Is the G6 a fixed lens camera?

[mint20_00]

I'm doing a little online photography class, and readying Understanding Exposure. (This book is aimed toward someone with an SLR, but I am trying to learn how to use the manual controls) Bryan goes into a little explanation about a fixed lens only getting some f-stops and how this will effect how much I can blur the background of my pictures. I've been having a hard time doing this. So I'm wondering, is the G6 a fixed lens camera? Also, when i'm taking pictures of my tulips, I will set it to a certain f-stop, and then when I take a pic, it changes it!!! Also, I can only adjust the shutter speed in manual, not the f-stops. Am I missing something?

Thanks,

Shannon

[Toogy]

not really sure how a G6 works, but it is definately a fixed lens camera.
I had a G3 for over a year and it was definately a great camera to learn on, I am sure the G6 is just as good.

What mode are you trying to take pictures in? If you are trying to learn about aperture (F-Stop) I would suggest you play with the AV mode for starters and let the camera decide the appropriate shutter speed.

[Bryan Bedell]

Also, when i'm taking pictures of my tulips, I will set it to a certain f-stop, and then when I take a pic, it changes it!!! Also, I can only adjust the shutter speed in manual, not the f-stops. Am I missing something?

in Manual, you can change aperture, shutter speed, and manual focus (if it's on) with the thumbwheel between the shutter release button and the on/off switch. Click down on the wheel (as if you'd ever figure that out) to switch between the three, then spin it to choose the setting you want (or focus)

In some modes, the camera overrides settings to get what it will think is the best exposure. I believe in Av, Tv, etc, if you turn off "safety shift" in the menu (you have to do it separately in each mode, I think), you'll be set, but in the proprietary modes (portrait, night shot, etc) it will always "idiot proof" it.

Also, I believe "fixed lens" means that the lens uses a set focal length, ie it has no zoom, which would mean the G6 with a 4x zoom (7.2-28.8mm or the 35mm equivalent of 35 - 140mm) is not a fixed lens. but I could be wrong or the author may be defining it differently.

Hope that helps, or at least doesn't make you any MORE confused.

Bryan

[Nabil-A]

you stated "how this will effect how much I can blur the background of my pictures"

what you are referring to is "depth of field" this is more to do with the CCD size than lens as youll find that CCD sizes on DSLRs are a lot larger.. and are able to achieve better control of depth of field. There is plenty of info on these forums, just look up "depth of field" or "CCD". the fact is that all fixed lens cameras have generally, far smaller ccd sensors and hence tend to have rather large depths of field.

Id recommend you learn or read up on hyperfocal distances as this will give you more information on how circle of confusion, depth of field, CCd size are correlated and what settings would be required in manual to achieve any give depth of field.

Perhaps take a personal class and learn abour your G6 (your manual) in conjunction with the classes you are taking.

[flowe]

A "fixed lens" means a lens that is factory fixed to the camera and can't be removed for routine replacement by another lens, eg a lens with longer or shorter focal length or a larger aperture etc. A fixed lens can be of (nominally) fixed focal length (eg 50mm) or of variable focal length (eg 7-29mm zoom), as this is the case with the G's and many others. Your question: yes, the G6 is a fixed lens camera.

More sophisticated system cameras have removable lenses.

A "fix focus lens" will be a fixed lens too, but a lens whose focal distance can't be varied, ie is fixed to a given focal distance. Used in ancient, cheap or throw-away cameras. And since such cameras usually have a small diameter lens with a very small aperture, they have a large Depth of Field, from infinity down to say 1m or 3ft.

Regarding Hyperfocal Distance and Depth of Field, you may read here: http://homepage.hispeed.ch/flowe/digifoto/hfd_dof.htm
There is much theory (to be read selectively) as well as practical help, but the topic is dealt with in very many other places.

[Nabil-A]

More sophisticated system cameras have removable lenses.


Also referred to as SLR - single lens reflex systems. Add a D for your digital equivalent :)

[Belmondo]

There are also rangefinder cameras with interchangeable lenses. They tend to be very expensive and aren't relevant to this discussion.

[mint20_00]

Wow, I think I got it. Thank you Bryan, I would have never know to click down the wheel. Is that in the manual? :-) I've read the manual, but sometimes no matter how carefully I read it, I am still confused. I am going to turn off those safeties tonite!!! Depth of field is so confusing! I've read a little bit about it, and the book i'm reading really helps. Unfortunately, the book is aimed toward SLR and DSLR users, of which I am not.

[dbump]

If you're still fuzzy on DOF, definitely check the link Flowe posted above. Some excellent info, with specifics for the G-series cameras.
Another good reference is:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/dof.shtml
This is more general.

[BottomBracket]

Wow, I think I got it. Thank you Bryan, I would have never know to click down the wheel. Is that in the manual? :-) I've read the manual, but sometimes no matter how carefully I read it, I am still confused. I am going to turn off those safeties tonite!!! Depth of field is so confusing! I've read a little bit about it, and the book i'm reading really helps. Unfortunately, the book is aimed toward SLR and DSLR users, of which I am not.

Yeah, that clickable wheel is a neat idea. Play around with your camera, take tons of pictures, and examine the EXIF data of the pics that interest/excite you. that's the beauty of digital photography, you can just shoot, and shoot, and shoot until you run out of memory, with no developing costs to worry about.

[crazy rose]

I am trying to learn how to use the manual controls) Bryan goes into a little explanation about a fixed lens only getting some f-stops and how this will effect how much I can blur the background of my pictures. I've been having a hard time doing this.thankx

[Andy_T]

Hi Crazy rose,

re-read Nabil-A's posting.
The reason why it is nearly impossible to blur the background on a compact digicam (as opposed to a DSLR) is that the sensor is far smaller.
f/2 on the digicam gives you about the same DOF as f/8 or f/11 on a DSLR or normal SLR. Tough luck :(

Best regards,
Andy

[Bryan Bedell]

Play around with your camera, take tons of pictures, and examine the EXIF data of the pics that interest/excite you.

Yeah, that's a really underrated advantage (to the average consumer, anyway) of digital cameras, a complete listing of every setting permanently attached to the photo for future reference! I've already learned loads from checking those out.

And despite what the SLR loyalists/engineers tell you, (:)) even if it's not as pronounced as with an SLR, you'll find a pretty decent range of depth of field to play with. Keep at it, I can't even believe the range of options and variables on the G6 compared to my old digicam, and like BottomBracket said, the film is free (though 7mp images can fill up your hard drive pretty fast...)

[lefturn99]

I am taking a photography class, and the best thing the teacher said was "Meet her in the Middle". Well, this is Oklahoma and she was actually saying "Meter in the Middle". This turned the light on for me.

I went back the next week and told the teacher "Ok, I get it. In Av and Tv, exposure is a setting. In manual, it is a reading". She looked at me like I was from Mars, then had to agree. This one thing was worth taking the class.

In manual mode, "half-press" the release. In the upper left of the LCD, there will be an exposure reading. I had never noticed it before. It will read between -2 and +2. It is also on the top display (and much easier to read in bright sunlight). As Bryan says, toggle between shutter speed and aperture and adjust until your half-press reads 0 (Meter in the Middle). Take the shot and it will be properly exposed. Obviously there are exceptions, but this is a great start.

Think of it this way. There are three things to adust. Shutter speed, aperture, and exposure. You can adjust any two and the camera sets the other and gives it to you as a reading. In Av, you adjust the exposure and aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed and gives it to you as a reading. In Tv, you set shutter speed and exposure and the camera sets the aperture and gives it to you as a reading. In Manual, you set the shutter speed and aperture and the camera tells you what the exposure is.

In still photography, where I have time, I prefer to use Manual. this gives me a target (0). When things are moving, the other two are better, because you set the exposure and then change the other setting.

In Manual, if you want a certain setting (say a wide aperture for less DOF or a fast shutter for handheld shots in medium light) you may run out of adjustment with the other setting before you arrive at a 0 exposure. In those cases, you can use different ISO settings or the ND filter to get the exposure "in spec".

Please note I am not an expert. The teacher started me on this line of thinking and this is where I am now. Does this make sense?

Mike

[lostdoggy]

you stated "how this will effect how much I can blur the background of my pictures"

what you are referring to is "depth of field" this is more to do with the CCD size than lens as youll find that CCD sizes on DSLRs are a lot larger.. and are able to achieve better control of depth of field. There is plenty of info on these forums, just look up "depth of field" or "CCD". the fact is that all fixed lens cameras have generally, far smaller ccd sensors and hence tend to have rather large depths of field.

Id recommend you learn or read up on hyperfocal distances as this will give you more information on how circle of confusion, depth of field, CCd size are correlated and what settings would be required in manual to achieve any give depth of field.

Perhaps take a personal class and learn abour your G6 (your manual) in conjunction with the classes you are taking.

Being that we're discussing this in the Canon forum Our DSLR is CMOS base not ccd. Carry-on otherwise good advice.

[mint20_00]

Mike,

Makes pretty good sense to me! :-) Thanks, sometimes it takes an explanation from someone else!

:-)

[ProAc_Fan]

I tend to agree that the lack of DOF is probably the second biggest problem with P&S digital camera's. Luckily technology being what it is, photo editing software allows you to create DOF in the post production process. :)

Mike

[dbump]

It's interesting to me that shallow DOF, which is essentially a limitation (a flaw, if you will) of the optics, has become a technique or even a feature, by virtue of tradition. Don't get me wrong, I'm also pleased by the effect, but when software developers try to convince us that something they can't fix is a feature, we laugh at them. Now we have cameras that can capture far more sharp detail, but we lament for the days when you could only focus on a small portion of the image.

[lefturn99]

I'm with dbump. Most of the time a lack of DOF is a good thing. Makes a lot of focusing problems moot. But we'll never convince those old film SLR curmudgeons. :) Just kiddong, all you OFSC's.

However, I have no problem getting DOF shots with my G6. Maybe not as easily as a REAL camera :). Crank the aperture out to 2.0 and get close to the subject and it really isn't a problem. In very bright light sometimes you have to use the built in ND filter to acheive the correct exposure.