Using Av Mode for Stills...

[everymansaved 0]

So I did a quick search and found one thread similar to what I want to know, but not exactly, so I'm hoping someone can enlighten me. Has anyone experimented with shooting their DSLR in Aperature priority mode and setting the aperature high to give a better DOF? I know the argument that if for some reason you lose your light, the camera will give you a slower shutter speed and possibly create blurring, etc... but is that really a concern, especially on sunny days? I'd think that as long as you were sure you would have light, you could create a much deeper DOF with a higher f stop. I know the theory behind it, but I'm looking for opionions from people who have used it. Thanks!

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[980 0]

That's what I did this year, my first season shooting stills.

20D, 18-55 lens, ISO 100, Av mode, f-stop of 8 to 11 for a shutter speed between 1/500 and 1/1200 on sunny days, using manual focus and the lens on 18mm.

I looked at a lot of the pics I took and the exif data and tweaked my settings accordingly.

If you set your f-stop so that your camera chooses a shutter speed of 1/800 or faster on a sunny day while on the ground, you would need to lose a lot of light to get significant blurring due to slower shutter speeds.

At least that has been my experience with my setup, my flying position and my head unsteadiness/steadiness. YMMV

[everymansaved 0]

That is prettymuch the exact same settings I was thinking of using, except I'm using a Pentax. Would you mind posting some pics you took on those settings?

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[pilotdave 0]

I've done the opposite, using Av mode for a shallower depth of field (background blur). It really didn't work.

I prioritize shutter speed over depth of field. With my 18-55 lens (at 18), I can't tell the difference between f/3.5 and f/11 when looking at my pictures. I can tell the difference between 1/800th and 1/100th though, bigtime.

I understand that aperture becomes much more important for manual focus, since you need a large DOF to ensure you stay in focus. But autofocus works so well, I haven't really ever wanted to be in manual focus, except maybe in really poor lighting... when I'd need a bigger aperture anyway.

Dave

[everymansaved 0]

Yeah, I guess I should have specified that I'd be using MF, as the AF on this camera is not that compatible with the tongue switch. That is the main reason I wanted to get as big a DOF as I could.

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[jtval 0]

GOD BLESS YOU FOR SEARCHING FIRST!

I tried all kinds of setting.
MF, Manual ap and shutter setting adjusted for the day.time and weather.

I tried MF on TV set somewhere between 500-1000
I tried AF on TV set somewhere between 500-1000
I tried MF on AV set somewhere between 8-16
I tried AF on AV set somewhere between 8-16
I try to keep my ISO as low as I can. Most of the time I can do it with 100.

That is where I am currently set and I like the AF. It makes the photo POP off the screen.
on MF I could always get good shots but there weren't "crisp."
AF does the fine tuning for me in freefall.

I jump an XT, with a sigma 15mm


EDIT: I attached some images at my current setting. the last one is the DOF is was looking for but I mostly lucky to get that shot.

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[everymansaved 0]

So what setting do you use now? Do you find that it takes time for the camera to focus before it takes the shot, and that you're never really sure when it's taken the shot?

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[DSE 3]

I don't know about JT, but after having started with MF and setting my lens to F8/inf...I started using AF, and was pretty happy. then I got a 40D, and find AF is the only way for me to fly. No worries about whether the cam has taken the shot, but rather, how fast can I get my tongue off the switch because it shoots too damn fast. I do shoot TV (Temporal) mode and keep ISO at either 100/200, however.

[everymansaved 0]

Perhaps it's a cannon/pentax thing, because when I set it to AF, it takes forever to shoot. I guess I'll have to learn with this and then get a camera that works better with a tongue switch later on...

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[jtval 0]

Quote

So what setting do you use now? Do you find that it takes time for the camera to focus before it takes the shot, and that you're never really sure when it's taken the shot?

I tried AF on AV set somewhere between 8-16
I try to keep my ISO as low as I can. Most of the time I can do it with 100.

thats my current setting.
As DSE said I have had NO problems with focusing. out of mor ethen 100pictures per jump I would say maybe 7 have had a bit of blur to them. Most were on sunset loads when the light sucked. I can remember 2 that were in bright daylight that I got blur but I was trying a higher AV so the shutter speed was slower. I try to keep my SS below 11 now, but sometimes I have to go as high as 16. (mid day in the summer) I set my AV so that I am somewhere around 8 or 9 but if the SS is off I adjust my AV to get the SS somewhere between 500-1000.

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[pilotdave 0]

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I try to keep my SS below 11 now, but sometimes I have to go as high as 16.

Not exactly sure what you mean, but I assume you're saying that sometimes you use a smaller aperture to keep the shutter speed below 1000? What's the problem with too much shutter speed?

Dave

[jtval 0]

yea I goofed. I try to keep my AV below 11.

Sometimes a faster shutter speed can bring a lighter exposure since your AV is pretty much wide open.
but if you use the AV setting and adjust it to get your SS somewhere around 500-1000 you'll generally be ok.


but those numbers can give a VERY wide variance in exposure.

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[jtval 0]

Actually, I'm not sur eif this will help anyone but this did wonders for me when I was learning how to use my cam.
DOF calc

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[pilotdave 0]

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Sometimes a faster shutter speed can bring a lighter exposure since your AV is pretty much wide open.

Ok, now ya lost me completely.

I'll stick with Tv mode...
Dave

[jtval 0]

in AV or TV mode when you adjust the priority the other funcition adjusts automatically to compensate.

I.E.
if you're using AV at 8 anbd its a bright day out the SS will adjust autmotacially to somewhere around 1000.

If you're on TV and set it to 1000 on a bright day the aperture opens to allow for a correct exposure.
So, even though you're onTV, the aperture adjust to whatever would make the "proper" exposure, I find that sometimes it's just not the right exposure.

Thsat was why I went from using TV/MF to M/MF
I liked it alot better, but I basically forced myself to use M so I could learn the functions of my camera.

I have since switched to AF/AV 8-11/ISO100

Did that make anything clearer?
I should add that YMMV but with my cam I did not like the TV mode.

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[Laszloimage 0]

I would definitely recommend Av if you’re using manual focus and no flash. This way your DOF will be always the same. (please see the links about DOF on this thread)
Also if you’re going to use AF your camera will achieve it lot faster and more accurately
Since the aperture never changes. Once you start using a flash things will be different.
Unless if you selecting “high speed sync” which is significantly reduces the efficiency of the flash.
Personally I shoot RAW and I set everything manually most of the time, but it requires some post processing time on the computer. It wouldn’t work for tandems for sure.
-Laszlo-

[jtval 0]

Laszlo,
Do you have any RAW editing tips?(or links)
I have not been able to figure out much to imporve the image in RAW.

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[everymansaved 0]

Cool. thanks for all you help guys. I wish it wasn't winter, I'd go try this all out tomorrow and let you know!

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[Laszloimage 0]

There's always a way to practice on the ground.
Photography existed way before skydiving...
...and this Av setting is a photography issue not a skydiving one,

[monkycndo 0]

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There's always a way to practice on the ground.
Photography existed way before skydiving...
...and this Av setting is a photography issue not a skydiving one,

True, but we look awful stuuupid walking around taking pictures on the ground with our cameras mounted on our helmets. The whuffos don't understand.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

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[jtval 0]

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The whuffos don't understand.

Like you ever cared what a whuffo thought.

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[Laszloimage 0]

I agree, I don't care about the whuffo's thoughts either.

[mccordia 73]

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I agree, I don't care about the whuffo's thoughts either.

Those are all big fat lies!!
We all THRIVE on the whuffo's who think we are the coolest people on the planet, and enjoy nothing more then whipping out some skydiving photo's to them to show how incredible we think we are...

Q: How do you know there is a skydiver in the room?
A: Dont worry...he'll tell you!

Too bad they always end up thinking we're strange and suicidal..but thats besides the point

JC
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