Digicam help needed!
Wed Jun 01, 2005 5:13 pm
Hello guys!
I've bought a Canon 350 about three weeks ago, and I was really looking forward to get my 75-300mm lens.
Well, it finally arrived, and I can't take a single clear shot, they're all blurred.
With the gentleman at the shop where I bought it, we changed the setting to "one-shot focus" and we made it so that only the center focus point is used, but still, I can't shoot anything straight.
And with the small lens, a 18-55mm, I hardly miss anything.
I'm using shutter priority mode with 1/400 as a setting.
I'm really depressed and lost here...
I've bought a Canon 350 about three weeks ago, and I was really looking forward to get my 75-300mm lens.
Well, it finally arrived, and I can't take a single clear shot, they're all blurred.
With the gentleman at the shop where I bought it, we changed the setting to "one-shot focus" and we made it so that only the center focus point is used, but still, I can't shoot anything straight.
And with the small lens, a 18-55mm, I hardly miss anything.
I'm using shutter priority mode with 1/400 as a setting.
I'm really depressed and lost here...
Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:59 pm
Ollie,
A good rule is to make sure your shutter speed is faster then the lenght of the lens.
If you are zoomed to say 125mm you should expect decent results at anything faster than 1/125 sec.
(This you are already doing if you zoom to 300mm and are shooting at 1/400 sec. )
Don't expect all your shots to be keepers right away with the zoom, but you should get some.
I would try it in sports mode as this uses the fastest speeds and see how your results are. You set it to Sports Mode by turning the top dial to the picture of the guy running.
Using the center focus point only can help. The fact that the kit lens works well is good.
I would see if I could try (borrow) another 70-300 lens and see if you still have the same problem.
Good luck, you've got a good camera.
Bill
A good rule is to make sure your shutter speed is faster then the lenght of the lens.
If you are zoomed to say 125mm you should expect decent results at anything faster than 1/125 sec.
(This you are already doing if you zoom to 300mm and are shooting at 1/400 sec. )
Don't expect all your shots to be keepers right away with the zoom, but you should get some.
I would try it in sports mode as this uses the fastest speeds and see how your results are. You set it to Sports Mode by turning the top dial to the picture of the guy running.
Using the center focus point only can help. The fact that the kit lens works well is good.
I would see if I could try (borrow) another 70-300 lens and see if you still have the same problem.
Good luck, you've got a good camera.
Bill
Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:27 pm
Hello, thanks for the tip.
I did some experimenting this evening, and I found out that I wasn't in cause, since I used a stand and the shots were still blured. I took a snap of a flower in the sun, brilliant colours and it came out crap.
I know that last Sunday, I used the 75-300 lens without the polychromatic filter, and all my pictures were good. Since then, I put it on and mayhem ensued.
Tomorrow, I'll be at the airport all day (in fact, I'm flying all over the place with the Focke-Wulf), and I'll do another round of tests, without the filter...
I'll keep you posted!
I did some experimenting this evening, and I found out that I wasn't in cause, since I used a stand and the shots were still blured. I took a snap of a flower in the sun, brilliant colours and it came out crap.
I know that last Sunday, I used the 75-300 lens without the polychromatic filter, and all my pictures were good. Since then, I put it on and mayhem ensued.
Tomorrow, I'll be at the airport all day (in fact, I'm flying all over the place with the Focke-Wulf), and I'll do another round of tests, without the filter...
I'll keep you posted!
Thu Jun 02, 2005 7:49 am
Ollie, I also have the Canon 350 (XT) Do the picture appear slightly soft, not really sharp? I was thinking of turning up the sharpness a bit, any ideas on this?
Also, I have the choice of about 2mg, 4 mg and 8mg pictures. What do you all find is a good rule of thumb on choosing the picture size?.
Also, I have the choice of about 2mg, 4 mg and 8mg pictures. What do you all find is a good rule of thumb on choosing the picture size?.
Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:59 am
Hi guys.
It was indeed the filter who was sabotaging my efforts. It has been removed and now we can take good pictures again.
Tim, I'm not sure I understand what you mean there... I'd go check the store where you bought it, that's where I always go when I have questions.
It was indeed the filter who was sabotaging my efforts. It has been removed and now we can take good pictures again.
Tim, I'm not sure I understand what you mean there... I'd go check the store where you bought it, that's where I always go when I have questions.
Fri Jun 03, 2005 7:56 am
Hi, Tim:
Please allow me to give you my dos centavos worth of photographic experience.
Having recently made the move to digital, this is what I understand so far:
Shoot your photos at the largest possible`size and highest possible quality. This will mean less photos on your card, but the quality will be worth it. Data cards are not expensive, and the investment is well worth it.
Use the RAW format, since it saves within, data regarding your photo. JPEG compresses the data, and there is a color and graphic quality loss associated with it.
When saving your files, save them first as a RAW] file and keep them like that, but if you need to do photo work, copy them to a [b]TIFF type of file. These will use more disk space, but allow for manipulation of your data and the output quality is better.
Using PhotoShop, PhotoShop elements, or a similar program, you can "tweak" your images and crop, adjust colors and so on, and save your files as JPEG, but you keep your original RAW or TIFF files.
I will be glad to send to you a "cheat sheet" that has the basic steps to follow in order to work with your photo files, and have them ready for web display.
Besides data cards, you will need to have at least one set of charged batteries handy at all times, because the batteries will die unexpectedly and without much of a warning . . .
Last, but certainly in this case, not least: BACK-UP
You need to purchase a removable hard drive in order to keep your photo files safely stored. Copy whatever you have in your computer, to this removable drive. Back up your photos on a regular basis, or you will one day find that a disk crash on your computer, will leave you without a single photo, nor the means to recover them, unless you have good back ups.
Saludos,
Tulio
[/b]
Please allow me to give you my dos centavos worth of photographic experience.
Having recently made the move to digital, this is what I understand so far:
Shoot your photos at the largest possible`size and highest possible quality. This will mean less photos on your card, but the quality will be worth it. Data cards are not expensive, and the investment is well worth it.
Use the RAW format, since it saves within, data regarding your photo. JPEG compresses the data, and there is a color and graphic quality loss associated with it.
When saving your files, save them first as a RAW] file and keep them like that, but if you need to do photo work, copy them to a [b]TIFF type of file. These will use more disk space, but allow for manipulation of your data and the output quality is better.
Using PhotoShop, PhotoShop elements, or a similar program, you can "tweak" your images and crop, adjust colors and so on, and save your files as JPEG, but you keep your original RAW or TIFF files.
I will be glad to send to you a "cheat sheet" that has the basic steps to follow in order to work with your photo files, and have them ready for web display.
Besides data cards, you will need to have at least one set of charged batteries handy at all times, because the batteries will die unexpectedly and without much of a warning . . .
Last, but certainly in this case, not least: BACK-UP
You need to purchase a removable hard drive in order to keep your photo files safely stored. Copy whatever you have in your computer, to this removable drive. Back up your photos on a regular basis, or you will one day find that a disk crash on your computer, will leave you without a single photo, nor the means to recover them, unless you have good back ups.
Saludos,
Tulio
[/b]
Fri Jun 03, 2005 10:52 am
I'll try out the RAW this weekend. I may have to upgrade the 1-meg card soon. I know before Geneseo.
I'd love to see the "cheat sheet" I'm not new to photography but I'm trying to go from a point -n-shoot SLR user to a higher level. And I’m new to the "Non-JPG" digital word. All the help I can get is great, I'll try and soak it all up. I have already read my Camera manual about 12 times, that is a first for any manual (I can’t say I read one once before).
I'd love to see the "cheat sheet" I'm not new to photography but I'm trying to go from a point -n-shoot SLR user to a higher level. And I’m new to the "Non-JPG" digital word. All the help I can get is great, I'll try and soak it all up. I have already read my Camera manual about 12 times, that is a first for any manual (I can’t say I read one once before).
Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:48 pm
Tim:
Please check your PMs, I have sent you the cheat sheet.
Saludos,
Tulio
Please check your PMs, I have sent you the cheat sheet.
Saludos,
Tulio