iso and focus

tbrownarcher · Sep 3, 2007

Here is a picture that i took at about 10:00 pm. I used an sp 550 uz Olympus camera.

the settings were.

shooting mode.... manual

Focal Length....... 8.6mm I do now know how this is set unless it's the zoom

Shutter ............. 2.sec

f.NO.................. F4.0

exposure............. 0.0 EV

flash................... OFF

Color Space.......... sRGB Where do you set that ?

ISO Sensitivity ..... 5000

Macro.................. Off

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd254/tbrownarcher/P9020012_01.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd254/tbrownarcher/P9020012_01.jpg

My question is one of quality. I realize that the 5000 iso I used is really high. I'm just trying to get a fix on what I'm doing wrong. I have experimented with smaller ISO and aperture settings but the quality seems to be a bit lacking no matter what I do ... Is taking a night picture like that going to be just like this or can I get better ...

Thanks,
Tbrownarcher (nate)

jeeper · Sep 3, 2007

tbrownarcher said:
I'm gonna send this first and see if i can upload image later after i read the instructions since i don't see an option to upood here

You have to upload them to a photo hosting site and link to them.

tbrownarcher · Sep 3, 2007

Yep! I'm trying ! I got them up there I jsut haven't had a chance to edit and put a link up should be there in a few minutes

Thanks,
tbrownarcher (nate)

SteveLuke · Sep 3, 2007

In my opinion an iso speed of 5000 is almost completely useless. Use a much lower iso and a much slower shutter speed. Those two things plus a tripod will equal much better quality night shots. An example could be 100 iso and around 30 seconds for your shutter speed.

three_eyed_otter · Sep 3, 2007

Higher ISO = Higher Noise

What was your White Balance set to?

have a good one
3Eo

itoncool · Sep 3, 2007

Lower your iso, 100-400 (I prefer lowest), Smaller aperture to get longer detail, Wider aperture to get focused detail, USE TRIPOD (a must), cable release or remote to avoid camera shake... then, try different speed, you could get many result from different speed (15sec, 30sec, 60sec, etc)

Garbz · Sep 3, 2007

For a night picture ISO100 is a must with digital cameras. Noise is induced with longer shutters, but it is induced even more if you amplify the signal from the sensor (increase the ISO). The lack of sharpness in those images looks like the result of very aggressive noise reduction needed to make the image viewable.

pandinus · Sep 4, 2007

I read in "Practical Photography" a few months back that one should at all times try to use the lowest possible ISO setting. So if the lowest ISO setting for your camera is 200 you should use this as often as possible. This is to reduse noise. (I remember my first SLR (35mm) when I used ISO 100 or 200 film the photos where of great technical quality, but when I used 800 or higher the photos becomes grainy.)

tbrownarcher · Sep 4, 2007

three eyed otter:
there is a menu for white balance but it's just a bunch of icons i don't understand. It was set on Auto wb when these pictures were taken

I can't find my book right now but i remember seeing something that said to take a picture of a white sheet of paper being mindful of shadows. I wonder isn't that going to also be dependant on the type of light and the intensity of it ?

How do i set it ?

Thanks,
tbrownarcher (nate)

tbrownarcher · Sep 4, 2007

Garbz:

Here again I have lost the book tonight. (instruction book) I can't seem to get more than a few seconds shutter speed. I think 4 seconds is it. I do remember that I can keep the shutter open for several minutes but I don't know how and I can't find the book nor when I did have the book could i understand what it was telling me.

It seems the camera is more automatic than just in the Auto setting. I'm having trouble taking control of it even in the p s a and m settings. It has a mind of it's own and mine seems to be subject to it rather than the other way around .

thanks,
tbrownarcher (nate)