Comments on: Photography Tips for Compact Cameras and Point-and-Shoots http://www.timpaphotography.com/blog/2009/07/photography-tips-for-compact-cameras-and-point-and-shoots/ Photography Tutorials and Tips from Paul Timpa Photography Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:24:45 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: timpaphotography http://www.timpaphotography.com/blog/2009/07/photography-tips-for-compact-cameras-and-point-and-shoots/comment-page-1/#comment-27 timpaphotography Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:13:54 +0000 http://timpaphotography.wordpress.com/?p=239#comment-27 Hi Andrew...thanks for the note. If you're happy with the picture quality you're getting from the Z9, then by all means feel free to keep using it. You can certainly use most, if not all of the techniques I describe in this article with your camera. All of the tips on composition can be practiced and you can take some really successful photographs with your camera. The two things that D-SLRs can do that no compact can do are (1) get the subject of your picture sharply in focus but with a nice blurry background, and (2) take photos at night with a fast shutter speed. This is mostly a limitation due the physical size of the camera lens and sensor in compacts -- they're just too physically small to allow those two things to happen. If you need to blur the background or take handheld nightshots, then you can certainly "consider" a D-SLR. If you're just out taking normal landscape photos, ocean shots, people, flowers, etc., there's no need at all to upgrade and what you have will do the job well! Best, Paul Hi Andrew…thanks for the note. If you’re happy with the picture quality you’re getting from the Z9, then by all means feel free to keep using it. You can certainly use most, if not all of the techniques I describe in this article with your camera. All of the tips on composition can be practiced and you can take some really successful photographs with your camera. The two things that D-SLRs can do that no compact can do are (1) get the subject of your picture sharply in focus but with a nice blurry background, and (2) take photos at night with a fast shutter speed. This is mostly a limitation due the physical size of the camera lens and sensor in compacts — they’re just too physically small to allow those two things to happen. If you need to blur the background or take handheld nightshots, then you can certainly “consider” a D-SLR. If you’re just out taking normal landscape photos, ocean shots, people, flowers, etc., there’s no need at all to upgrade and what you have will do the job well!

Best,
Paul

]]> By: andrew hany http://www.timpaphotography.com/blog/2009/07/photography-tips-for-compact-cameras-and-point-and-shoots/comment-page-1/#comment-26 andrew hany Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:44:26 +0000 http://timpaphotography.wordpress.com/?p=239#comment-26 dear sir. iam an amateur in photography but i really like it alot... i have a casio z9 camera 8 MP and 3x optical zoom ...is this camera enough for me in the current time....???? or have i to buy expensive D-SLR one??? i also would like to thank u alot for ur great article i really was so so happy to find something like that talking about my small camera....plz try to publish other articles about small cameras like this one....i think it will be useful for alot of people like me..... :D::D:D:D thanks alot sir... Dr. Andrew Hany dear sir.
iam an amateur in photography but i really like it alot…
i have a casio z9 camera 8 MP and 3x optical zoom …is this camera enough for me in the current time….???? or have i to buy expensive D-SLR one??? i also would like to thank u alot for ur great article i really was so so happy to find something like that talking about my small camera….plz try to publish other articles about small cameras like this one….i think it will be useful for alot of people like me…..
:D::D:D:D
thanks alot sir…
Dr. Andrew Hany

]]> By: timpaphotography http://www.timpaphotography.com/blog/2009/07/photography-tips-for-compact-cameras-and-point-and-shoots/comment-page-1/#comment-24 timpaphotography Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:27:06 +0000 http://timpaphotography.wordpress.com/?p=239#comment-24 Hi Giselle, Thanks for the note. I hope your downtown and bridge shots come out great! As for the action shots with the subject focused but the moving/blurring background, it "may" be possible to do with a compact camera, but it depends on a couple of things. The key for those shots is you need a slow shutter speed of around 1/10th second to get that effect. Some of the more advanced compacts (like a Canon G10 or some of the other powershots, and cameras like Panasonic's Lumix LX3) have manual controls for shutter speed and aperture. For those types of cameras, you can definitely take those action shots because you just set the shutter speed to 1/10th and you're ready to go. The shot will be identical to that taxi shot. For cameras without manual controls, it "may" be possible, but it would really be more a matter of the lighting and a little bit of luck -- if you happen to be in a situation at night, with the flash off, your camera may choose a shutter speed in the range of 1/10th of a second on its own. If that's the case, you'd get a pretty similar effect if you used the panning technique (if you haven't already seen it, my latest article on shooting sports and moving subjects talks about the technique). Besides shutter speed, it might also be a little more difficult because on compacts (vs. DSLRs), there is a slight delay between when you press the shutter button and when the camera takes the picture, and those panning / action shots are very dependent on exact timing. That all being said, I'd think it's certainly possible to pull it off, and I would just do some experimenting, especially in dimmer light when the camera is going to choose a slower shutter speed anyway, to see what you can get. The next time I'm out with my point-and-shoot, I'll give it a try too to see what I get! Best, Paul Hi Giselle,

Thanks for the note. I hope your downtown and bridge shots come out great!

As for the action shots with the subject focused but the moving/blurring background, it “may” be possible to do with a compact camera, but it depends on a couple of things. The key for those shots is you need a slow shutter speed of around 1/10th second to get that effect. Some of the more advanced compacts (like a Canon G10 or some of the other powershots, and cameras like Panasonic’s Lumix LX3) have manual controls for shutter speed and aperture. For those types of cameras, you can definitely take those action shots because you just set the shutter speed to 1/10th and you’re ready to go. The shot will be identical to that taxi shot. For cameras without manual controls, it “may” be possible, but it would really be more a matter of the lighting and a little bit of luck — if you happen to be in a situation at night, with the flash off, your camera may choose a shutter speed in the range of 1/10th of a second on its own. If that’s the case, you’d get a pretty similar effect if you used the panning technique (if you haven’t already seen it, my latest article on shooting sports and moving subjects talks about the technique). Besides shutter speed, it might also be a little more difficult because on compacts (vs. DSLRs), there is a slight delay between when you press the shutter button and when the camera takes the picture, and those panning / action shots are very dependent on exact timing. That all being said, I’d think it’s certainly possible to pull it off, and I would just do some experimenting, especially in dimmer light when the camera is going to choose a slower shutter speed anyway, to see what you can get. The next time I’m out with my point-and-shoot, I’ll give it a try too to see what I get!

Best,
Paul

]]> By: Giselle http://www.timpaphotography.com/blog/2009/07/photography-tips-for-compact-cameras-and-point-and-shoots/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Giselle Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:08:46 +0000 http://timpaphotography.wordpress.com/?p=239#comment-25 Thanks a lot Paul! Im always trying to get cool bridge or downtown pics at night and can almost never get them the way i want them to! cant wait to try the ISO and see if I can get them right now! :) is it possible to take those creative action shots where the subject is focused and the background is moving/blurry with a point and shoot camera? (like tha cab in your NYC pic) Id love to take those shots but they only happen by fluke so far. thanks again! Giselle D. Thanks a lot Paul! Im always trying to get cool bridge or downtown pics at night and can almost never get them the way i want them to! cant wait to try the ISO and see if I can get them right now!
:)
is it possible to take those creative action shots where the subject is focused and the background is moving/blurry with a point and shoot camera? (like tha cab in your NYC pic) Id love to take those shots but they only happen by fluke so far.
thanks again!

Giselle D.

]]>