Camera help!!!!

[lukenick1]

Hi all.
I own a Canon powershot sd500 digital elph camera and its terrible. Ive had it for a while now (maybe 4 yrs) and the night shots are always terrible. I am going to NYC next week to enjoy all the Xmas decor and would love to come hom with some nice pics of the lights and trees. Can anyone make a recommendation for me for a new camera? Or can someone offer expert advice how I can set my camera for good nighttime pics?? I'm clueless when it comes to this and I really want to capture this trip.
TIA

 

[OK!]

Well, my favorite camera for nighttime shots and preserving atmosphere is the Olympus Stylus 820. It's fabulous for that. The tradeoff is that it tends to have a bit of a soft focus; things are in focus, definitely, but they won't appear as sharp as with other manufacturers' cameras.

The setting I've used for "lights"-type shots on the Olympus is one of the "dummy" settings in Scene mode, called "Use available light." What it does is pull in all of the light that's available in the scene you're shooting so it's well-illuminated without being blown out, like what would happen if you used a flash.

This was taken with the Olympus and some of the fuzziness is my fault; I didn't have a tripod and shot this hand-held. But you get the idea.

I still use this camera for situations like this and it's one of my go-to concert cameras because it performs VERY well in changing and unpredictable lighting conditions, but the point & shoot that I use for everything else (I have a DSLR; I just don't carry it with me everywhere like I do the P&S) is a Canon PowerShot SX 200 IS.

 

[ogreenlee]

your elph will work fine if you are on a tripod.

you can buy a mini pod or mini gorilla pod (google) and carry it with you. prop it up on a rail (great with gorilla pod), turn your flash off and practice.

you can try using your manual controls on your camera, too.


however, if you want a new one, but still want a P&S, then i'd suggest the Panasonic Lumix. well.. then again, it depends on how much you want to spend.

how much do you want to spend?

 

[lukenick1]

Thank you....your pic of the Osbourne's lights came out great! I can get outdoor shots with my canon at night but like you said if you don't use a tripod they are blurry. Thats what I'm trying to avoid. I can't possibly carry a tripod with me. Most of the pics I plan to take in NYC will be at night. It's so frustrating.

 

[ogreenlee]

Thank you....your pic of the Osbourne's lights came out great! I can get outdoor shots with my canon at night but like you said if you don't use a tripod they are blurry. Thats what I'm trying to avoid. I can't possibly carry a tripod with me. Most of the pics I plan to take in NYC will be at night. It's so frustrating.

This tripod will fit into a small camera bag. Not a pocket-sized camera bag, but a small camera bag.. no bigger than a european shoulder bag.

http://www.amazon.com/Joby-GP1-EBEN...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1259636163&sr=1-2

 

[lukenick1]

your elph will work fine if you are on a tripod.

you can buy a mini pod or mini gorilla pod (google) and carry it with you. prop it up on a rail (great with gorilla pod), turn your flash off and practice.

you can try using your manual controls on your camera, too.


however, if you want a new one, but still want a P&S, then i'd suggest the Panasonic Lumix. well.. then again, it depends on how much you want to spend.

how much do you want to spend?

under $200

 

[ogreenlee]

under $200

then i'd stick with canon, but make sure it has Image Stabilization. If you don't have a tripod, or don't want to carry one, then use a trashcan or a ledge of some sort to help stable the camera. If you don't have that option, then lean against something. Another way to steady the hand/body is to breathe in.. breathe out... pause.. snap. holding your breath while trying to snap makes you wobbly.

manual controls.. set the F-stop(aperture) number low (this means wide really, the lower the number the bigger the lens opens up and the more light that can get into the lens.) then up your ISO number. you'll get grain with the higher ISOs, so try to stay under 800 if you can. play around with this before you go. practice in your living room without using a flash.

good luck.

 

[OK!]

I second the vote for the Gorillapod. I have one, too, and it comes in VERY handy on trips because it's so small. The legs are also flexible and can be wrapped around railings and stuff if there isn't a big flat surface available to use. That said, you can also improvise without a tripod and use things like trash cans, etc., to brace the camera on/against. The ones at WDW are fabulous for that because they're so wide; the only problem is that a lot of them tend to be wobbly.

 

[lukenick1]

manual controls.. set the F-stop(aperture) number low (this means wide really, the lower the number the bigger the lens opens up and the more light that can get into the lens.) then up your ISO number. you'll get grain with the higher ISOs, so try to stay under 800 if you can. play around with this before you go. practice in your living room without using a flash.

good luck. [/QUOTE]


"F-stop(aperture) number low" are you speaking about the exposure number??? That is the only option I have in manual besides ISO, color choice, and megapixels.

 

[ogreenlee]

i didn't think about it not having full manual control.

you'll probably have to spend more money to get those on a p&s. my old kodak p&s had manual controls and is how i learned how to use an dSLR.

do you have "aperture priority" on your camera?

 

[lukenick1]

do you have "aperture priority" on your camera?

NO

 

[ogreenlee]

I'm guessing that they just don't make P&S with manual controls anymore.

Ok, then I'd look for a camera that has some control over ISO and has HD video capability. I saw a Lumix and Kodak in your price range with that. Make sure it has Image Stabilization.

Look at www dot steves-digicams dot com for reviews in your price range, too!

 

[ogreenlee]

oh, and look around today!! it's cyber monday. you may find a great deal UNTIL MIDNIGHT!

amazon has some nice cameras on sale and so does best buy.

 

[Golf4food]

We have a Photography board full of helpful people here, you know.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=30&f=97


Without a tripod you will be very hard pressed to get any truly good night shots out of a sub-$200 P&S camera from any manufacturer. If you want Ferrari performance you don't buy a Pinto...

 

[lukenick1]

UPDATE!!!

Bought a new camera yesterday. Love it! Got a Canon SD780 IS. Takes amazing pics! Thanks for all the advice

 

[OK!]

Congrats! Enjoy it!!

 

[wdwmom2]

UPDATE!!!

Bought a new camera yesterday. Love it! Got a Canon SD780 IS. Takes amazing pics! Thanks for all the advice

Good to know!!!

I have a Canon S3IS and needed a really small camera to fit in a pocket.

Anywho, i bought a Nikon Coolpix, got it home, and hated the pics. Now Nikonians, don't hate me, I used to have a Coolpix that took outstanding pics. This Nikon just didn't live up to it's name.

I took it back to Best Buy, sucked up the 15% restocking fee(make sure you do your research BEFORE you leave home to purchase anything!!), and then purchased the Canon SD 780IS. Can't wait to fully test it out!!

 

[lukenick1]

Good to know!!!

I have a Canon S3IS and needed a really small camera to fit in a pocket.

Anywho, i bought a Nikon Coolpix, got it home, and hated the pics. Now Nikonians, don't hate me, I used to have a Coolpix that took outstanding pics. This Nikon just didn't live up to it's name.

I took it back to Best Buy, sucked up the 15% restocking fee(make sure you do your research BEFORE you leave home to purchase anything!!), and then purchased the Canon SD 780IS. Can't wait to fully test it out!!

you will not be disappointed. Takes great low light pics IMO~! i will try to post a sample pic i took.

 

[lukenick1]

took this pic on auto setting no flash......

[/IMG]

 

[wdwmom2]

took this pic on auto setting no flash......

[/IMG]

Very nice! Now I can't wait to put it to the test! Have fun with your camera.