Settings for Picture taking??

[robh]

This is going to be a very general question, but I think that many of us newbies to the digital SLR cameras will find very helpful. Maybe there are other threads on this, or specific websites, but I did a search and couldn't find anything specifically related to this.

What I am wanting to know is, at least for Canon users (I have a Rebel XT 350D) what setting do you use in different situations? Now, I am not necessarily looking for specific f stops or apatures or any of that other stuff (although that is usually a question I have for a specific type of shoot) but rather what mode do you start out with in certain situations.

1. Outdoors (sunny)
2. Outdoors (cloudy)
3. Indoors (light outside)
4. Indoors (night time with low lightings)
5. Indoors with flourescent lighting ie. basketball games etc.

I know that trial and error is the best way to find the best shots, and I have taken about 1500 shots already, and lots of them turned out to my liking, but I don't always remember what setting or mode I was in. What I am hoping to get out of this, is to be able to write down setting so that when I get out my camera, and my kids are doing something that I want to capture right away, I want to be able to put it in the right mode, and then only have to play with a few settings (like using the wheel thing. )

Any advice from all you experts would be extremely helpful to not only me, but probably a lot of newbies joining.

Thanks,
Rob

[Davidtxs]

learn to use manual or at least apetuer or shutter priority and get a exif viewer if you dont h ave ps like this one you can see all the settings you used to when the image was shot
http://irfanview.tuwien.ac.at/

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by robh

This is going to be a very general question, but I think that many of us newbies to the digital SLR cameras will find very helpful. Maybe there are other threads on this, or specific websites, but I did a search and couldn't find anything specifically related to this.

What I am wanting to know is, at least for Canon users (I have a Rebel XT 350D) what setting do you use in different situations? Now, I am not necessarily looking for specific f stops or apatures or any of that other stuff (although that is usually a question I have for a specific type of shoot) but rather what mode do you start out with in certain situations.

1. Outdoors (sunny)
2. Outdoors (cloudy)
3. Indoors (light outside)
4. Indoors (night time with low lightings)
5. Indoors with flourescent lighting ie. basketball games etc.

I know that trial and error is the best way to find the best shots, and I have taken about 1500 shots already, and lots of them turned out to my liking, but I don't always remember what setting or mode I was in. What I am hoping to get out of this, is to be able to write down setting so that when I get out my camera, and my kids are doing something that I want to capture right away, I want to be able to put it in the right mode, and then only have to play with a few settings (like using the wheel thing. )

Any advice from all you experts would be extremely helpful to not only me, but probably a lot of newbies joining.

Thanks,
Rob

"Trial and error" is not the best best way to find out how to get consistant expouses. Get a tripod and set up and take a series of shots of the same subject starting with what the interal meter show. Then go to manual and shoot a series at 1/3 stop changes over at least a 2 stop range up and down. Then do the same at major stops 5.6, 8.0 and 16 but very shutter speed. Then you can go back and do the same with ISO.

Keep notes, just out the raws without any post and print out a faux contact sheet of all the images you'll start to see what exposues work best under those condition.

Also read up on expouser and what is know as the zone system.

And when in doubt remember the Sunny 16 rules.

[brad]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

And when in doubt remember the Sunny 16 rules.

Can I flag this comment and get my basic camera class to see it somehow? LOL They were telling me last time they'd never heard Sunny/16 before.

For those that don't feel like looking it up, the simple explanation of Sunny/16 is that for a given sunlit object, your exposure settings should be f/16 and a shutter speed of 1/ISO Setting. So if you are at ISO 100, your exposure for a sunlit object should be (about) f/16 and 1/100th.

Now learning how to make adjustments to those settings if 1/100th of a second or f/16 isn't appropriate and still getting the same exposure... that's the magic and where it starts getting complicated.

There is a great book out there called Understanding Exposure that is a good place to start if you learn by reading.

Personally, I think the best way to learn is doing... but you need to "do" with a scientific methodology.... to paraphrase John above, trial and error is only instructional/useful if you keep good notes and can duplicate what you've done.

[guitarbug]

I have seen the ? Brad! Are we going to be tested on this? LOL!

[robh]

Thanks to all that have responded already. What I have read already has helped.

What I am hoping for at this point is to have you all think about if you were outside, and your kids were swinging and the sun is shining at high noon (or whatever) do a quick thought and what mode would your camera be in. P, AV, TV, M? I have refrained from using Auto and was told on another forum to take a black magic marker and mark out the pre-set functions (which of course, I didn't do, but got the idea). But I want to be able to not have to think about which mode is the best to be in in those situations, and just snap. I know that there are plenty of you that are experts in photography, and don't have to think about what mode to shoot with. If something is happening inside at night, and you grab your camera out of your bag, what mode do you switch the dial to right when you turn it on? Those kind of examples are what I am hoping to get. I don't need an example of each one, from each user. But if you know for sure that outside, full sun, you automatically start with P, post that. I would like to have a little cheat sheet that I will keep in my bag and then eventually, will have it memorized.

I hope this clears up the question a little bit. I don't need to get too much details on the other settings. Just want to know where to start (mode).

Thanks again for those that have posted already.

[johnastovall]

A = Aperture pority.
T = Shutter
Quick and dirty rules.

1. Outdoors (sunny) A f/8 Iso400
2. Outdoors (cloudy) A f/5.6 Iso4000
3. Indoors (light outside) A f/2.8 Iso400
4. Indoors (night time with low lightings) A f/1.4 Iso1600 or 3200
5. Indoors with flourescent lighting ie. basketball games etc. T 1/250 Iso1600

On 5 chimps some and look for blinkies and check the histograms. 1/250 is to try to stop action.

[rkayw]

indoors (with continous lights)?
outside (shade)?

[my3peas]

Oooh! Thanks for the Sunny/16 explanation. I remember reading about it when I first got my camera but had forgotten it.

[Twilight Imaging.net]

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=HomePageAct
This canon "Learning Center" is just for you...go through it slowly...and remember the more you shoot the more you learn.
Play with the settings taking the same image and you'll see the difference they make.
Mike

[rkayw]

thanks for the link Mike. I see your in Kingwood, we are almost neighbors.

[Twilight Imaging.net]

You'll enjoy the link, like this site...a wealth of information!