[vtec si]

I have this camera that my wife gave to me as a gift. The thing is I'm just not any good with it! What am I doing wrong? But this is the best camera I was willing to let her get me. I spend enough on my tank that I did not want to spend a ton on a camera.

[BubbaWPB]

Doesn't look like you're doing anything wrong... looks like the camera's autofocus is having difficulty. I note that when my cam is on auto focus, the more I zoom in, the worse the focus. If your camera has a macro setting, try using that with manual focus.

[vtec si]

Originally Posted by BubbaWPB

Doesn't look like you're doing anything wrong... looks like the camera's autofocus is having difficulty. I note that when my cam is on auto focus, the more I zoom in, the worse the focus. If your camera has a macro setting, try using that with manual focus.

Thanks Bubba, I will try that is does have macro!

Martin

[zhenya]

Martin,

I think your biggest problem may be in that you are trying to zoom in too much. On it;s longest end the telephoto zoom is 117mm( 3x), if you zoom pass that and start going into digital zoom the images will be blurry, almost always. My suggestion would be to select macro mode and zoom out all the way. Put camera as close to the subject as possible and try t stady your camera or use tripod. In the last shot that you posted I don't see any focusing issues. You have ISO from 80 to 400 on that camera, so try all of them and see what works best.

[vtec si]

Gene, you lost me at ISO?

Martin

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by vtec si

Gene, you lost me at ISO?

Martin

Martin,
check out all the sticky threads Mike made in this forum.

This one is for ISO What is ISO?

[vtec si]

That was a lot of help. I'll keep reading up on this stuff.

Thanks,
Martin

[Poseidon]

I am glad that helped Martin. My next one is going to be White Balance. (WB) I just need to find TIME to put it together!

[vtec si]

I just wish I understood this fancy smancy camera stuff. I find it to difficult to read when I can be reading up on coral reefs!

Martin

[Reefland]

I hear ya Martin, I have a hard time understanding it all.

[vtec si]

Originally Posted by Reefland

I hear ya Martin, I have a hard time understanding it all.

I guess I'll have to get the book "cameras for dummys, idiots and, stupids"!

[BubbaWPB]

Originally Posted by vtec si

I just wish I understood this fancy smancy camera stuff. I find it to difficult to read when I can be reading up on coral reefs!

Martin

You're not alone! That's why I got a cam with auto everything!

P.S. It does get worse... as your eyes get older, you can no longer read the print on the buttons and the camera screen.... ...and then you look in the manual (after searching frantically for a week for the place you knew you would remember to find it) and figure out how to do something, the next time you pick up the camera, you forgot how you did it the last time...:slap:

[Reefland]

Here's my problem, is I take a ton of pictures using different settings but then when I load the pictures, I don't know which was taken with what setting and I'm back at square one.

[vtec si]

Originally Posted by Reefland

Here's my problem, is I take a ton of pictures using different settings but then when I load the pictures, I don't know which was taken with what setting and I'm back at square one.

Thats me to a TEE!

[charlie]

Originally Posted by Reefland

Here's my problem, is I take a ton of pictures using different settings but then when I load the pictures, I don't know which was taken with what setting and I'm back at square one.

Scott, I think you can click the properties and it will give you the settings. The only problem is I have the same problem as you

[vtec si]

I guess most of us are in the same boat with this stuff! Except Gene, He is the dig' camera GURU! I'm NOT worthy!

Martin

[Poseidon]

Originally Posted by Reefland

Here's my problem, is I take a ton of pictures using different settings but then when I load the pictures, I don't know which was taken with what setting and I'm back at square one.

With digital cameras it RECORDS all the settings in the file. It is called EXIF, and it lists things like F-stop, Shutter Speed, ISO, flash or no flash etc....

IN Adobe CS2 you can see the exif by clicking on the FIle tab, then File Info, then "camera data 1"

PRESTO Now you now what settings worked and didn't work!

[BubbaWPB]

hmmm... I'm wondering how you see that on Paint Shop Pro.... all I get is file size, format, pixels, blah blah blah... no camera settings on Image Info....

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by vtec si

I guess most of us are in the same boat with this stuff! Except Gene, He is the dig' camera GURU! I'm NOT worthy!

Martin

Hey Martin,

I hate to disagree but it is a wrong assumption, Mike is the resident Guru and not I.
I'm just like the rest of the people here, sometimes I get lucky and get a good shot and most of the times I'm not so lucky. I delete more pictures than I keep, always.

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by BubbaWPB

hmmm... I'm wondering how you see that on Paint Shop Pro.... all I get is file size, format, pixels, blah blah blah... no camera settings on Image Info....

Hey Bubba,

If you don't have Photoshop or simply don't want to spend lots of money on this software, I think it;s worth to look at the ACDSee Pro software. It has some good features and inexpensive as well. You can manipulate your images and edit them in this program, plus it has RAW conversion program and editing capabilities, white balance, etcetera, etcetera. It does not have ability to create layers and blend them but it does not cost a small fortune either.

Here's link tot he product http://www.acdsystems.com/products/acdseepro/index