New FZ35 Owner (Somewhat Discouraged)

[Christopher_C]

Originally Posted by kibaris

One question though: where is the ball???

Ha- I was too slow on the button with that one!

[flyhigh]

Originally Posted by saly

Christopher, one caution. Point meter and Point focus settings are great for still subjects but may be very hard to use on fast moving subjects.

saly, its harder to achieve focus with a p&s as it uses contrast detection auto focus rather than phase detection like dslrs. (its a reason for not getting a focus lock so easily if an object has same dark colour as the background)

camera uses some fixed focus points while doing AF and there are chances the subject may not be in line with any of these points. if you don't use spot focus, there is plenty of chances camera will catch a wrong point to focus or may not lock a focus point at all.

it is like firing a gun.... with spot focus, u know where to aim at, u get the target, press the shutter button halfway, and then press it all the way if desired focus lock is achieved.



shooting in burst mode helps too.

[Christopher_C]

Okay, finally had a chance today at lunch to tinker with some of the recommended settings. I feel much better about things- I was able to get (to me anyway) colors looking far more vibrant and natural.

I hope to try my luck again this weekend with some action shots (cross country), but for now, here's a couple pictures I took today:

[saly]

Christopher - these are beautiful shots. Particularly, the first is really nice! I bet you are hooked now, like I am after playing around with the camera for a month.

[Christopher_C]

Thanks saly. Yes- it's definitely addictive! I take the camera everywhere I go now, just in case "I see something". I like the first pic too, the sky was "bluer" in that direction, which helped. And as suggested in this thread, I think the sun was in a better direction for that picture.

[Clint501]

Both shots look nice but the first one really stands out.

[Christopher_C]

Thanks guys. I'll be testing my action photos again Saturday as one of the kids has cross country. Hoping the spot focus and spot metering help there. Got to do some re-reading in the manual to learn about adjusting the aperture.

[saly]

Originally Posted by flyhigh

saly, its harder to achieve focus with a p&s as it uses contrast detection auto focus rather than phase detection like dslrs. (its a reason for not getting a focus lock so easily if an object has same dark colour as the background)

camera uses some fixed focus points while doing AF and there are chances the subject may not be in line with any of these points. if you don't use spot focus, there is plenty of chances camera will catch a wrong point to focus or may not lock a focus point at all.

it is like firing a gun.... with spot focus, u know where to aim at, u get the target, press the shutter button halfway, and then press it all the way if desired focus lock is achieved.



shooting in burst mode helps too.

flyhigh - I agree that point meter and focus produce the best result. I just wanted to point out that it's difficult to keep the small "x" on a fast moving subject.

Christopher - try different setting and keep track of them so you know which works best for you situation. Again, also try the Outdoor Sports setting in the advance scenery mode. It's full auto but camera selects the best settings for your condition.

[Christopher_C]

Thanks Saly. I took over 50 pictures yesterday, and wrote the setting down for each one as I took them. Then, I went over them to compare the differences. As you said, this is a big help.

The pic above of the house: AWB, ISO 80 (was selected automatically), exposure -1, contrast +2, sharpness +1, saturation +1, Noise Reduction 0.

Saturday will be the real test, as there's no time to sit, tinker, and write down settings and results. They run by and they're gone. What does everyone do for I.Exposure? Also, my "Min Shtr Speed" is grayed out on Program mode. Is that normal? I will definitely try the Outdoor Sports setting.

[Christopher_C]

Okay, for some reason, I'm not grasping how to adjust the aperture in Program mode. Trying to follow in the manual, I hit the joystick. Only thing it seems to adjust is brightness/exposure. ie, I can't get to the the f___ number...

**Quick Edit: Got it figured out. Had to take the camera out of intelligent iso mode**