Cloudy photos with PowerShot SX50 HS

[bkford]

I have really only tried the P setting (where I set the ISO to 1600, because that worked well on my T3i) and the Auto setting. But my pictures all seem hazy, cloudy, not vividly clear. They are in focus, not blurred, just not vibrant. It is really bad on indoor pictures, but somewhat true of the outdoor pictures as well. (Also I notice that if I zoom way in on the photo on the computer, it is very grainy--perhaps that is normal and not diagnostic here?)




Outdoor--not too hazy, but very grainy if zoomed...is that okay? Still, not vividly brilliant...?




Indoor--just not the quality I would expect...either P setting or Auto, can't remember.









I know it's a great camera, so I have to assume there are things I can do to make my pictures better. Any suggestions?

 

[Bassy]

that first shot could have been shot at iso 80

 

[Bassy]

is your camera brand new or second hand maybe you should tell us the settings that you are on at the moment for a start are you using superfine jpeg mode and what metering are you using

have you changed the colour settings

just to show you what iso 80 looks like on a fine day at the wide angle and 50 times optical zoom

you should click on original under the picture for a better look i took these sat down on a bench

thats why part of my knee is showing i have done nothing to these shots they are straight out of the camera

 

[peter_friend]

1) Your first photo is at to high ISO: 1600.

The SX50 HS have a very small sensor. This apn is for outdoor pictures with very good light.

Dont go over 400 ISO with this camera.

For your picture, take at 80 or 100 ISO.

2) Your indoor picture is also taken at high ISO: 800. To high for the small sensor of your SX50 HS.

Next time, try to take similar picture of people with flash and ISO: 400 max.

You said that you have a T3 from Canon. Sure that reflex camera take better picture than your SX50, in general.

Hope i help.

Peter.

 

[ludwik123]

You are using a tiny sensor camera. At low iso quality is fine. However it degrades quickly with increasing iso.

First photo. Why iso 1600 and shutter speed 1/800 ? I would have used iso 200 and shutter speed 1/100. You are shooting relatively wide angle and people are not moving, why the fast shutter speed?

Second photo is in low light. To use a lower iso either use a flash, introduce more artificial light or ask the people to move to a lighter location.

 

[Lake Wobegon]

I try everything I can to stick with 80 ISO and only move up if nothing else works. I have even capped the ISO at 800 and that is stretching it.

Once I accepted the flash necessity for inside shots, my life became easier.

 

[Bassy]

this is iso 320 with flash

 

[bkford]

So many wonderful responses to my question, I don't even know where to start with replying. First of all, the answer to "why are you using those settings?" is this: Because I don't know what the heck I am doing. It is a brand new camera. I no longer have my T3i because I wanted to have a great zoom without lugging around a huge lens. I had my T3i P mode set to where it almost always took good pictures, so I wasn't really taking advantage of the features of it anyway. So, I get it about ISO (had no clue, obviously). I have checked the Function menu, and the quality is set to L. I do not know how to check for JPG quality. Here's what it says on JPEG on the Function menu: JPEG 11M 4000x2664 Standard Image Type. I don't see anything about superfine. I have not changed any color settings or any settings.

 

[bkford]

I don't know what is meant by "metering." Sorry.

 

[filibuster]

I have checked the Function menu, and the quality is set to L. I do not know how to check for JPG quality. Here's what it says on JPEG on the Function menu: JPEG 11M 4000x2664 Standard Image Type. I don't see anything about superfine. I have not changed any color settings or any settings.

OK BK The aspect ratio of your images is set 3:2 from your description here. Perhaps that is what you prefer having come from a DSLR. You can change it to the default 4:3; it’s a matter of personal choice.

But you can squeeze a little more quality from your jpeg images by selecting SL (Superfine) but note; this is not available in ‘Auto’ mode so that is perhaps why you are not seeing it.

Use 'P' mode if you are nervouse about using AV or TV. Scroll down the options available from ‘Func Set’ until you see ‘L’ then press the ‘Disp’ button (bottom left) and make your choice. The ‘Superfine’ option will write fewer images to your SDHC card.

--
Quote hhgttg: Life is wasted on the living.
filibuster (Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, UK)

http://picasaweb.google.com/scenic.filibuster

 

[Bassy]

for now put the camera in p mode set iso to 80, you could choose iso auto,but for now in good light keep it at 80

a few snaps of what mine is on at the moment

press func set button to bring up the changes

choose auto white balance for now when you know more you can choose what ever suits the day

most of the time i use evaluative metering

mine is on 12 million 4.3

you have to press the disp button left of the menu button to choose superfine then press func set button so that the camera remembers it

lets see how you get on now with these settings but remember if the camera does not like iso 80

just use auto iso for now dont just choose 1600

 

[Lake Wobegon]

Metering is how the camera evaluates how bright or dark to expose. It can evaluate the entire scene, a smaller portion of the scene around the center or an even smaller portion around where the focus point is. I tend to set one of the smaller metering points.

 

[bkford]

Thank you.

 

[adventurer69]

Yes , I was about to suggest super fine .




straight out of the camera and not even set at superfine .













I stick to ISO 80 as often as i could . All images are straight out of the camera , no pp .

 

[bkford]

Would one of you helpful folks please tell me how to set the jpeg quality at superfine? In the function menu, the only thing I can find about JPEG is to set at JPEG or RAW or both.

 

[VisionLight]

Would one of you helpful folks please tell me how to set the jpeg quality at superfine? In the function menu, the only thing I can find about JPEG is to set at JPEG or RAW or both.

Take a look at Bassy's reply above. (if you're not used to this site yet, just click on the word reply. It's a link.) He did a really great job. Remember that you can not be in AUTO mode. Many settings require that you be in Program, Tv or Av modes.

Ed

 

[bkford]

Oh my goodness, how did I miss this? I see others that I missed as well, maybe because I was in "flat view" or maybe because I thought I had already seen those replies. Thank you so much.

 

[bkford]

Thank you so much, this is very helpful. I'm sorry I missed this response before!