Shooting in manual
- Thread starter mercurius
- Start date
- Messages
- 1,595
- Edit My Images
- No
The best tutorial is the camera itself! Shoot around the house lights on and off, in the garden etc. Be prepared to get it wrong, look at your EXIF, Figure out why you exposed wrong. It'll click in no time.
Of course, using the camera meter, there's. Nothing wrong with aperture priority. Manual mode is best when light conditions are fixed. If theyre c c changing rapidly, then unless you use an external meter let the camera do the work for you.
Of course, using the camera meter, there's. Nothing wrong with aperture priority. Manual mode is best when light conditions are fixed. If theyre c c changing rapidly, then unless you use an external meter let the camera do the work for you.
- Messages
- 10,696
- Name
- Ken
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Just watch your meter needle, and also understand how the meter is reading the scene, ie not being thrown off by large white or black areas. Read your manual about the different metering modes and how and when they should be used. I always use evaluative which is going to give me an average reading then adjust as appropriate.
- Messages
- 1,595
- Edit My Images
- No
The thing to remember with manual mode is this: the light levels need to be consistent.
Otherwise, you're just taking an in-camera meter reading, then going into manual mode and replicating the settings the camera would have chosen had you just left it in Auto mode (or P mode if you're just changing aperture/shutter speed for an equivalent exposure). It's unnecessary duplication, and it's extra time taken before you get the same shot the camera would take.
Two caveats: firstly, as mentioned, over bright or over dark scenes. The camera meters toward 18% grey, so it deliberately underexposes snow and fog, and deliberately overexposes dark scenes. You'd overcome this in A and S modes by using exposure compensation: if you're used to using this method, then manual offers you no real advantage over the +|- dial (unless the light levels are fixed, as before).
..secondly, there is a third Auto mode which can be very useful - ISO priority. You can set a shutter speed and an aperture, and leave the camera to adjust ISO in order to meet your needs. I use this method aplenty on the V1, as a sort of 'shoot wide open' approach at my designated shutter speed.
Otherwise, you're just taking an in-camera meter reading, then going into manual mode and replicating the settings the camera would have chosen had you just left it in Auto mode (or P mode if you're just changing aperture/shutter speed for an equivalent exposure). It's unnecessary duplication, and it's extra time taken before you get the same shot the camera would take.
Two caveats: firstly, as mentioned, over bright or over dark scenes. The camera meters toward 18% grey, so it deliberately underexposes snow and fog, and deliberately overexposes dark scenes. You'd overcome this in A and S modes by using exposure compensation: if you're used to using this method, then manual offers you no real advantage over the +|- dial (unless the light levels are fixed, as before).
..secondly, there is a third Auto mode which can be very useful - ISO priority. You can set a shutter speed and an aperture, and leave the camera to adjust ISO in order to meet your needs. I use this method aplenty on the V1, as a sort of 'shoot wide open' approach at my designated shutter speed.
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Before trying manual, you need to understand a bit about exposure and how metering systems work. If you don't, it will be a fairly pointless excercise and you could easily get in a pickle.
Ideally, for correct exposure the answer is to measure the light falling on the subject, known as the 'incident' light. Unfortunately, cameras don't do that and only measure the light reflected back from the subject. (You can also take an incident reading, like a hand-meter, but it's a bit of a fiddle).
If you take a meter reading off something bright, like a bride in a white dress you will get a very different reading to doing the same thing off the groom in a dark suit. And if you follow the meter, in both those situations the meter will try and position that tone in the middle of the dynamic range, ie they will both come out mid-grey. Check the histogram (you need to understand that too, and blinkies - highlight warning) - and you'll see a big lump in the middle. Mid-grey is known as 18% grey - think elephant grey, grass is usually close too, or brickwork, or most kinds of tarmac.
So if you're metering in manual, you must make sure that what the meter sees is mid-grey and not too light or dark. Fortunately, when you shoot a typical subject, when you scramble up all the bright bits and dark bits and mid-tone bits, it usually averages out to mid-grey and you'll be fine.
The matrix/evaluative metering mode is quite clever and works not by scrambling everything up together, but by taking dozens of different readings from all over the image. In this way, it can apply some smart thinking to avoid common problems. For example, if it sees a large area of bright tone towards the top of the picture, and it also knows the lens is focused at a long distance, then it's a fair guess that this is sky in a landscape and it will compensate accordingly.
Matrix/evaluative is usually quite reliable and the most sophisticated systems can read hundreds of different zones and even recognise faces and apply a corrected reading that way. Skin tone is usually a bit lighter than mid-grey, but you can use that knowledge and take a reading off the palm of your hand. This is effectively an incident reading, because it's of a known reference tone - just add about 1.3 stops to the exposure and you'll be set. Or take a spot reading off the brightest highlight you want to record, maybe a shirt or whitewashed wall, then add three stops.
The most useful way to look at manual is not so much for exposure measurement, but as a 'set and lock' mode that won't change, even if the meter moves around. For example, shooting motorsport with cars of all colours from black through red and blue to white, that will throw the meter. The background might also be changing a lot too as you pan across, so lock it in manual and it will always be correct regardless - unless the light changes.
If you watch pros at work, you'll notice them pointing their long lenses at the ground for no apparent reason. They're checking the meter reading off their known reference tone (grass, tarmac) and they will adjust exposure settings to that if clouds have come over or something.
The danger with manual is changing light such as clouds, or subjects moving from sun to shade. An auto setting will readjust for that of course, but in manual you have to keep a close eye one it.
Edit: reagrdless of what the meter says, or how good you are at using it, the most accurate guide to exposure is the histogram. That's shows what you've actually got on the sensor, and at the end of the day all the meter/photographer can do is make a good guess.
Last edited:
danbroad, artyman, HoppyUK,
Many thanks for all your advice and comments. Appreciated. I need to get out there and practice.
This whole topic came up for me last weekend when I did a half day street photography workshop with a professional photographer in London and he forced us to use manual, many of us for the first time. It was a good learning experience and for the first time it started to click [no pun intended]. I started to get a better appreciation of light, how it changes and actually how the camera copes with it. So that experience is what I am trying to build on.
Take the point about using manual where the light is consistent to avoid continually having to change the settings.
I need to get to grips with this as well and again started to use it at the weekend for the first time in my photographic experience.
Do you all use manual? When do you find it the best option for what you do?
Many thanks for all your advice and comments. Appreciated. I need to get out there and practice.
This whole topic came up for me last weekend when I did a half day street photography workshop with a professional photographer in London and he forced us to use manual, many of us for the first time. It was a good learning experience and for the first time it started to click [no pun intended]. I started to get a better appreciation of light, how it changes and actually how the camera copes with it. So that experience is what I am trying to build on.
Take the point about using manual where the light is consistent to avoid continually having to change the settings.
I need to get to grips with this as well and again started to use it at the weekend for the first time in my photographic experience.
Do you all use manual? When do you find it the best option for what you do?
- Messages
- 3,959
- Name
- Adrian
- Edit My Images
- No
I think manual is definitely the way to go as I believe that photography is far more than just capturing an image. I think it all about the whole photographic experience of making your own decisions rather than just pressing a button and letting the camera sort things out.
With practice you will soon learn to get a feel for the settings that work in manual and with digital you can always take a test shot and then check the histogram. I use the "sunny 16" rule when shooting outdoors and it works a treat, but you will soon get used to shooting manual in lower light conditions and things like selecting higher iso levels and longer shutter speeds.
With practice you will soon learn to get a feel for the settings that work in manual and with digital you can always take a test shot and then check the histogram. I use the "sunny 16" rule when shooting outdoors and it works a treat, but you will soon get used to shooting manual in lower light conditions and things like selecting higher iso levels and longer shutter speeds.
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
You're welome
It's about understanding light and shade, what's important and what's not, and making the right settings to get the result you want. Manual is just one means to an end - you can get exactly the same exposure, or any combination of settings, in any mode by using compensation or program shift.
On walkabout, my default mode is always aperture-priority, as it is for most people I think. Evaulative metering tends to be pretty reliable and I'll take a shot and glance at the LCD, always with blinkies enabled. If I see them flashing on bright highlight areas, that probably means I'm nicely at the limit for a good ETTR image (as in Expose To The Right - of the histogram) which is a great technique to get the best quality possible - but that's not something to worry about now.
Or I would switch to manual as and when I wanted the exposure locked. But there's no right or wrong, use whatever mode best suits what you're doing and preferered way of working.
- Messages
- 26,490
- Name
- Phil
- Edit My Images
- No
Richard's answer is brilliant but this kind of nonsense is what makes newbies believe that they need to shoot Manual, and for idiots to believe that just because theyre shooting M they know what theyre doing.
Exposure decisions are the same simple or complicated decisions whether youre shooting M or P. It's not about exposure modes, it's about metering. If an idiot shooting M is faced with a tricky subject trusts his in-built incident meter - he'll get the wrong exposure:shake:. If a smart photographer is shooting the same scene in P, he can lock exposure or use exp comp, and he can use program shift to get exactly the aperture/ shutter speed combo he chooses
. Which one would be 'making their own decisions'?
clue - not the one shooting Manual.
However, in my case - from my limited experience of it last weekend - it makes you more sensitive to the variables involved in exposure.
As a matter of interest, other than taking lots of pictures, what are the best ways to improve your photography? I already take quite a lot of pictures and try and learn from them, but they're still not much more than 'snapshots' in the main!
I am interested in finding out what would help me to step up my game...
- Messages
- 3,959
- Name
- Adrian
- Edit My Images
- No
In the days before automatic cameras people had to learn to use manual as there was no other option. I can't see any problem with beginners learning to use manual.
Similar with cars - most people learn to use a manual car as it teaches them the basics but there is nothing to stop them driving an automatic car as well if they so wish.
Similar with cars - most people learn to use a manual car as it teaches them the basics but there is nothing to stop them driving an automatic car as well if they so wish.
- Messages
- 1,505
- Name
- Jen
- Edit My Images
- Yes
If you find that secret out can you share it with me 
I got into a manual mode frenzy when I first figured it out and used it for everything & got very mediocre shots not worth sharing but am now getting back into the better habit of using the most appropriate mode for the situation.
I got into a manual mode frenzy when I first figured it out and used it for everything & got very mediocre shots not worth sharing but am now getting back into the better habit of using the most appropriate mode for the situation.
- Messages
- 7,882
- Edit My Images
- No
if you are using the cameras meter then you'd get the same results using AV
practice, read books, watch videos on youtube, look at good pictures and learn the composition and learn how to post process.
key to a good picture is the light
practice, read books, watch videos on youtube, look at good pictures and learn the composition and learn how to post process.
key to a good picture is the light
- Messages
- 2,839
- Name
- Chris
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I am guessing that the intent of learning manual here is to get a physical realisation of the theory behind exposure, and how ISO, shutter and aperture interact.
Some people could just read it and be happy with it, others would need to see it in the flesh with the various results in front of their eyes for it to sink in.
Whatever way it is grasped, it clearly is something that is very useful to know even if using a camera in auto as you can see what the camera did, why it may have done it and what you would have done differently.
Some people could just read it and be happy with it, others would need to see it in the flesh with the various results in front of their eyes for it to sink in.
Whatever way it is grasped, it clearly is something that is very useful to know even if using a camera in auto as you can see what the camera did, why it may have done it and what you would have done differently.
KIPAX
Seriously Likeable
- Messages
- 21,439
- Name
- KIPAX Lancashire UK
- Edit My Images
- No
I know how to use Manual.. I know how to get my own exposure info and I can pretty much guess my settings before I take a reading.. I would consider myself quite experienced at using manual.. I kinda know whats what...
My point? . (apart from showing off) I use Av mode most of the time...I only use Manual when the situation absoloutly requires it.. I dont use it to get better pictures.
My point? . (apart from showing off) I use Av mode most of the time...I only use Manual when the situation absoloutly requires it.. I dont use it to get better pictures.
- Messages
- 351
- Name
- john
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Using manual all the time is like having a dog and barking yourself. Its a tool, use it when appropiate. you can alway override it you want.
Trying to just get the horizon straight is hard enough for me,
never mind working out the best combo of aperture vs speed vs iso vs ...
Trying to just get the horizon straight is hard enough for me,
never mind working out the best combo of aperture vs speed vs iso vs ...
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Edit: cheers Dez
The way to learn is to read and ask questions, then experiment, then read a bit more and experiment a bit more, and practise a lot until it sinks in. It will all become instinctive quite soon, and then it doesn't mater what mode you're in because you're in control and just the use most appropriate mode for the situation.
Using manual can be quite a useful experience, not because it's some kind of Holy Grail, but because it means you have to adjust shutter speed, aperture and ISO independently and it forces you to think about it more.
What we're discusssing here is basically the exposure triangle - shutter speed, aperture, ISO. Forgive me if you know this, but maybe for the benefit of others, they all work on a halving/doubling principle that isn't always immediately obvious, and any halving/doubling is known as a change of one 'stop' (historical term).
1/125sec is twice as long as 1/250sec, one stop, which is clear enough. But also, f/5.6 allows twice as much light to pass as f/8 which isn't so obvious. F/numbers are related by the square root of 2 (1.4) and are further confusing because higher numbers let in lower amounts of light. There are good mathematical reasons for this, but you just need to know that and learn it. ISO 100 is half as sensitive to light as ISO 200, and so on.
From this, you can see that if you halve the shutter speed, but make the aperture twice as large, exposure remains the same. Or you could achieve the same result by adjusting the ISO, or by using a combination of all three. They can all be adjusted in smaller increments.
The priority in which you use them depends both on the conditions (ie light level) and the subject/effect you want. For example, adjust shutter speed to control movement, to freeze it or deliberately introduce blur. Shutter speed is also used to control camera-shake. Aperture is used to control depth of field.
ISO is usually the one to change last, because raising the ISO does nothing but introduce noise, so generally speaking you leave that as low as you reasonably can for best image quality. Change ISO when you've run out of options of shutter speed or lens aperture.
Last edited:
- Messages
- 21,149
- Name
- Simon
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I shoot only in M mode now and like it. It can be a pain when outside in sun&shade where light changes a lot, but generally I get better exposed shots than A or S. Also, it is quick to adjust settings and to know how your cameras metering works, I know that I generally want to overexpose slightly. It does take practise, and what Hoppy says above is spot on.
KIPAX
Seriously Likeable
- Messages
- 21,439
- Name
- KIPAX Lancashire UK
- Edit My Images
- No
lets just hold on a sec
that works for you.. your posting as if it can work for everyone.. it cant.. there are situations such as mine where using manual will not work in the conditions you describe.. fast moving subjects with changing light where if you take 1 second or longer to change settings you miss the shot...nobody can change settings as quick as the camera.. and soemtimes that speed is required..
D
Deleted member 34016
Guest
Richard's answer is brilliant but this kind of nonsense is what makes newbies believe that they need to shoot Manual, and for idiots to believe that just because theyre shooting M they know what theyre doing.
Exposure decisions are the same simple or complicated decisions whether youre shooting M or P. It's not about exposure modes, it's about metering. If an idiot shooting M is faced with a tricky subject trusts his in-built incident meter - he'll get the wrong exposure:shake:. If a smart photographer is shooting the same scene in P, he can lock exposure or use exp comp, and he can use program shift to get exactly the aperture/ shutter speed combo he chooses
Which one would be 'making their own decisions'?
clue - not the one shooting Manual.
I agree 100% well said
Les
Ps Note to the OP
Im in Somerset and free most weekends, should you fancy a meet and shoot day, any Saturday is good for me
There you are then Mercurius, take up Les on his generous offer. Also there are plenty of clubs in Somerset and you can pick up a lot from attending competition nights or presentations and listening to critiques.
At my club, Yeovil, a good piece of advice I got was to start by shooting in auto or program mode - works for me.
Phil
At my club, Yeovil, a good piece of advice I got was to start by shooting in auto or program mode - works for me.
Phil
- Messages
- 26,490
- Name
- Phil
- Edit My Images
- No
Wow! forgive the sarcasm, but I'd been shooting a couple of years before I got a camera with an auto mode, and then I went straight out and bought a better Manual camera. Is this because Manual gave me something 'extra'? No it was because I couldn't afford a metering prism for my Medium Format camera.
I don't have a problem with anyone shooting anyway they want. I Do have a problem with the idea that shooting Manual teaches anyone anything. Exposure is about the quantity of light, and that can be manipulated in AV TV M or P on my cameras. The UNDERSTANDING of my light meter is what will drive those decisions. I get tired of trying to make people see that understanding your light meter and scene is what is important. Shooting Manual will teach a beginner nothing without this understanding - and guess what - with that understanding, they can shoot any mode they want and get the results they want and deserve.
For your car analogy - how many 'driver aids' does a modern F1 car have?
Does this make the drivers less able or more able?
It means they have more techniques to learn - but when they've mastered them, they have become better (faster) drivers.
Would they still be good in a very basic, Manual only car? Yes they would - but they'd prefer to drive a car with loads of bells and whistles that they can set up to drive exactly how they want.
In the same way, I spend time learning my gear, and setting up my metering and AF modes to suit me, this means I can work efficiently to get what I want. Can I still use a fully manual mechanical camera? Yes!
Would I choose to? No! (unless someone wants to give me a medium format DSLR)
- Messages
- 1,781
- Name
- Shayne
- Edit My Images
- No
ernesto said:
Very well said sir. I am a beginner that wants to understand photography to the fullest. I read constantly, watch videos and ask a ton of questions. All of this serves me well but using the manual mode really makes me think about what my camera is seeing and doing. Often I find myself stuck without knowing what to do so I switch to a priory mode to see what the camera is thinking and use that as direction. Thanks for defending those of us that really want to learn this process fully and us the manual mode on our slr.
- Messages
- 138
- Name
- Dez
- Edit My Images
- Yes
One thing i need to ask about manual is that; If you set up shutter speed and aperture and leave the exposure indicator bar 2 notches to the right (for an over exposure)..is this the same as using the actual exposure compensation and dialling in +2?
KIPAX
Seriously Likeable
- Messages
- 21,439
- Name
- KIPAX Lancashire UK
- Edit My Images
- No
and No
Techincally.. however if you look at it from another point of view.. It will NOT mean you have the exposure you want +2 .. If manual is set because you dont trust one of the other modes for whatever reason (shooting into sun etc) then the biggest advice you can have shooting manual is to totally ignore the exposure meter while shooting..if we are ignoring it then it wont be perfect exposure+2 will it ?
If you follow
- Messages
- 1,818
- Name
- James
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I totally agree with Kipax, people new to photography seem to see shooting in Manual as the proper way of doing things. However if all you are doing is centering the needle you might aswell just use an Auto mode. The key is understanding how the meter works and how different scenes will affect the exposure.
- Messages
- 77
- Name
- Mitch
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Yes it's a way of achiveing the same outcome.
In AV mode +2 exposure compensation is altering the shutterspeed by making it 2 stops slower.
In TV mode +2 exposure compensation is altering the aperture by making it 2 stops wider
In manual you can use a combo of AV and TV to get your 2 stops overexposure.
if none of this works, you have the option to adjust the ISO or add light....sometimes
Last edited:
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Just to be clear on this, I read '2 notches' as two clicks on the dial. In which case, if the camera is set for one-third stop increments (default) then it would be plus two-thirds of a stop.
You can also change this to half-stop increments in the menus, though I'm not sure why you'd want to.
You've got the gist of it though.
- Messages
- 180
- Name
- Georges
- Edit My Images
- No
I still don't understand the manual mode argument and how it forces you to think about all the elements of photography? I tried and found it slow and cumbersome and a lot of guessing.
Unless you are using full auto mode you still have to learn about aperture, shutter speeds, iso, wb, compensation, flash, framing, composition, rule of third and light. Did I miss something? I had to learn all about these while using aperture/shutter priority and the sexy relationships that exist between them. So manual mode will force you to learn what? To be fair there are some tables that will help you calculate exposure when using m mode. But I don't see the points as those tables are in the camera.
Also, I do sometimes force the camera to take an exposure where it wouldn't in other modes. For real life situations, too slow and not as accurate as some tend to make it. I can do it much faster.
If you have the time to take a photo and not rushed go for itt but I do t see the point.
Unless you are using full auto mode you still have to learn about aperture, shutter speeds, iso, wb, compensation, flash, framing, composition, rule of third and light. Did I miss something? I had to learn all about these while using aperture/shutter priority and the sexy relationships that exist between them. So manual mode will force you to learn what? To be fair there are some tables that will help you calculate exposure when using m mode. But I don't see the points as those tables are in the camera.
Also, I do sometimes force the camera to take an exposure where it wouldn't in other modes. For real life situations, too slow and not as accurate as some tend to make it. I can do it much faster.
If you have the time to take a photo and not rushed go for itt but I do t see the point.
- Messages
- 138
- Name
- Dez
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I think I've gone off using manual now! seems like a right faff unless (as someone said earlier) the light is constant.
I've always been intrigued as to when to use it and have got some pretty bad photographs by using it. I've told myself it's a learning curve but i feel it's overkill.
I have used Aperture priority when I've wanted depth and used shutter priority when I've wanted to control the motion so i'll stick with that for now... I might give P mode a go as that seems like a quick fix option in most instances.
What i do struggle to understand though, is when would I want to adjust the exposure by using the exposure compensation?
If my composition includes a black dog and a white cat, do i do something with exposure compensation to make the dog blacker than grey or do i make the cat whiter than grey?
How about a traditionally married couple. Does the bride get to whiter that grey or does the groom get to be blacker than grey?
In both instances do i get the grey card out and use a photo of it as the white balance perhaps or do i look at the tarmac and adjust exposure compensation by 1 - 2 stops?
In a general situation where i'm taking a photo of a man crossing the street, is there a need for me to think about exposure compensation? I'm not keen on using post editing for things i know not about in the first place!
hope you can advise! ;-)
I've always been intrigued as to when to use it and have got some pretty bad photographs by using it. I've told myself it's a learning curve but i feel it's overkill.
I have used Aperture priority when I've wanted depth and used shutter priority when I've wanted to control the motion so i'll stick with that for now... I might give P mode a go as that seems like a quick fix option in most instances.
What i do struggle to understand though, is when would I want to adjust the exposure by using the exposure compensation?
If my composition includes a black dog and a white cat, do i do something with exposure compensation to make the dog blacker than grey or do i make the cat whiter than grey?
How about a traditionally married couple. Does the bride get to whiter that grey or does the groom get to be blacker than grey?
In both instances do i get the grey card out and use a photo of it as the white balance perhaps or do i look at the tarmac and adjust exposure compensation by 1 - 2 stops?
In a general situation where i'm taking a photo of a man crossing the street, is there a need for me to think about exposure compensation? I'm not keen on using post editing for things i know not about in the first place!
hope you can advise! ;-)
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
There's a lot of questions there Dez
The bride and groom is a classic dilemma and needs careful exposure to get the best of both. The exposure needs to be set somewhere between the two, and if you then check the histogram you should see a bump on the left (groom) and a bump on the right (bride) with most other things inbetween.
The rule there is not to blow the brides dress, and frankly sod the groom. If the bride's dress is right at the edge of the histogram, there's nothing more you can do anyway (except maybe a dash of fill-flash). Blinkies are your friend in situations like this, and it's very easy to see if they're flashing, and exactly where.
Then you make a decision on whether to compensate or not. In many cases, such as bright reflections off shiny white paintwork perhaps, you will always get blinkies and it would take a big adjustment to eliminate them which would leave the rest of the image badly under-exposed. So you live with it, as the best overal compromise.
The bride and groom is a classic dilemma and needs careful exposure to get the best of both. The exposure needs to be set somewhere between the two, and if you then check the histogram you should see a bump on the left (groom) and a bump on the right (bride) with most other things inbetween.
The rule there is not to blow the brides dress, and frankly sod the groom. If the bride's dress is right at the edge of the histogram, there's nothing more you can do anyway (except maybe a dash of fill-flash). Blinkies are your friend in situations like this, and it's very easy to see if they're flashing, and exactly where.
Then you make a decision on whether to compensate or not. In many cases, such as bright reflections off shiny white paintwork perhaps, you will always get blinkies and it would take a big adjustment to eliminate them which would leave the rest of the image badly under-exposed. So you live with it, as the best overal compromise.
- Messages
- 17,486
- Name
- Hugh
- Edit My Images
- No
in its place manual is fantastic. As with most things in photography there is no right or wrong answer. The main reason I shoot manual is simply because I can get a photo how I want it to look using manual quicker then using exposure compensation. But thats just me.
I alway thought shooting manual using a d5100 must be tricky with only one control wheel.
The only time I'd say manual is a must is when shooting using lighting (i.e. a studio) thats not under direct control of the camera (not the photographer) and the cameras attempting to meter without knowing its there