awful night and indoor pics-need new camera help...

[miss missy]

My night and indoor pics come out with faces washed out... glowing on skin... awful pics at night with the camera I have Fuji Finepix A350. It is only 5MP so I know it is way out dated too. Day pics are better-see siggy. But we are night people here and all my trips consist of a lot of night time. Plus so many indoor pics with rides and such.

Can anyone suggest a decent replacement camera for me? Nothing crazy, just a average camera. I have 4 cards for the Fuji, so would be nice to resue them.

I shoot on auto for the most part. I am just taking for family memories, i am no pro. I dont have time to play with setting when we are playing at WDW.

Here is an example of a bad pics which happens a lot.
I fixed the red eye and cropped it, so I was not as close as it seems.

 

[Nikel]

In your examples, the problem is your on camera flash. Any camera you use, just thrown in auto and using the onboard flash, is going to produce similar results.

 

[ducklite]

You can try taping a piece of tissue paper over the flash to difuse it a bit. I agree with Nikel, it's not the camera, it's the flash.

Might be an obvious question, but what dies the owners manual tell you to do with using flash at night outside? Sometimes there is a seperate setting you should use, although I am not familiar with the camera so I can't give you more info.

 

[ukcatfan]

Look at the Fuji S6000fd if you want to stay with that brand. http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/fuji/finepix_s6000fd-review/

Be careful with MPs. You do not need the 10-12MP models as they are usually worse for low light than something in the 5-6MP range. As with all p&s cameras, do not expect too much for low light without a flash.

Kevin

 

[miss missy]

So are you guys saying I have to do settings for night? Or I guess I am asking... what should I do in the case of I needing to take shots at night? better camera... settings????

 

[Code]

In your examples, the problem is your on camera flash. Any camera you use, just thrown in auto and using the onboard flash, is going to produce similar results.

Newer cameras that have intelligent flash intensity don't have this problem so much. I have the Fuji Finepix F30 and I can take a flash picture of my face at 1 foot away and not blow the highlights.

So are you guys saying I have to do settings for night? Or I guess I am asking... what should I do in the case of I needing to take shots at night? better camera... settings????

If your camera has adjustable flash intensity, turn it down when you are taking candids at close-ish range. Otherwise, time for a new camera? If low light is what you're after, stick with Fuji and get an F40fd, F31fd, S6000fd, etc.. with the SuperCCD sensor. Avoid having to use the flash at all where possible

 

[senecabeach]

Miss Missy...

IMHO... Don't be too quick to get a new camera. The fujifinepix is a great camera and has taken good indoor/night shots for me.

BTW...as I've been told by many on this site when I thought I had problems...""its not the camera, but, the person behind it that makes/breaks the shot.""

Here are a few good/bad examples taken from my old fujifinepix S5000 2 yrs ago. Hope this helps..

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I dont have time to play with setting when we are playing at WDW.

I hear you on this.

So are you guys saying I have to do settings for night? Or I guess I am asking... what should I do in the case of I needing to take shots at night? better camera... settings????

No matter what camera you have or get, it would help you to learn the settings and get as much practice taking different types of shots before you go, because many cameras do this same thing in low light using flash. The trick is to learn how to get good low light shots without relying on flash alone. It can be done, but it takes some work.

 

[TrolleyGirl]

I agree the FinePix is a great camera. I would keep it also, and get a second camera if you wish. I just finished a photography class with my FinePix which finally caused me to read my manual after 4 years of ownership. The FinePix actually has 5 different flash settings for different applications. Who would have thought a camera could have 5 flash settings??

 

[kimluvswdw]

My night and indoor pics come out with faces washed out... glowing on skin... awful pics at night with the camera I have Fuji Finepix. It is only 5MP so I know it is way out dated too. Day pics are better-see siggy. But we are night people here and all my trips consist of a lot of night time. Plus so many indoor pics with rides and such.

Can anyone suggest a decent replacement camera for me? Nothing crazy, just a average camera. I have 4 cards for the Fuji, so would be nice to resue them.

I shoot on auto for the most part. I am just taking for family memories, i am no pro. I dont have time to play with setting when we are playing at WDW.

Here is an example of a bad pics which happens a lot.
I fixed the red eye and cropped it, so I was not as close as it seems.

I have had a Fugi for a year now and it is a 6MP. I can't get a good night picture no matter what I do. I got so tired of my night pictures coming out cruddy so I finally bought a Canon S5. I do like the pictures better now.

 

[miss missy]

I agree the FinePix is a great camera. I would keep it also, and get a second camera if you wish. I just finished a photography class with my FinePix which finally caused me to read my manual after 4 years of ownership. The FinePix actually has 5 different flash settings for different applications. Who would have thought a camera could have 5 flash settings??

Hmm, I do read them actually. I don't really "play" with the settings though at WDW.

I do know I have takens over 3000 pics with the camera so far. I have gotten great shots too.

Last xmas, I couldn't get a good pic of my xmas tree for my life. Day or night and tried all the settings I dunno, I am trying tho.

 

[miss missy]

Know I am curious if I have any good night shots, I am gonna check and post back!

 

[manning]

5 MP is about where you want to be. You're caught up in the pixel war. Eveyone thinks more is better.

The problem is manufacturers pack more pixels on a sensor without making the physical size of the sensors bigger.

The more pixels they pack in the smaller the pixels have to be.

That is what causes noise problems.

If you take a DSLR and a p&s camera both with 10MP and shoot the same low light shot, the DSLR picture will have a lot less noise because the sensor is bigger.

If you have a camera with a good lense you can get 8x10 shots with 3.2 MP if you are not cropping. I do it with an old Canon G1 all the time. With a 5MP you can crop without a problem.

Look for good lense quality.

 

[Groucho]

The examples show problems with the flash blowing out highlights, which is generally a problem with a flash firing too strongly for the conditions - maybe correctable with a different setting, and newer cameras (including Fujis) have "smarter" flashes that may do better.

But there's also mention of taking photos on rides - and since we never, ever, ever use the flash on a ride that means good low-light no-flash performance, too - and that means a big sensor. High megapixel counts are the enemy of low-light performance, and big sensors are the friend. Fortunately for your memory card collection, Fuji is the king of big-sensor point-n-shoots - look for the "SuperCCD HR" sensor, found in some F- and S- series camera (not all). F30, F31, F40 for short-zoom models and S6000 and S9000 for long-zoom.

 

[miss missy]

5 MP is about where you want to be. You're caught up in the pixel war. Eveyone thinks more is better.

The problem is manufacturers pack more pixels on a sensor without making the physical size of the sensors bigger.

The more pixels they pack in the smaller the pixels have to be.

That is what causes noise problems.

If you take a DSLR and a p&s camera both with 10MP and shoot the same low light shot, the DSLR picture will have a lot less noise because the sensor is bigger.

If you have a camera with a good lense you can get 8x10 shots with 3.2 MP if you are not cropping. I do it with an old Canon G1 all the time. With a 5MP you can crop without a problem.

Look for good lense quality.

Thanks! This is good info!

 

[miss missy]

The examples show problems with the flash blowing out highlights, which is generally a problem with a flash firing too strongly for the conditions - maybe correctable with a different setting, and newer cameras (including Fujis) have "smarter" flashes that may do better.

But there's also mention of taking photos on rides - and since we never, ever, ever use the flash on a ride that means good low-light no-flash performance, too - and that means a big sensor. High megapixel counts are the enemy of low-light performance, and big sensors are the friend. Fortunately for your memory card collection, Fuji is the king of big-sensor point-n-shoots - look for the "SuperCCD HR" sensor, found in some F- and S- series camera (not all). F30, F31, F40 for short-zoom models and S6000 and S9000 for long-zoom.

It is very dark in the que areas

I edited that I have an A350. I was thinking too. Although I have a couple cards, DD also has a Fuji, so I can give her those to use too. Maybe I can change brands??? Any other brand worth making the change for?

 

[Groucho]

With flash, many current PnSs will generally do pretty well as long as you're nearby the subject of your photo... without flash, Fuji is pretty much the king of low-light PnS performance. A few others have a couple cameras with slightly larger-than-usual sensors (usually 1/1.8") in their short-zoom cameras; as long as the mp count isn't too high, they should do OK.

No PnS camera is going to let you just take a really sharp, clear photo of, say, the ghosts in the Haunted Mansion, though. (And virtually no camera, period!)

 

[chrismartinique]

The examples show problems with the flash blowing out highlights, which is generally a problem with a flash firing too strongly for the conditions - maybe correctable with a different setting, and newer cameras (including Fujis) have "smarter" flashes that may do better.

But there's also mention of taking photos on rides - and since we never, ever, ever use the flash on a ride that means good low-light no-flash performance, too - and that means a big sensor. High megapixel counts are the enemy of low-light performance, and big sensors are the friend. Fortunately for your memory card collection, Fuji is the king of big-sensor point-n-shoots - look for the "SuperCCD HR" sensor, found in some F- and S- series camera (not all). F30, F31, F40 for short-zoom models and S6000 and S9000 for long-zoom.

I've seen you say this before, Groucho, about the low light performance of Fuji. What about image stabilization vs picture stabilization? I don't grasp the difference. How will the Fugi do with my lower light action shots? How will the Fuji do when I'm not steady at high zoom or when I'm bouncing along on a ride or bus? Thank you for your help!

 

[KimAshton]

thanks you for this thread.

 

[ukcatfan]

I've seen you say this before, Groucho, about the low light performance of Fuji. What about image stabilization vs picture stabilization? I don't grasp the difference. How will the Fugi do with my lower light action shots? How will the Fuji do when I'm not steady at high zoom or when I'm bouncing along on a ride or bus? Thank you for your help!

Don't feel bad about being confused on that. It is known as many different things. You will also see vibration reduction, shake reduction, etc. What you need to look for is the word "optical" in the description of it. All optical systems either move the lens or the sensor to compensate for shake where the other non-optical systems just bump up the ISO.

For action shots, any IS system is not likely a factor because you will need to be in the 1/250 - 1/500 or even faster shutter speed range. You have to really be shaking the camera at that speed to cause blur. A more usable high ISO is what you need here. When bouncing too much the IS system is also not effective. It is designed for small movements from you not keeping your hand steady, not the bouncing of a ride. It could even make the situation worse in that type of situation. Again, a high ISO and a fast shutter speed is needed for that. IS would help with the long end of the zoom though. I believe the newer Fujis with the larger sensors have finally added IS.

Kevin