Copyright © 2015-19 Clive Dyson Version 4.5 6
Stationary subjects using fully-manual lenses
Only the Aperture priority (if programmed on C
1
) and Manual (C
2
) custom modes can be used with fully
manual lenses (with no electronic contacts). The camera cannot control the lens aperture, so program
and shutter-speed priority exposure modes cannot work. The two custom modes work identically to each
other except that you control the exposure differently. They both use MULTI metering mode around where
focus is taken. Obviously, you have to focus manually.
Proceed as follows:
1. Select the C
1
(if programmed for aperture priority) or C
2
custom mode
There is no need to set the AF/MF switch as the camera will operate as though MF has been selected.
The two custom modes use aperture priority and manual exposure mode respectively.
2. Compose the image
Exposure: depth of field, image sharpness and noise
You should be asking the following questions as you take a photo:
• Do I want to influence the depth of field? Use a larger aperture (smaller f number) to obtain a
shallower depth of field, typically to blur the background in a portrait and make the subject stand
out. Use a smaller aperture (larger f number) for a larger depth of field.
Digital cameras operate with the aperture fully open (to make focusing easier and to optimise the
display). As a result, you cannot see the final depth of field of the captured image in the display.
Simply take the photo and review it. If necessary, adjust the aperture and take the photograph
again. (The G80 provides a depth-of-field preview function, but just review the photo!)
• What aperture will give the sharpest image? Most lenses are not at their sharpest when at
their widest aperture, especially at the edges of the frame. They are often sharpest when stopped
down a stop or two. However, too small an aperture will reduce sharpness, due to diffraction.
When sharpness really matters, refer to reviews of your lenses, or obtain MTF (Modulation
Transfer Function) charts, to find the aperture which gives the best sharpness for each lens.
For many tasks ultimate sharpness may not matter, and softer edges may even be an advantage.
For example, in portrait photography you often want a shallow depth of field and softer edges can
enhance the effect of a blurred background. For other tasks, such as landscape photography,
you will want a sharp image and should probably avoid the widest apertures on your lens.
• Are any bright areas of the scene being over-exposed? This would result in the brightest
areas being recorded as fully white and you would lose detail in the bright areas of the scene. If
so, turn the rear dial to apply exposure compensation to darken the image somewhat. The
exposure histogram will help you judge this. As a rule, it is easier in post-processing an image to
retrieve detail from underexposed areas than from fully saturated areas of an image.
• Is my subject a dark one, against a bright background? In this case, you may wish to use
exposure compensation to brighten the image and reveal the detail in your subject. The
background may be over-exposed, but this may be acceptable or even desirable.
• Do I need to minimise noise in the image? If you are working in dim light, at small apertures
or at fast shutter speeds (or a combination of the three) the camera will increase the ISO of the
sensor (its sensitivity) to compensate; but this may result in noise in the image. To control noise,
you may want to set the ISO value by pressing the ISO button and adjusting the setting. You can
adjust the ISO LIMIT for AUTO ISO and iISO with the front dial whilst in the ISO menu. Of course,
a slower ISO will require a wider aperture and / or a slower shutter speed, possibly to the point
where your need a tripod or other support.
• Is there any movement in the scene and, if so, is my shutter speed fast enough to avoid motion
blur, or slow enough to create blur if it is wanted? See the section on ‘Moving subjects’ on page 8.
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