Idiot's Guide Using the S400?

Well, I just bought an S400 about a month ago and have been toying around with it and finally this past Saturday I took it to a wedding - my first initiation into the digital camera world. I got some good shots, some horrible shots, and even some decent video. But,honestly, I'm a photography newbie in every sense. I understand what ISO is, but beyond that, I basically use the AUTO mode everytime...which is something I want to get out of.

My hope is that someone out there with an S400 can give me some tips/secrets/info on how they use their camera. I have seen some EXTREMELY beautiful shots while perusing this forum, and I cannot get close to any of them. I know, practice makes perfect, but a little camera 101 would be helpful too

Thanks alot!

First things first.. Read the manual - Three times if you have to.

I used to have an S400, but I now own a G5 (im actually considering adding the s400 back into my arsenal in a week or so). I'm not sure of there is an S400 book available from them, but the short courses books are really great.

soloredd said:

Well, I just bought an S400 about a month ago and have been toying
around with it and finally this past Saturday I took it to a
wedding - my first initiation into the digital camera world. I got
some good shots, some horrible shots, and even some decent video.
But,honestly, I'm a photography newbie in every sense. I understand
what ISO is, but beyond that, I basically use the AUTO mode
everytime...which is something I want to get out of.

My hope is that someone out there with an S400 can give me some
tips/secrets/info on how they use their camera. I have seen some
EXTREMELY beautiful shots while perusing this forum, and I cannot
get close to any of them. I know, practice makes perfect, but a
little camera 101 would be helpful too

Thanks alot!

Click to expand...

that I can think of : (consult your manual for the button setting)

1. Use the landscape (mountain icon) for landscape/scenery picture. This will give you the most detail/focus.

2. Use the Macro (flower icon) for close up picture. This will blur the background so that the object will stand out. You can use this to take portrait but check the manual for the focus distance (the min/max distance the camera can make good focus)

3. Use slow sync flash (flash with * icon) for taking people picture at night so you can capture the background light. Use tripod or set the camera on something stable and use the 2 second timer since the camera will use slow shutter speed.

4. Use EV compensation when necessary. Think about this as a backlight.

5. Use force flash (flash icon) to eliminate face shadow when taking picture in harsh sunlight.

6. Try the picture effect for different result. You might like vivid setting for scenery picture.

7. Use burst mode when taking sport picture, just keep the shutter press as long as necessary.

8. Try not using flash by forcing the flash off (flash slash icon). The result might be more natural and some people like it. Also, try this at dusk (with timer/tripod) to capture the just setting sun (DO NOT point the camera to the sun).

9. Play with the long shutter speed (1" or more, enable it from menu, check manual) to take picture of nightime cityscape. Use tripod/timer.

10. Go to bookstore and read some basic photography book. Digital or not, photography is the same. I have the KISS : Photography book and it is useful for starting up. KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid.

11. Don't be hesitate to ask people for help, either here or another photographer. Practice makes perfect. Remember, it does not cost you anything to try with digital camera.

Hope this helps.
--
http://www.pbase.com/bochie

Check out this post :

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=5358065

--
http://www.pbase.com/bochie

Thanks alot for the tips! Obviously the best solution is practice and experimentation, as everyone's taste and methods are different.

The tip about using non-flash is great. I actually have been wanting to take most of my pictures without flash, so I guess I'll have to really get "down and dirty" using the camera's manual controls.

Thanks again!

kyutip said:

Check out this post :

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=5358065

--
http://www.pbase.com/bochie

Click to expand...

Remember that the camera will choose the slow shutter speed to compensate so you will have to be very still to produce sharp picture.

When taking picture with slow sync flash, tell the object not no move until the camera has finished taking picture.

One of the most usefull things that I got is a mini tripod. For less than $10, you can get a lot of nice low light shot. Not to mention with timer, you don't have to rely on other people to take your picture.

If the S400 keep focusing on things that you don't want, either release the shutter and try again or turn of the AiAf. With the AiAf off, you have one focusing square in the middle, focus on what you want and recompose the picture.

--
http://www.pbase.com/bochie

soloredd said:

Thanks alot for the tips! Obviously the best solution is practice
and experimentation, as everyone's taste and methods are different.

The tip about using non-flash is great. I actually have been
wanting to take most of my pictures without flash, so I guess I'll
have to really get "down and dirty" using the camera's manual
controls.

Click to expand...

hi Soloredd, Kyutip's suggestions are pretty much exactly what i would have said, no point in repeating. i never use flash (i mean i have, but only to test it, see what it gives). the S400 is really a pretty simple camera - Once you understand it. i found all the menus totally overwhelming at first, it was my first cam.

disable the flash (as Kyutip said). to compensate, play with the +2/-2 setting..aim the cam at a fairly bright area and move that setting back and forth slowly - watch what happens in the LCD. the lightening/darkening you'll observe is about what you'll get. and it can make a Big difference. higher ISOs 'lighten' a picture also, and help with camera shake.

vivid-mode is particularly nice on the S400..tho i'd think not with photographing people. play with your zoom, both optical and digital. macros are really fun (least to me), and you can learn a lot just trying to get the best macro possible on sumthin as simple as a coffee cup, whatever's laying around.

as s/he mentioned, play with HiSpeedContinuous mode. it's darn good at stopping action. try it while watching a movie/tv for instance..or if you have a fish tank.

this sequence worked for me and might help you also: taking lots and lots of pictures, not caring what i got. changing settings just to change them and see what came out. the more i did that, found myself gradually going back to the manual--when I was ready--to 'fine-tune' and understand in more detail what was happening. also helped that i was able to phone a forum member who walked me thru the various menus, after that i was a maniac

keep us posted and have fun!
Karen

Thanks for the reply Karen! Fortunately, I've had some time tonight to play around more with the manual controls. I sat in my room, the only light coming from a TV, and took about 50 pictures of my bed. I tried using different ISO speeds, different shutter speeds, using flash/non-flash, etc. etc. I can at least say that manual mode does NOT scare me any more hahaha. The real test will be for me to get out in the daylight and try, since most of my pictures will be in daylight. Nontheless, it is fun and actually very intriguing to see how different combinations can make the same exact image look very different.

And Kyutip, I do have a mini tripod as well. Very small, folds up into my pocket, but it does the trick. I tried to take a picture using a 6 second exposure and hand-held...let's just say it wasn't pretty The tripod was a very good idea and will serve useful I'm sure.

I will eventually get some pics posted as I progress. Thanks so much again!

Karen 5 said:

Karen 5 said:

Thanks alot for the tips! Obviously the best solution is practice
and experimentation, as everyone's taste and methods are different.

The tip about using non-flash is great. I actually have been
wanting to take most of my pictures without flash, so I guess I'll
have to really get "down and dirty" using the camera's manual
controls.

Click to expand...

hi Soloredd, Kyutip's suggestions are pretty much exactly what i
would have said, no point in repeating. i never use flash (i mean
i have, but only to test it, see what it gives). the S400 is
really a pretty simple camera - Once you understand it. i found
all the menus totally overwhelming at first, it was my first cam.

disable the flash (as Kyutip said). to compensate, play with the
+2/-2 setting..aim the cam at a fairly bright area and move that
setting back and forth slowly - watch what happens in the LCD. the
lightening/darkening you'll observe is about what you'll get. and
it can make a Big difference. higher ISOs 'lighten' a picture
also, and help with camera shake.

vivid-mode is particularly nice on the S400..tho i'd think not with
photographing people. play with your zoom, both optical and
digital. macros are really fun (least to me), and you can learn a
lot just trying to get the best macro possible on sumthin as simple
as a coffee cup, whatever's laying around.

as s/he mentioned, play with HiSpeedContinuous mode. it's darn
good at stopping action. try it while watching a movie/tv for
instance..or if you have a fish tank.

this sequence worked for me and might help you also: taking lots
and lots of pictures, not caring what i got. changing settings
just to change them and see what came out. the more i did that,
found myself gradually going back to the manual--when I was
ready--to 'fine-tune' and understand in more detail what was
happening. also helped that i was able to phone a forum member who
walked me thru the various menus, after that i was a maniac

keep us posted and have fun!
Karen

Click to expand...

soloredd said:

Fortunately, I've had some time tonight
to play around more with the manual controls. I sat in my room, the
only light coming from a TV, and took about 50 pictures of my bed.
I tried using different ISO speeds, different shutter speeds, using
flash/non-flash, etc. etc. I can at least say that manual mode does
NOT scare me any more hahaha.

Click to expand...

there ya go! that's exactly it. isn't ISO amazing? it can make what is almost completely dark light up. it's stuff like pics of the bed, a small clock, capturing images on TV, a fish tank, whatever's handy..that teaches us and makes the camera a friend.

soloredd said:

The real test will be for me to get
out in the daylight and try, since most of my pictures will be in
daylight. Nontheless, it is fun and actually very intriguing to see
how different combinations can make the same exact image look very
different.

Click to expand...

isn't it tho? think i actually prefer using the S400 indoors and around the house/yard.

soloredd said:

And Kyutip, I do have a mini tripod as well. Very small, folds up
into my pocket, but it does the trick.

Click to expand...

one of these days i should get my tiny one out again too. when i tried to use it before, the camera just fell over

soloredd said:

I tried to take a picture
using a 6 second exposure and hand-held...let's just say it wasn't
pretty

Click to expand...

6 seconds is a long time for hand-held. i've done it and longer for the moon, but was seriously propped against a fence and holding my breath. if you did archery in school..it's the same sort of steady-ing.

isn't this fun?

Karen