help newbie 1st trip with fuji fine pix s5000

[disneyfan328]

Ok, I am new to the boards, and my DH and I are taking our 3 kids to Disney for the first time in Sept. (DH and I were there once before) I have a fuji fine pix s5000 digital camera.

I know that a lot of you have nicer more elaborate cameras, but this is all I have and since all my funds are going to make this trip happen, this is the one that I will be using. Don't get me wrong, I love this camera, my issue is that I truly don't know how to use it.

Any tips advice ect on night shots, fireworks ect would be very much appreciated. I figure I could practice on the 4th of July?? I have pretty much only used the auto settings, and although I have gotten some pretty great pictures, I know that if I knew more about how to do it they could be even better. I truly want to be able to make this a memorable trip. I am terrible about taking tons of pictures, but I think its becuase I have almost no pictures of myself growing up and I don't want that for me kids. I hope that there is someone out there on these boards that has one of these cameras or knows enough about them to help me.

Thanks so much - I look forward to hearing from you!!

 

[YEKCIM]

I used an S5200 last July and was very pleased with the results, especially considering what I paid for the camera. The S5000 differs in several ways from the newer S5100 and S5200, particularly in sensor size. The S5000's smaller sensor means that your camera tops out at ISO 800, and is probably not very usable at that setting. That means that you'll be restricted to ISO 400 and below, and you will probably not be very pleased with any low-light pictures you might attempt, unless you are photographing a static (non-moving) subject and can use a tripod or other support to keep the camera still. That said, the S5000 has a very usable zoom range, that is the equivalent of a 37-370mm lens on a 35mm film camera. In good lighting (outside, daylight) you should be able to get some great shots. I set my S5200 to the "Chrome" color mode as soon as I got it and never changed it back. "Chrome" mode will give you more "pop" in your pictures, and I found that it did not adversely affect skin tones.

Beyond that, I would suggest you shoot in "P" mode, and experiment with A (Aperture Preferred...you set the aperture, the camera selects the correct shutter speed) and S (Shutter Preferred...you set the shutter speed, camera selects aperture). Since there is no film cost, you can experiment to whatever degree you need to, w/o any additional expense.

For fireworks, you will want to use a tripod, if you can. Try ISO 100 or 200, an aperture of f/8, and a long (several seconds) shutter speed. I'm no fireworks expert, but did some Independence Day shots last year, using about those settings, *with* tripod, and they turned out pretty well. Have not tried stills of f/w at WDW, though.

Good luck, and be sure to post some of your shots here and maybe on the Picture Of The Day Thread when you get back.

Please feel free to browse my 2006 WDW photo gallery (link below) to see what the "chrome" mode looks like, as they were all shot in that mode.

~YEKCIM

 

[Groucho]

You may also want to scan a few pages of threads here in the Photography board... fireworks and low-light issues come up very frequently.

Don't feel bad about your camera, it's a pretty nice one from what I hear and probably more capable in low-light than most point-n-shoot cameras.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I agree with Groucho - don't feel badly about your camera. I've gotten some pretty good shots at Disney out of my point and shoot and I'm sure you will, too. It's not just about the camera; it's about the person behind it, too.

I don't know if you have a tripod. They sell very small ones for around $15 at Best Buy that you can keep in your camera case or purse. When you are getting ready for the fireworks, set it up on a trash can or somewhere steady nearby. When the fireworks start, keep shooting - you're bound to get some good ones. The same can be said for inside shots without flash (remember, you're not supposed to use flash on many rides). The reason for this is because without staying very still, your shots will be blurry. If you don't have a tripod, you can use something else to lean on, but a tripod does come in very handy and is a good investment if you like to take pictures. (I keep a small one like this in my purse at all times.)

As for the settings to use to get the best shots, well that may take some practice with your particular camera using the advice from YEKIM above. It'll be good to practice this week so you can see the results before your trip. Your daylight shots won't be a problem; it'll be the low light shots which may be, for the most part. That's because most point and shoot cameras don't do too well in low light, so it takes some practice to figure out how to maximize the best results from your particular camera.

Many people just use AUTO but your shots can be improved using other settings too. (There was a thread here last week explaining some basic photography terms: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1494707&referrerid=70088 but you can also go on any photography website to have them explained as well. It's helpful to know what they mean so you can make the best use of your camera - however, if you have to use AUTO or can't be bothered with using other settings, don't worry, you'll still get some nice shots.)

Join along here if you want: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1235546&referrerid=70088 I was going to ask the question about what settings to best use for fireworks. The cameras are different but the principles are the same.

Best of luck and have a great trip! Hope you'll show us some pictures when you get home!