Originally posted by cupic I need a template of safe setting for indoors church and restaurant afterwards.
A good basic starting point is ISO 1600, f/2.8, and 1/30" shutter speed. If you are using a lens that opens wider than f/2.8 and don't mind the extremely shallow DOF that results, by all means, do so in order to get faster shutter speed or lower ISO.
What mode you shoot in, how much EV compensation you dial in - none of that matters as long as you understand your goal in terms of exposure. That is, it is possible to work in Av, Tv, or P mode - although I prefer M - and get the exposure you want. The trick is in thinking in those terms: "what exposure do I want", not in terms of "what settings do I need to make so I don't have to know anything about exposure". If you know what exposure you wnt - and like I said, start with what I suggested above, test, and see if that's close - then use whatever mode you feel comfortable with using in order to force the camera to use that exposure.
I prefer M because the camera won't change exposure on me for any reason; if the light changes, I know to change exposure. If you'd rather have the camera change exposure when the light changes, then use one of the more automatic modes, but select the aperture, shutter speed, and/oor ISO you know you want, and apply whatever compensation turns out to be necessary to get the other parameter(s) where you want for the light as it is now. That way it will "float" with the light.
Quote: What to use as in EV indoors is it +.7 or -.3 (depending on available lighting), as well as is it useful to have ISO on auto to achieve a reasonable shutter speed , the aperture is f/13 acceptable for DOF.
f/13? Only if you plan on using the flash, and even then, it might be iffy - it might require a higher ISO than you really should need when shooting with flash. But available light photography is usually f/2.8 and wider; that's the only way to get shutter speeds in remotely usable territory.
Quote: Also want to know if spot metering works better than centre weighted.
Only if you know how to use spot metering. that is, you have to find something close to 18% gray to meter off, lock exposure, then shoot. Or else constantly change your exposure compensation according to whether you are metering off omething darker or lighter than 18% gray. Spot and metering is not something you use casually; it is for situation when you know exactly what you are doing, how it works, and have time to use it properly.