A640 Settings ??

[Funland111]

I took my A640 in the pool for the first time in preparation for my trip to Maui next week. I couldn't believe how bad my pictures turned out. In auto and program mode the pictures were blurry due to a slow shutter speed. In Tv mode set at 1/80 - 1/100 the pictures were too dark. I wasn't happy with the results in Av mode set at 4.0. Should I just use the underwater screen mode with the AF frame set to center? I'd appreciate any suggestions -- thanks

Bill

 

[alcina]

Go manual. Check out the Pink Link in my signature for some getting starting tips, including starter settings.

I'd start for about f4.5 and 1/100 or 1/125 shutter with ISO as low as you can go. I'd set it in macro mode as you'll want to be as close as possible to let your internal flash light your subject.

If you're going to be beyond your flash or if you think there might be a ton of backscatter, turn off the flash and set your manual white balance.

Skip the preset and program and auto modes - for exactly the reasons you've just discovered.

 

[reggiehg]

Go manual. Check out the Pink Link in my signature for some getting starting tips, including starter settings.

Hi Alcina,

I checked out your link and have a few questions:

1. Re: the post entitled "White Balance Basics", what should the color of the coral be? The one using the "internal flash"? If so, then the "auto" picture seems to be closer to that than the "MWB" picture, but from the text, it seems that the "MWB" picture is more accurate. Could you elaborate?

2. Also in "Which compact camera? Getting started? DSLR maybe? Look here first", you mention "Shutter determines your background colour (faster shutters = deeper blues) and freezes motion (yours, the cameras, the fishie...) Faster shutter speeds let in less light and slower speeds let in more light." Why does faster shutters/less light translate into deeper blues? Is that the same as saying "darker"?

Your TIPS are great!

Regards,

Reggie

 

[alcina]

OK, we really do need someone to do another WB test on a smaller scene so results are more clear! Jam's are great for illustrating a wide scene, now we need a medium and a close up scene

1 - The lower left of the coral where the light is hitting the coral head is probably the most accurate colour. BUT it probably isn't what your eye saw - your eye likely saw it as more blue. The MWB has put, in my opinion, too much red into the image. This can be tweaked by setting on a different white balance control (slate, sand etc) and by double checking the light falling on the control is the same as that falling on the subject.

White balance is a bit of trial and error. There are some who like to set it on cloudy and use internal flash, for instance.

2 - Yes, a faster shutter will darken things. The blues look deeper and richer when they are a bit darker. Blues on auto mode often look pale and washed out - if we look at the EFIF data almost all of the time we'll see a slow shutter (usually combined with an open aperture). You can "see" this on land - go outside on a sunny day, look at the sky = usually a pale-ish blue. Put sunglasses on - sky is darker, richer blue, right?

And, thank you - they aren't my tips necessarily - I've just compiled stuff from all the great input we get here to try to make things easier for everyone

 

[reggiehg]

Ok, but "initially" which would be the better shot, on average, given all the "trial & error"? auto, MWB (no internal flash?), or internal flash? From your original tutorial, I gather that even if the WB put too much red, post-processing will be able to recover the original color much better?

Yup, your explanations really tie so many photography concepts together ;-)

1 - The lower left of the coral where the light is hitting the coral head is probably the most accurate colour. BUT it probably isn't what your eye saw - your eye likely saw it as more blue. The MWB has put, in my opinion, too much red into the image. This can be tweaked by setting on a different white balance control (slate, sand etc) and by double checking the light falling on the control is the same as that falling on the subject.

White balance is a bit of trial and error. There are some who like to set it on cloudy and use internal flash, for instance.
...

And, thank you - they aren't my tips necessarily - I've just compiled stuff from all the great input we get here to try to make things easier for everyone

 

[alcina]

It depends on the shot. If the internal flash can light the entire subject and you can keep backscatter down, I'd use that first time every time.

Unfortunately when shooting jpegs you need to get it as right as possible as the camera simply throws out what it deems unnecessary. There are tutorials around the traps to help blue photos - I haven't seen too many that work on red photos the other way. Interesting.

And remember that you've gotta look at what looks good to you. Some people would rather have bluer images; some would rather have a tinge of pinky/red all over if it makes certain elements look "right".