so what kind of camera did you use at disney? i really want spectacular pictures so im a little worried about my current camera. its great for everyday but im not sure if its up to the lights of disney at night. i have a canon powershot a630. what kind are you using and can you post a sample pic?
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What kind of camera do you have?
- Thread starter mom22monkeys
- Start date
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
This would be better in the digital section. Probably get more worthwhile response.
In my case I have a Nikon D70s and an F90 (no longer really used). The way technology is advancing you can get better speced cameras than mine for a far lot less. however its all in the lens. If you purchase a 35mm digital SLR from either Cannon or Nikon and a half decent lens you wont go far wrong.
In my case I have a Nikon D70s and an F90 (no longer really used). The way technology is advancing you can get better speced cameras than mine for a far lot less. however its all in the lens. If you purchase a 35mm digital SLR from either Cannon or Nikon and a half decent lens you wont go far wrong.
It seems like a reasonable camera - you will certainly get some good shots with it but like others will tell you, a digital SLR is the way forward for 'advanced' pictures. Also remember that the camera is only a small part of the picture.
If your really interested in some good shots then I suggest really getting to grips with all your cameras features and then read a few photography books that discuss framing, focus points etc as well as the technical details.
In the day you will get nice clear pictures most of the time but it's when the light begins to fade that your pictures will suffer. The best thing to do is invest in a tripod (a mini one would do), learn how to set your shutter speeds and take advantage of the natural light and remember rules like not using a flash when photographing the night time shows (and please don't use a flash on the rides!).
It's also worth picking up spare memory cards (or a couple of very large ones) so you you can take lot's of pics of the same thing and find the best one when you get home. If your camera doesn't run on AA's then maybe a spare battery would be a good idea.
Finally, it never hurts to play with some image manipulation software when you get home. Adobe have released a free version of photoshop (quite limited and all online but not a bad tool for free!) which you can play with and you camera might have come with some software too.
If your really interested in some good shots then I suggest really getting to grips with all your cameras features and then read a few photography books that discuss framing, focus points etc as well as the technical details.
In the day you will get nice clear pictures most of the time but it's when the light begins to fade that your pictures will suffer. The best thing to do is invest in a tripod (a mini one would do), learn how to set your shutter speeds and take advantage of the natural light and remember rules like not using a flash when photographing the night time shows (and please don't use a flash on the rides!).
It's also worth picking up spare memory cards (or a couple of very large ones) so you you can take lot's of pics of the same thing and find the best one when you get home. If your camera doesn't run on AA's then maybe a spare battery would be a good idea.
Finally, it never hurts to play with some image manipulation software when you get home. Adobe have released a free version of photoshop (quite limited and all online but not a bad tool for free!) which you can play with and you camera might have come with some software too.
CAPTAIN HOOK
Well-Known Member
My last Disney trip (06) I shot with a Nikon Coolpix 5700
This year I've bought the Nikon D80 Digital SLR and expecting even better results
This year I've bought the Nikon D80 Digital SLR and expecting even better results
thanks for the responses. i think the problem with my camera is here lately a lot of shots come out blurry. i wonder if a sensor in the camera is messed up.
I think a lot of the time people put too much of an emphasis on the camera. Sure, a DSLR is going to do a great job in the right hands. However, I see so many people in WDW with DSLR that really have no clue what they are doing. It is painful to watch someone spend 12 minutes doing shot after shot of IllumiNations with a flash. What is even more amazing is that after each shot, they look at the screen, see the shot is rubbish, but then just carry on. It really seems like the only reason they bought the SLR was that it was expensive and is what pros use LOL.
Not only did they get terrible photos, they also missed the entire show.
I have had great photos (and lots of not-so-great photos) with a $300 compact Panasonic Lumix, and great pictures with a DSLR. If you take the time to learn what you are doing with your equipment, you can certainly get good results with whatever you have.
If you arent using an SLR -
1. Use any Scene modes your camera has. The manufacturer spent a lot of time developing them, and they do work in a lot of instances. The camera will then setup the camera to the best of it's capability for the type of scene you are shooting.
2. For any kind of night shot, you need to keep the camera very still. The slightest bit of motion of the camera and it's game over.
3. If you dont intend to light up a scene, dont use flash. If you try to shoot fireworks or Spectro with a flash, all you will do is light up the 10ft in front of you, and that isnt the effect you are going for.
4. Take lots of photos, and look at the monitor as you take them. See how things are coming out, and make adjustments as needed.
Not only did they get terrible photos, they also missed the entire show.
I have had great photos (and lots of not-so-great photos) with a $300 compact Panasonic Lumix, and great pictures with a DSLR. If you take the time to learn what you are doing with your equipment, you can certainly get good results with whatever you have.
If you arent using an SLR -
1. Use any Scene modes your camera has. The manufacturer spent a lot of time developing them, and they do work in a lot of instances. The camera will then setup the camera to the best of it's capability for the type of scene you are shooting.
2. For any kind of night shot, you need to keep the camera very still. The slightest bit of motion of the camera and it's game over.
3. If you dont intend to light up a scene, dont use flash. If you try to shoot fireworks or Spectro with a flash, all you will do is light up the 10ft in front of you, and that isnt the effect you are going for.
4. Take lots of photos, and look at the monitor as you take them. See how things are coming out, and make adjustments as needed.
lilclerk
Well-Known Member
For taking shots at night, you definitely need a tripod of some sort. Or at least to put the camera down on a trash can or table to avoid camera shake as much as possible. That's a lot of what causes the blur in night shots.
I am far, FAR too lazy to learn how to use a DSLR (though I would love to) so I needed to learn to adapt to my silly point and shoots. My old Olympus IR-300 took these
They're not good by any means, but it makes me happy. All I did was rest it against the railings to avoid some shake. This is one of my freehand night shots
http://pics.livejournal.com/lilclerk/pic/003256g4/s640x480 :lookaroun
I've since moved up to an Olympus Stylus 1010, which is still not great, but it does have many more manual settings than the 300 did. I'll need to play around with it before going to WDW, but I've got high hopes that the photos will come out better than these two.
And yes, DEFINITELY bring a spare battery if you can! I learned that the hard way last year.
i have about 4 spare mem cards, and i have 16 rechargeable batteries (takes 4 at a time) so im set there. i have a table top tripod would that work? my camera has a lot of manual settings so i think im going to check out some books on how to learn all that stuff. for the lights parade should i use the fireworks setting?
here is some pictures iv taken with this camera with no tripod
so do ya think this would work well enough?
BTW i have worked in photography before but our cameras were set to a certain thing and we werent to touch the settings..
here is some pictures iv taken with this camera with no tripod
so do ya think this would work well enough?
BTW i have worked in photography before but our cameras were set to a certain thing and we werent to touch the settings..
NowInc
Well-Known Member
To give the best short answer I can...
The guts in the lower level Canon cameras are the same as in their higher end DSLRS....the difference is in the lens and firmware...
Now heres the kicker..you can "hack" your lower level camera to get the same features as the DSLR
There are tons of supported models already over at ::
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK
I personall have a A570 IS, and it works amazing with the "hacked firmware".
and before you ask...its not perminant..you dont have to change anything on your camera at all..its just a file you put on your memory card
The guts in the lower level Canon cameras are the same as in their higher end DSLRS....the difference is in the lens and firmware...
Now heres the kicker..you can "hack" your lower level camera to get the same features as the DSLR
There are tons of supported models already over at ::http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK
I personall have a A570 IS, and it works amazing with the "hacked firmware".
and before you ask...its not perminant..you dont have to change anything on your camera at all..its just a file you put on your memory card
ok i have been looking and looking and it looks like mine The canon A630
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_a630.asp is one of the ones that doesnt have IS. so i think im going to go ahead and upgrade since throughout the threads it seems like thats important. now should i get the A650IS or the S5 IS??
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_a650is.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_s5is.asp
I am also looking at getting the lenses for these cameras (wide angle and telephoto) are they even worth it?
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_a630.asp is one of the ones that doesnt have IS. so i think im going to go ahead and upgrade since throughout the threads it seems like thats important. now should i get the A650IS or the S5 IS??
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_a650is.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_s5is.asp
I am also looking at getting the lenses for these cameras (wide angle and telephoto) are they even worth it?
PhotoDave219
Well-Known Member
For that line, and that line alone, I swear i need to buy you beer. :sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:
... on a side note, my d700 showed up today. We'll test the high ISO capabilities next week at POTC and HM.
To the OP-> Get something your comfortable with but just learning the basic principles would do you a world of good. A simple $20 bucks spent on a beginners book sure beats a $3000 dollar camera if you cant use it.
thanks for the help everyone i went with the S5 and i got a couple books from the library to teach me everything about this iv got 5 weeks to learn!!
iv got 5 weeks to learn!!
KeithVH
Well-Known Member
Good choice. Some thoughts:
You really won't need extra reach with the S5. Wide might be nice but it can be a apint to hassle with the attachment. My suggestion for wide is to zoom out much as possible, turn the camera sideways and take 2 or 3 shots angling right or left with each shot. Then use the very nice stitching s/w that comes with the camera to merge the shots and get a wider coverage shot.
Spend some time on http://www.s3users.com/. S3 was the previous model and they just haven't changed the named but it is the top place where users hang. Some really good info to be had there.
Take pictures of everything before you go. Practice and knowing how to handle the camera so it becomes second-nature will save you time and missed shots in the parks. And add at least one extra memory card and some rechargeable batteries.
You really won't need extra reach with the S5. Wide might be nice but it can be a apint to hassle with the attachment. My suggestion for wide is to zoom out much as possible, turn the camera sideways and take 2 or 3 shots angling right or left with each shot. Then use the very nice stitching s/w that comes with the camera to merge the shots and get a wider coverage shot.
Spend some time on http://www.s3users.com/. S3 was the previous model and they just haven't changed the named but it is the top place where users hang. Some really good info to be had there.
Take pictures of everything before you go. Practice and knowing how to handle the camera so it becomes second-nature will save you time and missed shots in the parks. And add at least one extra memory card and some rechargeable batteries.
PhotoDave219
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah, and a big memory card. 2 or 4 gig should be perfect.