S50 - Multiple AF Frames?

[Inga]

Hello,
I'm a new user of the S50 and am slowly learning how to use this camera.

One question I have that I've not been able to resolve is the following:

In "Auto" mode, I often see the AF frame (green box) in a location other than the center of the image. And, when I press the shutter release, I'll end up with more than one and they'll be in different places.

I've reset the camera to it's default settings and am not certain how or why this is occurring.

(My understanding is that the AF frame is the location where the focusing occurs, so how can there be more than one?)

Any guidance, or pointers would be most welcome.

My apologies in advance if this topic has already been discussed.

Best Regards,
~Inga

[Guillermo Freige]

This is normal, is the AiAF system. This means all the objects in green boxes are used to focus and in focus, thanks to the wide depth of field of the digicams.
If you want to focus only in the center point (or another user selected one), you must disable AiAF or use "Creative" modes (P, Tv, Av or M)

[Inga]

[quote]Guillermo Freige wrote:
This is normal...[snipped]

Wow, thanks! I thought I was going crazy.

Appreciate you prompt reply too!

Best Regards,
~Inga

[Ralph Parkes]

Have a look at this site address, it may help in your understanding of the S50, which I also have purchased recently.

www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/s50.html

Ralph

[Ralph Parkes]

Not a direct comment on subject, but I'd like to congratulate you on your gallery, excellent stuff. I also like the idea of having the camera status for each shot at the bottom of the picture, and the choice of three sizes, especially the info on the Canon S50, which I purchased at the end of June this year, again, congratulations on having the opportunity to see parts of Argentina I may never get the opportunity to see "live".

Ralph

[Guillermo Freige]

Thanks Ralph.
I'm still knowing the camera (I bought it in late May) and the first "Bosque" pictures were the first ones I was able to take at sunlight, so they have some clipped highlights (I've discovered it too late in my house). I've added a second set shooted in winter hollidays, so they are more "lively" ( a lot of people in the lake ) and without the clipping problems.
In fact, I really love this little camera. Probably not the best choice for someone who has no idea (or probably yes, I hadn't used a lot of point&shoot cameras, it's not my style), but in creative modes and using RAW, really this baby shines. My only complaint is I always have to use negative EV compensations to not to blow higlights. I don't know if it's normal in all digicams or only a Canon or an S50 (or MY S50? ) problem. I've used to have a Sony P1, but I never use it for nothing "serious" (only in birthdays and social events) except when I bought it in NY, so I can't compare it.

[stopbath]

I read that digital cameras need to be underexposed like slide film (digital photography: landscapes)

The book did not mention what exposure compensation was needed for slide film, but I think it was -1 to -.5 ev.

My Canon A70 was regularly washing out whites, so I now use -2/3, which retains the detail. I tried -1/3 but even though it was better, it still seemed to wash out.

[Guillermo Freige]

Digital photography is like digital audio or anything digital. It has NO tolerance to errors if you exceed the recording range (and usually you notice it in the high limit and not in the low). It happends in audio when you clip the audio peaks (awful high frequency distortions) and in photography you ended with unnaturally-blown highlights.
The analog world (audio tapes, film negatives or slides) usually tend to smooth the high peaks, compressing the "signal" in a more pleasing way. Digital has no such smooth efect, it only clips it to the largest possible value, so you must to keep all the signal in valid ranges (usually underexposing), and then, if you want, modify the curve to increase the lower levels and compress the high ones, to obtain a similar image. This has advantages and disavantages. The good news is: you are actually INCREASING the effective camera sensitivity when you underexpose, but the bad ones are you are also increasing noise, during the level increase in dark tones at posprocessing. Also, you must shoot in 12 bits (usually that means RAW or TIFF) to get some extra values to use during the level processing.
So, digital photography has the advantage of inmediate review (or in digicams, preview), but this review is also more necesary than in film photography, because is more easy to destroy a picture in digital than in film.

[stopbath]

Some cameras have that cool little feature where over exposed areas blink so you can 'unclip' it. I wish I had that, or at least a retain hightlight mode which shifted exposure to retain highlights (say if a chunk of the image is pure white the camera would try an underexposure, to get some additional texture.)

It woud also be nice for histograms and RAW on the A70, but it's just a hobby camera.

[Guillermo Freige]

The S50 has both functions (blinking and histogram) in the detailed view. Very (very!!) useful. This fact and the RAW capabilities (and a larger buffer to a lesser extent) decided my choice for an S45 (originaly) instead of the A70, because 3MP were enough for me.
Finally I've ended with a S50 at almost the S45 price, so I coudn't resist :) (I like black cameras)
(And it happens again last week with a Pioneer DV-45A and the 47Ai. I wanted the 45 but ended buying the 47 at almost the same price. Lately I'm a lucky man) :)

[Ralph Parkes]

Guillermo, how many camera's have you got in your collection. You seems to have every angle covered.
The Canon S50 is my first venture in to the digital world. Initially I'll probably use the fully automated options like a "point and shoot" I guess. Gradually as I see my "output" and what is good and bad I plan to "expand" my knowledge and start tweeking some of the controls.

Right now my Wife is using the camera in Sydney, Australia. I'm here somewhere in Europe at the moment.

Hope she saves some good stuff on her Portable PC.