DSC-V1 replacement?

I have had a tough time getting consistantly good pictures with my V1 without getting a college thesis on how to always readjust the darned thing.

One of the biggest issues is high contrast pix....black dog in any lighting situation ends up a black blob in an otherwise nice scene.

Is there a high quality replacement that would work very well overall in an auto mode? I only shoot a couple times a month, so I can;t memorize all the custom features.

I need indoor and outdoor performance with 4x zoom and good recycle and focus times. Not looking for the $300 camera as this is a business tool so more cost is not a big concern.

Is the V3 improved?

My old kodak made better pictures with no adjustments, but then again it fell apart after a few years.

Auto mode in any prosumer may disappoint you. They just can't cover the whole range of shooting situations that you might have. In the end there's no substitute for a well-practiced eye for photos. Paying for a prosumer without having the time to maximize it seems a waste.

That said, the V3 is a capable camera, and I've found at times it seems to expose shots a little better in P mode than the V1. Flash photography with the built in flash seems better managed to me as well.

Thought the V1 was great given a digital photography review. What about the W7? That provide enough improvements to upgrade to that? I'm in the market... I also been eyeing Casio Exilum P700 but always thought that company was for watches and little gadgets.

Beamie said:

I have had a tough time getting consistantly good pictures with my
V1 without getting a college thesis on how to always readjust the
darned thing.

One of the biggest issues is high contrast pix....black dog in any
lighting situation ends up a black blob in an otherwise nice scene.

Click to expand...

Do you have a sample of the black dog that shows the problem you are having?

Thats weird..most cameras require the photographer to stop down to make a black object black, instead of 18% grey.

Got a sample?

--
Peace,
Jason

Would sell my V1 since it now sits after buying several new cams, including the Casio P700. Testimony to the V1 is below:

The V1 is a terrific camera!!! It takes the 7 mp Casio to reach it-if that tells you something!!

The P700 is one of the most fun, reliable, fast , compact cameras I have ever used and I currently own 9 cameras.

Http: www.Quirky.smugmug.com

Funny-a few years ago I did not buy a Panasonic camera because to me they made VCRs and telephones and such. Now look!

I am waiting to see this new N1, R1 and a world of new cameras..scary times for a camera buyer...

Enjoy,
Linda

Beamie said:

One of the biggest issues is high contrast pix....black dog in any
lighting situation ends up a black blob in an otherwise nice scene.

Click to expand...

This is an issue with all cameras, digital and film, point and shoot, prosumer and DSLR. It's simply a limitation of the technology. That said, there are some things you can do to make your shot come out more to your liking, but all require a little thought and effort on your part. Remember, any camera is simply a tool and will only work as well as the person using it.

Try a little flash. Even if there is plenty of light, some fill flash will help to give the black blob some highlight definition and turn it into an actual dog. This is probably the easiest thing to try.

Use exposure compensation. The camera may be exposing the rest of the scene well, but the dog is (for all practical purposes) underexposed. Try adding +1 exposure compensation to trick the camera into over exposing the whole scene. The background may be too bright, but the dog will be better exposed.

Spot meter right on the dog itself. The default in the V1 (and V3, and most other cameras) is multi segment metering. The camera evaluates the whole scene. Instead, tell the camera to expose for the dog by selecting spot metering. The rest of your scene will be over exposed, but the dog will look much better.

Use Photoshop (or similar program) to brighten the dog but not the rest of the scene. This probably requires the most work, but offers the best control and potentially the best results.

Beamie said:

Is there a high quality replacement that would work very well
overall in an auto mode? I only shoot a couple times a month, so I
can;t memorize all the custom features.

Click to expand...

No camera knows how to deal with every scene it will ever encounter, so you have to use your skill and judgement in order to make the image what you want of it. If you are only willing to rely on the camera's fully automatic modes, then you must be content to have a percentage of shots turn out less than ideal.

This is why photography is an art and requires practice and effort.

Beamie said:

I need indoor and outdoor performance with 4x zoom and good recycle
and focus times. Not looking for the $300 camera as this is a
business tool so more cost is not a big concern.

Is the V3 improved?

Click to expand...

I find the V3 to be a great camera. For its type, it recycles fast and has quick shot-to-shot times. However, if performance is vital, you may want to consider an entry level DSLR. They will always out-perform an advanced compact in terms of speed and flexibility. However, if a balance of compact size and great performance is most important, the V3 is hard to beat.

Not sure, though, if you should give up the V1 for a V3 considering your ocational needs. You should get great results with the V1.

--
A camera is just a tool - no matter how much one loves it.

jtaylor said:

jtaylor said:

Got a sample?

Click to expand...

--
Peace,
Jason

Click to expand...

How do I post it?

Here are some samples:

Here is another sample

Good informative post.

Beamie, you can also try turning the Contrast down to ( - ) in the menu (and then shoot in at least "P" mode).
R2

--
Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.

http://www.pbase.com/jekyll_and_hyde/galleries

Gosh, I loved my film spewing SLR. None of these puzzles.

Beamie said:

Gosh, I loved my film spewing SLR. None of these puzzles.

Click to expand...

Yup, simpler. But it was because we didn't even have a choice most of the time when shooting film!

And you'd actually need even greater understanding of photographic principles to get the shot right (when shooting film), in situations such as the "black dog." I know! We always had a black lab or two growing up as a kid. :-D
R2

--
Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.

http://www.pbase.com/jekyll_and_hyde/galleries

Good idea about the contrast, also. I find the V3 is a pretty contrasty camera by default, so turning it down does help a lot.
--
A camera is just a tool - no matter how much one loves it.

Beamie said:

Gosh, I loved my film spewing SLR. None of these puzzles.

Click to expand...

Given your occational shooting needs, maybe film is still the best medium for you. Film is still perfectly valid, and the lab does all the post processing for you. This is why film seems to give better results without any work on the part of the photographer. Digital requires the same level of processing, but it leaves it in your hands.

I firmly believe that shooting digital will make a person a better photographer faster, but that doesn't mean that it is the only way to shoot. Also, it really doesn't sound like you're worried about gaining additional skill in photography, you just want to point the camera, press the button, and have all the decisions made for you. That's fine, creative photography doesn't interest everyone. However, I think you'll find that the vast majority of posters on these forums are here because they want to take hold of the creative process themselves, not let the camera decide for them. I don't want to sound blunt, but if you're not willing to take charge of your camera, you'll never get better pictures.

In viewing your samples, I really must say that the camera is performing as it should. The dogs are very small in the frame, which means the camera is trying to expose the majority of the frame properly. Try getting closer and filling the frame with your subject and see if you get better results.

--
A camera is just a tool - no matter how much one loves it.

Well, I like to add few more points I have read and have experienced with high contrats issues.

Human eye is capable of seeing difference in contrast (i mean shades from dark to light) upto 12 to 16 stops. Some animals mave more. But camera, has this capability in range of 5 to 6 stops. That means if the range of contrast falls beyond this 5 to 6 stop range then it will either appear lack or white. I bet when you look at your dog your eye can see the difference in the shades of furs, but camera cannot do that in such contrasty scenes.

Print Film (not slides) is bit more dynamic giving around 1 stop gain in the range it can capture. Answers / Solutions to combat such challenging situations is shooting multiple exposure and then stack in photoshop. Here one of my theads where I analysed this issue more.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1006&message=13107705

But as for Point and Shoot mode I guess all camera will suffer from this limitation - this is the limitation of today's digital sensor or film chemical. May be in future with better sensors or film we will get higher dynamic range.

Thanks and Regards
Aurobindo
---------------------------
I love photography - I love painting canvas with light

Using SonyDSC V1, 1.7X Telephoto, 0.7X WA Sony Lenses
Nikon N80, 50mm/F1.8, 28-100mm G Lens
National 35