Re: 5 Digital Camera Questions

On Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 09:35 PM, Judy Seigel wrote:

>
> Several folks have asked how I like my digital camera:
>
> I like the camera fine personally; but our relationship needs work: It
> tends to be difficult and temperamental when operating, likely to do
> things not in the manual (or not discoverable in the manual, a very
> secretive document). So I appeal to known (and unknown) experts on this
> list for help:
>
> 1. The camera is set on Av (Aperture priority, aperture 5.6; ASA 200,
> flash off, auto focus). Why is every shot taken in the sun totally
> washed
> out, monumentally overexposed ? What can I do? (Shade is fine, VG in
> fact.)

At ISO 200 and F/5.6 your sunny exposure should be 1/1600. Sunny 16
rule says 1/200 at F/16 = 1/400 at F/11 = 1/800 at F/8 = 1/1600 at
F/5.6. Does your camera have a shutter speed that fast? My "walk
around" dig maxes out at 1/1000, so I would always be 2/3 stop
over-exposed in bright sunlight using your settings. That isn't
anything to worry about with a film camera and negative film. With a
dig and 8 bit Jpgs, your files are seriously messed up. Try using ISO
100 and/or F/8. Of course, if your camera has a faster shutter than
mine, then "I have no idea"!

>
> 2. The manual says that with my current settings and image size
> (highest
> resolution, normal compression), with the monitor on I should get 450
> images on one battery charge. Why does the manual lie? I get about
> 60 at
> most.

Most (all?) of these wonder batteries slowly wear out. Nothing to do
but buy a new one (if that is the case). Flash use, and the rear LCD
use a LOT more battery power than the EVF viewfinder. I would guess I
get 200 shots if using EVF and no flash (and my batteries are getting
old). Limited experience guesstimate, after 500 charge and discharge
cycles, it wouldn't be surprising to lose 1/2 of my battery capacity.

>
> 3. The low battery warning doesn't appear until the battery is about to
> die, catching me at a bad moment. Is there any way to read remaining
> battery life earlier?

Sadly typical. One of the wonderful features of these new super
batteries is that they put out the exact same voltage until the very
end. That is great for the camera, really terrible to try and build a
battery meter with! The Sony battery I use actually has digital
electronics inside the battery in order to get a reliable battery meter.

>
> 4. How do settings change themselves? I've had the same settings
> (above)
> for a couple of weeks, but today, after several (unrepeatable) shots,
> realized that the flash was flashing (even in sunlight, the idiot --
> though ALL shots in sun are overexposed) and aperture was now f/8.
> Did I
> press some of those (too many) buttons without meaning to? Could
> downloading images to the computer have set something off?

No idea why.

>
> 5. And from the sublime to the ridiculous: Do folks really attach the
> lens
> cap cord to the strap as instructed by the manual? Doesn't it dangle
> deliriously? I taped it to the bottom of the camera, but that's not
> terrific either....

I have a strip of velcro sewn onto my neck strap (near the camera) and
I've glued the matching velcro strap to the lens cap. No dangle.

>
> I hope this doesn't seem too off topic -- Actually, I begin to suspect
> that this is an alternative camera... Either way, thanks in advance for
> help or advice.
>
> Judy
>
>
--------------
Tom Ferguson
http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com
Received on Wed Jun 9 23:35:24 2004