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Lia Halsall

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I take photos at bodybuilding shows and badly I might add too. :o(

The competitors are up on stage and the lighting is very strong. I use P Function and don't use flash as the existing lighting is sufficient. Problem is when I get home and view them on my notebook they're all out of focus due to camera shake and operator error.

What am I doing wrong and how do I fix it? Please help.
 
Great idea! But how do I do that? This is the first time I've posted on this forum and I have no idea how to do anything other than posting text.

And help would be greatly appreciated. :o)
 
The more you zoom in, the more you need higher shutter speeds to avoid blur. Make sure image stabilization is turned on. Use a tripod or monopod if possible. Increase your ISO so you can get higher shutter speeds. Get closer to the subject so you don't have to zoom in as much.

I'm also a beginner and others may have better advice, but it took me about 10 minutes of research on the web to find those answers for you, and I learned a lot in the process, so thanks for asking the question!

Regards,
Louis
 
liamb said:
it sounds to me like a tripod would be a good idea...and are you sure
the light is good? How fast is the shutter speed?

but also agree that you should post a sample...tinypic.com is
free...simply upload to their site, embed the code given into your dp
message

liam
http://coolpix.shutterchance.com/archive.php
Click to expand...
Hi Liam,

I don't have a tripod to use unfortunately. Ideally I would like to take these photos without using one or am I being unrealistic? As for using shutterspeed, I have no idea what shutterspeed I used as it was on the program function. I'm beyond an amatuer if there is such a thing. I'm sorry, I'm not much help am I. :o(

And here's a pic so that you can see what I'm talking about hopefully:
3005dp4.jpg
'] http://i22.tinypic.com/3005dp4.jpg[/IMG] [/URL]
 
HypnoSnoopy said:
The more you zoom in, the more you need higher shutter speeds to
avoid blur. Make sure image stabilization is turned on. Use a
tripod or monopod if possible. Increase your ISO so you can get
higher shutter speeds. Get closer to the subject so you don't have
to zoom in as much.

I'm also a beginner and others may have better advice, but it took me
about 10 minutes of research on the web to find those answers for
you, and I learned a lot in the process, so thanks for asking the
question!

Regards,
Louis
Click to expand...
Hi Louis,

I found out today that my camera doesn't have image stabilization. :o( Unfortunately I don't have a tripod and realistically it isn't a practical tool to use in these sort of environments either. I'm beyond a beginner. You're doing better then I am at research. I really have no idea what I'm doing and feel like a silly fool.

Here's an example of a photo I took:
3005dp4.jpg
'] http://i22.tinypic.com/3005dp4.jpg[/IMG] [/URL]

Kind Regards,
Lia Halsall
 
Oh also what kind of camera/lens do you have? Note there is a setting on how exactly the camera determines what needs to be focused on you can set it to center of image to be sure it's very accurate on your subject. So better focus to avoid shake is achieved by

Increasing shutter speed
Smaller focal lengths (more zoomed out / Get closer to your subject)
Stablizing the camera with a tripod or monopod
Using Auto Image Stabilization

Using flash to get higher shutter speeds while maintaining acceptably low ISO values.

Focal depth is also affected by aperture of course. If you are blasting your aperture wide open then I don't know but there may be some issue with part of your subject in focus and part not. A more advanced photog could give better advice if this would be a problem in this situation, but in general if you find this is the case, then you'll want to increase your aperture value (smaller opening).

Regards,
HypnoSnoopy
 
HypnoSnoopy said:
Oh also what kind of camera/lens do you have? Note there is a
setting on how exactly the camera determines what needs to be focused
on you can set it to center of image to be sure it's very accurate on
your subject. So better focus to avoid shake is achieved by

Increasing shutter speed
Smaller focal lengths (more zoomed out / Get closer to your subject)
Stablizing the camera with a tripod or monopod
Using Auto Image Stabilization
Using flash to get higher shutter speeds while maintaining acceptably
low ISO values.

Focal depth is also affected by aperture of course. If you are
blasting your aperture wide open then I don't know but there may be
some issue with part of your subject in focus and part not. A more
advanced photog could give better advice if this would be a problem
in this situation, but in general if you find this is the case, then
you'll want to increase your aperture value (smaller opening).

Regards,
HypnoSnoopy
Click to expand...
Oh gosh, I only have a Canon PowerShot A700 compact camera with built in lens. I've used flash before but when I do is turns out darker, real darker compared to when I don't use the flash. If I'm not using automatic I use program and that's about as adventurous as I've gotton so far. Like I said I'm a real amatuer photographer.

All your information is great though, thank you. I'm copying and pasting it into my e-notes for future refernce. Do you think I should go manual or tv (shutter priority) and play around with it?
 
Your camera allows you to adjust the ISO value (sensitivity of the detector). In low light this should be set to the highest value (800).

Also, instead of using P mode, set the camera to aperture priority mode and select the smallest number you can. That sets the lens to be wide open so that the shutter speed will be as short as it can be for the light available.

If the pictures are still blurred you need a tripod / monopod.

Best wishes
--
Mike
 
Ok I think I see what the issue is, and I don't think it's camera shake. Look at what IS in focus. The crease at the bottom of the banner. The curtains near the floor below that.

I think your camera is trying to autofocus on a lot of stuff, and that curtain close in the back is confusing things. You need to figure out in one of those function-menus how to insure the focus is based on the center of the image. Then you select the middle guy point at him and then press the shutter half way so you get the focus set on him. Then you compose your picture while maintaining the shutter half-way. Snap with happy focus centered on the middle guy. But I think you have to set the center-focus in the functional menus for that to work in this particular application.

I think you also have an issue with different distances between the nearest and furthest guys, so you need to make sure your aperture value is high enough (opening is small enough) so that you have a large "depth of focus" and all the guys are in focus.

Youtube has some fantastic videos that teach about aperture and depth of focus. Check out

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=aperture
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=depth+of+focus

Be sure to come back and repost your better picture in this thread please! I'd appreciate it if you did so even if you want to create a new thread as well. That way I'll be able to find you again and see a great in focus picture!

Regards,
HypnoSnoopy
 
Mike I'm not sure if that's totally accurate, and I am just a beginner, but...
mike703 said:
Your camera allows you to adjust the ISO value (sensitivity of the detector).
In low light this should be set to the highest value (800).
Click to expand...
Generally true, but with the caveat that you want to use the lowest ISO possible to avoid noise in your picture.
mike703 said:
Also, instead of using P mode, set the camera to aperture priority mode and select
the smallest number you can. That sets the lens to be wide open so that the
shutter speed will be as short as it can be for the light available.
Click to expand...
In this application, a wider aperture will allow you to lower the ISO to achieve better quality picture, but wide open will make the depth of focus too narrow here. I would suggest setting the Tv mode, using the longest time possible that still avoids shake, and then try to get your aperture value more narrow to insure all the men are in focus. If you can still keep them all in focus and bump the aperture a little wider, then you might be able to lower the ISO even more.

I hope someone with more experience can confirm this, but I think I'm on the right track here.

Regards,
HypnoSnoopy
 
mike703 said:
Your camera allows you to adjust the ISO value (sensitivity of the
detector). In low light this should be set to the highest value
(800).

Also, instead of using P mode, set the camera to aperture priority
mode and select the smallest number you can. That sets the lens to
be wide open so that the shutter speed will be as short as it can be
for the light available.

If the pictures are still blurred you need a tripod / monopod.

Best wishes
--
Mike
Click to expand...
ISO 800 - will this effect the quality of my image?

As for aperature priority, the smallest number my camera is capable of is f2.8, does that sound right? But in saying that I would've thought that I should try shutterspeed priority with the fastest speed there was. Or would that just do the same thing as the aperture priority only the other way around Mike?
 
HypnoSnoopy said:
Ok I think I see what the issue is, and I don't think it's camera
shake. Look at what IS in focus. The crease at the bottom of the
banner. The curtains near the floor below that.

I think your camera is trying to autofocus on a lot of stuff, and
that curtain close in the back is confusing things. You need to
figure out in one of those function-menus how to insure the focus is
based on the center of the image. Then you select the middle guy
point at him and then press the shutter half way so you get the focus
set on him. Then you compose your picture while maintaining the
shutter half-way. Snap with happy focus centered on the middle guy.
But I think you have to set the center-focus in the functional menus
for that to work in this particular application.

I think you also have an issue with different distances between the
nearest and furthest guys, so you need to make sure your aperture
value is high enough (opening is small enough) so that you have a
large "depth of focus" and all the guys are in focus.

Youtube has some fantastic videos that teach about aperture and depth
of focus. Check out

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=aperture
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=depth+of+focus

Be sure to come back and repost your better picture in this thread
please! I'd appreciate it if you did so even if you want to create a
new thread as well. That way I'll be able to find you again and see
a great in focus picture!

Regards,
HypnoSnoopy
Click to expand...
Okay now I'm understanding more HypnoSnoopy.

Q. Center Weighted Average vs Spot? Your thoughts and in layman terms please so that I don't get lost. LOL!!

And thanks for the you tube links, I'm blown away by all the fee information I'm coming across tonight for photography. Thanks heaps. :o)

Oh by the way, how do we edit our profiles. I can't see to find it again. LOL!!
 
Lia Halsall said:
ISO 800 - will this effect the quality of my image?
Click to expand...
Yes, they would be horrible. You really can't go above ISO 400 with a camera like this, and even ISO 400 may be unacceptable to you.
Lia Halsall said:
As for aperature priority, the smallest number my camera is capable
of is f2.8, does that sound right? But in saying that I would've
thought that I should try shutterspeed priority with the fastest
speed there was. Or would that just do the same thing as the aperture
priority only the other way around
Click to expand...
Setting the biggest aperture will give you the fastest shutter speed. It is easy to get the fastest shutter speed using Av rather than Tv.

However, the EXIF info from your image shows that this shot was taken at f/3.5 the maximum aperture for the particular focal length you were shooting. (Your lens is only capable of f/2.8 when zoom out.) You are basically over exceeding the capabilities of your camera. There isn't enough light for your shot with this camera.

A monopod would help, but like image stabilization, it only works for fairly static subjects. You are already shooting a 1/13 sec and the shot is about 2/3 – 1 stop underexposed. For a correct exposure you would have needed 1/8 s. Learning how to get well exposed flash shots with your camera would probably be the best thing to do.

You would need a dSLR or a Fuji to capture this low light image without flash.

Brian A.
 
Hugowolf said:
Lia Halsall said:
ISO 800 - will this effect the quality of my image?
Click to expand...
Yes, they would be horrible. You really can't go above ISO 400 with a
camera like this, and even ISO 400 may be unacceptable to you.
Hugowolf said:
As for aperature priority, the smallest number my camera is capable
of is f2.8, does that sound right? But in saying that I would've
thought that I should try shutterspeed priority with the fastest
speed there was. Or would that just do the same thing as the aperture
priority only the other way around
Click to expand...
Setting the biggest aperture will give you the fastest shutter speed.
It is easy to get the fastest shutter speed using Av rather than Tv.

However, the EXIF info from your image shows that this shot was taken
at f/3.5 the maximum aperture for the particular focal length you
were shooting. (Your lens is only capable of f/2.8 when zoom out.)
You are basically over exceeding the capabilities of your camera.
There isn't enough light for your shot with this camera.

A monopod would help, but like image stabilization, it only works for
fairly static subjects. You are already shooting a 1/13 sec and the
shot is about 2/3 – 1 stop underexposed. For a correct exposure you
would have needed 1/8 s. Learning how to get well exposed flash shots
with your camera would probably be the best thing to do.

You would need a dSLR or a Fuji to capture this low light image
without flash.

Brian A.
Click to expand...
Okay Brian, I kind of understand what you're saying to me as this is still all very new to me. Basically in a nut shell can I achieve a sharp photo using this camera without a triop or am I going to have to look at upgrading?
 
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