what are the disadvantages of manual photography?

Question

It seems that when i use my camera in manual mode, I have very grainy and blurry pictures. Should this be happening? If so, what may also be some other disadvantages of using manual over auto mode or something easier?

Every time i take a picture in manual, even if i have decent shutter speed, the pictures are sometimes grainy and/or blurry.

Why?

Answer 1

I have a Kodack P-850 digital camera. For me the manual settings are too clumsy, taxing and time consuming to mess with. The auto focus in most cameras works fine...in some you have to hold the button halfway down to lock the focus and then depress the rest of the way to make the picture. I can get prtrait pictures and good depth of field photos by simply switching to aperature and shuttle priority and stay with the auto focus. In fact in my camera the focus can be even sharper because in the aperature and shutter priority modes I can get a small dot in the center which tightens up the focal area...............

Answer 2

Are we talking digital or film camera? you describe a manual mode, so i gather it could operate with automatic settings and focus. Read the camera instruction to see what functions you have to adjust in the manual mode. Auto is designed to make photography easier, manual is the more difficult mode.

If you have a digital camera, it is very difficult to get critical focus using the electronic viewfinder. The best solution is to rock focus, that is use the mid-range between having the subject just becoming blurry either near or far.

If you are not using a light meter, then the setting for exposure has to be "guessed". For normal daylight, set the aperture to f-16 and the speed will be the reciprocal of the film ASA. Use 1/100 sec for 100 speed film.

When hand holding a shot, it requires a lot of practice at slow shutter speeds. The rule is use a shutter speed that is no slower than the reciprocal of the lens focal length. For a 50 mm lens that would be 1/50 sec.

The effective ASA, whether set on the digital camera, or your film selection for regular camera has an effect on grain. 100 or 200 ASA will work for most daylight and flash photography. 400 and 800 will often show grain, especially on enlargements.

speaking of flash photography, manual settings are more an art form rather than science. there are many factors to be determined, and with a film camera you can't see the immediate results of adjustments.

your automatic camera incorporates a lot of intelligence. you will have to study and practice photography for a while before your manual settings will be an improvement.

Answer 3

There are no disadvantages to shooting in manual mode on any camera designed to do so. Others have mentioned adjusting the diopter setting on your viewfinder, having your eyes checked, and/or camera shake which are valid responses. A couple of other things to consider are:

What ISO (film speed/light sensitivity) setting are you using. Higher ISO speeds (400 and up) are inherently grainy which might also translate into the symptoms you describe.

If you're shooting with a digital camera, DSLRs produce a slightly blurred product out of the box. This can be adjusted using an unsharp mask tool in Photoshop or other software packages.

You could be focusing your subject improperly. For example if shooting a person then you want to focus your camera on their eyes and adjust your aperture according to the depth of field you're after.

Your aperture for the shot could be off too. If you're focusing on a distant object and not using a wide enough depth of field.

Try making some minor adjustments to your shooting and see if you can get better results.

Answer 4

Hi,

When in the manual mode, is your auto focus turn on? Check your depth of field settings and your ISO settings. All the above I have mentioned does affect the sharpness and grains of the shot.

I presume you are using a film camera, a digital camera will not give a grainy image but rather a noisy image if there is insufficient light.

Answer 5

There are 3 possible problems. 1 your eyesight, you need to adjust the viewfinder, my OM4ti has this feature built in, or you could get an adjustable eyepiece to slot onto the back of your camera viewer.

Or, you have not mastered the art of holding the camera yet, and the mid aperture setting you use is suffering from wobble. the hand held camera need to be locked into the chest with both arms tucked up tight.

I also I suspect that you have not altered the f stop (aperture) but just the speed. so the camera is on f8 and you adjust the time, leading to a too slow exposure for your grip to hold steady. open up the aperture, one stop wider means one click faster, to increase the speed of the exposure.

The specifications for a given lens typically include the minimum and maximum apertures. These refer to the maximum and minimum f-numbers the lens can be set at to achieve, respectively. The maximum aperture tends to be of most interest; it is known as the lens speed and is always included when describing a lens (e.g., 100-400mm f/5.6, or 70-200mm f/2.8).

A typical lens will have an f-number range from f/16 (small aperture) to f/2 (large aperture) - Professional lenses for 35mm cameras can have f-numbers as low as f/1.0 - These are known as "fast" lenses because they allow much more light to reach the film and therefore reduce the required exposure time.

However, for clarity, you will need a long exposure, and a nice side effect of a very slow exposure, the Small aperture also increases depth of Field

Answer 6

I noticed the same problems a few years ago. I had my eyes checked and it turns out that I'm blind as a bat(not really but I do have vision problems). I would suggest getting your eyes checked.I still use my old cameras but if I am in a hurry I grab my Cannon Rebel auto focus. Besides the Cannon I use a Nikon F2, Leica IIIf and a Crown Graphic 2 3/4 X3 3/4, I just have to go slow and be sure about my compositions and exposures.

Answer 7

There is not disadvantages to manual photography, when the automatic camera refuses to take the picture, I switch to manual and snap it; that is why manual has no disadvantages, if you know how to do it.

Answer 8

You have more control in manual, but you have to know what you're doing. Know what each setting does. Try setting it on program, then note what each setting is. Then put it on manual, and try working with one setting at a time, to get a feel for what it does. It will take patience and practice, but eventually your photos will rise above the mundane and you will see that it's worth it to learn.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

I suggest use a tripod on a sunny day, if it's 35mm st f-stop to either f5.6 or f8. If you have digital set ISO for your lowest setting of either 80 or 100, use fine or very fine. set aperture at f5.6 or f/8.