I confess that during all the years I've been into photography, I never used manual mode (I use P mode, Aperture or Shutter Priority). But I've been told to get the best out of the XSi flash, I should shoot in Manual mode.

There is only one page in the manual about Manual Exposure mode (pg. 75). I get how to change the aperture and shutter speed but when my camera is to my eye, if I take more than a few seconds, the display goes off. It's kinda awkward.

Then when I set them both so the exposure level mark is in the middle, I would expect that it locks in that place. But if I move the camera slightly, the exposure level mark moves. Is this what's supposed to happen? I thought when using Manual mode, everything would be locked because settings were made manually.

Finally, in Manual mode, can the exposure level mark be used in the same manner as Exposure Compensation. I assume dead center is "proper" exposure, but what if I want to underexpose a bit?!

Any tips from experienced Manual mode users would be greatly appreciated.

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gail ~ http://www.pbase.com/gailb
My digital camera BLOGs: Canon XSi, SD700; Pany FZ18 & more:
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