PART 1

The exposure triangle

Three taps filling the same glass of light. Opening one lets you close another. In M mode you control all three.

The three controls THEORY · 5 MIN

You already know two of them from the earlier exercises. M mode simply puts them together and adds the third.

Aperture (f): how wide the lens opens. It controls the light and the background blur. Small f = more light + blurry background.

Shutter speed (1/x): how long the light comes in. It controls the light and the motion. Fast = freezes; slow = trails (and camera shake if handheld).

ISO: how much the sensor's signal is amplified. It raises the brightness and the noise (grain). On the a6000: clean up to 1600, acceptable at 3200, 6400 only when there's no other way.

The golden rule: everything is measured in stops. One stop = double (or half) the light. f/4→f/5.6 takes away one stop; 1/125→1/60 gives it back; ISO 200→400 also adds one. They compensate each other.

PART 2

M mode on the a6000

Which dial moves what, and how to read the light meter that tells you if you're on track.

The two dials CONTROLS

In M mode each dial has one fixed job. After two days your fingers find them without looking.

Mode dial on M.

The knurled top dial (next to the mode dial) changes the shutter speed.

The rear wheel (the one with the arrows) rotates to change the aperture (f).

The right side of the rear wheel opens the ISO menu. To start out in M: fixed ISO (not auto) — you pick the value based on the light.

The light meter: your compass M.M. · METERING

In M the camera no longer corrects anything, but it still has an opinion. At the bottom of the screen you'll see the Metered Manual indicator (M.M.): it tells you how many stops you are above or below what the camera considers correct.

−3 ‥ −2 ‥ −1 ‥ ▲0 ‥ +1 ‥ +2 ‥ +3

M.M. at 0.0: "technically correct" exposure. −1.0: one stop underexposed (it'll come out dark). +2.0: two stops overexposed (risk of blowing the whites). And here's the beauty of M mode: straying from 0 on purpose is a creative decision, not a mistake.

Lean on the histogram too (press DISP until it appears): mountain squeezed to the right = blown whites; squeezed to the left = crushed shadows. Ideally it breathes on both sides.

PART 3

The method: what to set first

In M you don't juggle all three values at once: first lock in the one that rules the photo, then put the other two at its service.

Decision order for each scene CHEAT SHEET

Scene	1st Set	2nd Adjust	3rd Finish
Portrait	low f (blurry background)	Speed ≥ 1/100	ISO until M.M. ≈ 0
Sports / kids	1/500 or faster	f as needed	ISO until M.M. ≈ 0
Landscape	f/8 – f/11 (everything sharp)	ISO 100	Whatever speed it takes
Night, handheld	1/60 (handheld limit)	minimum f	ISO as high as needed
Night, supported	ISO 100 (no noise)	f/8	Long shutter (1s+)

Anti-shake rule on APS-C: minimum handheld speed ≈ 1/(2 × focal length). At 50 mm → 1/100. OSS gives you a couple of stops for free, but no miracles with moving subjects.

PART 4

Three graduation exercises

One per week, as always. By the end of the third, M mode won't intimidate you anymore.

Exercise 1 · Copy the machine WEEK 1

The classic trick to lose the fear: use A mode as your teacher.

Take a photo in mode A and check which values the camera chose (they show on screen during playback). Switch to M, dial in those same values by hand and repeat the photo. They should come out identical. Do it in 10 different scenes: indoors, outdoors, backlight...

Mission: on the fifth scene, try to predict the values before looking at what A mode chose. Getting within ±1 stop is already skill.

Done when you set all three values in M without the M.M. catching you more than 1 stop from 0.

Exercise 2 · Equivalent exposures WEEK 2

The proof that the triangle has sunk in: same total light, different photos.

Same scene under constant light, fixed ISO. Start from a correct exposure (e.g. f/5.6 · 1/250). Now close the aperture two stops (f/11) and compensate by slowing the shutter two stops (1/60). The M.M. should stay at 0 and the brightness stay the same, but the depth of field will have changed.

Mission: three equivalent versions of the same photo (wide open, middle, closed down) and explain what changed and what didn't.

Done when you move both dials at once in opposite directions without thinking about it.

Exercise 3 · The photo auto can't take WEEK 3

The final exam: situations where auto fails and M wins.

Car light trails at night: camera resting on a wall or railing (no tripod needed), ISO 100 · f/11 · 4 seconds. Use the 2-sec self-timer so you don't shake the camera when firing (◀ on the wheel → Self-timer).

Backlit silhouette: a person in front of a sunset. Meter for the sky (M.M. at 0 while pointing at the sky, not at the person) and shoot: the figure comes out black and sharply outlined. Auto would never let you do this.

Mission: one car-trail shot and one silhouette worth showing off. With that, you graduate in M mode.

Done when you say "I'm taking this one in M" before anyone suggests it.