Bought a Semi Professional camera -- any tips?

[AleffCorrea]

Well since so many members on this forum know how to take a picture (very) well with a professional camera, I though it was a good idea to ask here... I bought this semi-professional camera (http://www.fujifilm.com/products/dig...finepix_s4000/) and I'm crap on taking pictures. I can only take pictures outside on daylight, and inside with flash. I want to know if someone have any tips to take pictures in the dark and inside places without getting a grainy mess...

[APE]

That is easily solved with a short bit of reading:

http://www.digitalslrphoto.com/dslrb...ter_speed.html
http://www.digitalslrphoto.com/dslrb...uides_iso.html
http://www.digitalslrphoto.com/dslrb..._aperture.html

For indoors you'll probably want to open the aperture up a bit and increase ISO. Shorter shutter speeds=better for moving objects and plenty of lighting where as longer shutter speeds are better for darker environments and stationary/very slow objects. You'd want to use a short shutter speed for taking pictures of a hummingbird and longer for celestial objects. You'll have to play around to find what works for different environments. What really sucks is taking a bunch of shots of something important such as a wedding or birthday party and finding out that your ISO was way off and the best you can do is photoshop it for a slight improvement.

Point and shoots are great for most electronics so long as you get used to turning flash off and playing with macro mode. The Canon I've been using (consumer grade Point and Shoot) has modified firmware loaded on boot that extends the functionality greatly. Get plenty of aperture, ISO and shutter speed settings that weren't there previously as well as RAW support. Most people I know scoff at using it for anything "professional" but I don't have the budget for something fancier and learning how to get things right is part of the fun.

[Yakumo]

I use a Panasonic GF2 (just noticed the GF5 is out now!!) which is a very nice camera. At first I had no idea how to use it but after a bit of trial and error and learning about ISO and aperture it has become easier to use. I still need to work more with it though. Basically, what I'm saying is that you're not going to become a great or even good photographer over night. It takes time to learn the camera and then you need to learn what to look for in your pictures.

Post production plays a big part in photography also. take a look at this image which was taken from the image below it.


Original shot


Here's a test photo I did to work out the shutter speed. You'll need to do tests like this to find out what works best for your camera.


Yakumo

[Borman]

Read the manual! That'll explain everything you need to know. I still read the manual of the new cameras I buy, and Ive spent a lot of money.

Youll want to ween yourself off of the auto mode. Auto mode is more trouble than it is worth. And if at all possible, avoid the crappy flash that is built in.

Not all lens are created equal, either. The one that came with the camera isn't the fastest, so low light photography is all but out of the question without being extremely careful.

And lastly, dont look at other peoples pictures and think "My shots suck!" Think about how you can make yours better, in terms of composition and lighting in particular. The GF2, while better than a point and shoot, isn't a miracle camera (heck, neither is my 2000$ camera). Take your time, be patient, and HAVE FUN! That's what it is all about.

[AleffCorrea]

Thanks for the replies!

@APE, thanks for sharing those links and tips, very interesting. I wonder if I can change the firmware of my Sony Cybershot?

@Yakumo, sweet camera! But how one does post production, specially color correction?

@Borman, yes I took my time to read it, but besides being a very bulky manual, I was still confused by it lol... and I agree on Auto mode, I only take good pictures when I use manual mode... well at least better than those grainy ass auto pictures.

Well I'm going to do a test run today to see if I can take some good pictures.

[Yakumo]

For post production many modern cameras have some sort of built in software however while this may work to a point you'd be much better saving the RAW files to a computer then using software on that. I use Adobe Lightroom which really is good. It can take a dark grainy image and make it look beautiful. It's also great software for all manner of clean up jobs. The only problem is that it's pretty expensive.

[AleffCorrea]

For post production many modern cameras have some sort of built in software however while this may work to a point you'd be much better saving the RAW files to a computer then using software on that. I use Adobe Lightroom which really is good. It can take a dark grainy image and make it look beautiful. It's also great software for all manner of clean up jobs. The only problem is that it's pretty expensive.

I guess I'll get real good on photographing and then buy some software. And no I'm not going to pirate it, if it is too out of reach I'll simply not use it.

[APE]

I guess I'll get real good on photographing and then buy some software. And no I'm not going to pirate it, if it is too out of reach I'll simply not use it.

The Gimp is a pretty good (and free) photoshop alternative with plenty of tutorials out there. I'd imagine few "professionals" use it if they can afford Photoshop.

[Does_anyone]

Yep, always shoot in RAW and never use the terrible auto-mode to shoot.

[Yakumo]

DaE is right about auto shoot. For the most part it either focuses on the wrong thing, has the wrong shutter speed or just looks ass. If you have time to set up your shot you should always use manual or at least auto Focus Single (AFS) not Auto Focus Continual (AFC) because that will keep changing focus and more often than not bugger up your shot if you're going for an arty image.

As mentioned, it's all about trial and error. I tried to read my cameras manual (both of them) but for the most part I just got lost. Messing about with the camera and reading tips will help you out the most.

Yakumo

[retro]

Get a book on photography, learn about metering, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field etc.

I hate the term semi pro for these cameras - they're not. No pro would ever use one of these. It's OK for learning the ropes, though - although I'd favour a cheap SLR personally, if you're wanting to get into photography. Still, as a point-and-shoot camera, it's a nice bit of kit. I'm sure you'll have fun with it ;)

[AleffCorrea]

I hate the term semi pro for these cameras - they're not. No pro would ever use one of these.

Too true retro, I knew I shouldn't have used that term. One thing that annoys me is Auto-Focus (and I don't even know how to take nice pictures yet!), there is nothing related to it that can be changed besides Aperture.

Thanks for all those extra tips! And I'm sure I'll get a photographing book so I can learn the basics, and I'll read the links posted here in the meantime. Again, thanks a lot!

[retro]

Oh, it's not your term - it's often used mistakenly for this sort of camera. Or prosumer. Semi pro is more a mid-range SLR, really.

There's nothing wrong with autofocus - everyone uses it. It's often much better than manual focus. If you hear someone saying put your (SLR) camera in manual, they mean manual mode, NOT manual focus!

I've just had a brief look at the manual for the S4000. It has manual mode, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Program Mode, just like a "pro" camera. If you're leaving it in auto, of course you won't be able to adjust shutter speed, ISO or aperture!

Your best bet is to get a book on basic digital photography, really. Understand those controls and those modes, and you'll be better off ;) Back in the days of film, I learnt a lot from John Hedgecoe's books. He's dead now, sadly... but I'm sure he probably wrote something on digital photography. Have a look at the photography section of your local library or bookshop and find something that's written in a way you understand.

[geluda]

Get off green mode and practice practice practice! Just get out there and start taking photos! It doesn't matter if your first photos are rubbish, they're bound to be, just star experimenting with apertures, ISO and shutter speed untill you get the picture you want. I've took over 1500 photos and I'm still learning, it's a slow process but you'll pick it up eventually. I suggest going on YouTube and watching some tutorials, I suggest http://www.youtube.com/user/FontanaKnowledge his videos are funny and informative. Also check out digitalrev, lots to be learned there. I like the combination of photography and comedy, makes for a fun learning experience.