Fuji Finepix F50 fd - Help for new user with fuzzy photos

Hi I have searched your forums for an answer to my problem

But since every camera I have bought I have always left on auto and happily shot photos of my grandchildren, anything else about cameras bewilders me lol

Basically I bought the camera and find it very easy to use and faster than my 5mp konica

However when I transfered my photos to the computer they seemed quite fuzzy and nowhere near as clear as my old camera
Can you help me and make it VERY simple please.

Is there any way you can post a sample of what your talking about. As you can imagine there are potentially many different reasons for this and even many different ways to describe what you are seeing. If you can post a sample it would be a lot easier to get to the bottom of the issue.

If you have no way to post a sample, you can email me a sample picture and I will post it so that others can look it over and figure out what the problem is.

My email address is [email protected] but I wont be back home until after 6:30 PM pacific time.
Good luck, Ted

mar2 said:

Hi I have searched your forums for an answer to my problem
But since every camera I have bought I have always left on auto and
happily shot photos of my grandchildren, anything else about cameras
bewilders me lol

Basically I bought the camera and find it very easy to use and faster
than my 5mp konica
However when I transfered my photos to the computer they seemed quite
fuzzy and nowhere near as clear as my old camera
Can you help me and make it VERY simple please.

Click to expand...

--
http://photobucket.com/albums/y260/tdkd13/

Most likely problem is mashing down the shutter button in a single motion, rather than half-pressing it, waiting for a steady green light, the smooth-press the rest of the way. This allows for auto-focussing to take place.

If you can't post a sample, I suggest takiing the camera to the dealer where you purchased it, or to a nearby Fuji dealer and ask him/them for help.

An alterative is calling Fuji for help - possibly maioing camera to a Fuji support center after talking to them. Phone numbers were included with the camera.

If you prefer you can email me by clicking on my name above.
--
Russell
Galleries at http://www.pbase.com/russ

Get a Canon
--
Heaven said i should feed my head
That to me was just a day in bed

They are always in motion. Taking photos of moving children is a challenge. The task is made more difficult when inside because the light is lower. The camera reduces the shutter speed to allow more light in. That also allows more camera motion causing blurry photos.

So the trick inside is to keep the shutter speed up. Rather than using auto, I suggest you use S mode and set the shutter speed to at least 1/125 to catch the little ones while moving. When you set the shutter speed up, you will also need to increase the iso. I suggest you try 200 first and if that is too dark try 400.

Using flash inside the house helps if you are not too close and don't wash out the faces of the little ones.

Let us know if any of these ideas helped.
--

Currently shooting: Kodak V1253 (HD 720p video capable), Canon S20 (8 year old 3 megapixel camera), FujiFilm E550 (reconditioned), Canon HG10 High Definition camcorder, Samsung G600 (5 megapixel cell phone).

See more of my photos at http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v491/Captain_Marvel/OOBs/

Raised in Tucson, Arizona, now living near Seattle.

How do I add a photo please?

You will need to have a your pics uploaded to a photo sharing website. Photobucket for example.

From the Help section - To embed an image or photograph simply paste (or type) the URL (web address) of the image into your message

• images more than 480 pixels wide will be scrollable

• To link to an image WITHOUT EMBEDDING IT simply add a semicolon ( to the end of the url

mar2 said:

How do I add a photo please?

Click to expand...

--
Malinda

The original poster sent this image so that I could post here to try and get help from owners of this camera. The image sent was 4000x3000 so I had to resize the whole image by half, this of course fixed a lot of the problem, I also resized to one fourth and adjusted curve slightly. I will post three 100% crops as well so that hopefully someone can let her know if this is normal for this camera.
Link to half sized image (didnt embed due to size):

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y260/tdkd13/006halfsize.jpg

here is the one fourth sized image and the three untouched 100% crops:









Ted

--
http://photobucket.com/albums/y260/tdkd13/

My own opinion I think it looks like the image has been killed by an overaggressive noise reduction algorithm.
Ted

--
http://photobucket.com/albums/y260/tdkd13/

Ted, she emailed me a 12 MP 3000x4000 pixel image that includes a mooring sign with black characters on a white background. A 400% crop shows the small letters' "strokes" are 2 pixels wide, the limit for resolution without "" (can't think of the word) effect. No sign of blurring from focus, handshake. At ISO 100 1/385 second; agressive NR of that object is very unlikely. At high ISO, low illum, agressive NR would "sharpen" characters on the sign, but I see no signs of that

At the right edge, some radial blurring (of roof shingles); possible lens effect. F3.5 was aperture.

More next week; today busy getting IRS stuff ready for my tax accountant!
--
Russell
Galleries at http://www.pbase.com/russ

Hoping someone can figure out my problem

The only thing that has been changed since I bought it last week is the ISO setting from 800 to 400 in the shop, when I complained about fuzzyness.

I bought the camera thinking that it would be the same as all other cameras I have had - Auto meant dont touch me just enjoy clicking away.

Thats what I was told in the shop

Thinking of taking it back, after easter, if it's still the same ,while I still can,but even then I don't know what to buy.

Russ, this camera has been noted to use a noise reduction algorithm that is very aggressive in shadow areas (where there is generally more noise) and much less aggressive in wel lit areas. I haven't seen the shot you mention but I dont doubt your opinion at all. In the most shadowy area of the picture I got you can see the detail is completely obliterated, but not nearly as bad in other areas. Now, this could be a lens fault as the shadow area is nearer an edge but I dont know. I was hoping someone who owned this camera would chime in with some of their results and findings.
Anyways, here is what I mean:
shadowy area:



Not as shodowed area:



To the original poster, it doesnt make sense to view 12 mp images full size on screen, I'm not sure if your issue is that they look bad at 100% or just look bad at any size. You can try shooting at a smaller size, many have said they think this cam looks better in 6 megapixel mode. Also adjusting the ISO as needed will yield better results, but you made it clear you wanted a real simple point and shoot.
From this sites review of this camera:

Russ Yost said:

Some noise reduction artefacts visible at 100% even at ISO 100
Strong chroma noise at ISO 800+ and shadow noise visible at ISO 400 in low light
Some corner softness

Click to expand...

If this camera is not meeting your expectations, by all means return it, you will always look at images produced with it with some regret if your not happy or feel you didnt get what you paid for.
Good luck, Ted

http://photobucket.com/albums/y260/tdkd13/

tdkd13 said:

To the original poster, it doesnt make sense to view 12 mp images
full size on screen, You can try shooting at a
smaller size, many have said they think this cam looks better in 6
megapixel mode. Also adjusting the ISO as needed will yield better
results, but you made it clear you wanted a real simple point and
shoot.
If this camera is not meeting your expectations, by all means return
it, you will always look at images produced with it with some regret
if your not happy or feel you didnt get what you paid for.
Good luck, Ted

Click to expand...

Was I wrong to assume auto on this camera meant just click and enjoy then, as it has on every other camera I have bought?
All I am going by is I uploaded the photos to my computer

I have lots of photos taken by different family members and friends on my computer Some with very cheap cameras But these are the worst of them all Very disappointed and don't feel confident having to start changing settings.

tdkd13 said:

Russ, this camera has been noted to use a noise reduction algorithm
that is very aggressive in shadow areas (where there is generally
more noise) and much less aggressive in wel lit areas. I haven't seen
the shot you mention but I dont doubt your opinion at all.

Click to expand...

Ps. tdkd13 - I tried emailing you a 2nd photo today, but the mail keeps bouncing back to me Saying failure notice .Sorry

. . . then you should get good, sharp photos using the auto setting most of the time. If you are getting fuzzy photos using auto, especially if you are shooting in good light, then maybe it is defective.

--

Currently shooting: Kodak V1253 (HD 720p video capable), Canon S20 (8 year old 3 megapixel camera), FujiFilm E550 (reconditioned), Canon HG10 High Definition camcorder, Samsung G600 (5 megapixel cell phone).

See more of my photos at http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v491/Captain_Marvel/OOBs/

Raised in Tucson, Arizona, now living near Seattle.

Captain Marvel said:

. . . then you should get good, sharp photos using the auto setting
most of the time. If you are getting fuzzy photos using auto,
especially if you are shooting in good light, then maybe it is
defective.

Click to expand...

I really do not know anymore But am returning it this week
But need advice fast please which one I should buy now?
Just a point and shoot on auto that will give me great photos any advice please?
Nikon Coolpix S210,Pentax Optio S12, Panasonic LUMIX DMC- Or another?
How many megapioxels do I need ? My old camera has 5.

Ted, Marilyn, and others:

Here's a gallery that includes Marilyn's 12 MP image and a 500% crop I made with Adobe PS Elements 2. IMHO it shows her camera is probably not defective and is as "acute" as practical, using two pixels width strokes in small characters on a "mooring" sign. Marilyn's complaints about fuzziness and lack of clarity are not explained by my measurements.

http://www.pbase.com/russ/marlynsfuzzy
--
Russell
Galleries at http://www.pbase.com/russ

mar2 said:

I really do not know anymore But am returning it this week
But need advice fast please which one I should buy now?
Just a point and shoot on auto that will give me great photos any
advice please?
Nikon Coolpix S210,Pentax Optio S12, Panasonic LUMIX DMC- Or another?
How many megapioxels do I need ? My old camera has 5.

Click to expand...

I own an F50fd too and I'll be the first to admit that it isn't the best cam for someone looking for TRUE point and shoot functionality. Most, if not all Fxx cameras are best used in "Manual" mode. Usually I find myself tweaking the settings (EV comp., WB, etc.) on my F50 to get the output I like. I love doing this but unfortunately... not everyone does.

My recommendation? Go for a Canon SD camera. They may not be the best low light performers around (let's not go there) but if true point and shoot functionality on "Auto" is what you're looking for, then you can't go wrong with a Canon SD cam. My wife keeps her SD400 on "Auto" ALL THE TIME and the results she gets are pretty decent.

Oh and about the megapixel thing, that's just marketing nonsense. Pay no attention to it. 5 megapixels is fine. Instead of worrying about megapixels, your time would be better spent considering more important other factors like battery life, image stabilization and the like.

Good luck!

Russ and Marilyn,

Oddly, or maybe not so oddly the entire right side of this image Russ just posted is blurry as well. The image Marilyn sent me was blurry on the right side also. One image was falling away on the right, the other falling away on the left but both were blurred pretty heavily on the right side.

That said, I dont think Marilyn is happy with the camera and its probably not the best fit for her needs, she has requested a true auto point and shoot and in my mind Fuji doesnt make a good one. They make many great cams, but most work best when used in other modes. My wife uses an f20 in manual mode, and just never changes the settings (been pre set to ErikN2 settings), but then she is VERY unparticular about image quality and wouldnt likely have even noticed a problem here. If she can make out, even by squinting whatever she was shooting she seems happy, I dont want to burst that bubble

Anyway, good luck Marilyn, you should be able to find something that will suit your needs.
Ted

Russ Yost said:

Ted, Marilyn, and others:

Here's a gallery that includes Marilyn's 12 MP image and a 500% crop
I made with Adobe PS Elements 2. IMHO it shows her camera is
probably not defective and is as "acute" as practical, using two
pixels width strokes in small characters on a "mooring" sign.
Marilyn's complaints about fuzziness and lack of clarity are not
explained by my measurements.

http://www.pbase.com/russ/marlynsfuzzy
--
Russell
Galleries at http://www.pbase.com/russ

Click to expand...

--
http://photobucket.com/albums/y260/tdkd13/

Actually, the right 20-25 percent of the image indicates optical issues, possibly decentering or just soft. Compare the bricks on the right to the center or left, and the grass strip on the lower right. The DOF is deep enough that their shouldn't be a difference like this due the the focal plane.
The rest of the image looks quite good for this class.
Regards,
Kelly