Optimal Settings

[Alicia87]

So what would the best settings be for my Canon S5 IS to get really crisp, clear pics? I'm still a newbie.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[ukcatfan]

Sorry, but it is not that easy. Every different situation and light source calls for something different. I suggest starting on P mode and start doing a little learning. It might be best to pick up a book like "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Remember also to depress the shutter halfway to focus, that will help in getting your pictures clear and sharp.

 

[Frantasmic]

In direct sunlight, set your ISO low (80-200) and use the dial to go to TV and select 1/200. That would be pretty good for outdoor, well lit conditions. If you use your zoom, you may want to go down a bit on the shutter speed. If it is an especially well lit sunny day, you may want to go up to 1/400.

Indoors, it does get rather tricky. Your best bet is to take lots of pictures at various settings to see what you get and what you like. If you do need to "get" a picture, P works well too.

I took my S5 to a pro baseball game last evening and they had fireworks. I used a monopod and still had too much shake with my camera for the fireworks to work, but it was fun playing with all the settings during the game as darkness approached.

 

[ukcatfan]

In direct sunlight, set your ISO low (80-200) and use the dial to go to TV and select 1/200. That would be pretty good for outdoor, well lit conditions. If you use your zoom, you may want to go down a bit on the shutter speed. If it is an especially well lit sunny day, you may want to go up to 1/400.

I believe that this is too general. Photography is just too complicated to make a blanket statement like that work all the time. There are times where 1/200 will be too much light even at the smallest aperture and over-expose the shot. Also, even 1/400 might not be fast enough for the long end and could allow camera shake blurring. A better way to learn in my opinion is to start changing the aperture to control the DOF while paying attention to the shutter speed to make sure it is fast enough.

The basic rule of "1/focal length" for the shutter speed to prevent blurring should help. For example, a focal length of 50mm calls for 1/50 shutter speed to prevent blurring from the camera moving. To keep the subject motion from causing blurring, then you usually need a minimum of ~1/200 if it is moving, but that can be more depending on how close you are and how fast it is moving. It would not be fast enough for shooting a car passing at 45mph when you are on the sidewalk, but might be enough if you are shooting from a fourth floor window.

 

[Code]

I believe that this is too general. Photography is just too complicated to make a blanket statement like that work all the time.

Have to agree with what ukcatfan said. If you are a newbie, your best bet is still auto mode or the camera's many scene modes until you start gaining a basic understanding of exposure. The next step is to use Program mode (P) with ISO on auto so you can change the settings that are not related to exposure. Beyond that, you'll need at least a basic understanding of how ISO, aperture, and shutter speed relate to each other then you can move on to aperture and shutter priority modes.

The book ukcatfan recommended is a great place to start taking it beyond auto.

 

[jenseib]

I have been learning for over 2 years and still learning new stuff all the time. But to really start "getting" it I would suggest reading some books. I have read a few on basic photography and on photoshop (which still confuses me alot. LOL) and I do have that book recomended earlier and it's great too. But if you don't understand what the shutter and Iso and aperture do, you will be lost in using manual settings.

also see if a local camera shop or museum off classes. I have taken a few and learned so much from them.

 

[jenseib]

One other note, be sure to read your manual. I never did this in the past, and now I do, and it's amazing what you learn about your camera by just doing that.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

The one best setting is.....Auto. To do better than auto, you need to know what particular setting will work best for the situation that you are in. Things like light levels, subject motion, amount of zoom, subject color, and light distribution all affect how you want your camera set up for a shot. The more you know about photography, the more control you'll want over your camera. Until you learn more, I think that Auto is your best mode.

 

[Frantasmic]

Well, I didn't intend for my post to be the definitive reply.

I bought my wife a Digital Rebel back in 2004 and she was the primary camera person. I finally caught the bug a year ago and got the S5 as my first camera. I was surprised to learn that my wife, after 4 years was STILL USING ONLY AUTO. We had purchased this really nice camera with a couple of decent lenses and she wasn't progressing.

My suggestion was a means to start a newbie S5 user, just like I was a year ago, with something to at least getting started out of Auto. In bright sunlight, the S5 takes pretty decent, crisp pictures in low ISO and and 1/200 and above (higher) shutter speeds.

Of course, the best means to get good pictures right out of the box is to use Auto or the P mode. What everyone else says is correct about learning to use the camera. Until the OP does learn the ropes, Auto will work.

 

[caniswolfie]

The others have said this in much more detail than I have, but I will add an analogy to the situation you have asked.

Think about a normal kitchen oven. What you have asked is similar to asking at what temperature and time should I use on my oven to cook everything perfectly?

To further the analogy, for a large roast (or night picture), you may need to have a low temperature (Low aperture) and cook for a long time (slow shutter speed).

Whereas for pizza (Bright sunny day landscape photo), you may need a high oven temperature (high aperture) and a short cook time (fast shutter speed).