Having others take your picture.

Tripod and self-timer is the only way I'd go with my stuff

That is what I did. It works just great. LOL

Yep, i've never had a problem with it, no damage, never lost it, scratched anything, etc. I only do it for special occasions, like a good friends leaving party, in a reasonably controlled environment, and it goes into it's padded bag when i'm not using it.

If I can't use my DSLR, I don't use anything, I find P&S cameras too painful to use much now.

My experience of taking my camera with me when drunk put me off EVER taking a good camera out drinking again.

What happened?
I don't know, but I never saw the camera again.

Yeah, I take my camera down to the club all the time, never know if inspiration will strike

But I've only met about 3 people I actually trust to use my camera properly & take a picture of me. One of them uses a 350D herself, another has a 20D for himself & the other is the barman at the club who is an ex-pro himself.

Otherwise it's a case of "here's my Olympus mini-Mju, feel free to take all the shots you like"

I don't know what you are talking about!

Most people who take pictures with my camera of me make great images.

Take a look at the example my wife took at my recent birthday.
Just look at the sharpness ... of the trees in the background

Best regards,
Andy

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Andy,

That's brilliant!!! "Glad" to see you get the same great results as I do!!

I didn't know your wife was the one following us around the world taking our picture too.

Just got back from a camping trip. I got some great photos that I've received lots of compliments on. And the only photo of me........

I agree, I really need to hand my camera off. I need more photos of me with my kids and they are a rarity.

Oh yeah, and that is a PotN strap I'm sporting there.

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I also have a hard time explaining that the * works as focus, so instead I either turn off CF 4-1 (set it to 4-0) if the conditions im shooting in require Av,Tv or M mode (like low light conditions). Otherwise I set it to one of the creative modes and hope to God they dont shake a lot. Well after continuous instructions of placing elbows on middle stomach part,arms should be parallel to top torso and no movement.

want to share some of your excellent photos?

I've never had much success being on the other side of the camera ... even when my wife shoots, and she knows how to shoot. But my wife and I are hanging out with her friend Amy one day at Amy's restaurant. Amy's daughter is there, she's 5 years old, her name is Nikki. I have my camera and I show Nikki how to use it, generally. SHow her how to hold her hands, explain that it's important to be steady, tell her that light is everything ... simple stuff, you get the idea.

I've go the 50 1.8 on it at the time, Av mode, I think it's set at f/2.0 or so ... and after she puts the strap to my 300D around her neck I let her go nuts. She takes some photos of her mom, some of me, my wife and I smile for her, simple stuff. Sure as shat, I get home and the best photo ever taken of my wife and I together is on my memory card. Nikki's a natural. =)

Bill in Brooklyn

This one time I gave it to a friend to snap a couple of shots of me with other friends. He made about 3 shots or so he thought. Since the flash was mounted on, I was able to count 10 shots, in three bursts.

I guess some P&S's have a 'slow' shutter button that needs to be held for a while before the camera actually 'gets it'.

Green box or preset Av is just fine, the problem is, as always the focus. Trust me, just preset the middle focussing point. Complete amateurs don't pretend they know composition like advanced amateurs do and they will put the main subject right where the central focussing point is.

My advice? Set camera to SINGLE SHOT (very important), Av, central focussing point, close the aperture down a bit more than you think, let the shutter time be a little longer than you think, tell/show the 'living tripod&trigger' how to half depress the button, then tell him first aim, then half depress button, then press and release the button.

Hey, 'I let people use my camera when I'm drunk' buddy, sup?

That's what I do

Saftey in numbers.

I say "go ahead, take a bunch". Also; for lower light I put it in Av and set it fairly wide for fastest shutter speed. If full daylight, I set to f8 so slight focus problems don't matter.

Of course, I don't stand with back lighting or directly in front of a dumpster or something (haha).

I'd never let a passer-byer hold my camera so I tell my friend "just hold it as steady as you can and press the button half way for a half second before releasing the shots". If its in focus, the rest if fixable.

One of them turns out good.

On a similar subject (saftey in numbers); learned a great trick about 4 year olds yesterday. They love to take pictures and they love to pose for each other. I was getting a lot of sneers and "GO AWAY, DON'T TAKE OUR PICTURE" from my own kid and her friend.

I put the strap around one, held the camera trying to aim it at best I could, and let them look thru the viewfinder and fire away.

Hate to say it, but of the 200 shots that day, they took about 8 of my 10 best shots. I steadied the camera and kept the aim fair, but the poses .... wow! The results showed quite an injection of life, and since they took about 30 shots each, and I kept it from shaking (or dropping), they were sure to get 3 or 4 winners!

Andy, I'm surprised that you wife lets you get so close to the wildlife.

---Bob Gross---

Shutter lag is about the biggest single complaint that I hear from my P&S friends. They are always amazed to hear my 20D fire off five or ten in a burst.

---Bob Gross---