im a complete newbie. need help.

[xounds]

hey peeps. was just surfing around the net looking for a forum where i could get help and i landed here. you pple seem pretty nice.

first off, im a complete newbie. i picked up the interest from a friend and bought an Ixus 430 two days ago. the manuals practically useless cause there isnt much explanation in it.

secondly, ive got no idea as to what terms like macro, focal length and stuff like that mean. ive been searching high and low at the local library near my workplace for a book which would help me in this area, but to no avail. wishing you guys could help me with this.

third, i think ive got this AiAF function in the cam. what does this do?

fourth, is it possible, using my cam, to take a picture such that the subject is focused while the background is a blur?

thanks in advance! =]

[stopbath]

The 430 (I think) is more a point and shoot camera. There is only little manual control over the image the camera makes for you as you can not select the aperture and/or shutter speed as you desire. You can modify the aperture and shutter speed a little but this is usually done with filters, iso settings and other work arounds... On the plus side, at night, you have full control over shutter speeds, but that is pointless during the day...

If you wish to explore photography and 'get the background fuzzy' you'll likely want to trade that camera in for a more suitable camera (one that has manual controls or at least has priority modes.)

Also, unless your library is very small, there should be some books on photography. Ask the librarian, they can sometimes even get books from other libraries. Start with a few basics books. Get a few on digital if you can, but do not discredit film photography books, as other than the medium, everything else is the same...

If you can't find any at the library, try your local book store and online...

Some cameras have 'modes' like portrait and speed settings. This is just a way of setting the camera with out doing it manually, and the results may not be what you want as other factors such as lighting may stop the effect you want from working.

Also, don't worry about bad shots, wasted shots or shots that may not work too well. Just shoot and explore different options.

[xounds]

The 430 (I think) is more a point and shoot camera. There is only little manual control over the image the camera makes for you as you can not select the aperture and/or shutter speed as you desire. You can modify the aperture and shutter speed a little but this is usually done with filters, iso settings and other work arounds... On the plus side, at night, you have full control over shutter speeds, but that is pointless during the day...



hey stopbath.. thanks for your reply, but i dont quite yet understand the lingo of photography, such as shutter speed, f-stop, aperture, filters, iso settings and stuff like that.. i know nuts abt these kinda terms..

[stopbath]

The 430 (I think) is more a point and shoot camera. There is only little manual control over the image the camera makes for you as you can not select the aperture and/or shutter speed as you desire. You can modify the aperture and shutter speed a little but this is usually done with filters, iso settings and other work arounds... On the plus side, at night, you have full control over shutter speeds, but that is pointless during the day...



hey stopbath.. thanks for your reply, but i dont quite yet understand the lingo of photography, such as shutter speed, f-stop, aperture, filters, iso settings and stuff like that.. i know nuts abt these kinda terms..

I strongly suggest a few photography books from the library or book store. Get a few basics books to start, and re-read them as required.

I really can't summarize photography into a little message. It really takes a book to do it well.

For starters though take a browse through some photo web sites.
Here is a seemingly good place to start finding some web sites to read through...
http://www.outbackphoto.com/resources/resources.html


Have fun....

[dtrayers]

Here's another good site for a newbie:

http://www.photo.net/making-photographs/

[xounds]

thanks for the links, but i was wondering is there like a site which explains these focal length, aperture, etc.?

[cmM]

The luminous lanscape:
http://luminous-landscape.com/

The mother of all digital photography sites.
Also, go to the EOS Digital Cameras forum, and there is a sticky thread called "All the best links" ..... a wealth of knowledge.

Aperture = the amount of light that is permitted to go through the lens.
Depth of field= the range of objects which are in focus
Aperture - inversely proportional to depth of fiels (at a wide aperture, you'll have small depth of field, meaning you'll have object from 5ft away to 5.5ft away that will be sharp; everything else will be out of focus... blurry)
Focal length= the lendth of the lens (telephoto lens= focal length is larger than the diagonal size of your sensor, normal lens= they are equal, wide angle lens = focal length is smaller than the sensor's diagonal)
Shutter speed= the speed of the shutter :roll: .... the amout of time light is allowed through the lens and in the sensor (usually very short amt of time...)

Read those websites... trust me, they explain this stuff better than me.

[xounds]

oooicc... thanks alot pple!! :D

btw, how good is the ixus 430 on a scale of 10?

[stopbath]

oooicc... thanks alot pple!! :D

btw, how good is the ixus 430 on a scale of 10?

All camera's are designed for certain markets.

Within those markets the cameras are usually very good.

For those who want a fuss free camera in a small portable package, the 430 works like a charm.

For those who want features that the 430 lacks, then the camera does not fit the bill....

We've seen some outstanding photos here made by that series of camera, and we've also heard several grips about lack of control over the picture...