Powershot S2 IS :Problem with super macro mode

[ImmQuest]

Hi guys,

I was trying to take picures in super macro mode and my camera freezes for 10 secs after clicking.
after 10-15 secs the busy sign shows up and if I had moved in the 10 sec before the busy sign shows up...i get a totally blank (but white)image.

If i dont move until the busy sign shows up I get the pic but it is always very blurry (see EXIF file below.
This is a recent development. I did not have this problem earlier. I have an empty 256mb high speedSD card and fully charged canon rechargeable batterries.

This problem occurs when I try to focus on some kind of text or a book etc..while experimenting. On the other had I have been able to take good sharp pix of some other stuff without any trouble (EXIF data below). In the 1st case (bad pic) the camera was pointing downward focussing on the text. I the second case (good pic) the camera was held horizantally.

I was wondering if the problem is due to the camera or SD card or someting else. I have seen some good pix of text taken by the S2 IS online...even one of a $20 bill. I dont understand why there was so much delay after the clik and before the busy sign appeared. Its a brand new camera and I hate to send it for repair.

Please Help!!

EXIF for bad pic!
File Name
IMG_0203.JPG
Camera Model Name
Canon PowerShot S2 IS
Shooting Date/Time
6/17/2006 8:05:37 PM
Shooting Mode
Manual
Photo Effect
Off
Tv (Shutter Speed)
15
Av (Aperture Value)
4.5
Light Metering
Evaluative
ISO Speed
50
Lens
6.0 - 72.0mm
Focal Length
6.0mm
Digital Zoom
None
IS Mode
On
Image Size
1944x2592
Image Quality
Fine
Flash
Off
White Balance
Auto
AF Mode
Manual Focus
Color Space
sRGB
File Size
700KB
Drive Mode
Single-frame shooting
Owner's Name

EXIF for good pic:
File Name
IMG_0161.JPG
Camera Model Name
Canon PowerShot S2 IS
Shooting Date/Time
6/7/2006 7:00:58 PM
Shooting Mode
Manual
Photo Effect
Off
Tv (Shutter Speed)
1/5
Av (Aperture Value)
4.5
Light Metering
Evaluative
ISO Speed
50
Lens
6.0 - 72.0mm
Focal Length
6.0mm
Digital Zoom
None
IS Mode
On
Image Size
2592x1944
Image Quality
Fine
Flash
Off
White Balance:mad:

[GaryS]

Not that this helps you, but I've not seen this happen with my S2, and I use SuperMacro a fair bit.

[Wesan]

EXIF for bad pic!
...
Shooting Mode
Manual
Photo Effect
Off
Tv (Shutter Speed)
15
Av (Aperture Value)
4.5
...
EXIF for good pic:
Shooting Mode
Manual
Photo Effect
Off
Tv (Shutter Speed)
1/5
Av (Aperture Value)
4.5


As far as I understand your EXIF-data, you were shooting in manual mode at both occasions. That means you set the shutter speed and aperture value yourself.

On the first occasion (the bad picture), you had the shutter speed set to 15 seconds. In this case, the shutter speed was far too long considering the aperture value of 4.5, meaning that the picture was overexposed - all white. This is also probably why the camera was busy for such a long time - the shutter was open for 15 seconds. And also why the picture gets blurry when you hold the camera still - it's impossible to hold the camera completely still by hand, for 15 seconds!

On the second occasion (the good picture), the shutter speed was set to 1/5 second, which was a much more adequate shutter speed to get correct exposure, considering the aperture value.

You have probably happened to switch the mode dial on your camera to Manual. If you change it to Auto or Program instead, the camera will pick the shutter speed and aperture value itself.

Hope this helps. :)

Wesan

[ImmQuest]

As far as I understand your EXIF-data, you were shooting in manual mode at both occasions. That means you set the shutter speed and aperture value yourself.

On the first occasion (the bad picture), you had the shutter speed set to 15 seconds. In this case, the shutter speed was far too long considering the aperture value of 4.5, meaning that the picture was overexposed - all white. This is also probably why the camera was busy for such a long time - the shutter was open for 15 seconds. And also why the picture gets blurry when you hold the camera still - it's impossible to hold the camera completely still by hand, for 15 seconds!

On the second occasion (the good picture), the shutter speed was set to 1/5 second, which was a much more adequate shutter speed to get correct exposure, considering the aperture value.

You have probably happened to switch the mode dial on your camera to Manual. If you change it to Auto or Program instead, the camera will pick the shutter speed and aperture value itself.

Hope this helps. :)

Wesan

Hi Wesan,

I think you got a solid point. I got a bit nervous when I emailed canon tech support. the guy there told me to reset the camera by taking out the batteries and SD card for 20 mins and retry....if it did not work then send it to canon for repairs. Of course it did not work...

But I find your expln to be very logical....the supermacro does not work in auto but will work on P and TV modes. I have always used M mode along with manual focussing on the Super macro. I used to adjust light by using the arrow keys on the omni selector....which is probably responsible for the 15 sec aperture....I am going to do a number of experiments and get back to u with the results.

I want to let you know that I really appreciate your help. Thanks

[ImmQuest]

Not that this helps you, but I've not seen this happen with my S2, and I use SuperMacro a fair bit.

Thanks dustyporch...I guess I need to do some more expts before deciding if anything is wrong with my camera...I guess the tech support guy kinda sacred me...but i will be back with my expt results and look forward to your input

[BowerR64]

The apature isnt the 15 seconds, the shutter is. The apature is the F#

I think you need to do more reading. I dont think you fully understand how its all working yet.

[GaryS]

I'm with Brower64.... Upon re-reading your problem, and the exerpt from the EXIF data, it looks like the camera is working correctly.

A 15 second shutter speed will give exactly the symptoms you explain... Long delay after you push the shutter, then several seconds of 'busy', followed by an overexposed image (all white). This is expected behaviour. It didn't occur to me on first reading, as I don't normally think of super-macro and long exposures combined...

[BowerR64]

The macro and super macro are advanced features thats why they are in the manual modes. I dont think you are at the point yet to use these.

You need to play around more with auto and or TV and AV modes. Once you get the hang of what the camera is telling you then its alot easier to get the correct exsposure.

It also takes time to get a feel for how the LCD should look when you compose the shot. I think i went threw about 1K shots before i got comfortable with how bright or how much color the image has on the LCD then how it will look on my monitor.

Its alot of fun though so you should want to learn this stuff. Just keep reading and asking questions around here and you will pick it up quickly.

Search ISO, and Apature settings.

I wasnt really impressed with the camera when i first got it but i like it more and more every day.

[ImmQuest]

Thanks BowerR64. I obviously am a novice and intend to learn more. I appreciate your comments and am very happy to know that the camera is working just fine....the problem was with me:o

i was impressed by some of the text shots and wanted to try to replicate them..i downloaded a $ bill pic...the guy used priority AE and the note was backlit...and the pic was impressive....anyway i think i will be able to take better pix as my i become more experienced.

thanks for all your comments dustyporch, wesan ...as i said i will be back with more experiments and probably more questions...glad i joined this forum

[BowerR64]

I know how you feel though i thought the camera would just take super shots right out of the gate but ive realized that it will take bad shots if you let it and dont fully understand. For a long time i never knew what all the stuff said on the display. Why the box was green and why it was yellow. I still dont understand the numbers it says in the upper left corner, people have tried to explain it to me but i still dont fully understand it.

I just started using "P" mode and i like how it works.

[FamilyGuy]

the supermacro does not work in auto but will work on P and TV modes.

I was wondering about this. Before I bought my camera, I looked at images on Amazon to help decide. Many of the photos had descriptions which stated they were taken with SuperMacro in auto mode, yet I could never get mine to do it. Are they mistaken, or am I doing something wrong?

[BowerR64]

They may hae been, i think they do this so those that use auto mode dont get the camera stuck in a mode they dont know what it is. I find myself grabbing the camera sometimes where im composing a shot or moving things around and leave it on, whe i grab it i hit a button (because there are buttons all over the damn thing) and i change settings. I hear beep beep and im like wtf did i do? i had it set where i wanted it then when i grab it i change it on accedent. If they put the advanced features in one of the advanced modes the user will probobly know what is happening.

Super macro is hard because you need the right lighting. I find outdoors is about the best way to get that.

[ImmQuest]

I was wondering about this. Before I bought my camera, I looked at images on Amazon to help decide. Many of the photos had descriptions which stated they were taken with SuperMacro in auto mode, yet I could never get mine to do it. Are they mistaken, or am I doing something wrong?

Hey FamillyGuy, Supermacro mode works only in shooting mode, my colors, P, Tv, Av and M modes (pg 57 of the manual). Macro, however, will work in Auto mode.

As BoweR64 has mentioned, the biggest Issue is light. I have actually taken some really good pictures of $ bills by backlighting them and at zero distance by toucing the camera on the $ bill.

[scrap]

http://www.shortcourses.com/bookstore/canon/book_canons2is.htm

I bought it and learned alot about my camera and how to use it.