we worked with got their gradation and contrast envelope measured - and this was plotten in 1-base log values. If you see such plots in an old book and a film has a contrast envelope of 4.5, you may think that is not a lot, but 10^4.5 is 31,623 and that's a lot [3] more than 16,384 associated with 14 bits. But that's not the point of gradation and how it gets registered and subsequently depicted.
The point is that both in a 10--base log and a 2-base log scale the difference in light levels per stop increase: 10, 100, 1000 are 1,2,3 when the 10bas log is applied or 2,4,8,16,32 under 2-base logs becomes 1,2,34,5. In the 10-base case, the difference between 10 and 100 is much smaller than the difference between 100 and 1000.
The moral of the story: if you want good highlight with clear gradation, underexpose. If you want good lowlight with clear gradation, don't overexpose too much because shifting the black to dark grey to the right in the exposure compresses the gradation details.
[1] You cannot make anything fool proof because fools are so ingenious.
[2] ISO is a word, not an acronym. It is derived from classical Greek "isos" that means equal or equivalent. Note that the ISO institute never defined "correct exposure" and neither did US ASA in the past, nor did German DIN. In the film days, "correct exposure" de facto was defined by Kodak and large brands like Agfa and Fuji followed. Way back ASA/DIN sensitivity was comparable between brands. We now see that different camera manufacturers may have different opinions and we cannot transfer a Sony exposure to a Nikon without correction. If you need them to be equivalent, then buy a Sekonic meter and calibration target and make sure their calibration software can upload the profile into the meter (because Sekonic stuck to Kodak's approach to correct exposure). If you do so, you will also find out what your camera's "contrast envelope" is. Specifications and reviews list "dynamic range" but that is meaningless to a single shot. That dynamic range is merely the operating range of the camera in light levels. The contrast envelope is the piece of dynamic range available to one shot.
[3] one bit, actually, only and such a 15th bit would cover 16,384 levels too, like the 14 bits next to it. If everything is measured linearly.
I find pushing my historgram to the right kind of compresses the dynamic range on peoples faces if a lot of light is hitting them. Other than that it's good to do so.
I like either use auto ISO in manual or select the ISO myself. But I have also enjoyed a feature on my Canon 5D and R5 is to pick a minimum shutter speed so I don't accidently dial the shutter speed too low. If I have a lot of changes in lighting moving from sky to trees for background I use Aperture Priority with a minumun shutter speed dialed in. So, it depends on what environment my bird photography I am after.
Thanks......
I learned manual but I use FV on my M6 mark II. I usually do leave ISO on Auto unless I get a better look by setting it.
Manual with auto ISO with EV Comp if needed for me. Helpful video again Jan thank you.
AE lock is a great feature to use to prevent the camera from changing exposure settings in semi-auto modes.
Im full manual :) with 3 wheels on the camera body its easy enough to dial in exposure for me with iso, aperature and shutter speed.
There's also spot metering when the subject is in middle of screen, rather than adjusting EV for backlit or bright background.
Yes, metering can play a role for sure, but I felt like it may get too much in this video. Spot can be good or have the opposite effect depending on the scene, but it can help for sure
I have been using manual with auto ISO along with exposure compensation. This requires better understanding of how Cameras metering works. It has helped me get proper exposure most of the times
How did you do this? I would like to use the exposure compensation, but isn't available in manual. Exposure compensation is automatically on the Canon r7. Did you know what the problem is?
Hi nice explanation. I was using d750 and not bought Z7ii but getting too much noise in pictures. Also don’t find the face and eye detection in f control.,using fx lens with ftz
For my 5D mkii, I'm in full manual mode. It does not have auto iso in this mode. You just have to practice alot, and changing the settings as the light changes. It is a skill, but not impossible to do! On my newer APSC camera, I use auto iso sometimes, unless there are severe lighting contrasts.
As a relatively new photographer, I have found that the manual plus Auto ISO enables me to take control of the images I wish to create and give me a feel that I am directing the final outcome. Adding the benefit of the exposure compensation again enables some great shots to be produced, particularly when one is filming a bird in the sky and without using the exposure compensation the detail of the bird would be lost. There seems to be a lot of belief that mastering photography is extremely difficult and it takes years to create good images. I am not sure if this myth is perpetuated by professional photographers attempting to build up their skill set, or not. But in reality a few moments understanding the relationships between aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, exposure compensation, and ISO soon allows one to become reasonably competent. When one adds an appreciation of light and light sources, then one's skill set is usually as good as one requires to take very satisfactory images.
You always produce well formatted and structured videos Jan, congratulations and keep them coming.
My approach: Manual w/ auto ISO. Exposure compensation to adjust as needed. Keep an eye on the ISO.
I get good results with manual and auto ISO. Most shooting is daytime, F8 and 1/320-1/640.
Could you give more details on your auto ISO setting? Things like what ISO ranges you use. Nikon has an auto setting that allows camera to select range depending on focal length.
Thanks for the good video. I do prefer Manual + Auto ISO
Auto ISO + EV compensation works best for me, the only setting where you could shot a bird against a dark background then flip around and shoot something against the bright sky instantly, while still having the power to easily over or under expose for artistic purposes.
I've never heard of you before I found this and I am definitely glad I did!
Thank you very much for explaining so many potential variables so clearly. Pun intended.
😁
Glad it was helpful!
Manual with Auto ISO might work with some equipment, but I'm using a Nikon with the Tamron 150-600 g2 and auto ISO is almost always wrong. I can compensate by adjusting exposure levels.
I have switched to auto ISO after I bought my Z7II because it works really well. I hate it though, feels like I'm shooting in auto after years of full manual x'D But the ISO performance is great and I process everything with DxO PureRAW anyway. So ISO is kind of a non issue to begin with...
As wildlife shooter always in manual with auto iso
Great video for me, which is useful even for my ancient D600. The videos that recommend some $10K+ piece of equipment are interesting but not immediately useful to me.
I almost always shoot in full auto mode. Since the RF 100-500 is the main lens I use in the field, I have the ISO adjustment set to the control ring on the camera. This works well because it is right next to the camera body unlike it is on the shorter RF lenses. However, on days when there are intermittent clouds or when subjects are moving quickly from dark to bright areas, I have used auto ISO just to limit the number of controls I have to manage. As for using the histogram, this can be misleading as it was with your shot (at 6:52) of that white bird in the dark water. The histogram seemed to be indicating it was underexposed.
I've always been using Manual + Auto ISO as my setup for wildlife too as it gives me the flexibility to choose whether i want to freeze the action and also how much I want in focus. I was using the 80D till now which only has 2 dials - one for the shutter and one for the aperture. I recently upgraded to the R6 II which gives me a 3rd dial. Would you suggest I map that to setting ISO or to make it the exposure compensation dial?
I've set it to ISO for now, because that allows me to quickly move to ISO 100 if i want to get a silhouette shot, and use another button to jump back to auto iso
Well my primary lens has a fixed aperture of F11 (the RF 800) so that's already decided. I do use auto ISO, but I have it set for a max of 3200. Also, 95% of the time, I have exposure comp set to -2/3rds, or even -1. Their are situations where ISO 3200 is just not enough, and I might end up with very dark images > but Id rather have a sharp, dark image, than a soft, brighter one. With sharp, dark ones, I at least have a fighting chance in PP :) In those dark situations though {if my bird sticks around} I will start lowering, and lowering my shutter speed, down to ridiculously slow. Sure, most will be terrible. But I only need 1 to hit ;) I have gotten razor sharp shots with my R7 + 800 (1280mm combo) as slow as 1/30th ! Of course it helps that I "always" use a tripod. Its usually about 1 out of 30 or 50.... But how long does it take, to take 30 or 50 shots with a modern mirrorless camera ? I just try to take LOTS of shots :) Great video as usual Jan :) Your photography is freaking awesome !!!
Great video, with very useful information for us all. But, saying Manual + auto iso allows you to adjust just the shutter speed and aperture is not exactly right. The advantage of this set up is that you can change your iso via either adjusting the other two settings. Obviously this is a compromise, but at least you are in control of all the settings and this of course only needs two fingers,which are already close to the adjusting wheels. I shoot wildlife while walking around, no plan, just reacting to different subjects as they appear. Having to set the iso as well as the shutter speed and aperture AND focus with a DSLR is more or less impossible in ever changing conditions. If however I am in a controlled situation, set up on the gimbal then I will adjust all three setting manually. I do wish that that DSLRs had an easier way to dial in EV which then automatically zeroed afterwards would be a great help. Thanks for posting.
whichever way we say it, it's the same thing ultimately. Camera settings the Iso, we set the rest :)
Hi Jan. Great topic and well explained. My favorite bird photography channels are yours (and also enjoy The Bird Photography Show with Glenn), Duade Paton, and Simon d'Entremont. I was surprised to see that Simon has about 200,000 more subscribers than either yours or Duade's. Why? Well one explanation may be that Simon's videos are educational, such as the one you are presenting today, while too many of yours and Duade's are photo gear review. Most of us can't afford to keep changing brands. If we're satisfied with our gear, learning about the latest from Sony, Canon, Nikon, etc. isn't that important to us. We want to use the gear we have and go out and take photographs. Education on how to use the gear we have is helpful.
Frankly, I think the conept of full manual is a holdover from film days. Manual with auto ISO ( with exposure compensation when needed) seems to make the most sense. It would be rare when you can set all three variables exactly as you want (e.g. 1/000 at f2.8, ISO 100), so one of these variables needs to "float". With today's noise reduction, the ISO makes the most sense to be the "floating variable."
Listen, I'll let Jan speak for himself with respect to how he wants to run HIS CZcams channel. When you start yours, feel free to do what ever you like. Typically, from what I understand, gear reviews garner videos for photography typically garner the most views. They therefore help subsidize all the time and effort put into technique videos. True, a few channels discuss mainly technique or lightening. Since Jan has been doing this a while, I'm sure he is aware of the other bird photography channels and what drives their metric. I'm sure if that's a direction he wants to pursue, he'll go there. Personally, I enjoy Jan's balance amongst Nikon and Canon gear, his comparison from time to time with Sony, and thoughts on it's usage, and the benefit or lack there of, of the latest gear. I shoot with friends that use the Canon R5, R3, and Sony A1, Sony a7RIV, and a Sony Bridge camera. We compare notes all the time, but many can't do that, so Jan's evaluations are probably helpful to many. It also helps me ask questions to the people I shoot with - since I don't typically use their cameras. Your comment "If we're satisfied with out gear, learning about the latest from Sony, Canon, Nikon, etc. isn't important to us" should have replaced all the "we" with "I'm or me". I'd go a step further, and say if your happy with film, no one is forcing you to change, just like no one forces you to watch Jan's channel. By the way, why are you here since you already are settled on Manual with Auto-ISO as the "way to go". You should be taking that gear you have and shooting photographs. Completely agree with that. Now, where I take issue with you, and the video, is that except in rare occasions (the exception, NOT the rule), ISO is not part of exposure. There is no triangle. That is a film day holdover that for the most part no longer exists (and I'm not going down this rabbit hole here). Signal (light and shot noise) are initially obtained via aperture - the first many will argue to decide on when determining exposure. The only other way light enters the camera and makes an exposure is based on shutter/exposure (sensor on time - Nikon Z8/Z9 have no shutter). ISO is amplification of signal/shot noise already recorded on the sensor. Amplification up/down just like the volume knob on your stereo doesn't change the amount of digital signal recorded, just the volume. This concept of exposure triangle, is, for the most part outdated, and not really helpful in the true understanding of exposure. Also, with ISO invariant cameras, bringing up ISO in post should obtain the same noise levels as that produced in camera. ETTR/ETTL are used by some based off of older digital sensors with ISO invariant sensors didn't exist. For the Nikon Z9, the only ISO that there is a change in "exposure" dependent on ISO is ISO 500. Don't believe me look up the plot graph on photons to photos for the Z9. Watch how DR improves at ISO 500 compared to 400. There are electrical reasons that go far beyond the scope of this discussion that explain why, but for every other ISO value of that sensor, it is just amplification of the signal already captured.
I use manual with auto ISO by default. I use back button AF, so my thumb is occupied and moving it away from the button down to the ISO wheel means a delay. If the auto ISO can't keep up I accept that & set it manually, but for moving subjects that's not always viable.
For wildlife, I hardly adjust my aperture. I concentrate on shutter and ISO but also EV compensation adjustments
Shooting a lot of sports in highly variable lighting conditions, I need to use one of the auto exposure modes a lot, tweaking with exposure compensation when necessary. For many years, that meant Av/A or Tv/S, but the last several generations of DSLRs and mirrorless have had very usable M + auto ISO, too. That's become my dominant mode after updating to newer cameras five or six years ago. (Early versions of M + auto ISO were effectively unusable... lacking user defined limits and exposure compensation.)
Strictly manual (no auto ISO) is still preferable when possible. Buy it simply isn't, in many situations I need to shoot.
I encourage people to learn to use all the exposure modes, because there are times each can be preferable. There is no "best" mode as far as I'm concerned. Depending upon the shooting conditions and shooter's intent, each exposure mode can be the better choice at the time.
I probably now use M + auto ISO most often. Prior to that I would often use Av or aperture priority AE most, to control depth of field. Shooting sports with that mode I had to keep a close eye on shutter speeds. And for particularly fast action I often had to switch to Tv or shutter priority.
I very rarely use P or program mode. An example might be if I need to take a couple quick shots in radically different light, then return to what I had been shooting. By using P briefly I can retain my original exposure settings.
Many cameras have a bunch of what I call "super auto" modes, possibly called "scene modes" by the manufacturer. I avoid those like the plague! These override and automate much more than just exposure. Another I avoid is the A+ mode, which is sort of a "point n shoot" mode... with less user control than a typical camera phone.
Finally, I only use auto ISO with M. While it is possible to use auto ISO with Tv, Av and even P.... I simply can't think of any good reason to use them together. In fact, doing so makes for sort of a "double auto" condition that may make for less predictability, and that's not something I want.
I do most often use manual with auto ISO. I am learning to be mindful of the histogram and use exposure compensation too. One thing you do not mention - what metering mode do you typically use? I was wondering if spot metering is a good choice? Can you elaborate a little on this too? Thanks bunches! ML
Since I shoot full manual most of the time the metering mode doesn't matter. If I don't use full manual, I usually use evaluative metering. Spot can be good, but can also be throwing the camera off =, of what you are metering is quite "extreme"
I use r5 in manual mode sometimes with auto ISO. If I set up with auto Iso ow do I set up or use compensation ?
Jan, thanks for another great tutorial.
PROBLEM: I've my Canon T3/1100D and my 7D Mark II in manual mode plus auto ISO. The cameras allow me to BRACKET exposure, but NOT at all to access and incrementally use exposure control. What's with that??????
Please advise, thanks.
I was just wondering will your master class also cover the grainy image from the R5. Coming from the 1DXII I find even ISO 100 very grainy compared to the 1DXII. This is very distracting in the out of focus areas. Can the master class assist in this?
with wildlife, is it worth bracketing to help?
Manual mode + Auto ISO + Exposure comp. is the only mode I use
Hey! I’ve been noticing you use “auto enhance” and I’m just curious what exactly that is?
I would like to see some more information on the menu option "Hightlight tone priority" (Canon) It's supposed to prevent overexposure. I can't find a lot of information and would love to see someone do a real world test with it.
I have Auto ISO set on my Nikon ZF. A lot of time the histogram is showing a slight overexposure and I don’t know why. This is both in manual and aperture priority.
For Canon (R5, R6, R7, etc...) I think the Fv option is more or less the same
I shoot full manual and highly wouldn't recommend auto ISO with a R5 body. I shoot the R5 and spot metering. I use to shoot auto ISO for a long time until I came across a white tailed deer buck. It was early morning light and I had auto ISO on using my RF 100-500mm. The white fur ended up being blown out on the deer to my surprise. After that I was like I'll never use auto ISO ever again. I find in auto ISO the camera will expose just a touch too bright. Also I like to have full control regardless. When I look back on it, I think, "why would I even use auto ISO"?
The histogram is showing data for jpeg only, on the Sony A7iv. I shoot only in raw, so I have to look at the zebra s instead.
wow that bird was doing the DAB
Full manual. With R5, I can turn the ISO wheel fast enough in most situations
Good advice here, but you don't mention near the end when discussing exposure compensation that if you have Auto ISO on & use Exp Comp, that obviously affects ISO because there is nothing else the camera can change. Thus, if you are already at ISO 12800 and add +1 stop the ISO will even go higher. You give the impression that Exp Comp is a 4th variable, but the triangle is still a triangle.
Exposure compensation adjusts the shutter speed and nothing else. Do an experiment by changing exposure compensation then look at the info.
Well not on my Nikons in manual mode it doesn't, maybe it does on your Canons?? That's sort of why they call it manual with Auto ISO I think.@@adventure9606
I think full manual versus auto ISO are two different tools for two different use cases. Full manual gives you the absolute exposure you want for one specific scenario, and if you're shooting a bunch of shots in that scenario, then you're good to go. Auto ISO gives you flexibility to have varying compositions or lighting conditions and still get to your desired exposure or close to it. So in my mind, it's not that manual is more advanced, just that it's better for some specific use cases.
It's more advanced in the sense that it's harder to use and to monitor in the field I suppose
I was never able to adjust exposure compensation in manual mode, just in other modes. I always have to adjust the shutter speed to get the right amount of light. It's frustrating to say the least.
If you make any adjustment, shutter, aperture or ISO from the light meter "suggested" exposure, you have performed exposure compensation, whatever you call it.
Sorry to change topics, but I need some help. I’m from the US, and have spent some time in Australia and will be there again for 4 months this December thru April. Where can I find professional photo gear at a good price. I have only used George’s Camera in Sydney. I will be in NSW most of the time. Thanks in advance!!
Digi direct or sunstudios in Melbourne (mention me at the latter)
Canon should implement a Safety Shift( to maintain correct exposure, when falling out of the range) for Manual and Auto ISO, just like there is for A and S modes. Or , another workaround to avoid this drawback, you can can go to A mode and Auto ISO and control the Minimum ShutterSpeed. Here, unlike Sony, Canon has the problem you can't control it with one of the (4!) dials, but instead you have to go into the menu. Unworkable, and this made me give up on working with AutoISO and Canon. Though in the 3 years I was working with Sony A9 it was my favorite. Now only A and M for me.
The whole idea of full manual is that you don't want input from the camera. The only time I use full manual is when, for whatever reason, I don't want the "correct" exposure.
I always feel like I’m in a dark place when i have to use a really high ISO 😜
What about fv mode on canon
I think that M, Tv, Av and P are now redundant.
Easier and faster to always leave the camera in Fv mode.
do you prefer Manual over Fv ?
Yes
Jan, I am confused. I am 100% positive that I CANNOT use EC in manual mode on my R3. Am I missing something?
These days, I shoot fully manually without auto ISO as I found it to not be very good and always push the ISO too high, even in brighter conditions. Manually setting things fixed that issue for me and I get much better exposure accuracy now in most cases (where I'm not fucking up LOL).
edit: I wish Canon would implement Zebras for highlights in the EVF like OM systems does. I find it very hard to see the current "blinkies" in smaller areas in the EVF. I also find it very difficult to focus on the histogram in the EVF as my ADHD makes me hyper focus on the subject instead.
Whenever you adjust up or down from the "suggested" exposure on the light meter you are "compensating", whatever you want to call it. Also, why would manual with auto ISO "push the ISO too high"? There is only one correct exposure (based on the light and your creative intent). If you set the aperture and the shutter speed, the resulting ISO is what it is, it's "forced" on you, whether you set it manually or the camera sets it automatically! The camera can't "force" a higher ISO on you unless you change one of the other settings.
Manual with auto iso, I also cap my ISO at 12k in the menu. I don’t want any shots at 25k iso
Its easier with cheaper zooms you set av wide open 80% of time because its dark as fu*@ xD only few times a year being able to use full sharpness of the lens at f8 xD
Klasse Video. Mach doch mal ein Video in Deutsch🤗🤗
Hi Jan, I am interested in your Masterclasses but, when I have historically followed Lightroom or Photoshop courses on line they seem to have a different version to the ones I have. How can I make sure thats not the case with your courses? Much appreciated, Steven
Which version are you using? With all courses it’s almost impossible to always have the latest version, but luckily in photoshop, things don’t change much at all, especially when it comes to the workflow I teach. It has looked and remained the same for many many versions
@@jan_wegener Hi Jan. I have Photoshop 25.1 and Photoshop Beta. From Lightroom it now pushes me to us Beta which looks like the most up-to-date Photoshop with add ons. I hope that helps. Currently, I undertake most of my enhances via Lightroom before going on to Photoshop. Is that what you do, cover in the courses. many thanks, Steven👍
@@brownie3609 Hey Steven,
In the course I edit the images in ACR, but that pretty similar to LR these days. My course is mainly focused on the things the best way in Photoshop, so I only use a few sliders in the RAWs before transferring them over to PS, so I can take full advantage of the layers etc.
The workflow I teach on the class has been the same for many year and does not depend much at all on the version of PS. I am always available as well if you have any questions
@@jan_wegener Lovely. Thanks for clarifying that Jan
Not sure what you think "real manual" mode means. If that means that every time I need to adjust exposure using ISO, I am required to "manually" change ISO. What if I had voice command ISO control? I'd still need to see the ISO change requirement. Seriously, the only thing that seems to be a roadblock to "full manual" mode is the use of the word "auto" in auto-ISO. The only reason I can see to go "full manual" is when I need to deliberately under/over expose. The camera already compensates for exposure by controlling the signal from the sensor to the processor as a function of the ISO setting. Sadly, it does that automatically.
It all depends how often the camera gets it wrong in auto magic modes, which auto iso is to a degree. In “real” manual mode the camera doesn’t do any metering and guessing for me what I might want. Here I set how I want the photo to look
It’s all about cobtrol in the end
There is a trick to avoid the problem where manual with auto ISO overexposes because it hits the lower end of ISO range: apperture priority with shutter speed limit; most of the time you don't need an exact shutter speed and you only need it to be fast enough for your scene. This way you you leave the camera freedom to go faster if needed without forcing it to when not needed. Of course, this doesn't happen often with wildlife and 1/2000s but I'm using it e.g. when shootin children running around outside on a sunny day where even 1/500s may not be fast enough for ISO 100 at f/2.8 or f/4.
I agree, but it should be possible to control the minimum shutter speed with one of the dials instead of diving into the menu...
That would be nice indeed. Most of the time I don't have to change the limit too often but sometimes it would be helpful to have it on one of the dials. Also, it's a bit unfortunate that my camera only offers full stops for shutter speed limit, so e.g. 1/125s and 1/250s but nothing between these.
Full manual ... always! Want full control ... and also that is a really good way to learn to "read light" and understand different light situations, which I believe help you in the editing process later. But, why is it called "manual with auto iso"? It's not manual 😉
You never have "full control". In photography you can have "full control" over two of the three settings. The third is forced on you in order to get the correct exposure based on available light and your artistic intent. From a creative standpoint, the first two have an effect. Aperture, depth of field; and shutter speed, either the freezing or blurring of elements in the image. After setting those, the ISO is what it is, whether you set it or the camera does! That's why I often say that there really is no fully manual mode. One setting is always forced on you if you want a proper exposure. It's called manual with auto ISO because on many cameras you have to put the camera in manual mode to access it, though some have a specific auto ISO setting next to Av and Tv.
Same here, I guess it’s called manual cause you leave the camera in “M”
@@alansach8437 hmmmm, I don't really understand that reasoning. If I put ISO in manual too, I can be how "artistic" I want to. Even if I don't get the "right" exposure, I get "my right exposure". That is why I call it "full control", which is not the case when using auto ISO.
"Use manual mode... but AUTO iso.." is that than manual shooting?
It’s not
Camera makers could do better fixing their controls instead of trying to beat one another selling more megapixels. Imagine a camera where automatic mode is so good professional photographers prefer it over manual. Imagine putting a back focus button by default. Imagine making a left handed camera.
The way cameras are made and meter, I don’t think auto mode will ever be better, also because a camera can’t think like you 🙂
Yes, sone changes like that would be great tho
Auto ISO has messed me up big time. My fault but it did happen because of Auto ISO. Auto ISO has messed me up in the past and swore I would never use auto ISO. As of now, never use auto ISO ever again. Yesterday I had everything set up at daybreak for the settings I wanted and figured auto ISO would be good as the daylight would be constantly changing as the sun rises. I was waiting for bears to arrive for their breakfast. A heron landed nearby in a dark situation. Dumb me changed the shutter from 640-800 area to 200 or 320 for the heron. All of a sudden excitement of a bear made me forget the shutter. 75% of my bear pictures I was so excited about getting were ruined. At shutter 320, the meter reads good because of auto ISO when I was actually way to low for moving bears. All blurred. I did not catch the shutter speed mistake until after all the great poses were over. I was sick when I saw all the blurred pictures at home. Never again.
Most modern sensors are ISO invariant, so the whole "manual" obsession is totally pointless.