Bracketing in manual mode

[jcuknz]

After reading the adjacent thread 'auto bracketing in manual --D90' I searched tutorials for information on compliling and either missed the info or it is not there
My background is with Panoramas and since I have rarely used a tripod for them I am puzzled by the other thread OP's concern about touching the camera becuase as with a pano I would hope the separate files are organised as layers prior to compilation. If this is what happens I would expect a slightly out of alinement file/layer to be easilly registered with the others. I adjust the density of the layer I am registering to perhaps 50% to aid this process and the 'correction' needed with a pano is much more than a slightly nudged bracket frame.

An alternative approach would be a tethered set-up with shutter speed controlled from the computer? Perhaps not practicable in the field.

[The Blue Boy]

I am puzzled by the other thread OP's concern about touching the camera becuase as with a pano I would hope the separate files are organised as layers prior to compilation.

That would indeed be the case. The OP in the other thread was referring to keeping all their images sharp. Whilst taking panoramas handheld works fine as far as alignment in software is concerned, each individual image still needs to be sharp for an optimal result. Using a tripod assures this.

[jcuknz]

I do not share your faith in tripods, but thanks for confirming that the exposures are assembled in a stack of layers, so a tripod may be advantageous, but the OP shouldn't be unduely worried about mis-registration from touching the camera to adjust shutter speed as there is a fix in editing.

[rpcrowe]

It is a shame that the entry level Nikon DSLR cameras do not have the Auto-Bracketing capability that has been included in EVERY Canon DSLR since the original D30 (note: I am not sure about the 300D because many of the capabilities of that camera were hidden by the software).

If I want to auto bracket with any of my Canon cameras (D60 through 7D), I simply choose aperture priority exposure, auto bracketing and elect how many stops that I want to bracket. Then I select burst mode and the camera will fire off three automatic bracketed exposures (changing the shutter speed so that the focus is not changed by different f/stops) and then stop.

This makes hand held bracketing far easier and tripod mounted bracketing is also a "walk in the park". The shots are spaced so closely that moving objects in the frame do not go out of register to the point in which they cannot be corrected by software.

The 1D (series) Canon cameras have a five exposure bracketing capability and I understand that the higher level Nikon DSLR cameras also have a five exposure bracketing capability. It would be nice if Canon would expand their prosumer bracketing capability to five exposures. I would rather see that than an extra couple of thousand megapixels in a image. But it is megapixels, articulating LCD screens and video capability that sells digital cameras.

[krispix]

It is a shame that the entry level Nikon DSLR cameras do not have the Auto-Bracketing capability that has been included in EVERY Canon DSLR since the original D30 (note: I am not sure about the 300D because many of the capabilities of that camera were hidden by the software).

If I want to auto bracket with any of my Canon cameras (D60 through 7D), I simply choose aperture priority exposure, auto bracketing and elect how many stops that I want to bracket. Then I select burst mode and the camera will fire off three automatic bracketed exposures (changing the shutter speed so that the focus is not changed by different f/stops) and then stop.

This makes hand held bracketing far easier and tripod mounted bracketing is also a "walk in the park". The shots are spaced so closely that moving objects in the frame do not go out of register to the point in which they cannot be corrected by software.

The 1D (series) Canon cameras have a five exposure bracketing capability and I understand that the higher level Nikon DSLR cameras also have a five exposure bracketing capability. It would be nice if Canon would expand their prosumer bracketing capability to five exposures. I would rather see that than an extra couple of thousand megapixels in a image. But it is megapixels, articulating LCD screens and video capability that sells digital cameras.

Hi Richard,
I think you and I are on the same planet. I have the 5-exposure bracketing feature and consider it much more useful that video and all the other useless paraphernalia bolted on these days. Frankly, if I wanted video I would have bought a camcorder (in fact, I did!).
I could be wrong, but I think the D90 has a bracketing feature, although it may only be 3-exposure.

[Manfred M]

Hi Richard,
I think you and I are on the same planet. I have the 5-exposure bracketing feature and consider it much more useful that video and all the other useless paraphernalia bolted on these days. Frankly, if I wanted video I would have bought a camcorder (in fact, I did!).
I could be wrong, but I think the D90 has a bracketing feature, although it may only be 3-exposure.

As a D90 owner, I can confirm that it has an up to 3 shot bracketing mode. And yes, it does bracket in manual; it maintains a constant aperture in manual mode and varies the shutter speed; which is the same way it works in Aperture Priority mode. Press the <Brkt> button and dial in how you want the camera to vary the exposure.