Digital Cam suggestions

[sstasiak]

As far as your dog shot. I looked at it and your levels are all out of whack. A few things you really should consider... Adjust your White Balance according to each and every situation. Your photo's will come out more true. I think with your lens, you will be better off using Shutter priority rather than aperature priority. Adjust your shutter according to the lighting conditions.

Just my opinions!

Is it better to use the white balance presets on the camera or set it manually? Also, I read about using a method in which you fill the frame with a white object and set the white balance while focusing on it....how does that work?

Do you guys have any good exercises for this?

[denniscabarle]

Is it better to use the white balance presets on the camera or set it manually? Also, I read about using a method in which you fill the frame with a white object and set the white balance while focusing on it....how does that work?

Do you guys have any good exercises for this?

Absolutely set it manually.

Let's say it's "Magic Hour"... and you have your WB set to the "sun" position rather than the low lighting position... Your camera will compensate accordingly and give you a sunny photograph. Now there's nothing wrong with this if that's the shot you're looking to get... But, if you're looking to get that golden look with the fall folliage, you want to make sure you set your WB to the dusk or even night-time position; this will capture that golden tone that you often see in some pictures.

You can experiment with the white or gray card but I wouldn't bother. You're not taking wedding photo's or portraits right now. Just fool around with the white balance dial. Setup a scene and take the same shot but switch the white balance to a different setting with each picture. Then view them on your monitor.

[jphardy]

I think what you would want to use if you went that route is an 18% gray card. Do a Google search on that phrase and you will get all the information you need.

Although I agree with the advice given before hand. I am going to give some specific advise on the camera you have.

Don't be super concern about the lenses you have right now. Yes they are not pro 2.8 lenses and suffer in low light situations. But..you camera compensates for that with its built in image stabilization.

While I completely agree that lenses are more important that the camera, what's between your ears is way more important than the lenses.

Keep working on your skills and not think that a better lens or camera will get you a better picture.

Knowing the set up that you bought you are probably not going to run out anytime soon to buy an Olympus pro lens that will cost 3 times as much as you whole set up. But if you do get into it and you are a gear wh*re, you will eventually want to make those jumps to better equipment.

Disclosure:

I'm constantly telling my wife that I need to buy better lenses to get the best possible pictures of our daughter. Do as I say not as I do.

Best of luck, look forward to seeing your pictures.

JP

[sstasiak]

Any thoughts on this pic?

I set the camera to shutter priority and played with the white balance a little bit.

[klg neighbor]

I think it is a awesome picture. Let's see what some of the better informed people think.

[denniscabarle]

It's a good shot. Focus is good, but my only complaint is that it's a little bit on the boring side. Just my opinion. Good work though. Hows the camera coming along? Learn anything new yet? Keep the pics coming, I want to see more.

Any thoughts on this pic?

I set the camera to shutter priority and played with the white balance a little bit.

[sstasiak]

It's a good shot. Focus is good, but my only complaint is that it's a little bit on the boring side. Just my opinion. Good work though. Hows the camera coming along? Learn anything new yet? Keep the pics coming, I want to see more.

I've been taking photos of really random stuff to find out how to tune the camera to get a proper exposure in different situations.

I should be able to get it out on a fishing trip next week, so I'll get the chance to take some good pictures.

Here's some random things I took pictures of trying to get proper white balance with different settings:

[sstasiak]

For some reason I can't add this photo to the main page. Not sure why, but it says there's a picture in my upload queue, but doesn't do anything when I try to process it. I'd like to get it there so I can put a better quality version up.

Anyway, here's a shot I took this past weekend

[jcstikfish]

Beautiful shots sstasiak!


~James

[NJDrew]

I like the last one. Good exposure and positioning. Nice shot