What am I doing wrong?

[Daisy57b]

I constantly have blurry pictures!! AGGH!! I just got the Rebel about two weeks ago and have been practicing. My trip to Disney is THIS WEEK!! But I don't want blurry pics! I've found that on auto, my camera likes to use flash and that just doesn't work for a lot of indoor pics. So I've been changing the settings to AV mode and to me it's taking good pictures, but when I get home on the computer they are blurry - it's camera shake because the shutter speed is too slow. I can't seem to get the camera to go less that f4.

So...since my big trip is THIS WEEK!!! Should I go for P mode? What would you suggest? I don't like auto because of the flash always coming up.

 

[robertchance]

i know this is basic, but did you read your manual from front to back,, and really understand what you r reading? Also, there is a right way and a wrong way to hold a SLR type camera,, make sure you are doing that correctly,,

 

[Kelly Grannell]

also how do you hold the camera have something to do with it too. Focus point may also be your issue.

also visit: http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/index.html

 

[Daisy57b]

Yes I have read the manual!! Several times!! I guess it takes time for it all to sink in! I do think it's the focus point issue... I'm re-reading the link Kelly just posted - thanks. I have a question about the little dial at the view finder. Do you always adjust this? The link just says to adjust until the view finder looks sharp. I've never touched this dial until now.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

this is how you're supposed to hold your camera:

other dSLR basics:
http://canon.ca/digitalphotography/english/learn.asp?sid=12

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I personally would rather use P mode, select only the middle AF point and when shooting, I focus the camera to the object using the middle AF point then recompose before I fully pressed the shutter.

 

[boBQuincy]

In the "basic" modes the Rebel will not go above ISO 400. That, coupled with the 3.5 -5.6 18-55 kit lens is going to result in a slow shutter speed when used in low light.

"P" mode will allow use of the higher ISO, up to 1600 as I recall. When the light is really low, setting the lens to it's widest focal length will give the widest aperture. F3.5 is still not usually enough for low light so you might want to invest in Canon's lowest priced lens, the "nifty fifty" 50 mm f1.8. With ISO 1600 and f1.8 you can get decent images inside Spaceship Earth and Splash Mountain.

Still skeptical?
http://www.mindspring.com/~bobquincy2/wdw/sse/sse.html
http://www.mindspring.com/~bobquincy2/wdw/splash/splash.html


boB

 

[MICKEY88]

this is how you're supposed to hold your camera:

other dSLR basics:
http://canon.ca/digitalphotography/english/learn.asp?sid=12

who is the photographer

 

[WillCAD]

Forget AV mode except for specialty shots. AV mode requires you select your aperture, then sets the shutter speed automatically to give you the best exposure. But if you are manually selecting too small an aperture, then the shutter speed will automatically get longer, and your pics will be blurry.

For general purpose photography, P mode works best on the Digital Rebel. P mode automatically selects both aperture and shutter speed for best exposure.

For indoor pics with no flash, the only thing you can do is to take shots with as little motion as possible. There are two ways to do this - 1) Choose subjects that are not moving, and 2) Hold the camera as still as possible; bracing against a solid object will help, as will holding your breath and relaxing your arms (locking your arms actually causes minute tremors in your muscles).

A good rule of thumb that my friend taught me was that anything slower than 1/30sec will usually blur the pic if you take the shot hand-held. Of course, that varies depending on your aperture, focal length, ISO speed, and your own personal steadiness, but 1/30 is a good cut-off point for going from hand-held to braced or tripod.

I have personally gotten some very usable shots hand-held at speeds as slow as 1/15sec, but that's with a lot of practice at holding the camera steady, and using wide angle (vibrations are more visible at longer zooms).

Practice, practice, practice.

 

[MICKEY88]

A good rule of thumb that my friend taught me was that anything slower than 1/30sec will usually blur the pic if you take the shot hand-held. Of course, that varies depending on your aperture, focal length, ISO speed, and your own personal steadiness, but 1/30 is a good cut-off point for going from hand-held to braced or tripod.

I
Practice, practice, practice.

1/30 is too slow for the average person, 1/60 is a better cutoof,

but using the inverse method is better yet, in order to hand hold your shutter speed should be the inverse of your focal length, or faster



focal length of 100, shutter should be 1/100th

300,shutter speed of 1/300th

etc..
the greater the focal length/magnification the higher the shutter speed neccessary to eliminate any camera movement...

a 400 MM lens will greatly magnify the smallest of movements...

 

[Kelly Grannell]

who is the photographer

not me

 

[Daisy57b]

Thanks for all the great tips! I will keep practicing!

 

[Magix]

Yes I have read the manual!! Several times!! I guess it takes time for it all to sink in! I do think it's the focus point issue... I'm re-reading the link Kelly just posted - thanks. I have a question about the little dial at the view finder. Do you always adjust this? The link just says to adjust until the view finder looks sharp. I've never touched this dial until now.

Are you talking about the diopter? You just need to adjust it once (unless it gets out of whack later for some reason). Just point your camera, hold the shutter half-way to focus on something (something with text makes this easy), then adjust the diopter until that object looks focused through the viewfinder. That way, when the camera says it's focused, you'll be seeing clearly through the viewfinder so you can double-check that it's really focused on what you want it to be. You can use the diopter if you wear glasses, but don't want to have them on when you're taking pictures. I have mine adjusted to work with my glasses, since I don't want to take them off when I'm shooting (need to be able see when I'm not looking through the camera). Hope that makes sense...

 

[boBQuincy]

Just one point to clarify the diopter, it adjusts the viewfinder so you can see the image in focus but it has no effect on the camera's focusing ability. The camera will get the image in focus whether the diopter is set or not.

One good use for Av mode, it can guarantee you are always at the maximum aperture, thereby giving the fastest shutter speed available for the conditions.


boB

 

[Deedee]

Hey Kelly you post a pic of yourself so we can put a face to our expert helper

 

[Deedee]

sorry missed the word should out of the last post.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Hey Kelly you post a pic of yourself so we can put a face to our expert helper

Sorry, can't fulfill that request, other than my passport and driver's license photo, I don't have pics of myself. Even pics of my wedding and childhood were lost in the fire way back when in 1998

 

[MICKEY88]

Sorry, can't fulfill that request, other than my passport and driver's license photo, I don't have pics of myself. Even pics of my wedding and childhood were lost in the fire way back when in 1998

can't or won't....LOL


I'm guessing that a professional like you has a tripod, and could very easily do a self portrait...

 

[Kelly Grannell]

what is a tripod?

 

[MICKEY88]

what is a tripod?

Next time you happen to find yourself in Pennsylvania, let me know, I'll take your picture for you since {you don't have a tripod} ....