My first attempt on FZ5

[blurrblurr]

Just got my FZ5 and went to the Zoo snap snap and snap
All comment are welcome (bad especially) to learn from mistake.
Got quite a number of shots but managed to border up few favourites one.

http://Jonathan.bbunk.com

[eow]

Nice series pity abt the waterfall
should take at low exposure and step down yr ev compensate to get the smooth silky effect

example below taken with my fz1

[blurrblurr]

Originally Posted by eow Nice series pity abt the waterfall should take at low exposure and step down yr ev compensate to get the smooth silky effect [IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y103/eow1/waterfall/P1040048.jpg[/IMG

ya trying to get the silky effect but failed still figuring out how to get it perfectly. think gona on my shower tap and practise on it

[dominator]

if my exif data program are showing correct data here are my "newbie" comments
can see you are trying around the different mode...program and manual.

for 1st waterfall photo...data shows:
manual white-balance, which i think auto will do for that.

flash fired, normally i think flash not required...you are not taking any object or dark area but instead the waterfall and hopefully the silky effects.

manual mode @ f2.8 speed 1/1000, setting is wrong already. maybe you can read up on f-stop usage. but here speed is the biggest consideration for silky effect...try using shutter mode on your dial and try using 1sec and above. you can learn from there and understand how to set in manual mode..

hehe the last 2 birds very nice...ps abit more to make it better!!

cheers...my long opinion.

[StanGetz]

HI there, im a beginner too ....but those are nice pics.....brings out the character of the animals in y opinion~

[blurrblurr]

Originally Posted by dominator if my exif data program are showing correct data here are my "newbie" comments can see you are trying around the different mode...program and manual. for 1st waterfall photo...data shows: manual white-balance, which i think auto will do for that. flash fired, normally i think flash not required...you are not taking any object or dark area but instead the waterfall and hopefully the silky effects. manual mode @ f2.8 speed 1/1000, setting is wrong already. maybe you can read up on f-stop usage. but here speed is the biggest consideration for silky effect...try using shutter mode on your dial and try using 1sec and above. you can learn from there and understand how to set in manual mode.. hehe the last 2 birds very nice...ps abit more to make it better!! cheers...my long opinion.

The first water fall actually dun intend to make it silky just wanna stop the water to flow.
Next, I tried serveral times on the water fall to make it silky but find that is very very dark. so I tried to use flash to see it works but it doesn't. Could be that my setting is wrong

[unseen]

hmmm for silky water fall photos, the idea is to make the shutter speed as long as possible

you do it by:
0) use a tripod, use aperture mode (or manual)
1) lowering the ISO to the minimum (ISO80)
2) raising the aperture (from 2.8 to 8.0)

there you will have the longest possible shutter speed.

cheers.

[schon]

Originally Posted by unseen hmmm for silky water fall photos, the idea is to make the shutter speed as long as possible you do it by: 0) use a tripod, use aperture mode (or manual) 1) lowering the ISO to the minimum (ISO80) 2) raising the aperture (from 2.8 to 8.0) there you will have the longest possible shutter speed. cheers.

what if I just switch it to night mode? oh wait it wouldn't work would it.

shutter priority perhaps? 8s exposure would be quite long right...

[JimDavis]

Try to use the 'S' mode - this will allow you to control the shutter speed, where you let the camera to take care of your f-stop.

However, if you really want to be pro, then you will need to calculate your exposure settings, and in which part of the whole photo frame you will need to take the exposure measurement (perhaps the grass around?? )

If you were to use the water to measure the exposure setting, it is likely to be wrong.

[unseen]

from experience, for a fast flowing waterfall, 1 second is more than enough to create the silky water.

if you use shutter piority, it's gonna be harder..
you'll need to look at your exposure meter..
there's this little bar with markings -2, -1, 0, +1, +2
must make sure that your shutter speed doesn't cause the exposure to over expose too much.

if you use shutter mode, and you anyhow choose shutter speed, high chance you're gonna blow your photos to kingdom come by overexposure.

thus I suggest aperture mode.
reason:
using aperture mode, you set the limits (of aperture and iso), and the system will calculate the permissible shutter speed. You will never get ridiculous shutter speeds, you won't overexpose your photos.
using shutter mode, you set the iso, aperture is adjusted according to your shutter speed. the problem with too eager shooters will be that by setting shutter speed they don't pay attention when the minimum aperture has been reached.


for example, a proper exposure is set as 1 second, ISO80, F8.0

you set to Av mode, F8.0, the system will give you 1s shutter. Tada, nice photo.
you set to Tv mode, you set to 8s, the system will give warning, and use the min aperture of F8.0. Tada, you have NO photo.

8/2=4, 4/2=2, 2/2=1
this will result in a 3 stop over exposure of your photo. highly likely your photo will just be a white piece.

[dominator]

Originally Posted by schon what if I just switch it to night mode? oh wait it wouldn't work would it. shutter priority perhaps? 8s exposure would be quite long right...

i think night mode only gives you max of 1sec exposure. when i tried last time i never get the result i wanted.

shutter mode, yes for silky water as i always get what i wanted. but for night mode especially landscape better switch to manual...else shutter mode always gives you very wide aperture which i don't like.

[JimDavis]

Originally Posted by unseen for example, a proper exposure is set as 1 second, ISO80, F8.0 you set to Av mode, F8.0, the system will give you 1s shutter. Tada, nice photo. you set to Tv mode, you set to 8s, the system will give warning, and use the min aperture of F8.0. Tada, you have NO photo. 8/2=4, 4/2=2, 2/2=1 this will result in a 3 stop over exposure of your photo. highly likely your photo will just be a white piece.

Eerrr....your example not too right leh...when I set to Tv mode, can't I set to 1s instead of 8s? so, your Tada does not sound logical to me leh...

[JimDavis]

Originally Posted by dominator shutter mode, yes for silky water as i always get what i wanted. but for night mode especially landscape better switch to manual...else shutter mode always gives you very wide aperture which i don't like.

That's true. Provided the basic knowledge of exposure calculation is alerady in your brain, else, it will probably be easier to go for shutter mode, you control the shutter speed...not the camera...

Wide aperture as in f2.8 or something like that??

[unseen]

Originally Posted by JimDavis Eerrr....your example not too right leh...when I set to Tv mode, can't I set to 1s instead of 8s? so, your Tada does not sound logical to me leh...

my example makes perfect sense.
A newbie wouldn't know the exposure, or the length of the shutter required for proper exposure. He did ask above if he should use 8s.
LOL instead of having him try the different shutter speeds (and end up with many spoilt photos), it'll be much easier to use aperture mode.

Like I said before raising my example, if using Av, he doesn't need to think if his photo is over exposed, there is little chance of it unless he meters wrongly.
if using Tv, he has to pay attention to if his photo is exposed correctly. Speaking from experience, most people don't. Most newbies won't even know what that scale is for.

I fail to notice sometimes when my shots are underexposed or over when I shot full manual on my 350D.
that's just me ba.

like i said,

Quote: if you use shutter piority, it's gonna be harder.. you'll need to look at your exposure meter.. there's this little bar with markings -2, -1, 0, +1, +2 must make sure that your shutter speed doesn't cause the exposure to over expose too much. . . . the problem with too eager shooters will be that by setting shutter speed they don't pay attention when the minimum aperture has been reached.

Absolutely nothing wrong with Tv mode. Really. Just that you need to consider the Aperture that they choose for you.

[JimDavis]

Originally Posted by unseen my example makes perfect sense. A newbie wouldn't know the exposure, or the length of the shutter required for proper exposure. He did ask above if he should use 8s. LOL instead of having him try the different shutter speeds (and end up with many spoilt photos), it'll be much easier to use aperture mode. Like I said before raising my example, if using Av, he doesn't need to think if his photo is over exposed, there is little chance of it unless he meters wrongly. if using Tv, he has to pay attention to if his photo is exposed correctly. Speaking from experience, most people don't. Most newbies won't even know what that scale is for. I fail to notice sometimes when my shots are underexposed or over when I shot full manual on my 350D. that's just me ba. like i said, Absolutely nothing wrong with Tv mode. Really. Just that you need to consider the Aperture that they choose for you.

Hmmmm...maybe I am dumb, but it still does not make sense to me.

If he were to use Aperture priority, he also needs to know what aperture setting to get a 1s exposure time. More so difficult for him to control an exactly 1s if he really wants to do so.

If he were to use Shutter priority, he can set to 1s shutter speed, while he leave the aperture setting to the camera, be it f2.8 or f8, he does not need to worry at all, right??

[donkuok]

sometimes f8 with 2s exposure still too bright or overexposed...best can get a ND filter to increase the f-stop by 2.


Definitely, you need a tripod and set your camera to M mode with OS off. So that u can control over the Aperture and Shutter speed. Also, you must use release shutter or 2s self timer.

[dominator]

now for my comments...
as said by unseen, i think it may be true for his current c camera untrue if according to threadstarter FZ5.

to share with everyone on what i know(i may be wrong, so please take out your FZ cam to try)
when you set your camera using A mode to take night scene that need slow shutter speed, high chance you will get badly exposure photo...applies even for waterfall, if you set to eg: f8.0 and that place is not well lighted. so why badly or under exposed? because the camera only compensate to the max of 1sec only! so anything which actually requires more than 1sec will be under exposed and this type of under exposed i think is not recommended to even ps. so you all who have doubts please take out your FZ cam to try and confirm. For me when i use A mode and i see the shutter given is 1sec i won't take that photo already since i believe the exposure maybe wrong, switch to manual but most importantly is understand your histogram!
for taking photos which requires less than 1sec, no problem.

also under program mode, ever aware that the shutter speed given for the widest f2.8 till smallest f8.0 will only limit up to 1/4 no matter how dark it is? yes the slowest speed given 1/4 only! try and find out.

there are more to mention...but no no, too long to type.
maybe the above applies to FZ5 only?(or only my FZ5????) ....those with the lumix, please try to find out! and hopefully feedback if you can get past the 1sec or 1/4sec.

[dominator]

Originally Posted by donkuok sometimes f8 with 2s exposure still too bright or overexposed...best can get a ND filter to increase the f-stop by 2. Definitely, you need a tripod and set your camera to M mode with OS off. So that u can control over the Aperture and Shutter speed. Also, you must use release shutter or 2s self timer.

hmm if no filter then minus of the ev valve also can try.
for my case...i never off ois also same picture quality.
i also never use cable release(not avaliable) and i never use 2s self timer. just use finger to press steadily. no problem for me!

[unseen]

Originally Posted by JimDavis Hmmmm...maybe I am dumb, but it still does not make sense to me. If he were to use Aperture priority, he also needs to know what aperture setting to get a 1s exposure time. More so difficult for him to control an exactly 1s if he really wants to do so. If he were to use Shutter priority, he can set to 1s shutter speed, while he leave the aperture setting to the camera, be it f2.8 or f8, he does not need to worry at all, right??

er.. i meant to show that by setting to f8.0 you'll getthe longest shutter speed possible.
which in this case is 1s.
he can of course set to F4.0, but that'll just mean shorter shutter speed.
so in order to get the longest shutter speed, set to F8.0 and you'll get it.

if using shutter priority, like donkuok mentioned, even 2 seconds may be too much.
If you use F8, the shutter speed you don't need to think about it.
however if you use shutter priority, you need to think if your shutter is too long for the particular composition.

[unseen]

LOL i'm sorry.. i forgot that there is a shutter limit on the FZ for aperture mode.... Can't exactly remember..
in that case... manual mode is the best!!
LOL

*blush* sorry, kinda used to my new cam. the aperture mode is kinda not limited...

dominator => no ND filter, -ev won't help. -ev is just = to shortening your shutter speed or making your aperture bigger or down your iso. it's just auto compensation. There's no way around it.

ND filter allows you to open your shutter for much longer with same aperture, and iso