Just got my G9, i am so lost

[iizen]

done

[Savas K]

Put the dial on P and start to enjoy taking pictures.

And Welcome to the forum.

[iizen]

why P? but my prof ask us to take pictures in manual mode. another question how do i focus on an object and have the back blurr?

[Bob_A]

First, lets consider outdoor type images without flash:

In manual you are going to have to have to set the shutter speed somewhere between 1/60s and 1/200s depending on how much zoom you are using just to prevent blurriness from camera shake. I know the camera has IS which will help ... but you are obviously just a beginner, so I'd stick with the rules of thumb for non-IS shooting for now until you improve your technique. At maximum zoom use at least 1/200s.

Now, if you are taking candid images of people then use 1/200s no matter what zoom setting you are at. People move, and IS doesn't help for those situations.


Flash Photography with the G9:

First off, don't bother with Manual when using flash with the G9 because for some dopey reason Canon decided that for Manual mode the flash power also has to be controlled manually. This is a feature of my G9 that I hate and I'm hoping someone develops a hack some day to add auto-flash ability in Manual mode. So, if your professor is only accepting images taken in manual I suggest sticking to shooting outdoors in decent light until you have a better understanding of manual flash control.

When using flash indoors I often shoot in Tv at 1/100s (ISO 200) ... and the camera selects the widest aperture, or close to it. Alternatively I use Av, but with Slow Syncro set to OFF under the flash control menu so that the shutter speed doesn't go below 1/60s. If you don't set slow syncro to off the camera will select a very sloooooow shutter speed and you will end up with an image of, say, a sharp face with a ton of ghosting from the person moving and camera shake.

As for having a sharp subject with background blur, it's not very pronounced when using the G9, or when using any other P&S. The best you can do is shoot at the widest aperture (smallest f/stop number) and with lots of zoom. The only way to get really nice separation between the subject and the background is to use a DSLR.

[macroshot]

Maybe a little trial and error? The manual may not be great, but the basics are covered. If you want something a bit more in depth, a book such as "Understanding Exposure" (Bryan Peterson) may go a long way in helping you understand what things you are trying to accomplish.

You have a feature called a histogram -- activate and use it so you can see how the results change based on what you do with shutter speeds and aperture. P-mode handles most of the workload for you, but you can still utilize the histogram to examine how the camera functioned.

The beauty of digital photography is that it's all instant gratification -- take as many as you like and figure out what works and what doesn't. Post a few and get feedback in the critique section. Good luck.

[Jannie]

Try taking some with the camera set on P or Auto, that will at least give you some pictures, you need to start somewhere. If you don't understand what Manual really means other than your Prof told you to use it, give yourself a break and start with the easier stuff, none of it's brain surgery but it makes it easier to learn one part at a time. He's just trying to teach you photography which is good, right now I bet you'd be happier learning how to use the camera. And try pushing down on the shutter button slowly to give the camera a little time to focus, especially when you are not in bright light.

Then you can set P to work with out the flash, I leave mine set up that way. It's a good way to start. The manual will tell you how to do that.

The other thing is to answer your question about how do you blur the background, point the camera at something not too big, set the camera on P or Auto Zoom to full telephoto but allow the camera to see something way in the background so that part can go out of focus. Take the picture and look at it.

Or try setting that wheel on top to AV, and then look that up in the manual and find how to use it and start by zooming into telephoto and dialing the f stop to 4.8 which is as wide open as it will go with the lens in telephoto and then find something about 6 feet away to focus on, push half way down on the shutter to focus (try to not have the subject fill the frame, you want to see something at least 10-20 feet away in the background so that background will go out of focus).

So now the camera is on
The wheel on top is set to AV
The f stop is set to 4.8 - that will allow for the most amount of background blur at that lens setting.
You are zoomed into full telephoto (just the mechanical telephoto, not the digital enhanced telephoto) Telephoto helps to make things in the background go out of focus.

The camera will automatically set the shutter speed.

Take the photo.

Now if there is enough light do the same thing again but try it this time with the f stop set at f11 and look to see the difference in focus of the background, the one at f4.8 should be more blurry.

I hope this makes sense. I feel I've been doing this all my life and never tried to explain it to anyone.

Best of luck and have fun, it's a neat camera.
Jannie

Jannie

[Bob_A]

Try taking some with the camera set on P or Auto, that will at least give you some pictures, you need to start somewhere. If you don't understand what Manual really means other than your Prof told you to use it, give yourself a break and start with the easier stuff, none of it's brain surgery but it makes it easier to learn one part at a time. He's just trying to teach you photography which is good, right now I bet you'd be happier learning how to use the camera. And try pushing down on the shutter button slowly to give the camera a little time to focus, especially when you are not in bright light.

Then you can set P to work with out the flash, I leave mine set up that way. It's a good way to start. The manual will tell you how to do that.

Jannie


Personally I feel that Manual is the only way to go when starting to learn photography, however it would be a lot less frustrating if the OP had an SLR (flilm or digital) instead of a G9.

[CJinAustin]

CAMERA USER GUIDE,,, Read it twice... When you're done you will probably know more about the camera than the guys who were able to just pick it up and shoot.

[Savas K]

why P? but my prof ask us to take pictures in manual mode.

What did your professor say when you asked all of the same questions you are asking here?

[iizen]

i just got my camera, didn't have the time to ask him. thats why i join the forum in seek of answers. thanks to those that reply, it helped a lot and it gave me a insight on how to use the camera.time to go out and shoot!!! :)

[Ricko of Fla]

If your pictures are blurry, then the shutter speed is too slow.Your hands move when you are holding for a longer time, with a slow shutter the camera needs to on a tirpod or table. Some thing that does not move.

[stathunter]

Yipes.....you have to start at the beginning and read he manual. You gotrror a new camera and want to know everything about photography.....dude no offence but start with the manual. The next step is playing with the settings and understanding what they are for......in Manual mode you have to control everything on your own and it leaves a lot of room for error. Baby steps.

[iizen]

i read the manual, but i don't quit get it. anyways its just that i am so use to point and shoot.

[Savas K]

Yikes.

[iizen]

i guess it was stupid to make this post o wellz. thx for those that helped

[geke]

iizen,
you were definetly not stupid to make this post. I think you are just expecting too much form yourself and the camera. If you have nearly no experience in photography either analog or digital it's just a lot to learn. So you have to ask someone and of course you have to listen. Just start making some pix in P- Mode outdoor under good ligth with ISO settings to auto.

This helps you to get a first feeling for the camera and you see some good results. After getting these on you computer look at them and look at the EXIF info showing you time and aperture (and a lot more...).

Then set the camera to Tv and Av and start again with different time settings and aperture settings. You will find that under the same conditions you are able to get pictures with different combinations af time and aperture but that the cominations are always for a one stop shorter time a one stop lower aperture (and vice versa).

At the same time you will see times longer than 1/60 to 1/200 s (depends on the zoom) pictrues are starting to get blurry just because out of camera movement. So be gentle when pressing the shutter button because it ads to the movement.

After spending some time on this experimenting (and enjoying yourself) you are able to start in the full manualmode.

First set the time to a safe 1/60-1/200 than go and set the aperture ao you get a balanced pic (the camera shows you on a scale if you are right or if the pic is over or underexposed).

But as CJ mentioned you need to spend a lot of time with the manual reading forward and backwards and for this reason I made a small doublesided printout (Acrobat helps you with this, you just have to put the pages together and cut them) to take with me (my Laptop is not so convienient to carry around at all times).

I hope this hepls you to get a start with your G9 because if you get some time to spend with this camera you will really learn to love it for it's a great tool as small as it is.

geke

[Roy Mathers]

What did your professor say when you asked all of the same questions you are asking here?

The same thought went through my mind. Why not ask your professor how to do what he asks?

[andrewaaa5]

what is prof? a professor? if he is a professor teaching photography then it is surely his/her job to help you learn, no??

to be frank, and I know I can potentially get an 'ear bashing' from my next comment, but 'cameras these days do a lot of the thinking for themselves', so there is no need to use 'manual mode' unless you are trying to achieve a desired effect. Why not stick to 'Auto' or 'P' modes until you get a feel of when to use the manual modes to develop further. And the great thing about 'digital' is the instant feedback, so you can change settings slightly to get more desirable results.

If it helps, I there are some links below to a brief guide on DSLRs, that may explain some basics. Although these were written for DSLRs, some of the basic rules of photography are explained, including how to use Av, Tv and M modes, Exposure settings, Framing etc...

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part1/1E2.html (auto mode)
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part1/1Ga.html (sharp or not sharp/blurry)
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part1/1Gb.html (exposure: bright vs dark)
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part2/2A.html (Av, Tv, M modes link)

Hope they help a bit and all the best with the new camera....

[CJinAustin]

what is prof? a professor? if he is a professor teaching photography then it is surely his/her job to help you learn, no??

to be frank, and I know I can potentially get an 'ear bashing' from my next comment, but 'cameras these days do a lot of the thinking for themselves', so there is no need to use 'manual mode' unless you are trying to achieve a desired effect. Why not stick to 'Auto' or 'P' modes until you get a feel of when to use the manual modes to develop further. And the great thing about 'digital' is the instant feedback, so you can change settings slightly to get more desirable results.

If it helps, I there are some links below to a brief guide on DSLRs, that may explain some basics. Although these were written for DSLRs, some of the basic rules of photography are explained, including how to use Av, Tv and M modes, Exposure settings, Framing etc...

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part1/1E2.html (auto mode)
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part1/1Ga.html (sharp or not sharp/blurry)
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part1/1Gb.html (exposure: bright vs dark)
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part2/2A.html (Av, Tv, M modes link)

Hope they help a bit and all the best with the new camera....

At first I thought your points were certainly wrong... What could he learn on Auto? Then it dawned on me, maybe Auto is a good place to start... First learn how to frame your photos, rule of thirds, etc. Learn how to focus on your subject even if it isn't in the center of the photo,, the simple basics we all take for granted as being second nature, then move on to program, Ae, etc.. makes sense..

[iizen]

thx for all your help and the links helped a lot.

[Bob_A]

what is prof? a professor? if he is a professor teaching photography then it is surely his/her job to help you learn, no??

to be frank, and I know I can potentially get an 'ear bashing' from my next comment, but 'cameras these days do a lot of the thinking for themselves', so there is no need to use 'manual mode' unless you are trying to achieve a desired effect. Why not stick to 'Auto' or 'P' modes until you get a feel of when to use the manual modes to develop further. And the great thing about 'digital' is the instant feedback, so you can change settings slightly to get more desirable results.

If it helps, I there are some links below to a brief guide on DSLRs, that may explain some basics. Although these were written for DSLRs, some of the basic rules of photography are explained, including how to use Av, Tv and M modes, Exposure settings, Framing etc...

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part1/1E2.html (auto mode)
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part1/1Ga.html (sharp or not sharp/blurry)
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part1/1Gb.html (exposure: bright vs dark)
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/enjoydslr/part2/2A.html (Av, Tv, M modes link)

Hope they help a bit and all the best with the new camera....

When learning photography Manual is IMO the best place to start because it requires you to think about light and the relationship between iso, shutterspeed and aperture. To me you will improve your skills using Av and Tv quickly if you go the manual route first.

[nutsnbolts]

Anyone should shoot auto first and see the settings that it chose to take the shot.

Read Bryan Peterson book, "Understanding Exposure"

Read the Manual.

If all else fails, put it in manual mode. Select to change the aperture that you desire and then on the back of the camera, on the top right is a button that you can press and it will automatically dial in the right shutter speed. You can do this vice versa as well, dial in the shutter speed you want to stay at and press that button again and it will dial in the right aperture to take a shot at that shutter speed.

[Elsley]

Do the following:

1. Put G9 back in box.
2. Go out and buy a fully manual film camera (A good secondhand one will probably cost you about a 20th of what you paid for the G9).
3. Learn how to use that.
4. Take G9 out of box and use it, as you should now be confident about the relationship of shutter speed to aperture, how to focus, how to compose and how to hold the camera steady.

If you can't be bothered to do the above then put G9 on 'auto' and just enjoy taking pictures until you are confident about what you are doing. And if your prof is so keen for you to do it manually he might at least have offered you some advice on how to do it.

[CJinAustin]

Do the following:

1. Put G9 back in box.
2. Go out and buy a fully manual film camera (A good secondhand one will probably cost you about a 20th of what you paid for the G9).
3. Learn how to use that.
4. Take G9 out of box and use it, as you should now be confident about the relationship of shutter speed to aperture, how to focus, how to compose and how to hold the camera steady.

If you can't be bothered to do the above then put G9 on 'auto' and just enjoy taking pictures until you are confident about what you are doing. And if your prof is so keen for you to do it manually he might at least have offered you some advice on how to do it.

Or just put the G9 on M and turn Image Stability off...

[pepedog]

http://www.shortcourses.com/store/canon-g9.html

"The eBook version of this book has 50 interactive animations that illustrate and explain the core concepts of digital photography. Integrated throughout the eBook, these animations help you understand your camera better, and they are also a lot of fun.

To use the animations you need the eBook version of this book on a CD and an Internet connection."

Good luck and have FUN!!!

[andrewaaa5]

Do the following:

1. Put G9 back in box.
2. Go out and buy a fully manual film camera (A good secondhand one will probably cost you about a 20th of what you paid for the G9).
3. Learn how to use that.
4. Take G9 out of box and use it, as you should now be confident about the relationship of shutter speed to aperture, how to focus, how to compose and how to hold the camera steady.


I do not agree. reason: there is no 'instant feedback'. The learning curve with digital is faster as the results of experimentation are seen instantly.

I am still standing by my words that these days the 'cameras do a lot of the thinking for you'. Canon / Nikon / Olympus etc have spent millions on developing wee computers to process settings for you, & it's not like an evil camera fairy will visit in the night and take away your digital camera and replace it with a Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta, and a note saying 'you are not allowed to use a light meter either....'

anyway, all the best IIZEN, and if you have any questions, please post them here :)

[CJinAustin]

I do not agree. reason: there is no 'instant feedback'. The learning curve with digital is faster as the results of experimentation are seen instantly.

I am still standing by my words that these days the 'cameras do a lot of the thinking for you'. Canon / Nikon / Olympus etc have spent millions on developing wee computers to process settings for you, & it's not like an evil camera fairy will visit in the night and take away your digital camera and replace it with a Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta, and a note saying 'you are not allowed to use a light meter either....'

anyway, all the best IIZEN, and if you have any questions, please post them here :)

I learned on a film OM-1 all manual and you're right it was slow learning and expensive. I think I would have learned faster on a G9 as long as I forced myself to use manual most of the time. It's the self-discipline part that is probably different for most people.

[Savas K]

Digital certainly accelerates learning, so long as the photographer spends the time making mistakes that they learn from, and then compensate for, during thoughtful practice sessions.