Mostly Manual

Dear All,

I am interested if there are any digital cameras that can be considered mostly manual? I shoot with manual (Canon TLb, Seagull 4A-107) cameras practically all the time, and I want that level of control if I ever went over to digital. I can accept metered with manual, but I do not want the camera screaming at me every 5sec that my settings are wrong. Any suggestions?

Dzerzhinski

My D70 in manual mode lets me shoot at whatever aperture and whatever shutter speed I want. If the AF mode is set to continuous, it'll also let me shoot if the shot isn't in focus. If the settings don't agree with the meter or AF, then a couple of lights blink in the VF, but that's about it...I don't know if digital gets any more manual than that though, since I don't know of any digital camera w/o metering...

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Originally Posted by Dzerzhinski46

Dear All,

I am interested if there are any digital cameras that can be considered mostly manual? I shoot with manual (Canon TLb, Seagull 4A-107) cameras practically all the time, and I want that level of control if I ever went over to digital. I can accept metered with manual, but I do not want the camera screaming at me every 5sec that my settings are wrong. Any suggestions?

Dzerzhinski

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Unless I'm mistaken, most of the prosumer and pro dSLR cameras can be shot in complete manual mode, but even in the various program modes, you can override the exposure settings with the back wheel/buttonpad on almost all the new dSLRs. I know for certain that the Canon D30, D60, 10D, 20D, 1D, 1Ds, 1D mk II, and 1Ds mk II can be shot complete manual, and in almost all modes the back dial is the exposure compensation (which is technically manual override).

Thank you for the replys. However, how easy are these cameras to use in manual mode? In other words, do they make it easy to work in manual, or do you have to stare at a screen for five minutes before you can take a picture? Do you have to fiddle with buttons, or is it just turning some knobs like the older cameras? I guess I am looking for ease of use in manual mode, as opposed to just being able to go into manual mode. My dad's Canon A80 has a manual mode, but it is very tedious to use. You spend several minutes staring at the LCD pushing buttons, until your settings are what you want. This is an exercise in frustration I do not need. Appreciate the help.

Dzerzhinski

I shoot my Drebel in manual mode about 98% of the time. I find it very easy to opperate. All of the buttons, and the wheel to adjust the f/ and shutter speed are located so I can change whatever I want without bringing the camera away from my eye. All the info is displayed in the veiwfinder and is very easy to read. I'm sure most of the brands out there are set up about the same way so whatever your brand preference is, you should be able to find a camera to fit your needs.