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View Full Version : Oops just bought a new camera



MuranoSilver
18-03-2010, 09:35 AM
I've been hankering after a camera with remote capture (to make it easier to use my photo box)
Today Ebay sent me one of those, 24 hour Argos clearance bargain deals -
A Canon Powershot G10 for £269.99 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360244030174) (thats 39% off) + 270 plus points to spend later....)

It's the very model I was lusting after....WHY do I get tempted just before the VAT bill???
It kinda just fell into my basket :-"

What Camera do you use? Do you use the Auto settings or are you one of those "settings & exposure" types?
Any tips for little ole me?? (could use all the help I can get) ;)
Nic xx

jille
18-03-2010, 11:08 AM
I have a canon powershot but it's not this one, it's my second one. I'm a point and shoot kind of person so i tend to use automatic. i mainly take inspirational pictures and a few pictures of my work, I'm not too good at closeups, I find it's hard to focus on glass pieces, which is what i make most.
i do like the camera tho
Jille

Kwant
18-03-2010, 12:03 PM
I use a little flat Sony Cybershot DSC T200, all auto. It is for its great macro setting that I use this one and its previous model. I have had in the past, complicated digital SLRs but never really used any of the extra functionality.

geti-titanium
18-03-2010, 03:09 PM
I still use a pinhole camera that I made in a science class at school once, it gives just as good results as those new fangled digitalisey ones

ps_bond
18-03-2010, 03:11 PM
All well and good, but how long do you leave the flash cards in developer?

lorraineflee
18-03-2010, 03:12 PM
Personally I'd go for a camera obscura!

Lorraine

geti-titanium
18-03-2010, 03:17 PM
All well and good, but how long do you leave the flash cards in developer?

It takes a bit longer and you have to stand on your head to look at the image, which is a bit of a nuisance as well :)

Petal
18-03-2010, 03:29 PM
Yeah, but with your weird sense of perspective Geti, its easy peasy ;)

MuranoSilver
18-03-2010, 04:23 PM
Lol Geti you're such a marvelous mix of ancient & modern! ;)

Jemart
18-03-2010, 08:37 PM
We use Nikon D200 cameras. Manual settings always, program mode is for when my Mum wants to take a picture :)

My DH damaged the shutter on one of them "cleaning" the sensor. It still works on bulb setting so I made a cap for doing digital pinhole pics.
Much quicker than film and easier to edit. And yet... I still prefer working in monochrome film, I just never have the time.

MuranoSilver
19-03-2010, 07:52 AM
bloomin eck I think I'm like your mum then -
it always goes on Macro ;)

Really need to learn how to take better photos or find someone local who does good work
Nic x

snow_imp
19-03-2010, 09:35 AM
I'm slowly learning to use my canon powershot 510 (I think it is) and just learnt to change the light settings to work with the tungsten bulbs in the lights I have on my Maplins mini lightbox setup.

All help being got from a friend who is REALLY into cameras.

I'm also now the proud owner of a set of macro lenses and an adaptor to fit the lenses to the camera - now I just need to figure it all out so the jewellery is in focus, not the backing cloth with its oh so big looking weave.

I also now have a copy of photoshop that I'm going to learn to use too - for removing backgrounds I think.

Gemma
19-03-2010, 01:34 PM
Nikon coolpix S7c. Easy to use.

My method: big memory card and take millions of photos in every mode possible!! Then pick the one i like best. I really should learn to use it properly :-p

snow_imp
19-03-2010, 01:39 PM
Nikon coolpix S7c. Easy to use.

My method: big memory card and take millions of photos in every mode possible!! Then pick the one i like best. I really should learn to use it properly :-p

That was my method - right up until after an MS update to my home PC which means it no longer reads my large capacity memory cards. Sometimes I hate computers and software manufacturers.

caroleallen
19-03-2010, 02:59 PM
I went on a photography and PhotoShop course at the beginning of the year, so I bought myself a Canon digital SLR. I'm not sure my photography is really much better than it was before but at least I know how to edit them now. I'm beginning to get to grips a bit with PhotoShop now. I finished the course a month ago and I still haven't heard whether I passed.

Gemma
19-03-2010, 04:21 PM
Ah now I may be a point and shoot girl when it comes to taking pics but I love editing (as you can probably tell from my little pic of me)! I use psp9

caroleallen
19-03-2010, 05:27 PM
Oh, I wondered what your picture was. It's obvious now I know!

Ominicci
21-03-2010, 12:28 PM
Yes I can see it too now!

My camera is a Fuji Finepix S100FS. It is a bridge camera which apparently is a cross between an autofocus and a DSLR. It has a fully automatic mode - which I use with macro mode, but also has manual functions as well. I did some photography in A level Art using 35mm B&W film, but I can't remember anything about fstop, ISO etc!! I need to do a course really.

Fi Wilson
21-03-2010, 06:48 PM
Mine's my dad's Pentax Optio A20 (10 megapixels). Seriously considering getting a second-hand SLR which I've seen for sale on our intranet at work so I can still take piccies when he's on his jollies! It lives on Manual setting using either the Macro, Super Macro or Manual Focus settings. Manual Focus is a bit dubious for close up stuff as sometimes it decides to work and others not.

My tip is to play with the white balance all the time. Even if you think you've got the perfect picture just tweak it either way and taken more piccies. You can always delete them afterwards.

Fi

Di Sandland
22-03-2010, 01:10 AM
My tip is to play with the white balance all the time. Even if you think you've got the perfect picture just tweak it either way and taken more piccies. You can always delete them afterwards.

Fi
LOL - it's known as 'bracketing' in the trade. It's also done with different F stops...

Dennis
22-03-2010, 06:49 AM
Photographs can be adjusted with Photoshop, but to save time and hide my ignorance I override the automatic exposure in two ways.
For white balance I select “Flash”,”Incandescent”,”Fluorescent”,”Cloudy”, or”Daylight”. This gives better colour values.
For subjects on a white background I add +1.7 OEV to increase the exposure determined by the camera. This gives less of a blue tint to the background.
Below the result to cheer you up. Sony Cybershot, fluorescent lighting, macro setting.

MuranoSilver
23-03-2010, 01:57 PM
Great loads of info there! Thanks guys n gals :)
The camera actually arrived today and very swish it looks too!
My only two niggles are
1) The manual is on a CD - GAH I hate that...not exactly easy to browse that in bed is it, lol
2) No memory card so I have to go out and buy one, memory cards are so cheap now they
could easily have put one in. Not niggly about the cost it's the inconvenience :(
Nic x

Dennis
23-03-2010, 09:40 PM
I'm sorry to come back to this when the subject is already well covered. The company will say that the camera is fully operational, because it has it's own memory (usually quite small) and can be connected to a printer or computer by the pictbridge cable.The memory card is an optional extra, but very convenient to use unless you absentmindedly put it into the wrong hole and have to fish it out with tweezers.
Another prolem is when you forget to replace the memory card into the camera and take some pictures . You will then wonder where they are. These are my senior moments. Dennis.:'(

snow_imp
24-03-2010, 08:35 AM
Another prolem is when you forget to replace the memory card into the camera and take some pictures . You will then wonder where they are. These are my senior moments. Dennis.:'(

Or as I did recently - think, I've put those photos on the pc so I can delete them off the card - just one problem - they weren't on the pc!!!! :(

Dennis
24-03-2010, 08:35 PM
Could we have a confessional thread and make everyone feel better?

MuranoSilver
25-03-2010, 08:14 AM
lol - I've ordered my card but in the mean time am sending the pics direct to the PC :)
Camera confessions?? (probably lucky Geti hasn't seen this yet :-D)
Nic xx

disorganised
11-05-2010, 08:09 AM
Hi Nic

I've been considering buying a new camera, partly for photographing my jewellery, but also for making stop motion animations with plasticine models (a slightly geeky hobby I share with my husband). I've been looking at both the G10 and the G11, and wondered how you were getting on with the G10 now you've had it for a few weeks?

As far as I can see, there is a more sensitive sensor on the G11 (a good thing presumably - I'm not an expert), fewer pixels (which reduces noise?) and the LCD screen is movable (good for awkward angles and self portraits). However, there's no remote capture on the G11, which I think, for me, might be what sways me back towards the G10. ooh decisions.....

ETA: have jsut discovered that you can buy a remote control for the G11 for £3.45 on ebay. hmmm, back in a quandry now.

So, any advice you, or anyone else could give would be greatly appreciated.

cheers

Claire

MuranoSilver
11-05-2010, 09:48 AM
I'm sure you'd be happy with either but the remote capture is fantastic.
By using remote capture you can have the pictures save directly into your PC's photo album
(so no transfer time) and adjust light levels etc on screen (rather than the camera)
It was a definite deal sealer for me ~ the camera is great & even makes my shaky picture
taking when visiting places OK.
The recent pics I took on my photo stream were all taken without tripod and some are macro!
(albeit not pin sharp like a tripod would be the software removed my hand shake really well)
Nic xx

disorganised
22-05-2010, 02:42 PM
I went with the G11 in the end because of the bigger sensor, and I'm just mesmerised by the difference between it and my old (very compact) compact. I'm slowly experimenting with all of the things I can do - loving the ability to manually focus. And I can take pictures inside on a gloomy day without having to use the flash! It's incredible. In fact, I'm going to go out into the sunshine right now and take photos of my garden.