SX100IS - on tripod shot

This I am upset

Taken during the chinese new year gathering at an elderly relative's home.

camera was mounted on a tripod, self time on 10secs with flash

the edges of this shot is less than satisfying.

First of all, I would be upset too. It's very disappointing to take a group shot and get less than what you expected, but:

Your aperture was set at f/2.8. The camera did what you asked it to.

I can't tell what mode you were in, but I would probably have taken that in Auto or program (P) mode and made sure the aperture was no larger than f/5.6 and maybe even f/8. Set it for either the 2 second timer or 10 second timer. Tell everyone to stay as still as possible as the shutter speed at thoae aperture settings will be slow, but still workable IMHO.

You shot at ISO 250, which is about as high as I would go for a good looking result.

At any rate, it is not the IS that did you in on this shot, it was the large aperture and it's relatively shallow DOF at that distance that is the culprit. You can see that the middle row is focused and the front and back rows are not.

Regards,
Jeff

It was shot on P mode & Auto ISO.

I was unsure of how much light the flash can pump out, if I were to ask for F8.

Or I should have made a trial shot to be sure.

I usually use AV or M mode; however, it seems that the camera reacts better on P or Auto modes, which I seldom use and of the two modes, I have used P mode more often because this phenomenom

I also wonder how did you set up the flash to the highest level. Another thing maybe not sure that the light coming from the background gave a false reading.

lensmen wrote in post #4910698
It was shot on P mode & Auto ISO.

I was unsure of how much light the flash can pump out, if I were to ask for F8.

Or I should have made a trial shot to be sure.

Actually, I'm pretty impressed you got what you did with regard to the lighting, especially with the back lighting coming from the window in the background. And the flash did well to give the exposure it did.

I think you are correct to be concerned with flash output at f/8. I honestly don't think you would have got the exposure you did if your ISO was at 80 or even ISO 200, but ISO 400 may have been OK, but then noise starts to become an issue.

The things to consider (for me at least) are that:

if I can't get the DOF I require, the shot won't work.

if I can't get proper exposure, it's not going to work either (but you may be able to PP to some extent unlike insufficient DOF.

if there's too much noise from ISO being too high for my taste, that's not going to acceptable either.

Next time you might consider getting one person to help you by posing for a few test shots before you get the whole group together (I know, it's like herding cats).

And for group shots, a single row may work with f/2.8, but three rows at that distance will need at least f/5.6 to f/8 (f/8 is the max for the SX100).

One last thing to consider, is that if you take a lot of flash shots like this and it's important to you, consider adding the HF-DC1 to your bag. It will extend your usable flash distance to at least 30ft (about 10 meters) and works very well for fill flash outdoors. I got mine for <$95 on amazon.

Once you get a feel for the proper settings needed, it works well IMHO.

It may be a source of irritation to think spending additional money for this flash, but no built in flash comes close to the range this thing has and it will work with most all of Canon's P&S cameras (probably the EOS models too) and it works with many other brands of P&S, so it can stay with you through many years of various cameras.
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ione, I think you can only adjust flash output on the SX100 in Manual mode.
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Thanks for the words of encouragement. At least I didn't think that I have a lemon.

Big Hands wrote in post #4911807

One last thing to consider, is that if you take a lot of flash shots like this and it's important to you, consider adding the HF-DC1 to your bag. It will extend your usable flash distance to at least 30ft (about 10 meters) and works very well for fill flash outdoors. I got mine for <$95 on amazon

.

I was looking at this item online last night.... good idea. Even better idea if there is a bracket & a slave sensor that I can attached my MZ54 to this. Looks like an over kill that my flash cost more than the camera - but if anyone ask, I will tell them that my L lenses works in similar principle as with my camera.

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ione, I think you can only adjust flash output on the SX100 in Manual mode.
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Flash EV & normal shot's EV are adjustable except for AUTO mode.

I think I have added +1 EV on this photo and +1/3 on the other group shots.

You can read about both flash exposure and flash output (pages 121, 122 & 123 and p222 of your manual). What I can't find is how these settings differ and when I would use one rather than the other.

This camera is proving to be tricky. Sometimes I love it and it takes the best photos. Other times, the focus is horrible when I thought it would be great.

Lens...I'm sorry the group shot didn't turn out, it was a great set up :O) Just look at it as a learning experience for ALL of us on this Forum to learn from.

BigHands...I'm gonna try your aperature setting suggestions. I think they will help me out.

Here are a few samples for me. The first two are in the gym at my church (well lit) during our pledge to the American flag in Awana. Indoor Mode with flash(beginning to really dislike this mode). I took about 8 shots and they all turned out bad.

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I don't mind getting slightly dark pictures due to lack of light through using a smaller apature, because you can always lighten them up in software later (see below). But push the camera, on it's own, indoors for light by hammering the ƒstop as open as possible and you loose that DOF. It's a balancing act really, go for the best settings and correct gamma and stuff later. Shooting in dark situations is better handled by DSLR's generally. Don't get me wrong, I love dark shoots, but then i'm using long exposures and static objects, not people.

The SX100 flash is like the flashcubes on an ancient Instamatic -- don't assume it will be any help if your subject is much more than 10 feet away. Best to leave it turned off and see what you can get by virtue of steadying the camera on a tripod or solid object, playing with the ISO, etc.

ddphotography wrote in post #4916218
The first two are in the gym at my church (well lit) during our pledge to the American flag in Awana. Indoor Mode with flash(beginning to really dislike this mode). I took about 8 shots and they all turned out bad.

Yeah, this is a recipe for disaster. Even my big FD flash (Sunpak422D) with a guide # of 100 couldn't handle this, too much distance, too wide an angle. As noted, for most PnS, figure 10 feet in a decently lit room will work. 10' in the dark, not much chance at all.

Without flash would work better, as the flash mode turns the exposure down, assuming the flash will have the horsepower to fill in, thus darkness ensues.

I seldom shoot using flash, but the few times I've done it somehow the SX100 doesn't generate enugh blast. Then I switched to AV or P and changed the WB to Flourescent and it makes a difference.

Next time try it. Also, when using flash the camera is more sensitive and you are bound to get more blurr evem with IS

ddphotography wrote in post #4916218
Here are a few samples for me. The first two are in the gym at my church (well lit) during our pledge to the American flag in Awana. Indoor Mode with flash(beginning to really dislike this mode). I took about 8 shots and they all turned out bad.


The last one is is the same day, same mode. In a classroom, up close. Turned out great.

I suspect the fluorescent lights in the picture for the first two didn't help the situation at all.

Thanks guys alot. I've been messing around alot with the settings. I think this camera doesn't really like to focus objects at a distance.....anyone else experiencing this?