Brand new, question on settings

[InkedMarie]

Hi all,
I'm not a photographer by any means, I just take alot of pictures. I have a Sony DSC-HX1. Generally, I love the camera, easy for people like me who want simple. My only issue is when I attend concerts. Last night, we went to a concert and the lighting was anywhere from blue to red. I seem to get the best pictures if I choose the sport mode but they still aren't as nice & clear as I'd like. My son can get the pictures I want but he does stuff to my camera that I am clueless about, with changing settings. Does anyone have any advice for me? I try the easy setting and auto but they end up grainy and blurry. I'm a novice, I just want clearer pictures, especially during a concert. Thanks in advance!

Marie

 

[radiorickm]

I guess I'll be the first to jump in.

That seems to be a very nice bridge camera you have.

There are things in life that confuse the camera computers...A concert is probably one of them. A WHOLE lot of dark area, with some brightly lit subjects.
It's in cases like this that you, the photogrpaher, have to take over control from the computer. Shooting in the MANUAL mode here could most likely help you get a little better
picture.

Learn how to control the three functions of the camera in manual mode, the Shutter speed, the Aperture, and the ISO speed. (it is a learning curve...sorry)
Also remember, the more you zoom in, the less light the lens will let in, so you have to compensate.

Using a high ISO (your camera goes up to 3200) is the first step. Making the sensor as "sensitive" as you can. Controlling the exposure by manually setting the Aperture and shutter let you decide what amount of light to let in.

YOu will get lots of recommendations, like Peterson's Book "Understanding Exposure" if you want to go that far in learning.

Good Luck

 

[photo guy]

Use manual mode would help as well ask your son if he would be nice enough to help teach you some of your camera's features so you can understand it more and take better shots.

 

[Tiberius47]

Hi all,
I'm not a photographer by any means, I just take alot of pictures. I have a Sony DSC-HX1. Generally, I love the camera, easy for people like me who want simple. My only issue is when I attend concerts. Last night, we went to a concert and the lighting was anywhere from blue to red. I seem to get the best pictures if I choose the sport mode but they still aren't as nice & clear as I'd like. My son can get the pictures I want but he does stuff to my camera that I am clueless about, with changing settings. Does anyone have any advice for me? I try the easy setting and auto but they end up grainy and blurry. I'm a novice, I just want clearer pictures, especially during a concert. Thanks in advance!

Marie

You really need to understand the settings on your camera and what your son is doing, that way you can set the camera yourself. Have a read of the tutorials in my signature. They'll give you a good foundation.

 

[InkedMarie]

thank you for the responses. My son is a great photographer, he has a Canon Rebel, I believe, with all sorts of gadgets to go with it (tripods, lenses, flashes). He has used my camera to do what Radiorckman suggested. Tiberius, I will read the tutorials. Many thanks to all of you!

 

[SCraig]

A word of advice: Learn to use manual mode BEFORE you try to take something important. In manual mode YOU will make all of the decisions as to the exposure, the camera makes none. If you make the wrong decisions or use the wrong settings you will probably get nothing but overly dark or overly light photographs. If you plan to truly learn to use a camera then you need to learn how the settings work. If you don't then just stick to the automatic or semi-automatic modes and let the camera make the decisions for you.

Also I don't necessarily agree with cranking ISO to the maximum. If it is low light, which is the primary reason you would use high ISO, you will get a lot of noise in the photographs, especially in shadow areas. Before you start cranking ANYTHING to the maximum I recommend that you learn what the advantages and disadvantages of doing so are. Nothing is free in photography, the light doesn't change. If you change a setting so that you gain in one respect then you will lose somewhere else.