Best Camera Settings

[mrephunk]

I just got a nice Canon Powershot SX200 IS for my B-Day. Yayyyyyyy! Now I can take some better pics of my mini's. I have a small photo studio, the kind you can pic up on Ebay, with lights and all. I am just wondering what are some optimal settings for use when shooting the mini's? I have Macro and Super Macro modes, which should I use? Also what ISO setting should I use? Also any other setting suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[locutus]

my experience is that normal macro is good enough, try to get the iso as low as possible(I think it is the amount of light the camara lets through)
also no flash and trie to take the pic. with timer.

Good luck!!

 

[nels0nmac]

I echo what Locutus says. Not come across super macro before but the standard macro should be good enough for minis. Def want to have the ISO as low as possible. It used to be with film cameras that the higher the ISO number the more responsive the film was to light so that you could take fast action shots, but it came at the cost of quality, the higher the number the more grainy the picture was.
Also def don't use the flash, do use the timer and if you can, use a tripod to keep the camera steady when it does take the shot.

 

[SaintHax]

Read the manual regarding macro and super macro. NelsonMac is right about the ISO-- lower ISO number is higher quality, but needs more light.

To add, if you aren't using a tripod (or gorilla pod) the low ISO may not be a viable option. Make sure you get a small tripod or similar item to do this. Congrats on the camera, btw.

 

[Spacemunkie]

Macro, narrow aperture (f8 is about as far as most compacts go) and the lowest ISO you can set. Use a tripod, job's a good 'un.

 

[locutus]

despite giving advise.....

I don't know if anyone can help me with this; but for some reason i'm having difficulty getting a good quality pic. of my mini's.

Or the pic. does not show the blending and detail that is on the mini; or the pic. is fuzzy/ not in focus???

Been wresteling with this for almost a half year know and i'm not sure if i should stop complaining because the pics. are good but the quality of work isn't; or it is indeed the pics. that give the problem.

To give an example here's a link to my latest project:

http://coolminiornot.com/256148

 

[Hasdrubal]

Check what the light setting of your camera is: you can adjust it for natural light, artificial light, cloudy conditions, etc. This will have a serious impact on the picture taken.

 

[locutus]

i take my pics indoors with a lightbox; indeed i can change the light setting should it be set on indoors/ artificial light??

 

[Spacemunkie]

What camera? I used to struggle with an old Sony p&s I used to have that had a rubbish macro mode/minimum focus distance. Used to have to sit at 50cm and zoom. The figure wouldn't come close to filling the frame - less pixels on target = less detail. It's also massively compressed that pic. If it's a cheap cam, then lens quality might also be playing a part.

 

[SaintHax]

Are you using a tripod? Like Spacemunkie asked, check your minimum focus distance.

 

[locutus]

Ýes i'm using a tripod.

there are three forms of focus i can choose from.

the translation is for me aliitle difficult so please have patience.

The first says take a "partial measurement" ??
Second says take the whole of the frame as focus??
and the third one is a combination of the 2??

 

[Avelorn]

What camera are you using?

The back view looks in focus.

The form of focus you use should not really matter in this case unless you have other things in you image that the camera can focus on instead. If you see it focusing on the mini on the LCD screen you should be set.

With a regular macro setting on a compact camera the image get sharpest pretty near the minimal focal distance, so keep your miniature close to the camera.

Fuzzy images can also come from the way you take the photographs, if you use a lot of light and a white background the camera can get confused just the way you would squint and have a hard time focusing in a lit white room. Try shooting a picture without any background and with stuff around it, like the mini on a piece of terrain. If the image is sharp then it is likely that this could be an issue.

 

[locutus]

thanks for the tips.

Will try them at once.

It seems that the camara wants to focus on a part of the model instead of the whole.

 

[Dragonsreach]

Ýes i'm using a tripod.

there are three forms of focus i can choose from.

the translation is for me aliitle difficult so please have patience.

The first says take a "partial measurement" ??
Logic suggests (to me at least) that you need to consider using this setting as your first option.
Second says take the whole of the frame as focus??
and the third one is a combination of the 2??

What camera are you using?

The back view looks in focus.

The form of focus you use should not really matter in this case unless you have other things in you image that the camera can focus on instead.
Sorry to have to disagree here Sven but the form of focus is as important as the aperture etc. Using an all field focus can sometimes cause the camera to take the largest area in the frame as the most prevelant area to focus upon. For example if you take a picture on a table top at an angle then the table top may be focussed upon rather than the miniature.

If you see it focusing on the mini on the LCD screen you should be set.

With a regular macro setting on a compact camera the image get sharpest pretty near the minimal focal distance, so keep your miniature close to the camera.
Again I'd tend to disagree. Lenses on compacts are a compromise and the best and clearest focus may have to be ascertained through trial and error. Don't assume that because a lens can focus at 2.5 cm that, at that range you are getting the best out of the lens. You may well find that the best picture is achieved at a mid point in the macro focus range.

Locutus; I'd suggest a couple of things for you to try:-
First get both the camera back and the upright centre of the mini to be parallel like so..
| ... | where green is the camera and Blue the mini.
Second make sure that the mini is on a curved plain piece of material, ordinary cardboard (cereal carton inside) should do keep the mini about 10-15 cms from the upright area of the card.
Now take a number of pictures using the Partial measurement, full and joint types of focusing and see what you find the most satisfying.

But don't be surprised that some of the colour/detail of blends etc isn't as obvious in a photo as you see it with the naked eye. Remember that the sensors on a camera are nowhere as sensitive as the human eye/brain combination.
Harking back to good old 35mm film the sensitivity ratios was something like
Human Eye = 1:1,000,000
Kodachrome slide film = 1:1,000
Magazine print = 1:500
Even with the most sensitive CCD sensors there will be a difference, add looking at an image on a screen and the differences are multiplied in comparison to what we see held in our hands.

 

[locutus]

really glad with all the help i'm getting!!!! (this is a great forum)

Will try you're suggestions/advice Superfreak!!! i feel like this has been haunting me since my first post on cooolmini

Both tips are something i have not done with my pics.

So i'm really interested to see if this will finally be the end of bad mini pics.

 

[jefcully]

Turn off the flash if it is not extinguished automatically by setting your camera. Using ambient light will create warmer, more natural images. In addition, the use of flash on the camera can focus on the foreground, which, unfortunately, the background fade to black.

 

[Ruleslawyer]

One thing that might help is knowing auto-focus works. Autofocus *loves* contrast. Typical compact will rack the lens looking for the highest contrast setting possible. DSLR's are a little different with phase detect autofocus, but the principle is the same. If you're having trouble getting your focus to lock where you want, find a high contrast area at the same distance, and half press your shutter to focus on that. Hold the button and recompose your photo and then press the shutter the rest of the way. Since you're using a compact, you want to see if it has a spot focus mode. If so, make sure to use that, and the camera will be more likely to lock onto the center of your frame. You'll still want to be on a tripod and use a timer or release if possible.