For the "Shutterbugs"

[TW]

With all the people on here that either have digital cameras, or have just gotten or are looking into getting a digital camera. I thought that it would be a good idea to have a thread where we can share tips on how to get the most out of our cameras.

Let's start with the assumption that you have done your homework and found the camera that best suits your needs. The first thing that I wound suggest is get a good camera bag, one that will pad and protect your camera. It should also have enough storage so that you can carry extra batteries, etc..

The next accessory that I would suggest is a tripod. You will really need one if you are taking pictures using any level of optical magnification (telephoto lens). Tripods eliminate camera movement, which result from trying to hold the camera perfectly still while shooting. I also recommend using a tripod when shooting in the macro mode. Tripods come in a wide range of sizes, pick the one that will best suit your needs. Camera size is important here, larger cameras need larger tripods. Personally I don't care for monopods, they still allow some movement.

This is the combination that I use for my more serious work:



It is my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 mounted on a Velbon 9000 tripod. I like this tripod because all the adjustments (vertical, horizontal, and height) can be locked in place. It has a 90 degree rotation of the camera pan that allows changing from the landscape format to the portrait format. It also has a leveling bubble to aid in set up, each leg has two adjusting points to compesate for uneven ground. The camera can be set up anywhere from 22" to 66" off of the ground.

Here is an extreme example of the benefits of using a good tripod:



This is the Pineda Causeway, shot with my FZ30 using 12X (12 power optical magnification) at a range of 5.2 miles, and that point of land visible under the center of the bridge is 9.76 mile away. At that range even the slightest movement would have ruined the picture (blurred), however the image is crisp and clear because I used a steady base with the tripod. BTW, the picture has not been retouched, only resized to fit on the forum.

The rest of you "Shutterbugs" are welcome to jump in and offer your own tips, we can have a lot of fun with our cameras.


TW

[EagerBeaver]

I don't have any advanced camera equipment yet, but I shoot with a Sony CyberShot DSC-P72 that I have had for over four years. I got a cheap tripod at a garage sale just to act as a steady base for photos because I despise the flash and I do a lot of nighttime photography.

Once the photos are taken, I do a lot of editing in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, a photo developing software for Windows and Mac. Lightroom has some cool presets for high and low contrast black and white photos, and I have tweaked those around and created some images for the web header on my blog at www.chris-brewer.com.

I also do trick photography, although I haven't done any of late. I have one photo that was taken in complete darkness where I stitched the background together with three of me in the foreground. It's available to view at my MySpace profile.

What I want to get, if God ever sees fit to provide me with a job in which I can actually stop treading water financially, is a Pentax K100D Super. Very inexpensive camera that takes really good photos and the lenses are only around $500 each.

[Gerald Creasy]

I was looking at tripods yesterday (for possible future purchase).

The first question I had in my mind- being absolutely camera clueless- is the mounting system.

Some tripods had some kinda squareish slot looking base.
Some had screws sticking out on which to screw your camera. Well my camera has a screw hole in the bottom. So I guess I need that type, right?

Are all screws/screwholes the same size or will I need to look for A tripod specificly for my camera?

(Yeah, I coulda asked the salesmen but the sales people at Circuit City are idiots)

[EagerBeaver]

Normally the screw hole in the bottom type are universal. Each camera I've seen has that screw hole, except for a few older Kodaks.

[TW]

Gerald, Chris is correct, the screw/screw hole is universal. Most tripods that I have seen have some sort of mounting plate that is locked in place by a cam (lever):




The red arrow points to the locking lever on my tripod.




Rotate the lever to release the mounting plate.




The mounting plate can now be removed from the pan.




This shows the bottom of the mounting plate with the screw head. Use the screw head to make the attachment rather than trying to screw the camera down onto the plate. This is because there are often spring loaded pins in the mounting plates (used to align some camera bodies), and screwing the camera down can break them.

When you put the mounting plate back on the tripod make sure that the lever locks it into place, you don't want the camera to fall off the tripod.

BTW, I concur, the sales people at Circuit City are generally idiots, and the ones that aren't will try to sell you anything just to make a sale.


TW

[Penny]

BTW, I concur, the sales people at Circuit City are generally idiots, and the ones that aren't will try to sell you anything just to make a sale.

I have to 100% agree to this.

[Gerald Creasy]

AH, Thank you TW (and Beav) I understand now.

I can really learn quite a bit from this thread.

[Gerald Creasy]

One thing I stumbled upon in trying to take photos of performers is the performers being out of range of my flash (no matter it seemed how close I was). I noticed that when I took avis with my camera the light levels were way different.

So I started snapping and turning off the flash. The light levels were closer but the movement was very blurred.

So I turned to "Sports" setting, without flash and got results like below.



NO FLASh on Sports setting 20 feet away:



Same venue. Same lights. 10 Feet away with flash:




I still get a little blur on sports setting. I guess I could try to make the shutter speed quicker???

I don't know. Like I said I am an amateur.

[TW]

AH, Thank you TW (and Beav) I understand now.

I can really learn quite a bit from this thread.

Just wait till we get to using light, and the "flash." (Sorry Beav,)


TW

[TW]

Gerald,
If you camera uses SD cards you might want to consider getting s couple of Scandisk SD Ultra II or Scandisk SD Extreme cards. Their a little more expensive but . . . the Ultra writes at minimum of 9Mbps about twice as fast as a normal SD card, and the Extreme simply "smokes!" That should allow you to shoot with high shutter speeds in low light conditions.


TW

[Gerald Creasy]

Gerald,
If you camera uses SD cards you might want to consider getting s couple of Scandisk SD Ultra II or Scandisk SD Extreme cards. Their a little more expensive but . . . the Ultra writes at minimum of 9Mbps about twice as fast as a normal SD card, and the Extreme simply "smokes!" That should allow you to shoot with high shutter speeds in low light conditions.


TW

I just checked I have the Scandisk Extreme III.

I really need to find a good way to learn all about aperture, shutter speed, etc etc for digital cameras. But unfortunately my mind starts glazing over with all the technical stuff when I try to read up on the web.

[TW]

Gerald from the pics that you posted you aren't too far off, play with the shutter speed some and see if that doesn't help.

Now while we are on the subject of using a flash, let's examine it a little closer. Although unlike the Beav, I don't "despise" the flash, I really don't care to use one in most cases. I have found that most of the time the normal flash washes out the shadows and highlights, and those are the elements that you want the most. Shadows and highlight are what give your photograph depth, Here's a photograph that I got off the web (Gerald try to control yourself ):



And here is what it would look like if you used most flash cameras:



All I did here was add light with my Photoshop program, just as your flash adds light when you take a picture. As you can see, the colors are washed out as well as the shadows and highlights.

I prefer working without the flash. I try to use the ambient light when ever possible. If I have to use additional light I prefer to use diffused light or reflected light. Light diffusers can be as simple as a couple of layers of 20 wt. white paper taped over the lens of the flash, anything that will soften the light when the flash goes off. Reflecter are easy to make, you can make one with an old umbrella. Open the umbrella, spray the inside surfaces with aluminum, not silver, paint. You want to avoid surfaces that shine, so make sure that you spry the bows and center shaft. Shine your light into the umbrella and it will reflect a soft light back onto your subject. I will use the flash in some cases, such as a large dark room where my subject is some distance away. More light is not necessarily better.

Beav, I checked out your blog, nice work my man.


TW

[RamboPreacher]

I have that same tripod. though only occasionally use it.

GC, I have found that the best way to learn is by doing. the "film" is free, go out and take a bagillion pictures, experiment. but remember or write notes on what you are doing for the pictures. Don't be afraid to do things that don't seem logical, or that you don't think will or should work. what are you going to lose? you don't have to show anyone the pictures, learn from them, and learn your camera. admittedly, knowing the terminology and stuff of photography can help get you there faster, but it is not necessary if you really want to learn.

I am no photog, but I have learned to use the light that is available in ways I didn't think was possible without a flash or a tripod. I couldn't teach anyone what I do, but I do know my camera, and the learning curve every time I get a new one shortens.

I never understood why people that have digital cameras are so afraid to take pictures. Yes, I took over 7000 pictures while on a two week trip, and yes, I deleted about 5000 of them. saved a couple thousand, and didn't miss a single thing that I wanted to take a picture of. they are mostly "snapshots", but they are good ones, and hundreds are poster-quality, in my opinion.

[TW]

That is good advice Rambo, I know one person that shoots in the video mode. Then goes back through the video, frame by frame, until he finds the perfect picture. It's a scattergun approach, but it works for him. And yes, I delete most of what I shoot, but not nearly as much as you. Of course most of my photographs are more "static" than yours, it's just a difference in styles.


TW

[TC]

quick notes... a tripod or mono pod( ONE leg) is a must for most digital cameras to get any kind of shot without movement. Most digital have shutter lag and that is where you get the movement.

High speed memory is fine but the problem is too many cameras don't take advantage of the speed. And unless you are shooting a sporting event or several actions shots. the Pic will be written to memory faster than you will take the shots. On each of my canon Digital SLRs I use reg mem cards and I can shoot 5-8 shots without lag.

Forget the high megapixal stuff. I shoot most things in my med range (4-6 mp) and I have blown up to 16x20 and you can not really notice a difference in that and the 10+ mp pics. Also most of the digital printers that Walmat and stores have can not really print pics with high MP rates. They say they can but usually the bog down and crash, either while uploading or processing.

Yes take tons, you can always delete. I did my cousins daughters wedding (my first all digital wedding) I shot over 3000 pics. The only problem is picking which pic is the best. For the State conventions, two years ago I shot something like 3500 in 4 days. This past one I did something like 3000 but with the background and the lighting this past year It was so harsh that I did not like the shots unless I was right in someones face.

When not on Tripod go with a faster speed, and lower apt (lower the # the larger the opening... meaning more light) but with a larger apt then you need to make you limit movement. Also if on a tripod, if you can use a tripcord ... DO... many people get movement while reaching for the shutter button. If you can use direct sunlight that is the best, remember to check white bal on digital cameras (if it has one)

Forget about ditigal zoom, All this is, is just like taking a any pic and zooming in on it from your computer with the mag glass. Optical zoom is what you need to look for. Forget trying to frame closely most cameras do not give you exactly what you see (esp the ones with the screens on the back) so make it not as tight and you can adjust in post.

My fav camera right now is my Canon 30d less mp but a great shutter and feel. Settings are easy to adjust. It feels like a film, shutter sounds like a film. It is heavier than my Reble XT and XTi and both of them higher Mp but I would not trade either for the 30. There are a few problems with the 30, You can not use screen as view finder and screen is not that large for the size of the camera. But those issues were resolved in the 40 but 1500 is still to high for me to buy a 5th digital... (but if anyone wants to buy a XT barely used (maybe 100 pics) I would be happy to sell that one. I am using white lightning lights and a bogen tripod and mono pod.

G... don't buy tripods at any of the local camera shops, or Electronic stores. Walmart, Kmart and Meijer has some good ones at reasonable prices. Also I have bought a few off ebay for less than 40 bucks that are good for the money. Just make sure you get the foot (part that attaches to camera and the it fits the tripod) Velbon is a good consumer market tripod