Help with FX-01 settings

[theymademedoit]

Hi,

I am a newbie to trying to take decent photos (although I did photography 15 years ago at uni) and I could do with some help as digital cameras confuse me.
I bought a Panasonic DMC FX-01 and I am relatively pleased with it.

I have managed to take some really nice shots (particularly black and whites without flash) and would like some advice with settings for indoor work.

I am aware from reading other posts that the FX-01 struggles with noise and I was wondering if there were any suggestions on the best setting to use to get the most out of my pics.

For example if I were to go to an indoor concert with quite good lighting what would be the suggested settings to try?

Would 400 ISO and a slow shutter speed a good choice? Whilst I know that they won’t be great I would still like to try!!!

Any suggestions would be appreciated and I will try them out!

If you could explain if I should be utilizing the zoom and using the wide angle that would be useful too!

Thanks,

Alan

 

[theymademedoit]

Hi,
I am a newbie to trying to take decent photos (although I did
photography 15 years ago at uni) and I could do with some help as
digital cameras confuse me.
I bought a Panasonic DMC FX-01 and I am relatively pleased with it.
I have managed to take some really nice shots (particularly black
and whites without flash) and would like some advice with settings
for indoor work.
I am aware from reading other posts that the FX-01 struggles with
noise and I was wondering if there were any suggestions on the best
setting to use to get the most out of my pics.
For example if I were to go to an indoor concert with quite good
lighting what would be the suggested settings to try?
Would 400 ISO and a slow shutter speed a good choice? Whilst I
know that they won’t be great I would still like to try!!!

Any suggestions would be appreciated and I will try them out!

If you could explain if I should be utilizing the zoom and using
the wide angle that would be useful too!

Thanks,

Alan

Please!!!!!

 

[fmoore]

For example if I were to go to an indoor concert with quite good
lighting what would be the suggested settings to try?
Would 400 ISO and a slow shutter speed a good choice? Whilst I
know that they won’t be great I would still like to try!!!

Any suggestions would be appreciated and I will try them out!

If you could explain if I should be utilizing the zoom and using
the wide angle that would be useful too!

I would stay away from iso400. If the lighting is fairly good, iso200 may give good shots. The flash will be pretty useless and probably not appreceated much at all at a concert. Obviously, get as close as you can. Using the zoom will narrow the aperture and result in even slower shutter speeds, so stay at wide angle - no zoom. Crop later for zoom. Set the ev to -1/3 or -2/3 to get the shutter speed as fast as you can to stop the action of the performers as much as possible. This will underexpose some but can be brightened with levels adjustment in post processing later. Custom set the white balance to the conditions in the concert area.
--
Fred

 

[hooly]

hi

i had one of these for a few months and loved it... I've got an LX2 now but still miss the portability of the FX01

I got my best FX01 shots in good lights outside and always tried to stick to ISO 100, or 200 if the light was not sufficient.

For indoor shots I don't like using the flash so I would go to 400 if I wasnt getting enough light for 200...

I only usually hoped for 'high quality' shots in good light. I used it at concerts and stuff a lot too but just accepted that the image resolution/noise would be poor.

indoors at a concert you could use a longer shutter speed if you use a tripod (which kind of spoils the point of an ultra compact) or can brace against a solid object... but a long shutter speed will only work if things arent moving to much - or you want to capture some motion blur :O)

the only settings I routinely adjusted on my FX01 was ISO (when not enought light for 100), white balance and slow shutter speed (when using a tripod etc)

here are a couple of examples, you can get the EXIF data from the 'more properties' link on the bottom right

indoors, low light, camera on floor with self timer:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hooly/213195610/in/set-72157594234050774/

indoors low light ISO 1600

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hooly/213174154/in/set-72157594233971802/

outdoors low light ISO 1000

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hooly/180015775/in/set-72157594184803292/

indoors, very low light ISO 1600 handheld (grainy but so what I got the pic)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hooly/180014042/in/set-72157594184803292/

and a whole bunch of pics in a range of light conditions here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hooly/sets/72057594116827502/

Hope that's some help to you.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hooly/sets/

 

[theymademedoit]

Thank you both for your help I will try it at the gig tonight!
BTW nice pictures!!!
Going to see Shadow in December!!!!

aL

 

[theymademedoit]

Hi,
Thanks for everyones help.

The gig was great (Rodrigo y Gabriela) and I took loads of images, as you can imagine only some were decent (about 30).
Here are some of them (I was about 40 feet away).

Any feedback would be good!

 

[hooly]

they look sweet to me

enjoy sh-sh-shadow!

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hooly/sets/