Finally got a digital camera, now I have questions

[kanezfan]

OK, my wife and I bought our first ever digital camera this year. It's a Canon PowerShot A75, 3.2MP. We bought a 256MB CF high speed card to go along with it. I love that I can take like 800 shots or something in 1024x768 resolution, but I also have a couple gripes, and I'm hoping that my noobness is getting in the way.

I've been taking a lot of shots of my cats sleeping and beeing cute. They sometimes wake up and I get a blurry shot when they move too much. It's almost like the subject has to be absolutely still or else you get motion blur. Now I know this is not a professional camera or anything, but is there a way to adjust the shutter speed on these things. No I haven't read through the manual yet, I've gone through the menu and I think I've discovered every sub-menu there is, but there are some things that are labeled with just icons, so maybe I missed it? Also, when I take a shot with a regular 35mm camera, I press the button and the camera shoots. With this camera, there's a red eye correction thing, so I press it halfway down and a red light comes on, fine, I like that, but when I press down all the way, there's like a half second delay before the picture is snapped. Again, is this common to all digital cameras, or did I overlook something?

It's a nice little camera for the price we paid, $250 all together with the memory card and a nice carrying case, from Wolf in store. You can change out the lens if you want, it does video recordings with sound, I can hook it up to my TV to play back video or to look at the pictures, and there a DC IN to recharge the batteries I think, otherwise I guess it's to run the camera off of electric instead of batteries, but that wouldn't make much sense to me.

Long post I know, but I just wanted to ask. Thanks!

[primesuspect]

Point-n-shoots usually have shooting modes that are preset. You won't be able to specify things like exposure time or f/stop or aperture, they are set into those preset modes. There is usually an action mode, a low light mode, a macro mode, a portrait mode, things like that. They are usually denoted by little icons on a dial. Sounds like you are in a mode that has a slightly longer exposure time, like a low light mode. Try using the action mode (Most cameras I've seen have a little running guy as the icon for action mode or something like that) for a fast shutter speed.

[kanezfan]

ah! that helped a lot! yes, action mode, with the running guy. there's still the annoying delay between when I press the button and the shot is taken, but the running dude mode really stops the blur. I just sat in my computer chair and started spinning around and took a few shots and no blur. thanks!

[primesuspect]

Shutter lag is an unfortunate side effect of point-n-shoots. There's not going to be any way to fix it. :(

[kanezfan]

so if i got one of those more expensive digital cameras, like the SLRs, would it feel more like a real camera?

[primesuspect]

Yes. They are real cameras. A digital SLR is just an SLR with a CCD instead of a film back. I can shoot 3 fps with my Canon digital SLR.

[TheGr81]

What does SLR stand for?

I've just been watching this thread so far, thanks for the info, prime. I just got a camera very similar to kanez.

[Thrax]

Single Lens Reflex.

[primesuspect]

In a single lens reflex, there is a mirror "in the way" of the eyepiece and the actual lens, so when you are looking through the eyepiece, you are seeing exactly what you are going to get. To expose the picture, the mirror "flips over" to expose the image onto the sensor (or film) instead of to the eyepiece. That's why you get the familiar black square while you depress the shutter. You can't see through there anymore because the image has been shifted to the sensor/film instead of to the eyepiece. Then, when the exposure is finished, the mirror flips back to the original position so that you can see the image through the lens again.

[ryko]

SLR = single lens reflex

[danball1976]

Yes, and that Canon Digital SLR costs something like $1100 (Someone where I work bought it)

[TheGr81]

Hmm... That's pretty nifty. :)

[primesuspect]

You can get the Canon Digital Rebel for less than $950 now, Danball. They got ripped off methinks..

Although, once you add the accessories like the memory card and the warranty and the tripod, etc.. it can be up that high.

[Camman]

ah! that helped a lot! yes, action mode, with the running guy. there's still the annoying delay between when I press the button and the shot is taken, but the running dude mode really stops the blur. I just sat in my computer chair and started spinning around and took a few shots and no blur. thanks!

Wow, thats the best way of testing ever.

As far as I know, there is a lag on pretty much all digital cameras (all the ones I've dealt with anyway) you press the button and then like a second later the photo shoots, I've learned to just deal with it and adapt my filming to it. This may not be the case for those of us with $1200 SLR cameras (im not one of them) but every like normal 'consumer level' camera I've come in contact with has had this delay and it's just part of using a digital camera.

[Straight_Man]

Quite a few of theswe cameras have a setting like film speed-- for instance, 100, 200, 400 speed film. SOME of them, in manual or smei-auto mode, will let you choose speed 200 instead of 100, then adjust. IF there is enough light, they can choose to make a faster pic at 200 or 400 with a faster shutter speed, and get action shots frozen into a pic that is less blurry also. If there is enough light, one hundred gets a slower form of how fast picture is formed at slower speed than 200, whihc is mid-light normal, or 400 whihc is used outdoors during the day for catching a running man in mid-step. My Camedia 4000z does this, it's quite possible a semi-auto mode is also available. My Camedia has a full manual mode setup mode also. As well as auto modes. It's neither a full SLR where the user needs to set more, nor just a P&S camera.

[danball1976]

You can get the Canon Digital Rebel for less than $950 now, Danball. They got ripped off methinks..

Although, once you add the accessories like the memory card and the warranty and the tripod, etc.. it can be up that high.

I think he bought it at BestBuy