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Need help understanding SX150

55 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/need-help-understanding-sx150.161391/

theserpent
theserpent Original post #1
Aug 8, 2012 at 4:52 PM
Got sx150 i cant understand how to use it.
:/
nac
nac #2
Aug 8, 2012 at 5:04 PM
Read the manual... You will understand a lot..
RCuber
RCuber #4
Aug 8, 2012 at 5:22 PM
lol.. I first thought this was posted by some new member.. until I saw the username :p. .dude.. read the manual :)
sling-shot
Aug 8, 2012 at 5:53 PM
In the beginning, just turn the dial to P and start shooting. Do not worry about anything else.

Once the initial rush is over, start with Reading The F***ing Manual.

Alternately, you can just press buttons methodically (if you press randomly like Mr Bean, then sh** will happen) and note what happens.

It is always good to learn by doing :)
-SS.
theserpent
Aug 8, 2012 at 8:27 PM
lol.. I first thought this was posted by some new member.. until I saw the username :p. .dude.. read the manual :)

Lol!!!!...............

The camera is good!!
Clarity is awesome!
Using a 16 gb sandisk extreme( I guess class 10?) +
Fujicell FHR-3UEX-AA (2800 mAh).

guys reading the manual din't help me clear my doubts i need tuts on AV,Manual Modes :/

...........
sujoyp
sujoyp #7
Aug 8, 2012 at 8:44 PM
aah i have always suggested my method but nobody liked it :D see if it helps u

take a pic in auto mode....check the exif details in the screen....see whats wrong in the pic...if its underexposed think y ?? if too dark see whats the aperture camera have used...see the ISO ...y it took soo much ISO and what if u reduce the ISO.

Auto modes really help learning

I did something similar to this...and still do this thinking while taking pics...but dont take auto shots anymore :D
theserpent
Aug 8, 2012 at 9:11 PM
^^ Will try :p

How do i take macros of ANTS,Mosquitoes etc.
I know how to enter macro etc etc
nac
nac #9
Aug 8, 2012 at 9:53 PM
It's highly impossible (at least for me), for ants and mosquitoes to stay still until we click. Try to put your camera close to the subject, and focus should be in the subject else you will get the subject softer.
sujoyp
sujoyp #10
Aug 8, 2012 at 10:14 PM
do it the this way...check the macro focus distance with a pin or bolt....use flash and see the result....then try this on fly which is more stable then ant....and lastly try on and with some sugar or sugar water :)
theserpent
Aug 9, 2012 at 3:28 PM
Okay..Guys another thing i saw some pics in photography thread an all.So how do some pics come with background blurred without editing
tkin
tkin #12
Aug 9, 2012 at 3:44 PM
Okay..Guys another thing i saw some pics in photography thread an all.So how do some pics come with background blurred without editing
You won't get that in SX150, for that you need either DSLR(the proper way to do it), or a Sony P&S with background blurring effect support.
theserpent
Aug 9, 2012 at 4:23 PM
Okay thanks....i love the color pic feature set one color(Maybe make the whole pic b&w) and only one color maybe blue or red
marvelousprashant
Aug 9, 2012 at 4:46 PM
Okay..Guys another thing i saw some pics in photography thread an all.So how do some pics come with background blurred without editing

Full zoom + subject at 1m will give you that effect to some extent
sling-shot
Aug 9, 2012 at 5:05 PM
*www.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=/watch?v=OPPilj4A15o&v=OPPilj4A15o&gl=IN

There are also plenty of tutorials on the web elsewhere. Just search for "how to take bokeh pictures" with Google.

You may need to read and experiment a lot to get a good one
nac
nac #16
Aug 9, 2012 at 5:27 PM
You can get that blur effect but not as good as DSLR. Just background need to be far behind the subject. Farther the better... And shoot at largest aperture.
sujoyp
sujoyp #17
Aug 9, 2012 at 7:40 PM
yaah its easy with bigger aperture lenses from close distance and can be done with zoom lens like prashant told you

bokeh with 50mm lens is superb
[url=*www.flickr.com/photos/34748095@N07/7745906380/][img]*farm8.staticflickr.com/7125/7745906380_c7e22090f0.jpg[/url] Smiling Girl by sujoyp, on Flickr[/IMG]
theserpent
Aug 9, 2012 at 8:51 PM
Guys i clicked some macros with and w/o flash.
So when i clicked with flash.The down part is almost totally white due to the flash
sujoyp
sujoyp #20
Aug 9, 2012 at 9:34 PM
try taking pics in daytime without flash...or use some kind of diffuser on ur flash so that u get soft light on insect...harsh light is useless from that distance
sling-shot
Aug 10, 2012 at 3:27 PM
It is possible to reduce the flash intensity too.

Also you have excellent zoom coupled with image stabilisation. You could make use of that too by staying a bit away from the subject and zooming in.
nac
nac #22
Aug 10, 2012 at 4:19 PM
Staying away and zooming in is not giving good macros. Once started zooming, minimum focus distance suddenly increasing which makes us to take wider area than we want to take. If can crop the subject alone later, but you know the quality of the image after cropped.

It's only possible to use flash (at that close) when we have flash attached at the rim of the lens ;)
theserpent
Aug 11, 2012 at 5:15 PM
Where did you take help from for you SX130
nac
nac #24
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:01 PM
Where else... Here in this forum and the manual (In fact, I have read the whole manual even before buying). And of course from some websites... Right from searching for a camera, this forum and it's members helped a lot...
theserpent
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:53 PM
@nac..general shots done in Auto.Macro in P mode.
I can't understand the camera..how to change exposure etc etc
nac
nac #26
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:12 PM
Good, you are trying in P mode. You will get some control over exposure in this mode. Just read this (just to understand), it will you to follow when you hear something like aperture, shutter speed, ISO and all...

Digital Photography Tips and Tutorials

The Basics of Exposure
Learning to Use Digital Camera Settings and Features
sujoyp
sujoyp #27
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:57 PM
dear theserpent ....u have 2 choice just like cricket ....either play like dhoni...his style looks more like a practice then any knowledge
or play like rahul dravid....the traditional way ..by reading a lot...and then try hands on

do something....there is no single way :)

ask us what u didnt understand....put pics with settings and we will help :)
marvelousprashant
Aug 11, 2012 at 10:52 PM
@ serpent :
There is a mode dial that has 4 important modes Auto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual. Apart from that there is another dial that controls (clockwise from top) tracking/exposure/selection; flash; timer; and focus.

In Auto mode camera uses its brain, you do labour work by pressing shutter key

In program mode, you get another option to change exposure and flash modes. The most imortant control in this mode is ISO which is set to Auto in Auto mode. For noise less images, you need to use the least possible ISO. Auto ISO is pretty high resulting in Noisy images. However if you set ISO 80 in dim light shutter speed may go very high in hand held blur.

In Shutter priority, and aperture priority, you can choose shutter speed or aperture value and camera adjusts the rest

In Manual, camera takes rest, you use your brain and do all the labour

In most of these modes in bottom right corner you should see a scale with 5 graduations. This helps you set the exposure. There is a pointer that moves when you change shutter or aperture value. When the pointer is in middle, it means your photo will be perfectly exposed. BEWARE that this scale does not give the right info when flash is on. You can disable flash then try playing with these settings.

Try to visualize the difference between what output you are getting from the camera and what were you expecting... Like your pics in another thread are very dark but that can be made perfect by moving the camera an inch away from the flowers.. No settings required :) So expect and shoot
nac
nac #29
Aug 12, 2012 at 12:01 AM
For a start...

Do not press the shutter all the way at once. Compose and press the shutter half way to let the camera lock AF (Auto focus). Then click the rest of the way to capture...

Why you should do this way?
Check pg. no. 22 in your manual and read this small article
theserpent
Aug 14, 2012 at 6:07 PM
Umm guys how is this?
*i48.tinypic.com/9vcmja.jpg
sujoyp
sujoyp #31
Aug 14, 2012 at 7:21 PM
is this a macro??
the drop looks to be in focus and background perfectly blurred...its a good attempt

what is the ISO in this picture
theserpent
Aug 14, 2012 at 7:33 PM
^^ I think it was 400 or 800 :/

And manual focus
sujoyp
sujoyp #33
Aug 14, 2012 at 7:47 PM
hmm 400 and 800 ISO also looks grainy :(
theserpent
Aug 14, 2012 at 7:54 PM
idk..what i used...i was jst trying out different stuff..Don't remeber as soon as i saw that effect i wanted i clicked it
sujoyp
sujoyp #35
Aug 14, 2012 at 8:03 PM
the effect came good...and background is nicely blurred
nac
nac #36
Aug 14, 2012 at 9:10 PM
Nice blur... But the focus is little off (or the focus point is not on the drop)...
theserpent
Aug 15, 2012 at 8:50 AM
I don't know....I kept focusing .In Manual Focus
sujoyp
sujoyp #38
Aug 15, 2012 at 12:18 PM
its a good idea to use manual focus when taking macros
nac
nac #39
Aug 15, 2012 at 1:03 PM
It's good idea to use MF when your camera is not locking AF. I always have this doubt whether the focus is at optimum or not when I use MF.
theserpent
Aug 15, 2012 at 4:47 PM
Please explain me what is auto focus tracking :/
nac
nac #41
Aug 15, 2012 at 5:58 PM
I think AF tracking is not available in my cam... It means, AF constantly focus even when the subject is moving.
sujoyp
sujoyp #42
Aug 15, 2012 at 6:11 PM
yaah nac thats right...focus tracking is something u lock the focus and it try to keep the focus even if subject started moving
theserpent
Aug 15, 2012 at 6:48 PM
Ok guys! I went to the garden pointed my camera at an antorium.So,the bud had ants in it.But when i zoomed much more to the ants.It became totally blur.Please suggest me tips on how to deal with this

*i47.tinypic.com/nf05t0.jpg

*i50.tinypic.com/ms21pt.jpg
nac
nac #44
Aug 15, 2012 at 6:56 PM
It means, it's out of focus...

There is something called minimum focus distance... In macro mode, you can focus as close as 1cm at wide angle and 1m at full zoom. In Normal mode, 5cm (I think) at wide and 1m at full zoom. When you zoom, just under the slide (zoom) in the screen you can see the minimum focusing distance.
sujoyp
sujoyp #45
Aug 15, 2012 at 8:36 PM
yes every camera lens have same issue serpent...

if in macro mode the working distance is from 1cm to 1meter just try half zoom that way u come close my 50cm and ant can be focussed ...just try like this...u will learn this soon
theserpent
Aug 15, 2012 at 8:52 PM
Okay :) .Btw how are the pics :)
sujoyp
sujoyp #47
Aug 15, 2012 at 9:04 PM
1st one is in proper focus..and seems good
2nd one is completely out of focus...try try
marvelousprashant
Aug 15, 2012 at 9:08 PM
It's good idea to use MF when your camera is not locking AF. I always have this doubt whether the focus is at optimum or not when I use MF.

Under Settings there is safety MF that refines focus when shutter is half pressed. You can turn it on/off. It is pretty reliable and corrects upto 5cm as far as my personal experience goes
nac
nac #49
Aug 15, 2012 at 11:39 PM
Sujoy,
2nd one is for us... Saying he is getting blurred when zoomed in (nice way of getting the image blurred ;) don't mind about aperture, DOF and all...

Prashant,
Yeah, I remember reading that in the manual. And I have tried once... I don't how this works... I thought it will refine and set at optimum (like AF, then we can call it auto focus in manual focus ;) ) but it doesn't.
theserpent
Sep 3, 2012 at 5:42 PM
whats the difference in pics in shutter speeds :/
sujoyp
sujoyp #51
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:45 AM
serpent if i understand u correctly u r asking what different shutter speed makes on a pic

if this is the question then answer is - shutter speed is the time for which the shutter of camera is open for capturing the image and light...the faster shutter speed will take very less amount of light coz the sensor will be open for light intake for very less time...and longer shutter speed like 1sec,2 sec will take more light soo that pic become brighter

a shutter speed should also be around of 2 times of focal length if u dont have stabilisation (not valid for focal length for 50mm and below) ex u are taking pic at 200mm and u dont have IS/VR in camera or lens then the shutter speed should be at least 1/400 to capture sharp shots
theserpent
Sep 4, 2012 at 3:37 PM
Ok..now im trying to click a pic of a drop of water falling down..But my click is not on the right time what do you suggest
sujoyp
sujoyp #53
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:14 PM
you need good shutter speed for that...but if its too dark then its better to use flash
theserpent
Sep 4, 2012 at 6:23 PM
you need good shutter speed for that...but if its too dark then its better to use flash

How much should i keep the speed for that?
P.S check my sx150 review :)
sujoyp
sujoyp #55
Sep 4, 2012 at 10:24 PM
i think u need to keep shutter speed around 1/500 in daytime and if u r taking in dark use flash