I use back button, manual and auto ISO, for me that always works perfectly in wildlife. In portrait I go completely manual, more time and control. And as always nice extra tips and explanations, I always learn new things, nice video Duade
Another great and practical lesson Duade! This setup has served me well too! I have an assigned custom setting using auto-ISO within Fv mode. My top dial is free to go with shutter speed for perched, skittish birds and BIF. I love that control ring for exposure compensation. BRAVO!
Thanks for this, Duade, it's a boost to our confidence. We've been using auto ISO for a little while now, it means 1 less thing to think about. We still create the photo we want with shutter speed and aperture but can let the camera handle the brightness (with firm guidance re exp. comp.) You are such a gentleman. It's lovely spending time with you... virtually :)
Thanks for the comment and ongoing support Joan, I really do appreciate it. Yes, use whichever mode is most comfortable and easy to get the correct exposure. Cheers, Duade
Would be stoked if you could do a hands-on review on the OM 1 II and give us your thoughts on it! Would help us see how it holds up in the real world. Keep up the great content.
Great guide! I have been using this exposure method over the past 4 years ever since switching to mirrorless! Personally, I use the customisable button on my telezoom lens to lock the auto-exposure to keep it from darkening or brightening when panning.
I quite like the kingfisher image with the golden glow, all the leading lines in the picture and the kingfisher naturally draw your eye to that spot. It's like there's some wonderful treasure, even if just a shiny scaly breakfast, waiting in that glow!
Another great video Duade. With bird photography, I have used Manual with Auto ISO for a few years, especially when shooting in situations that aren't staged or set up on pre-positioned perches. Auto ISO improves my success rate much more than full manual mode.
Not sure you covered it, but when you use exposure compensation, it uses ISO to accommodate this. Great video Duade, simply explained and easily understandable. I use Auto ISO all the time, but am going to experiment with full manual soon, see how i go!
This is my prefered method as well, M with auto ISO. I do exposre compensation with a button as on a dial I too often accidentilly changed it. You did an excellent job explaining for those not sure what to do.
The advantage is seen when lighting conditions are changing rapidly, where full manual ISO is just too slow. Even when this occurs, the exposure compensation usually remains relatively constant, as it represents the relative deviation from what the evaluative metering has determined to be the optimal exposure. In my experience, it works well for birds, though you may be less rushed if shooting landscapes etc.
I used to do full manual, but in the last couple of months I have been doing M+AutoISO. I noticed I have the same approach you presented 😊 I enjoy it, but it isn't perfect sometimes you just don't have enough time to adjust the compensation correctly.
Great Video Duade. I would love to see a video on aperture with emphasis on depth of field as I am often disappointed with how much of the bird is out of focus. The eye focus is great but often the body is not in focus at the chosen f number. Could you please do a similar video where you take us through f numbers and depth of fields plus the depth of field vs. focal length. Finally what f number will work for small birds compared to larger ones.
Thanks Stephen, great point and yes that is often the case if we get close with long focal length and a max aperture. I will often stop down in those cases for more DOF. Cheers, Duade
M-mode and Auto ISO has been my primary choice for a long time already. But regarding shutter speeds: occasionally if you want to get more artistic photos, you may want to deliberately introduce some motion blur and thus use longer exposure times to get that. Obviously this can be quite tricky and often you get just loads of bad photos, but if everything goes well you could be also rewarded with wonderful results.
after watching this and your other videos i think ive finally gotten my head around manual / auto ISO settings. going out in the field to try it has helped immensely. i love that your videos are specific to birding, would be cool to see some vlog style content of you shooting photos and spotting birds ☺️
Just wanted to say thank you Duade for all the videos you have put out. Your guides are so clear and really enjoy watching you take us into the field with you. Feels like we are next to you and learning on the go. Thanks to you I have just picked up a 400mm f5.6 as my first proper birding lens and hoping to pick up the r7 to go with it in the next couple of weeks. Thanks again 👍
Great work, Duade! I have a question: with modern ISO-invariant sensors, wouldn't it be easier to just underexpose every shot by 1-2 stops? That way you could pretty much guarantee no blown whites, and don't have to adjust exposure every few shots. So basically set shutterspeed and aperture, set exp. comp. to -2, and forget exposure?
A tip to use Auto ISO to it's best: instead of assigning ISO to a dial directly, you can use the "DIAL FUNC" button setting and then set up ISO inside it's sub-menu, then it allows you to go directly from "Auto ISO" to "L" to 100 ... up to "H". I've set the function up to the SET button and ISO to the rear dial, so it's really just a minor inconvenience to press SET and adjust the ISO afterwards, but it allows me to neatly choose a fixed ISO and go back just as neatly. And as a bonus, the dial gets freed for it's normal use so you can set anything there for direct use, while still keeping the option to change the ISO through a dial.
Manual + Auto ISO has been my default setting for years. With birds -- and especially birds in flight -- it solves an awful lot of problems. (It also works wonders for street photography, automotive, outdoor event, etc., etc. etc. All I change between genres is the AF settings these days.)
Another helpful video, thanks Duade. I'm definitely going to experiment with Manual + Auto ISO when I have a relatively stationary subject. But, my go-to exposure mode for bird photography is TV pre-set to 1/2000/sec, Auto ISO, because I usually only have seconds to get a shot of a moving bird. While I'm giving a lot of control to the camera, my R5 produces very good results. Lightroom + Topaz Photo AI helps as well.
An interesting an informative video Duade thank you. I do find it interesting when both wildlife and landscape photographers explain how they set up their cameras so differently but so many times forget the processing process and how an image can be 'rescued' to make a photograph to be proud of. Is the skill today though about getting the image right in the camera or being able to process an image to a satisfactory final photograph 🤔 and with AI making it easier to 'fake' images, how does a good photographer prove they are worthy of praise.
Great advice on setting an exposure compensation dial, I'll jump back into my settings and have a play. I've been using manual + auto ISO pretty much from the get-go, especially as my r6ii can handle high iso. Oh and also still setting my shutter speeds far too low in general!
G'day mate, I may have been a touch confusing, I use Evalutative but used centre weighted in the example in the video I think as it demonstrates the camera getting it wrong better. All the in field footage was evaluative. Cheers, Duade
I always shoot with M and Auto ISO. It is great especially with small birds as they flit around. On my R7 I have the top wheel for shutter speed and the rear wheel for aperture and the control ring on the RF100-500 for exposure compensation. I reckon I may swap them around so I can quickly use EC more easily. I mainly use shutter speed to keep the ISO in check but using Topaz I am not too afraid shooting with pretty high ISO. I thought this was a great video. You really know how to explain things. You should consider doing it proffesionally. 😉 The terns are out at Phillip Island btw. I will be down there as soon as I get over this Covid
Thanks mate, sorry to hear about Covid, never pleasant. Great to hear you are enjoying your camera and have it setup. I also have SS on the top wheel and usually just change that when shooting in M. Cheers, Duade
Duade Pentax cameras have a T/ AV Mode you can set the shutter speed and aperture with auto ISO I use this setting for wildlife photography. I have this programmed into the selector wheel. On for perched birds , one for birds in flight one for focus small perched and the final for small birds in flight
Same here (K-3iii/KP). I try not to set the limit too high (depends what's acceptable on the camera). This makes you use the shutter speed as the main tool of adjustment when you push the limit (although with birds in flight, or using ProCapture on the OM-1, there's not a lot of scope). I also generally use Centre-weighted metering for birds rather than Matrix/Evaluative, with the AE linked to the AF point. It's far from perfect, but less likely to get the subject blown out or underexposed. Another terrific video Duade.
Thanks Duade. I always learn something with your videos. This time it was pretty fundamental. Although I use auto ISO + Manual for bird photography I didn’t realize until you got to the point of the video of assigning a dial to exposure compensation that I’ve been wasting a dial for setting ISO. (In my case the top rear dial on my R5m2). That meant that I had to assign a button/dial combination to set exposure compensation. Since I rarely (on purpose) change ISO from auto, I’ll use the menu for that, and assign the top back dial to aperture, with the lower back dial for exposure compensation. Have you done a set up video for your R5m2?
Thanks for the feedback, and glad it helped, I have not done a setup video for the R52, I think my mate Jan has one here ruclips.net/video/JPXHd0lPLLI/видео.htmlsi=OdpRyjp8Smq4sXFY Cheers, Duade
My main metode are manual mode and auto ISO. Auto ISO are mainly set from ISO 100 to 12800. I then use exposure compensation if needed, to get the right exposure.
Hi Duade, Great advice and to be honest I have been exploring auto ISO and find it works really well. I love the focusing on the R5 ii, it is so much better than the 7d ii and 5Ds that I was using ( and still do occasionally), I'm still trying to get to grips with the R5 ii especially as I am trying out different photography disciplines and don't to spend as much time as I would like with it. Tracking vehicles it works spectacularly well even with the Sigma 150-600 and the quality is superb regardless of subject. Keep the advice coming I am lapping it up. take care.
Great to hear the new camera is working well mate, it is a big learning curve but once you get the hang of it, its hard to go back to a DSLR, Cheers, Duade
This has been my favorite way to set up my EOS R for kid's soccer and volleyball and I really like Canon's implementation. I just picked up a Nikon Z6 III for better rolling shutter performance and video, but can't wrap my head around exposure compensation in manual with auto ISO. It just biases my meter which is okay, but there doesn't seem to be a way to easily know which way it is biased or how much, and it really throws me off. This is probably the only difference between the two cameras that is giving me pause. Other than this, the transition was easier than I expected.
It blows my mind that there's still no option to exposure protecting the highlights, so if a scene has a white bird the camera would protect the white information and not blow it out. I can't understand how this is not yet an option, it would save so many shots!
Yeah its interesting, whilst Canon have highlight tone priority what I would like to see is AI that detects the subject, say a white bird, it then adjusts the exposure so the whites are to the right without blowing. Basically have the camera use zebras and simply expose until there are no zebras on the subject. I assume this will happen in the future at some stage. Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade. Great video. I'm still using my D500/500PF combo. Where I believe Manual/auto iso falls down is when you have (as I had recently), an Osprey diving down from the bright sky, passing through dark rocks to the bright sea. Here is where using exposure compensation is not practical due to the changing backgrounds. Using full manual worked better for me in this instance. Thoughts?
Hi Duade, for birds in amongst trees and bright patches of light in the frame like the kookaburra, I have been playing around with centre weighted metering. Also for some instances of BIF, e.g. black kite with a clear blue sky. I’m not sure it is doing what I expected.
Thanks Tony, its good to try the different modes and see which one works best for you. I tend to use evaluative if in Auto ISO as I find it a bit better on average but can see the benefit of CWM also. Cheers, Duade
Greetings from Sydney Airport, appr 40 minutes left until boarding the flight home. Good video as usual, as usual I have the camera mostly on P... But, I have started to put it in Tv to get better speed instead of low'ish ISO. Problem: I tend to forget to change back to P when it's getting too dark... (Ofc my photos is so-so in quality as a result.)
In Canon, you can also do the Flexible mode which allows any combination from full auto to full manual. I normally use that with locked aperture and shutter and leave ISO to auto, ie. basically same as M with auto iso.
"I share how to master Manual + AutoISO in the field by showing exactly how to set up and use it in real world examples in the field. I would love to hear what exposure mode you use. Cheers, Duade"
I trust my manual skills more than auto iso. Doesnt the exposure compensation basically do the same, adjust the iso? Feels like extra steps to set that up instead of just using manual iso controls. Maybe im wrong
What is that 200-900 RF lens at 11:10 can I get one? :D Jokes aside, it's a great summary of the manual+auto, I think you covered every detail there is. But I think it's only useful in static birds. In in flight photos, it ruins everything, one can get a totally blown out bird than a totally dark one in a sequence where a bird flies in front of some shady bushes to the sky, and one have almost zero chance of capturing it with the correct exposure, have to be really lucky. But for static bird, it is probably the best way.
I agree. With double back button focus it leaves the top wheel (adjacent to the shutter button) to do the work. I find the ergonomics of this the better choice with Canon.
Hi Duade, I use manual + Auto ISO 99% of the time. Just a little suggestion : don't forget to select the proper option in Auto Lighting Optimizer and disable it otherwise it will not be possible to manually correct exposure properly. Thanks for the video Duade!
Another good tool is to use bracketing to, yes, uses up more card space and more pics to sort, but you can also then use them all to create an image taking out the worst parts and adding the best parts to create (hopefully) a satisfying image.. Some may call it cheating LOL
I have had some cameras that consistently over or underexpose by 1/3 stop, even if you were shooting a gray card. I have other photographers tell that their camera does that at 2/3 of a stop. Others routinely shoot a third over for ETTR. But the option would be nice. I suppose you could use a custom setting, but I don't like them because they lock in things you don't want along with things you do.
So… how is this different from using FV (flexible priority/program, on canon bodies)? Personally, I use this mode to dynamically adjust my setup depending on my needs, and then I have a couple buttons set to return either all or one of the variables back to auto.
@ thank you for clarifying. Different question: on the 90s eye control camera bodies, some of them had an option to look up at one of the corners of the viewfinder to stop-down the lens as a depth of field preview. Is this still a feature? Or has it not been implemented?
I don't want this to be demeaning as I enjoy your content - However I hate this shooting mode M+-Auto Iso for the reasons you're explaining it's a benefit - on Canon camera's ( I have the R5mk1) manual + auto iso +/- exposure compensation is ADJUSTING your ISO when using exposure compensation in conjunction with manual + Auto Iso. I find it quicker and way easier to just adjust the iso depending on my scene and what the Histogram is telling me along with what my eye is telling me my exposure is/should be at that particular moment. in reality BOTH work - I just find it easier as I don't have to "think" about if I need to add +/- compensation when paying attention to my Histogram, rarely am I willing to give in on my shutter speed or F/stop until I'm reaching 6400 ISO or above. again, any method works, I think most people don't realize the only think exposure comp is doing is adjusting ISO in this mode.
@ - NO - I adjust the ISO until my Histogram tells me I’m no longer clipping the highlights - or the blacks - typical exposure to the right method - I’ve found my camera does best when I use this method for picture quality
M+Auto ISO is a decent option for bird on a stick. But for BIF it is a poor choice. BIF is much better suited for full M. Anytime you are using M+AutoISO you have to keep doing the EC dance. Anytime the brightness and/or size of the subject in the frame changes during BIF the exposure will change and EC needs tweaking. In full M unless the brightness on the subject changes you will always have the perfect set exposure on your BIF no matter what the background is and what ratio of bird to background is in a given frame. I still prefer full M over M+AutoISO for all my shooting. In both modes you have to be changing a setting (EC in M+Auto and ISO in full M) so if I have to be changing a setting anyways I'd rather just take full control and change my ISO. All the time knowing that if the situation changes from a perched bird to a BIF I will have a perfect exposure no matter if the bird flies across dark trees or blue sky. If I was shooting a perched bird against a neutral background In AutoISO and it takes flight my EC setting could result in a bird way over exposed against a darker background or way underexposed against the sky.
Thanks Geoff, all great points and worth considering for those using M+Auto ISO. I use manual myself for those reasons but many people still like the M+Auto option so thought I would share how to use it. Cheers, Duade
And if you are in full manual and the light changes, you don't have to change exposure? What difference does it make? Either way, if the light changes, you gotta compensate! Whatever works for you is what is important, but I have seen very good photographers miss great shots fiddling with settings in full manual. Auto ISO (I like fv in Canon) is so fast and easy. It becomes so intuitive, you almost do it automatically. You are turning one dial, just as you would have to turn one dial in full manual if the light changed. It also amazes me that people spend tens of thousands of dollars for the latest technology, and then shoot like it's 1985. Whatever works!
@@alansach8437 Yep. Whatever works for you is best. I only have to change my settings if light on the subject changes. In M+Auto you have to change it when light on subject changes, when brightness of background changes and when the size of the subject relative to the background changes (assuming background and subject aren’t the same brightness).
If the light is consistent on your subject, but if it's one of those days where the light is in and out of the clouds you are constantly adjusting, where auto iso will compensate automatically, assuming everything else remains the same. Good points and bad for any system. That's why cameras can be used in so many ways.
By the time you’ve done all of that you’re better off just practicing pure manual mode anyway . You’ll miss loads of shots , especially us poor folks in countries without sun 24/7 like Oz, messing around with all these compensations and auto iso. 😄
Well handled, though a couple of times in the text you said it was a 200-900 lens. On that point I have just posted a video using the 200-800 and although it has problems in flat light it is great in the sun, what do you think? ruclips.net/video/mvg4mV7j_b8/видео.html
I have to say, I just don't get the appeal. If you have to use Exposure Compensation with Auto ISO, why not just adjust the ISO directly? Using Auto ISO and then Exposure Compensation, seems rather convoluted to me. I suppose its a matter of what you get used to. Also, for birds in flight (BIFs), i think its most often counter productive. It seems to me that the background that the bird is flying past, usually changes, as it flies through open sky, in front of a dark tree, or a light tree, or a mountain the distance, and when it does, the light on the bird doesn't change, but the Auto ISO exposure does. That gets you the wrong exposure most of the time. I'll pass on this one. Sorry Mate!
Thanks Paul, you make many valid points and I agree that once you understand manual mode it can be quicker than Auto ISO. I encourage everyone to try manual as you mentioned and then make a choice as to which one they prefer. I use manual the majority of the time but wanted to share a video of how to use Auto ISO for people who want to try it. Cheers, Duade
It doesn't matter what exposure mode that you use, even full manual. If conditions change you have to compensate somehow. It's the nature of the beast!
Yep, for bird in flight panning back and forth, my R5 does not handle auto ISO very well. I avoid it. Most likely it'll clip the highlights. I just set a shutter speed and an ISO level that is acceptable across the area that I know I will most likely track birds.
Duade, great video, easy to understand. My big, big issue is photographing dark birds in flight with bright or cloudy sky. My Canon R6 always under exposes the image. So, I asked CanonUK about adjusting the exposure compensation with auto ISO in Manual. They advised me that I can not make exposure compensation when in the manual mode with auto ISO. However, in your video, you are saying it can be done, how, please?
@@leo1066 G'day Leo, yes, most cameras will underexpose BIF as the sky is so bright the camera makes it much darker. You can dial in +1 to +2 positive exposure compensation when shooting birds in the sky. Simply follow how I setup at the start. Turn the dial to M, then change ISO to AUTO ISO, make sure to have exposure compensation on the lens or a dial and then turn that to the right until its under the 1. Go into the field take some shots, if its still too dark then increase the positive comp towards the 2. Just be aware if the bird is white you may have to turn this down if the bird is to bright. Cheers, Duade
@boalkestrup sorry but you really don't know what you're doing and didn't know exposure very well of you're relying on the camera to hope to get out right. Auto ISO meant times gets fooled with exposure. With my Nikon D850 and D500 it was easy to never have put exposure in full manual when you learn how to leverage you meter in the viewfinder. With my Nikon Z9 it's not stupid easy to dial perfect exposure with the electronic EVF and real time blown highlights "blinkies/zebra" and the control dial on the lens to control the ISO with your left thumb. Also with cameras like the Z9 that is a dual gain sensor which has 2 base ISO's of 64 AND 500, you want to keep it at ISO500 compared ISO 250, 320,400 or 640.
Thanks Eric, I hope I was clear in the video stating it was an auto exposure mode and that the camera can often get it wrong. Whilst I use manual and find it easier many people still struggle with manual, so Auto ISO is one mode they seem to be able to grasp. This video is simply showing how to use this mode if they are struggling with manual. Cheers, Duade
I think what you maybe missing is people shoot in many different ways, what one person finds easy, another may struggle with. I find manual easy but many dont and for many people seem to grasp AUTO ISO much easier. I encourage everyone to try manual and see how they go. Cheers, Duade
This is my favorite exposure mode for sports and wildlife.
I use back button, manual and auto ISO, for me that always works perfectly in wildlife. In portrait I go completely manual, more time and control.
And as always nice extra tips and explanations, I always learn new things, nice video Duade
Fantastic tutorial Duade, been shooting exactly the same as this for a few years now, works perfectly for wildlife.
Another great and practical lesson Duade! This setup has served me well too! I have an assigned custom setting using auto-ISO within Fv mode. My top dial is free to go with shutter speed for perched, skittish birds and BIF. I love that control ring for exposure compensation. BRAVO!
Thanks for sharing and great tip about using FV mode, Cheers, Duade
Thanks for this, Duade, it's a boost to our confidence. We've been using auto ISO for a little while now, it means 1 less thing to think about. We still create the photo we want with shutter speed and aperture but can let the camera handle the brightness (with firm guidance re exp. comp.) You are such a gentleman. It's lovely spending time with you... virtually :)
Thanks for the comment and ongoing support Joan, I really do appreciate it. Yes, use whichever mode is most comfortable and easy to get the correct exposure. Cheers, Duade
Would be stoked if you could do a hands-on review on the OM 1 II and give us your thoughts on it! Would help us see how it holds up in the real world. Keep up the great content.
Great guide! I have been using this exposure method over the past 4 years ever since switching to mirrorless! Personally, I use the customisable button on my telezoom lens to lock the auto-exposure to keep it from darkening or brightening when panning.
I quite like the kingfisher image with the golden glow, all the leading lines in the picture and the kingfisher naturally draw your eye to that spot. It's like there's some wonderful treasure, even if just a shiny scaly breakfast, waiting in that glow!
Another great video Duade. With bird photography, I have used Manual with Auto ISO for a few years, especially when shooting in situations that aren't staged or set up on pre-positioned perches. Auto ISO improves my success rate much more than full manual mode.
Thanks for sharing Graeme, it is nice we have the option to choose which best suits our style. Cheers, Duade
Not sure you covered it, but when you use exposure compensation, it uses ISO to accommodate this. Great video Duade, simply explained and easily understandable. I use Auto ISO all the time, but am going to experiment with full manual soon, see how i go!
This is my prefered method as well, M with auto ISO. I do exposre compensation with a button as on a dial I too often accidentilly changed it.
You did an excellent job explaining for those not sure what to do.
The advantage is seen when lighting conditions are changing rapidly, where full manual ISO is just too slow. Even when this occurs, the exposure compensation usually remains relatively constant, as it represents the relative deviation from what the evaluative metering has determined to be the optimal exposure. In my experience, it works well for birds, though you may be less rushed if shooting landscapes etc.
This is immensely helpful, thank you!
I used to do full manual, but in the last couple of months I have been doing M+AutoISO. I noticed I have the same approach you presented 😊 I enjoy it, but it isn't perfect sometimes you just don't have enough time to adjust the compensation correctly.
Great Video Duade. I would love to see a video on aperture with emphasis on depth of field as I am often disappointed with how much of the bird is out of focus. The eye focus is great but often the body is not in focus at the chosen f number. Could you please do a similar video where you take us through f numbers and depth of fields plus the depth of field vs. focal length. Finally what f number will work for small birds compared to larger ones.
Thanks Stephen, great point and yes that is often the case if we get close with long focal length and a max aperture. I will often stop down in those cases for more DOF. Cheers, Duade
M-mode and Auto ISO has been my primary choice for a long time already. But regarding shutter speeds: occasionally if you want to get more artistic photos, you may want to deliberately introduce some motion blur and thus use longer exposure times to get that. Obviously this can be quite tricky and often you get just loads of bad photos, but if everything goes well you could be also rewarded with wonderful results.
after watching this and your other videos i think ive finally gotten my head around manual / auto ISO settings. going out in the field to try it has helped immensely. i love that your videos are specific to birding, would be cool to see some vlog style content of you shooting photos and spotting birds ☺️
Just wanted to say thank you Duade for all the videos you have put out. Your guides are so clear and really enjoy watching you take us into the field with you. Feels like we are next to you and learning on the go. Thanks to you I have just picked up a 400mm f5.6 as my first proper birding lens and hoping to pick up the r7 to go with it in the next couple of weeks. Thanks again 👍
Much appreciated!
Great work, Duade! I have a question: with modern ISO-invariant sensors, wouldn't it be easier to just underexpose every shot by 1-2 stops? That way you could pretty much guarantee no blown whites, and don't have to adjust exposure every few shots.
So basically set shutterspeed and aperture, set exp. comp. to -2, and forget exposure?
A tip to use Auto ISO to it's best: instead of assigning ISO to a dial directly, you can use the "DIAL FUNC" button setting and then set up ISO inside it's sub-menu, then it allows you to go directly from "Auto ISO" to "L" to 100 ... up to "H". I've set the function up to the SET button and ISO to the rear dial, so it's really just a minor inconvenience to press SET and adjust the ISO afterwards, but it allows me to neatly choose a fixed ISO and go back just as neatly. And as a bonus, the dial gets freed for it's normal use so you can set anything there for direct use, while still keeping the option to change the ISO through a dial.
Thanks Ansreas, great tip and worth having a go with that. Cheers, Duade
thank you for this video Duade, i learn a lot today about my camera
Manual + Auto ISO has been my default setting for years. With birds -- and especially birds in flight -- it solves an awful lot of problems. (It also works wonders for street photography, automotive, outdoor event, etc., etc. etc. All I change between genres is the AF settings these days.)
Another helpful video, thanks Duade. I'm definitely going to experiment with Manual + Auto ISO when I have a relatively stationary subject. But, my go-to exposure mode for bird photography is TV pre-set to 1/2000/sec, Auto ISO, because I usually only have seconds to get a shot of a moving bird. While I'm giving a lot of control to the camera, my R5 produces very good results. Lightroom + Topaz Photo AI helps as well.
An interesting an informative video Duade thank you. I do find it interesting when both wildlife and landscape photographers explain how they set up their cameras so differently but so many times forget the processing process and how an image can be 'rescued' to make a photograph to be proud of. Is the skill today though about getting the image right in the camera or being able to process an image to a satisfactory final photograph 🤔 and with AI making it easier to 'fake' images, how does a good photographer prove they are worthy of praise.
Great advice on setting an exposure compensation dial, I'll jump back into my settings and have a play.
I've been using manual + auto ISO pretty much from the get-go, especially as my r6ii can handle high iso.
Oh and also still setting my shutter speeds far too low in general!
Thanks Tim, if you can get sharp shots its fine to use lower SS, I just tend to shake a lot so need the SS a touch higher. Cheers, Duade
You mentioned you generally centre weighted metering. I would be very interested in why. Have you done a video on this subject?
G'day mate, I may have been a touch confusing, I use Evalutative but used centre weighted in the example in the video I think as it demonstrates the camera getting it wrong better. All the in field footage was evaluative. Cheers, Duade
I always shoot with M and Auto ISO. It is great especially with small birds as they flit around. On my R7 I have the top wheel for shutter speed and the rear wheel for aperture and the control ring on the RF100-500 for exposure compensation. I reckon I may swap them around so I can quickly use EC more easily. I mainly use shutter speed to keep the ISO in check but using Topaz I am not too afraid shooting with pretty high ISO. I thought this was a great video. You really know how to explain things. You should consider doing it proffesionally. 😉 The terns are out at Phillip Island btw. I will be down there as soon as I get over this Covid
Thanks mate, sorry to hear about Covid, never pleasant. Great to hear you are enjoying your camera and have it setup. I also have SS on the top wheel and usually just change that when shooting in M. Cheers, Duade
My favourite Exposure setting awesome explanation Duade 👍
Duade
Pentax cameras have a T/ AV Mode you can set the shutter speed and aperture with auto ISO I use this setting for wildlife photography. I have this programmed into the selector wheel. On for perched birds , one for birds in flight one for focus small perched and the final for small birds in flight
Same here (K-3iii/KP). I try not to set the limit too high (depends what's acceptable on the camera). This makes you use the shutter speed as the main tool of adjustment when you push the limit (although with birds in flight, or using ProCapture on the OM-1, there's not a lot of scope).
I also generally use Centre-weighted metering for birds rather than Matrix/Evaluative, with the AE linked to the AF point. It's far from perfect, but less likely to get the subject blown out or underexposed.
Another terrific video Duade.
Thanks for sharing, sounds like a great option, Cheers, Duade
Thanks Duade. I always learn something with your videos. This time it was pretty fundamental. Although I use auto ISO + Manual for bird photography I didn’t realize until you got to the point of the video of assigning a dial to exposure compensation that I’ve been wasting a dial for setting ISO. (In my case the top rear dial on my R5m2). That meant that I had to assign a button/dial combination to set exposure compensation. Since I rarely (on purpose) change ISO from auto, I’ll use the menu for that, and assign the top back dial to aperture, with the lower back dial for exposure compensation. Have you done a set up video for your R5m2?
Thanks for the feedback, and glad it helped, I have not done a setup video for the R52, I think my mate Jan has one here ruclips.net/video/JPXHd0lPLLI/видео.htmlsi=OdpRyjp8Smq4sXFY Cheers, Duade
My main metode are manual mode and auto ISO. Auto ISO are mainly set from ISO 100 to 12800. I then use exposure compensation if needed, to get the right exposure.
Great to hear, Cheers ,Duade
Thanks for bird photography in the forest/trees it is the way to go. Been doing this for some time now Lumix G9ii.
Simon d'Entremont just released a video on this topic. A very compelling justification for M+autoISO by one of the best wildlife photographers.
Yup manual plus auto iso always. Light constantly changing. 👍
Hi Duade, Great advice and to be honest I have been exploring auto ISO and find it works really well. I love the focusing on the R5 ii, it is so much better than the 7d ii and 5Ds that I was using ( and still do occasionally), I'm still trying to get to grips with the R5 ii especially as I am trying out different photography disciplines and don't to spend as much time as I would like with it. Tracking vehicles it works spectacularly well even with the Sigma 150-600 and the quality is superb regardless of subject. Keep the advice coming I am lapping it up. take care.
Great to hear the new camera is working well mate, it is a big learning curve but once you get the hang of it, its hard to go back to a DSLR, Cheers, Duade
For fast moving subjects, i use manual + auto iso. But for slow moving or static subjects, i tend to use fully manual
Correcting exposure in post may mean you can’t recover blown out highlights, but it also will add noise to the image
This has been my favorite way to set up my EOS R for kid's soccer and volleyball and I really like Canon's implementation. I just picked up a Nikon Z6 III for better rolling shutter performance and video, but can't wrap my head around exposure compensation in manual with auto ISO. It just biases my meter which is okay, but there doesn't seem to be a way to easily know which way it is biased or how much, and it really throws me off. This is probably the only difference between the two cameras that is giving me pause. Other than this, the transition was easier than I expected.
It blows my mind that there's still no option to exposure protecting the highlights, so if a scene has a white bird the camera would protect the white information and not blow it out.
I can't understand how this is not yet an option, it would save so many shots!
canon have 😊 but i never use it
Yeah its interesting, whilst Canon have highlight tone priority what I would like to see is AI that detects the subject, say a white bird, it then adjusts the exposure so the whites are to the right without blowing. Basically have the camera use zebras and simply expose until there are no zebras on the subject. I assume this will happen in the future at some stage. Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade. Great video. I'm still using my D500/500PF combo. Where I believe Manual/auto iso falls down is when you have (as I had recently), an Osprey diving down from the bright sky, passing through dark rocks to the bright sea. Here is where using exposure compensation is not practical due to the changing backgrounds. Using full manual worked better for me in this instance. Thoughts?
Excellent video.
Hi Duade, for birds in amongst trees and bright patches of light in the frame like the kookaburra, I have been playing around with centre weighted metering.
Also for some instances of BIF, e.g. black kite with a clear blue sky. I’m not sure it is doing what I expected.
Thanks Tony, its good to try the different modes and see which one works best for you. I tend to use evaluative if in Auto ISO as I find it a bit better on average but can see the benefit of CWM also. Cheers, Duade
Another fantastic video, very informative and educational. Cheers
Cheers for the support, it means a lot.
Greetings from Sydney Airport, appr 40 minutes left until boarding the flight home. Good video as usual, as usual I have the camera mostly on P... But, I have started to put it in Tv to get better speed instead of low'ish ISO. Problem: I tend to forget to change back to P when it's getting too dark...
(Ofc my photos is so-so in quality as a result.)
Thanks Pia, it was great to meet you and do some birding. Congrats on your success in Australia and have fun on your next adventure. Cheers, Duade
In Canon, you can also do the Flexible mode which allows any combination from full auto to full manual. I normally use that with locked aperture and shutter and leave ISO to auto, ie. basically same as M with auto iso.
"I share how to master Manual + AutoISO in the field by showing exactly how to set up and use it in real world examples in the field. I would love to hear what exposure mode you use. Cheers, Duade"
I use this mode from my first camera with auto iso, front focus button single point, back button tracking focus :)
I trust my manual skills more than auto iso. Doesnt the exposure compensation basically do the same, adjust the iso? Feels like extra steps to set that up instead of just using manual iso controls. Maybe im wrong
Duade, with the Exposure compensation and Auto ISO, is this just pushing or pulling the auto ISO?
What is that 200-900 RF lens at 11:10 can I get one? :D Jokes aside, it's a great summary of the manual+auto, I think you covered every detail there is. But I think it's only useful in static birds. In in flight photos, it ruins everything, one can get a totally blown out bird than a totally dark one in a sequence where a bird flies in front of some shady bushes to the sky, and one have almost zero chance of capturing it with the correct exposure, have to be really lucky. But for static bird, it is probably the best way.
Very well explained easy to understand. I do it a similar way ISO Auto but I use FV mode most of the time. Seems to me almost the same as M mode.
Thanks Rolf, yes, Canon are lucky to have FV mode, Cheers, Duade
I agree. With double back button focus it leaves the top wheel (adjacent to the shutter button) to do the work. I find the ergonomics of this the better choice with Canon.
C'mon Canon! Why can't we have live zebras (blinkies)?
Hi Duade, I use manual + Auto ISO 99% of the time. Just a little suggestion : don't forget to select the proper option in Auto Lighting Optimizer and disable it otherwise it will not be possible to manually correct exposure properly. Thanks for the video Duade!
Thanks for the comment, I shoot in RAW so not sure the ALO has any impact? but thanks for the tip. Cheers, Duade
Great advice Duade!
I use both full manual & manual with auto ISO depending on the subject & location
To set the exposure compensation on the rear dial is a great idea, but somehow my fingers don't like it... Perhaps I have to try harder... 😉
i only use auto iso in situations where i know i dont want to miss a hard situation, other than that manual iso
Nice vid mate , and don’t forget to charge your batteries 🦜✅
On Canon the "delete" button will also set a setting to auto
Another good tool is to use bracketing to, yes, uses up more card space and more pics to sort, but you can also then use them all to create an image taking out the worst parts and adding the best parts to create (hopefully) a satisfying image.. Some may call it cheating LOL
The exposure compensationcan be used only when photographing in JPG, isn't? In RAW mode it's useless correct? Thank you!
On my R7, it works on RAW and CRAW, too.
@wellingtoncrescent2480 😲👍🏼
Duade,what is the reason behind manufacturers not reverting exposure comp to the 0 when the camera is turned off? Or,is it only Nikon that does this?
Great question, not sure if it is a setting or not but can catch people out for sure. Cheers, Duade
I have had some cameras that consistently over or underexpose by 1/3 stop, even if you were shooting a gray card. I have other photographers tell that their camera does that at 2/3 of a stop. Others routinely shoot a third over for ETTR. But the option would be nice. I suppose you could use a custom setting, but I don't like them because they lock in things you don't want along with things you do.
That how it shoot much of the time. If I use a drone for photography I have a fixed F stop
You can just click ISO and instead of scrolling the wheel, hit the info button to put it in AUTO
Are you not using a RF200-800 lens? The video has 200-900
My F-stop explanation is "more is less and less is more".
I use partial metering 75% of the time on my M 50 Mark II
Nice
So… how is this different from using FV (flexible priority/program, on canon bodies)?
Personally, I use this mode to dynamically adjust my setup depending on my needs, and then I have a couple buttons set to return either all or one of the variables back to auto.
No real difference and FV mode is a great option for sure. I think its a great feature of Canon bodies. Cheers, Duade
@ thank you for clarifying.
Different question: on the 90s eye control camera bodies, some of them had an option to look up at one of the corners of the viewfinder to stop-down the lens as a depth of field preview. Is this still a feature? Or has it not been implemented?
I don't want this to be demeaning as I enjoy your content - However I hate this shooting mode M+-Auto Iso for the reasons you're explaining it's a benefit - on Canon camera's ( I have the R5mk1) manual + auto iso +/- exposure compensation is ADJUSTING your ISO when using exposure compensation in conjunction with manual + Auto Iso. I find it quicker and way easier to just adjust the iso depending on my scene and what the Histogram is telling me along with what my eye is telling me my exposure is/should be at that particular moment. in reality BOTH work - I just find it easier as I don't have to "think" about if I need to add +/- compensation when paying attention to my Histogram, rarely am I willing to give in on my shutter speed or F/stop until I'm reaching 6400 ISO or above. again, any method works, I think most people don't realize the only think exposure comp is doing is adjusting ISO in this mode.
so u adjust the iso till the exposure compensation is back to the middle?
@ - NO - I adjust the ISO until my Histogram tells me I’m no longer clipping the highlights - or the blacks - typical exposure to the right method - I’ve found my camera does best when I use this method for picture quality
I use Auto ISO with a limit set
Don't forget to charge your batteries. 😉😆😊
Thanks, I have only had one for the longest time but should be getting my backorder batteries this week. Cheers, Duade
M+Auto ISO is a decent option for bird on a stick. But for BIF it is a poor choice. BIF is much better suited for full M. Anytime you are using M+AutoISO you have to keep doing the EC dance. Anytime the brightness and/or size of the subject in the frame changes during BIF the exposure will change and EC needs tweaking. In full M unless the brightness on the subject changes you will always have the perfect set exposure on your BIF no matter what the background is and what ratio of bird to background is in a given frame. I still prefer full M over M+AutoISO for all my shooting. In both modes you have to be changing a setting (EC in M+Auto and ISO in full M) so if I have to be changing a setting anyways I'd rather just take full control and change my ISO. All the time knowing that if the situation changes from a perched bird to a BIF I will have a perfect exposure no matter if the bird flies across dark trees or blue sky. If I was shooting a perched bird against a neutral background In AutoISO and it takes flight my EC setting could result in a bird way over exposed against a darker background or way underexposed against the sky.
Thanks Geoff, all great points and worth considering for those using M+Auto ISO. I use manual myself for those reasons but many people still like the M+Auto option so thought I would share how to use it. Cheers, Duade
@@Duadesee my comment on centre weighted metering. Anyone tried it?
And if you are in full manual and the light changes, you don't have to change exposure? What difference does it make? Either way, if the light changes, you gotta compensate! Whatever works for you is what is important, but I have seen very good photographers miss great shots fiddling with settings in full manual. Auto ISO (I like fv in Canon) is so fast and easy. It becomes so intuitive, you almost do it automatically. You are turning one dial, just as you would have to turn one dial in full manual if the light changed. It also amazes me that people spend tens of thousands of dollars for the latest technology, and then shoot like it's 1985. Whatever works!
@@alansach8437 Yep. Whatever works for you is best. I only have to change my settings if light on the subject changes. In M+Auto you have to change it when light on subject changes, when brightness of background changes and when the size of the subject relative to the background changes (assuming background and subject aren’t the same brightness).
If the light is consistent on your subject, but if it's one of those days where the light is in and out of the clouds you are constantly adjusting, where auto iso will compensate automatically, assuming everything else remains the same. Good points and bad for any system. That's why cameras can be used in so many ways.
By the time you’ve done all of that you’re better off just practicing pure manual mode anyway . You’ll miss loads of shots , especially us poor folks in countries without sun 24/7 like Oz, messing around with all these compensations and auto iso. 😄
Well handled, though a couple of times in the text you said it was a 200-900 lens. On that point I have just posted a video using the 200-800 and although it has problems in flat light it is great in the sun, what do you think? ruclips.net/video/mvg4mV7j_b8/видео.html
I have to say, I just don't get the appeal. If you have to use Exposure Compensation with Auto ISO, why not just adjust the ISO directly? Using Auto ISO and then Exposure Compensation, seems rather convoluted to me. I suppose its a matter of what you get used to. Also, for birds in flight (BIFs), i think its most often counter productive. It seems to me that the background that the bird is flying past, usually changes, as it flies through open sky, in front of a dark tree, or a light tree, or a mountain the distance, and when it does, the light on the bird doesn't change, but the Auto ISO exposure does. That gets you the wrong exposure most of the time. I'll pass on this one. Sorry Mate!
Thanks Paul, you make many valid points and I agree that once you understand manual mode it can be quicker than Auto ISO. I encourage everyone to try manual as you mentioned and then make a choice as to which one they prefer. I use manual the majority of the time but wanted to share a video of how to use Auto ISO for people who want to try it. Cheers, Duade
It doesn't matter what exposure mode that you use, even full manual. If conditions change you have to compensate somehow. It's the nature of the beast!
Yep, for bird in flight panning back and forth, my R5 does not handle auto ISO very well. I avoid it. Most likely it'll clip the highlights. I just set a shutter speed and an ISO level that is acceptable across the area that I know I will most likely track birds.
Duade, great video, easy to understand. My big, big issue is photographing dark birds in flight with bright or cloudy sky. My Canon R6 always under exposes the image. So, I asked CanonUK about adjusting the exposure compensation with auto ISO in Manual. They advised me that I can not make exposure compensation when in the manual mode with auto ISO. However, in your video, you are saying it can be done, how, please?
@@leo1066 G'day Leo, yes, most cameras will underexpose BIF as the sky is so bright the camera makes it much darker. You can dial in +1 to +2 positive exposure compensation when shooting birds in the sky. Simply follow how I setup at the start. Turn the dial to M, then change ISO to AUTO ISO, make sure to have exposure compensation on the lens or a dial and then turn that to the right until its under the 1. Go into the field take some shots, if its still too dark then increase the positive comp towards the 2. Just be aware if the bird is white you may have to turn this down if the bird is to bright. Cheers, Duade
Manual with Auto ISO is still not shooting in manual. It's a lazy way of shooting. Period
Each to their own but if you're going to shoot auto-ISO and use exposure comp. why not just shoot Manual? What am I missing?
auto iso is always near the right exposure. Manuel ISO can make the viewfinder totaly black 😊
@boalkestrup sorry but you really don't know what you're doing and didn't know exposure very well of you're relying on the camera to hope to get out right. Auto ISO meant times gets fooled with exposure. With my Nikon D850 and D500 it was easy to never have put exposure in full manual when you learn how to leverage you meter in the viewfinder.
With my Nikon Z9 it's not stupid easy to dial perfect exposure with the electronic EVF and real time blown highlights "blinkies/zebra" and the control dial on the lens to control the ISO with your left thumb.
Also with cameras like the Z9 that is a dual gain sensor which has 2 base ISO's of 64 AND 500, you want to keep it at ISO500 compared ISO 250, 320,400 or 640.
Thanks Eric, I hope I was clear in the video stating it was an auto exposure mode and that the camera can often get it wrong. Whilst I use manual and find it easier many people still struggle with manual, so Auto ISO is one mode they seem to be able to grasp. This video is simply showing how to use this mode if they are struggling with manual. Cheers, Duade
I think what you maybe missing is people shoot in many different ways, what one person finds easy, another may struggle with. I find manual easy but many dont and for many people seem to grasp AUTO ISO much easier. I encourage everyone to try manual and see how they go. Cheers, Duade