Can I use the 18-55mm lens in Manual Mode?

by | Equipment, Technique

Yes, you can. The 18-55 kit lens can be used in Manual mode. Problems arise because of the lens variable aperture. At 18 mm the widest aperture available is f/3.5 and when zoomed in to 55mm it’s f/5.6.  Compared to the 50mm f1.8 lens the 18-55mm doesn’t let much light in.

 How to use it in Manual Mode

The main thing to remember with this lens is that the aperture changes when you zoom in or out. This can make using this lens a bit frustrating. Instead, use it as a fixed focal length prime lens. Zoom out to 55mm and leave it there. Doing that will allow you to set the aperture to 5.6 and it can stay at that setting.

The same goes for the other focal lengths: 

  • 18mm  –  3.5
  • 24mm  –  4
  • 35mm  –  4.5
  • 55mm  –  5.6

 So try this step-by-step framework 

  1. Decide the focal length (18, 24, 35, or 55mm)
  2. Set your aperture
  3. Set the ISO to 100
  4. Set the shutter speed to balance the exposure meter
  5. If the shutter speed is too low turn up the ISO until the Exposure meter is balanced
  6. When the meter is in the middle (balanced) start shooting

 

 

If you still want to zoom

If you insist on zooming in and out while shooting you could set it up like this: 

  1. Set the Aperture to 5.6
  2. Set the ISO to 100
  3. Set the shutter speed to balance the exposure meter
  4. If the shutter speed is too low turn up the ISO until the Exposure meter is balanced
  5. When the meter is in the middle (balanced) start shooting and zoom in and out
  6. As long as the aperture stays at 5.6 or above (a higher number), you can zoom.