How to ....

amohr

unread,

Dec 13, 2002, 10:48:19 PM12/13/02

to

I have an Olympus C700 digital camera that I am not pleased with due to
picture quality. Perhaps it is me which is why I am writing.

Particularly with high contract pictures, I find that the contrast is
extreme. For example, if I take photos on a very sunny day, I get terrible
shadows in the photo. At night time, the lights washout. By this, I mean
that the contrasting photo quality is much less than a comparable 35mm
photo.

I've tried virtually every setting and cannot see to improve the situation.

Perhaps you all can provide some guidance...

With a digital camera, what are the best camera settings to take a photo
with the following conditions....

1. Landscape photo during a bright sunny, winter day while skiing with lots
of white snow.
2. Portrait during a bright sunny day at the beach.
3. Evening landscape photo during a carnival (lots of lights) during early
evening.

Thanks for your help,

Art.

JK

unread,

Dec 13, 2002, 1:55:28 PM12/13/02

to

Doesn't that camera have a 10x zoom? I don't think it is reasonable to
expect great contrast
from a lens with a 10x zoom.

JK

unread,

Dec 13, 2002, 2:06:51 PM12/13/02

to

Doesn't that camera have a 10x zoom? I can't see how you would expect
to get great images
from a 10x zoom.See comments below.

amohr wrote:

>I have an Olympus C700 digital camera that I am not pleased with due to
>picture quality. Perhaps it is me which is why I am writing.
>
>Particularly with high contract pictures, I find that the contrast is
>extreme. For example, if I take photos on a very sunny day, I get terrible
>shadows in the photo. At night time, the lights washout. By this, I mean
>that the contrasting photo quality is much less than a comparable 35mm
>photo.
>
>I've tried virtually every setting and cannot see to improve the situation.
>
>Perhaps you all can provide some guidance...
>
>With a digital camera, what are the best camera settings to take a photo
>with the following conditions....
>
>1. Landscape photo during a bright sunny, winter day while skiing with lots
>of white snow.
>

Lot's of snow? Increase the exposure by 1-2 stops(try shots at +1,
+1.5, and +2), or you could
hold out your hand and meter off your hand(assuming you have light
skin). The camera meter tries
to make the scene average out to grey, and snow should look white and
not gray. You could use the
spot meter mode to meter off an important subject.

>2. Portrait during a bright sunny day at the beach.
>

Use the spot metering mode, or increase the exposure by a stop to two
stops(see above)

>3. Evening landscape photo during a carnival (lots of lights) during early
>evening.
>

What effect are you looking for? Sometimes I want to get just the
lights, so I underexpose a stop or two.

Hyun Yu

unread,

Dec 13, 2002, 2:18:01 PM12/13/02

to

My apologies if you've tried the steps below to no avail.

> 1. Landscape photo during a bright sunny, winter day while skiing with
lots
> of white snow.

Did you try lowering the exposure value?

> 2. Portrait during a bright sunny day at the beach.

Either try forced flash (fill flash) to illuminate or use lower Contrast
setting (if available on your camera).

> 3. Evening landscape photo during a carnival (lots of lights) during
early
> evening.

Use a tripod or set the camera down. Use timer function to minimize shaking
the camera. Lower the exposure value.

Hope some--any--of these will help.

Hyun Yu

Ronald Hands

unread,

Dec 13, 2002, 2:36:08 PM12/13/02

to

amohr wrote:

> I've tried virtually every setting and cannot see to improve the situation.

> 1. Landscape photo during a bright sunny, winter day while skiing with lots
> of white snow.

If your camera has exposure compensation, try opening up two or three
stops (+2). The trouble with scenes with lots of white snow is that
they fool the meter. Reflected meters try to give you the correct
exposure for an "average" scene -- which happens to be 18% gray. But
you don't want gray snow, or a gray beach scene. You want white snow so
you have to give more exposure. Try both settings and see if the one
with more exposure isn't much better.

-- Ron
Hamilton, ON

Marvin Margoshes

unread,

Dec 13, 2002, 4:05:47 PM12/13/02

to

"amohr" <awmo...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:atda45$6m2$00$1...@news.t-online.com...

Others have suggested ways to set the camera for these shots. You can also
adjust the contrast with a good image editor. I use PaintShop Pro. It
includes easy-to-use functions to enhance digital photos, and has the power
to do more complex things when you learn how.

jam

unread,

Dec 13, 2002, 10:25:40 PM12/13/02

to

Ronald,

| If your camera has exposure compensation, try opening up two or
three
| stops (+2).

Probably more like EC +1.0 on most digitals to avoid blown out
highlights.
--
Jeremy McCreary
jeremy(AT)cliffshade(DOT)com
www.cliffshade.com/dpfwiw/
Denver, CO