Any idea why all my pictures suck?

[Cool-Beans]

I got them back and probably 70% of them are blurry - but not because things were moving. Kind of diplopia-like, sorta like you'd be seeing if you were really, super-sloppy drunk. Inside, outside, good sun, overcast, whatever.

Many of them also have an overall REALLY blue hue to the whole thing. I don't know if that's related or if that is Walgreen's fault or what.

It's always worked like a charm before. It has a big owner's manual, but I never read it. I've always just used it like an old-fashioned camera. Look through it, click the button.

I have a Nikon Coolpix 5.1 (or 5.2 - I can't remember.) The thing is several years old. Maybe I just need a new camera. But it always worked just fine before.

It screwed up my Orlando pictures and my son's graduation. Obviously, I'm pretty upset about the graduation and don't want to repeat that experience.

Any ideas/tips would be extremely appreciated - even if it is, "Go buy a new camera, you big dope!"

 

[Master Mason]

could you post a couple of examples

 

[Steve's Girl]

Check the lens for fingerprints, smudges. May also want to try to have a few printed somewhere else and see if it was a problem with the printer.

 

[dr_zero]

Do the pictures look ok on a computer or the view screen?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

probably 70% of them are blurry - but not because things were moving. Kind of diplopia-like, sorta like you'd be seeing if you were really, super-sloppy drunk. Inside, outside, good sun, overcast, whatever.

There are a couple of ways you can get blur. One is when something is moving; another is when the camera is moving. Even the slightest movement on your part will cause the picture to blur, especially if the setting is such that the shutter stays open longer.

There was a discussion the other day here which you may find helpful. It was about graininess, but discussed the exposure triangle, which is also relevent here, I believe.

Check it out and see if it helps. I'm not sure what settings you were using at the time, but you could experiment with different ones to see whether changing them helps. At any rate, understanding how exposure works will help anyone trying to take good photos. Good luck (and be careful hanging out here - before you know it, you'll be buying a dSLR! )

 

[Mick00]

could you have possibly have had a short timer on the camera so that you nay have thought the picture was taken but it only took after you moved it? I know sounds silly but my mam had hers set on a timer and didnt realise why her pictures were blurry for ages haha.

 

[drcandon]

Do the pictures look ok on a computer or the view screen?

Agree with dr_zero..what do the pics look like on your computer - zoom in with whatever program you use to view them and let us know what you see

However..DW had a coolpix 900 series camera - real nice sharp lens ( for its size) etc etc...then after a recent trip the later pics were lousy - blurry and pathetic exposure ( sound familiar)..oh well- its old time to junk it..then remembering basic photography 101 looked at the front lens element - dirt and big rain smudge beyond belief..duhh..grab lens cloth- clean lens - camera now work...with my DLSR I am always cleaning the front filter (1 a of course) - but I guess I must of thought with these fang dangled new cameras then lens clean themsleves...

Oh yea..I dumped my local Wallymart developing because they dont change the tanks or whatever often enough..if you go early in the week the pics are okay..later in the week they get increasingly crappy as far as chroma casts go..

 

[elizke]

Usually when that happens to me, I find there is a setting set wrong somewhere, like I accidentally left it on "Night scene" or something.

 

[dr_zero]

Agree with dr_zero..what do the pics look like on your computer - zoom in with whatever program you use to view them and let us know what you see

However..DW had a coolpix 900 series camera - real nice sharp lens ( for its size) etc etc...then after a recent trip the later pics were lousy - blurry and pathetic exposure ( sound familiar)..oh well- its old time to junk it..then remembering basic photography 101 looked at the front lens element - dirt and big rain smudge beyond belief..duhh..grab lens cloth- clean lens - camera now work...with my DLSR I am always cleaning the front filter (1 a of course) - but I guess I must of thought with these fang dangled new cameras then lens clean themsleves...

Oh yea..I dumped my local Wallymart developing because they dont change the tanks or whatever often enough..if you go early in the week the pics are okay..later in the week they get increasingly crappy as far as chroma casts go..

Good call on the cleaning alot of the new cameras have built in lens caps and you dont see the front till its on so it gets missed cause you are looking at the back screen normally when it on.

These are handy for just such occasions