Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with camera

Forgot tripod. Used pogo stick. Rated D for Dramamine.

coffeefilter — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:54 -0800

Death to Jerky Cam! Multipart Question. (1) Is there actually a proper technical term for Jerky Cam, aka Shakey Cam, the clumsy, intrusive, and nauseating practice of bouncing the camera around?

(2) Is there a website that rates movies by the degree of shaky camera work?

(3) If there isn't, what are good ways to start one? I'm thinking of some kind of specialized website with logins, a forum, and user ratings for movies as they come out.

(4) What's your top 5 list of worst jerky cam movies?

Stranger gives me a camera - why?

lootie777 — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:48:24 -0800

I have received a (used) Sony Cybershot camera with a charger and usb cord in the mail. I have no idea who the sender is or why it was sent to me! What is going on here? The camera and various parts are wrapped in plastic bags from other commercial goods - ex. a cosmetic bag - and placed in a plain brown box with newspaper as padding.

My name and address is spelled perfectly, which is really unusual. I have family members who spell my first name incorrectly. It's been sent by USPS First Priority and the stamp on the box shows the same city the return address is from.

The return address has a first name, with what looks like a residential address (per google maps) in Southern California.

I don't know anyone in that area of the country, and the only person that I've known with that first name was an elementary school friend who lives on the other side of the country.

I turned the camera on, there are no pictures in the memory and no extra memory card that I can see. The camera is about halfway charged.

The camera is used, but in very good condition.

Why on earth would someone send something like this to a stranger? I'm a little freaked out!

Hivemind, is this some supercool new thing to do that I'm too dorky to know about? Or is it something more sinister?

Help me learn my Christmas Canon

SweetTeaAndABiscuit — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:03:44 -0800

I've given myself (with the help of others) a Canon S90 camera for Christmas and I need help getting the most out of my photographic experience(s)!! I'm a total newb when it come to photography with anything but the most basic cheapie point and shoot. I've had some good luck with interesting photographs I've taken though, which has really made me want to learn more about photography and cameras. My true heart's desire is a DSLR, but the reality of the matter is I have a very small expendable income budget and it might be years before I could afford one. So, based on reviews and seeing the Canon S90 mentioned on this and other websites, I took a small windfall and some Christmas gifted cash from family and bought one tonight!!!

Of course I'll read the manual that comes with it, but then what? Assume I know nothing about f-stops and aperture and ISO (because I don't). Where should I go to find information that will apply to this camera? Are there any books that will help or web sites? I really want to learn this camera backwards and forwards and by that time (a couple of years from now), hopefully I'll be financially able to step up to a DSLR.

Thanks for any help or direction you can give a fledgling photographer!!

Best Discreet Subway Camera?

joshwa — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:00:54 -0800

DigitalCameraFilter: I am trying to find a small, discreet point-n-shoot camera that I can use on the subway to take pictures of my fellow-passengers (think Walker Evans - Many Are Called). Trying to find something that is: small (fits in pocket), quiet, sharp, can disable the rear lcd, and has minimal shutter lag. Good high-iso performance also a plus. Zoom not necessary. The Canon G-series would fit the bill, but they're rather bulky are mega-pricey for this application.

Hoping that someone here has experience with such an application and can recommend something?

Googling, as you'd imagine, is of limited usefulness. There are just too many small digital cameras and thousands of spammy spycam and bogus affiliate sites.

First-time DSLR buyer looking for advice

kampken — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:46:36 -0800

What camera and lens combinations would you suggest for a DSLR for macro/indoor photography (without flash) for a newbie? Price range around 1200 USD. I'm looking to buy a good DSLR camera (not exactly pro but not too cheap either) but I'm fairly confused as to what to choose. Mostly because i don't know exactly what values i should look for and also lens incompatibilities (really don't wanna be stuck with a model where i can't get any proper lenses) - A fairly easy to use and light camera would be preferred, but i am willing to study the user manual or other instructions for as long as it takes.

I am planning to do macro-photography with it, so i guess i need something with live-view, so i can check the focus before taking the photo. I can't find anything about macro-specific cameras as such, so i guess it's just about finding a good lens?
Also i plan to do much indoor photography without using a flash, so i will need a good light-strong lens of a sort, however these are quite expensive so a wrong buy would be costly.

And what about the new 4/3 cameras? I like their size and design, but would they be any good for my purposes?

So in short, what camera and lens combinations would you suggest for a DSLR for macro/indoor photo for a newbie? Price range around 1200 USD.

Looking for a new camera bag

captainsohler — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:56:07 -0800

I need a new camera bag. I am looking for esoteric brands, beyond Domke or Lowepro. Can the hive point me in many different directions? As many manufacturers as possible: I am looking for an "urbanite" or travel bag, not a location shooting bag.

For more parameters, I would want to fit a digital EOS SLR Body, two or three lenses, a speedlight and other pockets for books, documents, and such--beyond the usual accessory pockets a bag comes with.

My Outpack Design bag by Domke (Saunders) is done, and I cannot find a similar model.

Thanks so much.

recovering photos from a gnawed-upon SD card

scruss — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:41:19 -0800

Are there any services (preferably in Canada) that will attempt to get data from a damaged SD card? A friend has baby pictures on an SD card, which said baby later found and used as an inappropriate teething aid. The card doesn't show up on any computer/card reader, though most card readers do accept it.

I've tried RescuePro, PhotoRec and PhotoRescue, all on Mac. None of them even see the volume.

Need help choosing a camera for video

bDiddy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:26:16 -0800

Wife wants a video camera, I want a still camera that shoots video. Hope us! The wife and I are soon going to be parents and as such I would like to be able to take HD video of our son.

I currently have a Panasonic Lumix Camera that managed to get some dust inside the lens. Ideally I would like to replace this with a newer Lumix camera that shoots HD.

I don't know if the wife wants HD or if she just wants to be able to shoot 3 hours straight of video.

Either way, I don't really want to have to worry about carrying a still camera and a video camera but I may lose that battle.

To me, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 seems to be the best bet. I've been very happy with the stills on my current Panasonic, aside from dust smudges.

So that was the build-up, here's the question(s):

Will the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS3 shoot video for as long as I want, or is there a limit to video length other than memory card size? Is there a better option for shooting decent stills and HD video aside from that camera in the $300-$400 range? Or, is there a decent handheld HD video recorder that is much better than the video taken by the Lumix that is around that price?

That's a lot of questions. I guess the bottom line is I'm looking to find out if digital camcorders in the $300-$400 are superior to the P&S cameras in the same price range. I doubt that they are, but I have no evidence to back it up.

Thanks.

Note: As great as I'm sure they are, DSLR cameras are out of the question. I'd love one, but they're just too big.

Help me with a bit of passive home defence

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:26:38 -0800

Looking for a GSM alarm system for my house. I don't live in the States, so the answer should ideally be non-US specific. I was wondering about the Panasonic BL-C131A, but that needs presumably a decent amount of light and a working internet connection to alert me of break-ins. And without push email, fifteen minutes could pass before I get the alert. It's not really ideal, I don't think... A GSM alarm seems like a better idea, but they all seem so expensive and if not expensive then Chinese. Does anyone have a recommendation for a basic all-in-one system with GSM alert for under $200? I only need one PIR, with bonus points for expandability. I noticed Ontech GSM Mini 9009 (+ Ontech GSM Relay 9010) but they are fairly expensive considering the actual alarm isn't included here. Any thoughts? Surely in this digital age the home security market has moved on from closed solutions like a monitoring centre?

Digital Camera Recommendations for Smoggy China

imalaowai — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:17:45 -0800

Digital Camera Recommendations for Smoggy China I know there are a lot of digital camera questions out there . . . but I did a search and didn't find anything pertaining to this. Please forgive me if this question has been asked recently.

So, last time I went to China all of my pictures turned out brown and grainy. At first I thought my camera was crap -- and then I realized that the smog was probably the main culprit. I was using a Canon PowerShot A520, which has 4 megapixels. I'm going to be going back to China next summer and I'm interested in getting a camera that will take better pictures in the smog. Are such cameras available for under $200? I really don't know anything about digital cameras -- other than how to erase photos of myself wherein I have more than one chin -- so please talk to me like I'm a 5 year old :)

I don't really have any other preferences -- though I guess I'd rather have a camera with a charger than one that takes batteries. I don't plan to do anything fancy with this camera -- I'll just be taking your typical boring tourist photos. But it would be great if they came out bright and pretty!

Thanks so much!

My Little Camera

timeistight — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:57:36 -0800

Can you recommend a reasonably-priced digital camera for a bright seven-year-old girl? Bonus points if it's available in pink.

What's a good sub-$500 digital camera for general use and macro work?

hjo3 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:43:22 -0800

What's a good digital camera for someone that wants to do long exposures, macro photography, and has roughly $500 to spend? Okay, so I want to get a new digital camera. Right now I have a Casio EX-Z50 and I hate it. Budget is ~$500. There are three things I especially want in a new camera:

The ability to do long exposures (>5 seconds).

The lowest noise I can afford.

Something that's good for, but not only for, macro photography.

Another cool feature would be the ability to take a picture every x minutes, but I don't even know if that exists. And an easy UI (like the one on Sony Cybershots) would be nice, but not critically important.

Can you recommend something for me? Or can you point me to a site or something that lets me compare lots of camera stats for various models at once?

how do I control exposure for panorama photos?

intermod — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:10:11 -0800

I just bought a new Canon digital camera, an SX110IS, and have discovered that it doesn't have the stitch assist mode. I may yet return it, but I'm wondering what would I need to do to still do a decent panorama without the assist? Obviously I have to frame the photos for overlap, but the real benefit of stitch assist mode was the exposure control. What should I do, manually, to get good panoramas as a result? I love making panoramas while traveling, and the stitch assist mode in my older Canon A720IS was great for this. Besides guiding you on the image framing for overlap, it would hold the exposure settings across the series, so that they'd blend well later when you stitched them.

Frankly I just assumed that all Canon digital cameras came with that feature now, but I see now that the lower end SX110IS and SX120IS don't have it. Once you step up to the more expensive SX200IS and up, you get the feature. Bah!

So, do I need to put the camera in some sort of manual mode, and which exposure parameters exactly should I control? Aperture? ISO? I'm not much of a photographer.

I'll give it a shot during travels next week, and if it doesn't work so well for me then I'll return the camera, but I'd like to avoid that hassle.

Need help shopping for a camera

FireStyle — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:14:14 -0800

What is the next best camera to the Nikon D300s? I'm doing some Christmas shopping for my dad, getting some prices in my head. I know he wanted the Nikon D300s, but that camera is anywhere between $1,300 to $1,600 --- WAY out of my budget!

I saw the Nikon D5000 which seems to be the intermediate version of the D300s. At a price tag around $800, that's something I could handle. However, I'm an audio guy, so I have no idea what the difference between an FX and DX chip is, what CMOS is (unless its the same CMOS spec for motherboards?) etc. so I have no way of effectively shopping for a good camera for him.

It should be noted, he is really good for an amateur photographer... just a fun hobby of his back in the day and was looking to get back into it. Also, I know he *reeeeeeally* has his heart set on a Nikon, so please no suggestions of a Canon X5 million plus. Thanks!

Camera + Backpack, together at last

WayOutWest — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:06:28 -0800

Can you recommend a backpack to carry my camera? I have a Nikon D70 with one additional lens. I'm looking for a backpack, not a messenger style bag, that will carry my camera and assorted other things that you'd carry in a day pack while holidaying/touring through Singapore, Vietnam and Japan.

I've looked at Crumpler whose style/design I admire, the issue being that their bags are a touch to big for me and everyday use. I've also looked at the Lowepro Fastpack 200, which I've only seen on the web and don't mind, but kinda screams I have a camera in here (maybe just because I'm really familiar with Lowepro?)

Any reviews on the Lowepro or other suggestions? I'm all ears, or eyes as the case may be.

Idiot-Proof Camera

Yakuman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:15:38 -0800

What the most idiot-proof low-end digital camera? Emphasis on idiot.

Looking for non-fugly camera case!

katillathehun — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:29:31 -0800

I need a case for my new Olympus E-P1, but I can't find one that I like! I really love the leather one I've been seeing in pictures of the camera everywhere, but that case/strap is hard to find and exorbitantly expensive to boot ($85-$200 everywhere I've found it online). So, is there something similar to that that's under $80 and available in the US? (Yes, I've checked eBay.) Olympus shows something similar for a decent price on their site, but it's not available anymore. If not one like that, is there an attractive case/strap combo of another kind that might fit the E-P1? Or any handy tips for making something on my own? I'm good with crafty type things.

Confused about a Sigma lens for Pentax

GuyZero — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:44:49 -0800

This new lens from Sigma (18-250 zoom) comes in a Pentax mount. Pentax puts their DSLR image stabilization in the camera body and not in the lens like Nikon or Canon. Yet the description for all the lenses is the same - image stabilization in the lens. Is this a case of cut&paste product descriptions or would using this lens on a Pentax camera have double image stabilization (both lens & camera body)? The Amazon description seems to indicate it's in the lens but the English is a bit wonky. I'm also curious whether this lens is worth the higher price versus the similar Pentax & Tamron lenses.

How can you see what I saw?

history is a weapon — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:40:32 -0800

In 35 mm terms, how wide angle are our eyes? Understanding that we have our main vision, what we're actually focusing on, and our peripheral vision, what we can sort of see, what're the answers to this? For example, can we focus the equivalent of a 22mm lens on a fullframe 35mm? I understand that our eyes and brain are much more complex than a lens; I'm more interested in the physical frame in terms of what lens would most closely replicate natural vision.

What did I do to my camera?

quodlibet — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:43:13 -0800

What have I done to my camera (Canon Rebel Xti)? I recently bought a used Canon in August. It has worked tremendously for the past 3 months. I haven't got around to reading much in the manual, admittedly, mostly just point and shooting.

After shooting with it last weekend and uploading the pictures, it will no longer shoot in automatic focus. It has to be set to MF. I don't remember pushing any buttons or changing any settings. When I try to take a pictures some yellow lights flash where I'm looking, but my eye sight is too poor to figure out what they mean. No battery issues, no issues when it is set to MF.

I'm a complete camera novice and have no clue what to even look for in the manual to try to resolve this. Help! I'm happy to give more description on the settings, etc - if you tell me what to look for - thanks.

How to get our weather balloon floating again? How to get it taking pictures?

Tufa — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:56 -0800

How to repair a weather balloon, in the context of aerial photography? How to do aerial photography at all? dmd and I recently thought we might try some aerial photography.

We thought we would use a weather balloon, one which was big enough to carry the payload of a Canon PowerShot camera.

Our ambition led us to purchase this weather balloon. It is made of latex. Hopes (and voices) borne high on helium, we launched the balloon on a windy day, in the high desert of central Arizona, a setting which (O! woe) led to the balloon's quick extinction. Shortly, the balloon was pushed by downdrafts into a bush of catclaw acacia. Catclaw acacia is named for its small, sharp, catching THORNS which resemble the claws of a cat. Reader, it popped.

I don't want to give up the investment of this balloon, or give up our vision of high-flying photography. My question is, is there a way to patch a hole in latex?

Would a leather or vinyl patch kit, or tire puncture kit, or some sort of plastic bond, work for this, do you think? Do you think using some Fix-A-Flat might work, if it was released into the balloon while it was inflated in some makeshift way to its full airborne size? I imagine this might stiffen the balloon and put a limit on how high it could go, but it would be good enough for me, as a salvaging situation.

And, do you have any tips for launching weather balloons, or for aerial photography in general?

Consider proximity of cactus and thorns when launching, is my best tip.

I need a 102, 103 class in photography. Suggestions?

GilloD — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:35:23 -0800

Where do I go for my 102 on photography? I took a couple of photo classes in high school and know my way around an SLR/DSLR pretty well. I'm at about 102- I understand an Shutter Speed and an Aperture and I understand the trade-off between the two, but I'm not always sure what I'm looking at when I see my photos, i.e. this photo looks great, but how'd I get there?

Now that I've gotten a bit more serious, I'm interested in how lenses interact with that process. I understand what's different about an 18-55mm lens and and 28-200mm, but I'm not 100% sure what those terms mean, in terms of being useful for me, and how they change the photos I take beyond "Well, this one can zoom farther than that one". I'm also looking for clarification on things like AE, and the various forms of AF and why one matters more than the other and... phew!

I got myself a copy of Understanding Exposure, but that's much more about picture taking than the complicated technical world of equipment. I'm really looking for a 102-103 class: "Okay, you're comfortable with the camera and you understand what the aperture and shutter speed are. Let's go farther.".

Suggestions? Books are fine, but I have limited access to English language books. Web tutorials are better and I don't mind shelling out for something I can DL. FWIW, I'm shooting on a shiny new Nikon D90 with 28-200mm Nikon lens.

DSLR n00b

chrisinseoul — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:00:36 -0800

New to the DSLR world, and I need the hive mind's help with a couple questions. I recently picked up a used Nikon D70 body (decent older DSLR, decent enough for the purposes of picking things up anyway) and a couple lenses (a 28-70mm and a 70-210mm lens, both Nikon). Over the past couple days I've spent free time reading through a manual that seems almost incomprehensible in places. I come from a fairly advanced point-and-shoot type camera, so I'm familiar with most of the terms like white balance, shutter / aperture priority, and the like. The advice of 'just shoot stuff' is certainly good, but a few things are bugging me.

#1: The longer lens (70-210mm AF 1.4-5.6 D) has one area to turn for manual focus and an aperture ring closest to where the lens hooks up to the body. There's no way to zoom in / out though - am I missing something here?

#2: I know the D70 has a crop factor of 1.5x. When I take a picture, it looks nothing like what I saw through the viewfinder. It's a *much* tighter shot than expected. Is there a way to adjust this, or is it just a mental adjustment?

#3: Looking to buy one more lens, primarily used for landscapes or macro. Is it possible to get wide angle and macro in a single lens without the cost breaking the bank?

Thank you O hive mind :)

Need Camera help

dmbfan93 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:29:38 -0800

Camera question: Just bought a Samsung TL100 12.2 megapixal - slim and cute. Tried to load photos on my computer and did not work. Please help. I just tried to load photos on my computer for the first time using a brand new Samsung TL100 12.2 megapixel camera. I loaded the software and also tried using picasa to load the pictures. The computer registered that hardware was connected but never registered the pictures. Now after connecting the camera to my computer, I can no longer turn the camera off or on but the screen appears to be on...hard to describe. Did my computer just fry my camera? The whole reason i have a new one is because this just happened when i loaded pics from my old camera to my computer - after loading successfully, my old camera stopped turning on and would not even charge. I assumed the lithium batter was done and upgraded to a new camera. Please help me decide what to do - do I take the camera back? Is it my computer? I"m trying to charge the camera but it will not turn on or off....

Picture my sister in Nepal frustrated in an internet cafe

Pineapplicious — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:08:22 -0800

My sister is going on a 3 week adventure in Nepal and is taking a 1 year old Canon Powershot SD1100 IS. She'd like to upload photos a few times while she is away to some sort of photo sharing site (flickr, photocbucket, or even facebook). She is wondering if it is possible to do this without first saving to a computer (she'll be in internet cafes) and if so how? Both she and I (obvs) are new to this digital camera stuff.