What did I do wrong ? Should I get a new camera ?

[poolhouse]

Hi,
I have a Samsung PL50 compact camera and I am questioning what I did wrong when taking some pictures. Perhaps someone with experience is familiar with this issue and can tell me. When the camera was brand new, we took it to the beach and it worked great. All pictures were fantastic and it was pretty fast. We went snow skiing last winter and I tried to take pictures of children skiing but 2 unexpected things happened #1) Sometimes the pictures came out with no image on them, 100% white. About 50% of the pictures did this. Almost all of the pictures took along time between the shutter press and the actual lens click so that I missed most of the shots completely. Tried different settings and cut the camera off, took out the battery but the same thing happened. Then a few months after that went to a horse show and tried to take some pictures of riders on horses as they went past us in the ring but only managed to get a few pictures of horses rear ends because the horse had gone past by the time the shutter clicked. Again tried different settings but the same thing happened.

We are going on vacation in 1 week to the beach and I am wondering if a new camera is in order or if "user error" is to blame for the past issues.

Thanks for your input

 

[Overread]

The problem of the shutter lag (that is the time between pressing the button and the taking of the photo) is a limitation of the kind of camera that you are using, the compacts are simply not made well enough to cater to fast sports. You can somewhat work around this if you learn to prejudge where the action will be and take the shot a little early, however this can be very tricky and less than ideal.

If you've the money you might consider looking at the higher level bridge cameras such as those offered by fuji and the like, these have a higher price and are a bit larger than the thin slip in the pocket shape you are using; they are however far faster to respond and have much reduced shutter lag (not quite as fast as a DSLR type camera, however generally fast enough for most action).


As for the white photos that sounds like overexposure, where the light most likely tricked teh camera meter into exposing incorrectly. This can happen even with top end cameras and is part of learning to use the camera; however again a bridge camera would give you more options for control with manual and semimanual settings (however most also have a full compliment of auto modes for those who are not as keen to dig into the photography controls).

Sadly I don't know this market area well enough to suggest models to you, however with an idea of budget that you have to work with some might be able to give some advice, you can also, of course, see camera reps/shop staff in your local stores.

 

[EmMcCon]

Okay for the snow there's a good chance that the snow completely fooled your camera this happens with automatic cameras sometimes, and with the horses the camera is trying to determine what you want to focus on, what aperture to use to get all of said object in focus and then choose a shutter speed that accommodates the aperture (although I've never tried photographing horses I'd assume they move fairly fast. It's a fairly common thing with automatic cameras, I just switched from a compact to a M4/3 so I know the pain

 

[joealcantar]

Sounds like you took a normal car to a 4 wheel drive location, you think everything is okay till time takes a toll. Salt air and wet environments will take a toll on any camera. Consider something that can take a little beating and get a no questions asked replacement plan (cover yourself for 3 years) by then you will be ready for another model I'm sure.
Pentax | Optio WG-1 GPS Waterproof Digital Camera (Black/Gray) | 16896
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Shoot well, Joe

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

You can do things to improve the lag though. On most point and shoot cameras, there is actually a halfway mark on the shutter button. When you press it down gently, you will feel there is a halfway mark. This will engage the autofocus as well as possible metering, or image stabilization. So when shooting someone skiing, you can focus at the half-pressed mark as you are getting ready to shoot, and then when ready to take the actual shot, finish pressing the shutter button the rest of the way down. This relieves the camera of having to do everything at once. It can divert all of its resources to simply take the picture.

Also, the cold may have played some part in slowing down your camera as well.

 

[poolhouse]

Thanks for your feedback, even though it all confirms my fears that the present Samsung camera cannot handle moving targets but does ok with stationary shots (as long as there is no snow around). I have seen the following 3 cameras on the internet and am kinda- sorta thinking I might buy one of these from Amazon before I go on vacation: Canon 600D, Canon 110D, Canon G12. It appears that the best buy for the money is the Canon 1100D at 450 Euro. The G12 is the same price but the videos I have seen on Youtube which were taken with the G12 do not appear to be the same quality as the 1100D . I did look at a few Nikon reviews but most of them led me to think the Canon equivalents were better for beginners. I wasn't planning on buying a new camera this year but when I was unable to capture my family snow skiing or horse riding, I started wondering about it. (I did look at the Pentax in the link above but it appears that there are not many reviews on that one so I am hesitant)

 

[Ron Evers]

You want to do action shots? - Check out the Panasonic Lumix DMC - FZ40.

Sweet!

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

The G12 is a very good camera, and can also shoot in RAW format. IMO its probably the next best camera before you get to the interchangeable lens cameras. If you want great video, buy a video camera. Also, I heard that they will be releasing an update the G12 later this year.

 

[cgipson1]

G12 or the SX30 is.. either would be a good call. I just sold an S5 (4 generations back from the SX30) that I used for years as a knock around camera (when I didn't want to carry DSLR).. and it allows for a lot of creativity, and is very easy to use. Excellent pictures... the SX30 is supposed to be much better than the S5, so I would highly recommend it, or the G12.. can't go wrong!

 

[poolhouse]

when I see the recommendations for the G12 I wonder what I am missing ....is the G12 much easier to use than the 1100D ? Looking at the spec's for both cameras it appears that the 1100 D is much faster for the same money. (G12 review : Canon PowerShot G12 Review - watch CNET's video review - Digital Compact Cameras ) and (1100D review: Canon EOS 1100D Review - watch CNET's video review - Digital SLR Cameras) There is even a review of my current camera which I wish I had seen before I bought it ( Samsung PL50 Review - Digital Compact Cameras )

 

[Overread]

The big difference is that the G12 is a bridge camera with a single fixed lens of 28mm to 140mm in focal length. It is also a smaller camera in size and weight and is aimed at the bridge market who want a quality camera without having interchangeable lenses.

Now the 1100D is an interchangeable lens camera - its a DSLR - and its typical kit lens is an 18mm-55mm. Its bonus is that it will take interchangeable lenses so you can expand upon that with longer or shorter focal range lenses as needed and also invest more for higher quality. That of course comes at the price of an increased bulk. The camera also comes with fewer auto modes, a good number for basic use, but it won't have the wider range of modes for more specific varied situations (trusting that the user, in time, learns more manual controls to take control directly of the camera).

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Canon 1100D vs G12 Here is a comparison. Do not pay any mind to the top where they declare the G12 to be the winner but scroll down to the lists of pros for each camera. I would go with the 1100D personally, but if you did want something smaller and a little less complicated ( without having to buy other lenses and such ) The G12 would be the winner. Its much easier to take to every family outing.