One Week with My New Canon S2IS - I'm totally lost... (pics inside)

[lucky978]

I finally bought my Canon S2IS last week. I have never used anything but a point and shoot camera on Auto setting. I really want to learn more about this camera and all about the manual settings it has.

This was vacation week for the kids from school so we had a few activities planned. So what a better chance to try out my new camera!!!

First was a hockey game. I only used 'Auto' setting (hey, it was the first day). I think I did okay....(these were all taken behind the 'net' that protects you from flying pucks.

Then it was was off to the New England Aquarium. This is where I began to run into trouble. I used the Auto mode, then I decided to try Indoor Mode and Night time Mode.

This snake pic was taken through the glass.

The problem I have is when things move , they blurr in the picture. I assume that once I learn how to use all the functions I will be able to control this? Any thoughts? I can't very well ask the Penguins to stay still while I take their picture...

Last night was the Incredibles on Ice. What a great show it was! It was my big chance to take amazing close up pictures of the skaters. Hmmm..

Not so good.

Why won't they stay still long enough for me to take their picture??? LOL.

Any thoughts/advice/comments besides take a class? I'm going to try to read the manual, but honestly I don't even know what aperture and shutter speeds do?

I certainly do have my work cut out for me.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

boost the ISO to 400 an hope for the best. (that will increase the shutter speed)

 

[makinorlando]

Kelly had given me these links that I have been reading and find helpful. I got the same camera three weeks ago.

about the correlation between shutter-speed, aperture, and ISO
http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/p_2_005.html

about aperture by itself
http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/p_2_006.html

about the effect of lower vs higher aperture against depth-of-field
http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/p_2_007.html

 

[Dan Murphy]

Another thing you can try is to make the shutter speed a little quicker (on either shutter priority or manual) and then, if the picture seems a bit underexposed, push it a bit with photo editor, like Adobe Elements 4 (a great program) or other.

And, I must say, for your first use, the pictures sure look great to me, a great beginning, IMO.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Not bad for your first time!

TC

 

[handicap18]

Hey lucky maybe one of these we could do a little photo shoot at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA one of these days (they're advertising Jaguar Snow Cubs on exhibit right now). I say that because it says you live in MA near the NH border. I'm in Burlington, MA and DS always loves going to the zoo. Its not the best zoo in the area, but it works. I've been thinking about going just so that I could play with my Nikon D50. I could also offer some hands on photo help. I'm not the best photographer in the world, but I do have an understanding of the basics and maybe a bit more. Just something to think about.

Great start with the photos. Keep shooting. Don't be affraid to experiment even if its just in the back yard.

 

[RadioNate]

I'm still learning too. I shoot a lot of hockey. I've been using the Tv mode at 1/400. I did a few in manual at 1/400 f4.0 but I'm not sure how well I like those. I keep trying to increase shutter speed and see what my results are. I agree about increasing the ISO to 400. That is a great small change that really helps.

 

[robertchance]

2 things you can do for yourself to help the situation, go to a bookstore and by a good basic photography book and read it a few times to understand it, and find a real camera store, not a bestbuy or wallmart type of store, but a real camera store that only deals with photography and ask them for the phone#s of local clubs and go to a meeting and ask questions. local colleges also at times have photo classes in the evening for folks who want to learn more then just the basics.

 

[Ratpack]

Photos look good to me, I still get them like that and I have had my new camera for several months. I don't know anything about your camera, but does it have a sports setting? If so, try that and it may help take the "action" shots.

 

[scorp111]

Blur is a common challenge under low-light conditions.

Aperture and shutter speed are two different ways of basically doing the same thing, which is controlling the amount of light allowed in to your camera. They are also reciprocals of one another.

Under low-light, you need a slower shutter-speed to allow more light in. Shutter speed too slow with a moving target? Blurry photo is the result.

Generally for the indoor low-light, you want your aperture to be open as wide as possible,(a lower f-stop) and then you can usually speed up your shutter a setting or two.

I would recommend buying the National Geographic Field Guide to Photography. It is a wonderful book to get some of the basics down.
I currently have a Canon S1 (the predecessor to the S2) and it helped me get more out of my camera. I expect to buy my first DSLR camera later this year.

You can check out some of my pics at http://thekraftfamily.smugmug.com