T4i - is this a better camera than a point and shoot?

[crotonmark]

I would like to see some of the soft photos you speak of.

Too many to post my question is more philosophic anyway.

If you are not happy with your photos, then it's not philosophic. Just pick 1 or 2 to let us see what you are referring too. My first thought is were you shooting in RAW? If so, then you may just need adjustments in PS or LR or some other program. But to answer your question, the T4i is better than most P&S cameras. I say most because there are some pretty expensive high-end P&S camera's that can take some extremely good photos.

I shoot in JPEG - I think the problem is composition and that I was just hoping I could get better pictures with a DSLR
I had issues trying to shoot stained glass in a church - I couldn't get the colors to pop
I had issues with the roof at Wimbledon. It was white against a grey sky and I couldn't get it to pop out - also the rest of the bldg was green with ivy - if I changed a setting for the roof the bldg would be too dark
Does this make sense?

 

[peter27]

I think a lot will depend on how you meter the scene. For the windows I might have used spot, for the tennis court centre weighted (and swept the camera a bit and split the difference).

 

[iolair]

If your photos are soft, the likely causes are:
- camera shake
- missing focus

To deal with camera shake you need to either get a faster shutter speed (by increasing the ISO and/or increasing the aperture (decreasing the aperture number)), or reduce the shake - by making sure Image Stabilisation is turned on for your lens (if it has it), or putting the camera on a tripod.

If the focus is off, you will see looking closely at your images most likely that SOMETHING is in focus, just not the thing you wanted. Learn how to change the focus point your camera uses.

Sometimes inability to focus can be due to a fault in the lens or the body, but its FAR more likely its down to settings or technique.

If the colours are disappointing
- make sure you set your white balance appropriately (or learn to set a manual white balance)
- check the colour settings on your camera - I only change it in postprocessing because I shoot in RAW, but you can set it in camera for JPEG) - there should be a saturation level. Try increasing this one or two positions.
- it's also possible that the colours are fine, but your monitor is not displaying them correctly. You can try adjusting the colour balance on your monitor or using a calibration tool with it.

If you have trouble keeping detail in bright areas while showing the colour on dark areas - welcome to the club. That is a characteristic of camera sensors, which don't see the range of brightness in the image as well as the human eye can. However, there are a couple of ways you can work around this. If you shoot in RAW and learn to edit the curves on your computer, you can often bring out detail in both light and dark areas more effectively. Alternatively you can take 'bracketed shots' (e.g. one dark, one light, one in-between - eliminating camera movement between the shots using a tripod) and combine them using 'HDR' (High Dynamic Range) software to preserve the details from all brightnesses.

It's still worth posting one or two images that you found disappointing here, as we'd be able to offer more specific advice.

 

[crotonmark]

Ok. I'm on my way to work. I'll post some this evening.

Thanks!

 

[o hey tyler]

Too many to post my question is more philosophic anyway.

Lol. The question is far from philosophic. Considering your question posting history I think seeing images would help deduce your issue.

 

[crotonmark]

Too many to post my question is more philosophic anyway.

Lol. The question is far from philosophic. Considering your question posting history I think seeing images would help deduce your issue.

Sorry - what is my question posting history?
My concerns are generally how did I screw up this time

 

[o hey tyler]

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...orum/306956-why-aren-t-these-shots-focus.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/canon-lenses/295994-brand-new-t4i-not-wowed-please-help.html

If your concerns are "how did I screw up this time," then it's imperative we see images.

 

[jaomul]

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...orum/306956-why-aren-t-these-shots-focus.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/canon-lenses/295994-brand-new-t4i-not-wowed-please-help.html

If your concerns are "how did I screw up this time," then it's imperative we see images.

This. You will get lots of help here if you enable the help. Post some shots with exif data and someone will have you pointed in the right direction in no time. As mentioned earlier you can try your camera in auto mode just to see that it works as it should. Without photos it is all just guess work

 

[Bulb]

I'm actually serious. I am a newbie who just went to London and Paris. My photos are no better than if I shot with a camera on auto. I shot in manual or aperture priority

Basically my pictures are dull. I shot with a 2.8 17-50 lens and a 35-106 3.5/4.5
The cropped sensor made it very hard to get wide angle photos.
The photos as shown on the LCD screen were not the same as on the computer.

I know I'm vaguely ranting but does anyone know what I mean?

Mark

I think I've found your problem. As a newcomer to photography, I can sympathize.

Here are a few basic things that I've learned which may help you:

Photography is Light
Exposure is the collection of light by the camera. Nothing more, nothing less. Your camera uses the Exposure Triangle to determine which exposure settings it needs. First it does metering to determine how much light is in the scene and how much light it needs to make a 'well exposed' photo. In program mode, the camera will do its best to decide each of the three settings (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) that it needs. In the other modes such as aperture priority, you decide on one setting and the camera will choose the others. Except for manual where you choose every setting yourself, your camera will always arrange the three settings in a way which will give you a good exposure. Everything moves in 'stops' or doubling and halving of the numbers. If you want the same exposure (which the camera will always aim for) you can't change one number without affecting one of the other two. In your other thread, you ran into trouble because you were in aperture priority and you set the aperture to a fixed number. This meant the camera could only change shutter speed and ISO to get the shot you wanted. Although it seems that you actually had auto-ISO turned off which meant that the only setting that could take the hit was shutter speed. Shutter speed went to an alarmingly-low 1/13th second and resulted in a blurry shot. If you don't have enough light to work with then you either need to make your own light (with a flash, external light, etc.) or give up and forget the shot. If you're shooting in raw (look it up) then you may be able to under-expose the image and pull a bit of detail back out of it in post, but it won't look like a well-lit photo.

Manual Isn't As Useful As You'd Think
The only photos I've taken in manual are of the moon. And I actually had to do a bit of research before I tried it. M doesn't stand for "Master of the Universe" and it doesn't make you a professional. If I need DOF, I use aperture priority. If I need motion stopping or blurring, I use shutter priority. If for some strange reason I need to control both at the same time (almost never) then I'll switch to manual. It's also worth mentioning that manual doesn't work the same. The camera will not help you get the best settings. It will usually tell you if you're over or under-exposed though. Check your manual.

It's not the Camera, Sort of
Your camera will not make you a good photographer. Better cameras will give you a technical advantage, but they won't make your photos any good. Buying a DSLR isn't a substitute for studying the basics of both exposure and composition. Good photographers get better results on cell phone cameras than your average person can get on a high-end DSLR. That being said, if none of this is news to you and you already know all of this, your camera may be limiting you. I'm not sure of the low-light capabilities of your camera, but perhaps they're just not good enough for the types of places you take pictures?

What no Camera Can do
The camera can also only do so much. Its job is to capture an image of the world as it sees it. It just doesn't see like you see. It doesn't hear, see, smell, feel, or experience any of what makes the scene memorable. Human perception is altered by experiences. Camera perception is not. It also doesn't have the dynamic range or low-light seeing that you do. Shoot in raw and then in your raw editor you can make the image a perfect representation of what you shot. Or at least make it look better than what the camera saw. The truth is that nearly every image needs to be altered in post. That's just how it works out. For example, I liked the way my shots of the moon turned out, but I still needed to go back in post and drop some of the black out of the sky and add a bit of contrast to the surface. That's just what it takes to recreate the vision that you have.

 

[crotonmark]

Thank you Bulb and everyone
My issue really is with the outcome and not the camera
My real question is how do you learn to take better pictures - that is what I am trying to discover
I am sure, once I get over myself, that the camera is not the problem
It is the person behind the camera
I have read Peterson and my manual many times
I get frustrated that I can't do what others do - or what Peterson makes look so simple

 

[Juga]

Thank you Bulb and everyone
My issue really is with the outcome and not the camera
My real question is how do you learn to take better pictures - that is what I am trying to discover
I am sure, once I get over myself, that the camera is not the problem
It is the person behind the camera
I have read Peterson and my manual many times
I get frustrated that I can't do what others do - or what Peterson makes look so simple

Many of the photographers that write books as educational pieces, like Peterson, have been honing their skills for YEARS. Everyone gets frustrated at times but the important thing is to keep learning and not to be close-minded when it comes to advice. This forum is a very good tool to learn from if you allow it.

 

[JacaRanda]

Thank you Bulb and everyone
My issue really is with the outcome and not the camera
My real question is how do you learn to take better pictures - that is what I am trying to discover
I am sure, once I get over myself, that the camera is not the problem
It is the person behind the camera
I have read Peterson and my manual many times
I get frustrated that I can't do what others do - or what Peterson makes look so simple

There is a learning curve which for normal people takes time. No microwave here.
You may try to read one or two pages of your book and immediately afterwards go practice/try the actions or concepts mentioned. Try taking baby steps in the beginning.

 

[6kimages]

Thank you Bulb and everyone
My issue really is with the outcome and not the camera
My real question is how do you learn to take better pictures - that is what I am trying to discover
I am sure, once I get over myself, that the camera is not the problem
It is the person behind the camera
I have read Peterson and my manual many times
I get frustrated that I can't do what others do - or what Peterson makes look so simple

Let me give you some advice .I used to have a highend (at the time) P&S .When I went to a dlsr , i found my initial images did not seem as nice at all????? however after years of reading forums having my photos critiqued and listening to pro's I now should more in Manual than any pre set.Understanding your camera and ALL of it's functions (imho) is key to being able to get the most out of your T4i .IT IS a very capable camera , like anything what you put into it you will get more out of it .yes it will take time and experimenting .Time and Patients

 

[crotonmark]

Thank you Bulb and everyone
My issue really is with the outcome and not the camera
My real question is how do you learn to take better pictures - that is what I am trying to discover
I am sure, once I get over myself, that the camera is not the problem
It is the person behind the camera
I have read Peterson and my manual many times
I get frustrated that I can't do what others do - or what Peterson makes look so simple

Let me give you some advice .I used to have a highend (at the time) P&S .When I went to a dlsr , i found my initial images did not seem as nice at all????? however after years of reading forums having my photos critiqued and listening to pro's I now should more in Manual than any pre set.Understanding your camera and ALL of it's functions (imho) is key to being able to get the most out of your T4i .IT IS a very capable camera , like anything what you put into it you will get more out of it .yes it will take time and experimenting .Time and Patients

thanks everyone for the advice
ill look for some images to post
i really appreciate everything everyone has written.


Mark

 

[kay1547]

this may come off a little rude, but im not trying to be. The camera is only as good as the operator. when i first got my dslr, i thought like a noob i would get studio quality pictures, what was i thinking...
needles to say i was disappointed just like you, but i didnt give up, i joined forums and did my homework. Photos i take now compared to the first day i bought a dslr is night and day difference, but this came after spending countless hours reading and watching youtube tutorials, not to mention spending another $3k on top of the camera for lenses, flashes, and other photo equipment.

Basically what im saying is learn learn learn, the camera will do much more then you realize if you put the effort into it. I suggest learning the camera settings first, this will help out big time, a wrong setting could totally throw off the camera. then when you have mastered that i would learn to shoot raw and process your photos with lightroom, this step alone to me was like WOW!!! I feel this could do more for your photos then a L lens could. then last of course if you got money to waste, get some good L glass.
if your shooting indoors a lot with low lighting a good off body flash is like the first thing to buy, makes a huge difference from the flash that comes with the camera. this in itself takes time to learn to use correctly.
but i think you get the idea by now, its not the camera that makes a good photo, its the photographer.