I want to buy one for upcoming holidays... indoor family shots... Xmas tree lighting and TV - low light etc. Because this camera specializes in low light situations would I have trouble getting decent auto-shots in normal sunlight? I know next to nothing about cameras, so I'd pretty much have to rely on automatic feature.
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recommend f30 for beginner?
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Specializes in low light? .... No just best in class in low light, and as good as anything else in normal light.
If you don't need the A and S modes and are really looking for a straight point and shoot (automatic) camera check out the F20 and save a few bucks.
Check out this thread.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1012&message=20281791
Either way a good choice.
Cheers Darin
Thanks for the f20 suggestion Darin. That may be the way to go for me, although I find myself getting hooked on this stuff and may want to expand my horizons sometime in the future. Butl, I do like the lower price. One thing I forgot to mention is that, occasionaly I will using the camera at indoor concerts. The f series only have 3x zoom, I think. Will that be enough to take pics of performers on stage from, say, 20 rows back into the audiance? l know that the Fuji S5200 has 10x zoom but I don't think it can take nighttime concert pics w/o using flash . Also, it's a bit on the large size. Anyway, it sure would be nice if the f series comes out w/ something that has more zoom to it!
Yes. From only that far back it shouldn't be a problem. Its an ideal camera for that sort of thing. If you look around you will find plenty of concert pics taken with the F30.
The S5600 will take good pics up to iso800, while the F30 will take good pics up to iso1600 in that situation. But the F30 will need iso1600 to get a similar shutterspeed as the s5600 at iso800, as the s5600 has a faster lens at the same 3x zoom as the F30.
Darin
The most important thing is that you capture the memories. I was at a concert a few years back and had an F810 with me. I was about 60/70 rows back!!! At first, I was dissapointed because I was maybe obsessed with getting close-up type of shots of the performers, which obviously I didn't because of where I was situated.
But recently, I was scrolling through some old photos of years gone by and these photos came up and all the great memories of that concert came fllooding back of my trip to another city for this concert despite only having "very far away" type shots.
Another lesson to be learned before you think of the S5200 x 10 zoom route. I went to another concert with a dslr and the "right" lens which would have guaranteed me some excellent shots of that concert. Unfortunately, security were having none of it, and I wasn't allowed to bring it into the concert and was left without ANY type of shots or memories to take home with me from that concert, while other folks around me were snapping away with their tiny smuggled in compacts!!
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Packy
http://homepage.eircom.net/~vmax ; for my pic stuff
Mike920
Senior Member
You may never use the A/S functions. BUT it is very nice to know that it is there when you need it. Case in point, I was in Arizona last week and used SP for the 1st time. Why? We were driving up to Sedona at around 80 mph and I needed a fast shutter speed to prevent blurring the scenery and road signs. I set the cam's shutter to 1/1000 and fired away. Each photo was as if we were standing still. I guess I could have used sports mode, but preferred SP.
Once you become familiar with your camera, you will discover different things about it and find what works best for you. This forum has a wealth of very knowledgeable and experienced photographers who have much wisdom and knowledge to share for the asking. It is a learning curve, but I am sure that once you get into it, you will enjoy it as much as we do, if not moreso.
Best regards,
Mike
Once you become familiar with your camera, you will discover different things about it and find what works best for you. This forum has a wealth of very knowledgeable and experienced photographers who have much wisdom and knowledge to share for the asking. It is a learning curve, but I am sure that once you get into it, you will enjoy it as much as we do, if not moreso.
Best regards,
Mike
I have the f20 and love it....
So if you plan to continue to be happy with point and shoot photography solely, I would suggest it, and spend the difference on a larger xd card.....however the price on the F30 continues to drop and if you have any desire to further your photography knowledge, etc. then I would suggest it. At the time I purchased my F20 there was a large difference in price....had the price been closer as in now, I would have gone with the F30...still I have no regrets, its just how life is sometimes.....
So if you plan to continue to be happy with point and shoot photography solely, I would suggest it, and spend the difference on a larger xd card.....however the price on the F30 continues to drop and if you have any desire to further your photography knowledge, etc. then I would suggest it. At the time I purchased my F20 there was a large difference in price....had the price been closer as in now, I would have gone with the F30...still I have no regrets, its just how life is sometimes.....
Michele Rodgers
Forum Enthusiast
I would get the F30 for sure. It has a great auto mode but enough bells and whistles that if you want to make some adjustments when you get use to it, you can do it.
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Michele
http://www.pbase.com/percival
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Michele
http://www.pbase.com/percival
MissScarlett
Active member
I would normally do a thorough search on this site before asking, but my mother will be receiving her new F30 today and going out of town tomorrow, so I don't have much time to read the manual or search this forum before she has to start using it. How should I set up each dial position for her to start with, for general situations?
On my F11, I usually keep SP/N on N (for inside museums or churches where I don't want to accidentally turn on the flash); Auto on forced flash (for indoor with flash); and M/S/A on M, auto ISO, flash off, with -1/3EV (for most other situations). Does it make sense to do the same for F30, or would you suggest something different?
On my F11, I usually keep SP/N on N (for inside museums or churches where I don't want to accidentally turn on the flash); Auto on forced flash (for indoor with flash); and M/S/A on M, auto ISO, flash off, with -1/3EV (for most other situations). Does it make sense to do the same for F30, or would you suggest something different?
Mike920
Senior Member
Hi MissScarlett,
There is a museum mode on the camera, which shuts down the flash as well as any noises the camera may make (like shutter sounds, etc.). There is a full auto mode by turning the dial to the red camera icon that will do about everything. In the other modes, there is also an auto flash mode as well as several other flash modes. Auto White Balance seems to work well for me.
One suggestion, set the luminence of the lcd to -3 for more accurate previews. I have not found the need to set the EV on the F30 to -1/3. I kep it at "0". Take a few shots when you get the camera, then decide how it should be best set for your mom. Coming from an F11, this should not be difficult to figure out.
Best regards,
Mike
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