Fast Shutter Speed is too dark

[black udder]

man, I felt pretty good with my S1, but I'm feeling totally bewildered with my S3.

If I crank up the shutter speed to 2500 (the highest it will go on TV), then the aperture goes up to 7.x and the screen is so dark I can't see anything - even if I point the camera into a sunny sky.

I'm not sure how to adjust that... it has to be me, doesn't it? Does anybody else have these problems?

I never had to use the shutter or aperture priority modes with the S1 for 95% of my shooting, but I'm finding that with the S3 I can't get any decent action shots without messing with the other modes.

[XaiLo]

even in manual mode it will max out at 1/1600 with a f2.7 haven't had too much time to play with it yet but it's looking like those numbers may just be theoretical.:mad:

OK forgot to crank the ISO up but even @ 800 very little detail is available hmmmmm....

[wutske]

1/2500 sec ? That's FAAAAST.
You don't need such fast shutter to get some good action shots. 1/100 sec works too and this allows to get 'bright' pictures.

[black udder]

Yeah, I agree that 2500 is pretty fast, just wondering why those rates are even advertised when once you get past 800, the screen is almost too dark to even take a shot due to the aperture.

Again, I know it's all in the knowing, so I'm reaching out for answers :)

There are a few situations, namely the fish tank, that I'd like to be able to take a shot at 800/1000 to freeze everything, but if it's too dark in broad daylight pointing towards the light, I just don't see how you can even use the shutter speed... perhaps with a flash, but you still have to be able to focus, and with the aperture being so dark, I can't even focus.

Thanks for the feedback.

[SlaSk]

I am quite new to the scene, but why are you using F7.x? Wouldn't it be wiser to choose a lower f-number, so lets say f2.8? You are blocking more light from the sensor with a higher F-number.

[TenD]

1/250 is usually accepted as stopping most action, check it out, put your S3 in sports mode and see what kind of shutter speed it chooses. Sounds like you are in manual mode and are changing the shutter speed and not changing the aperture. You are asking for a basic photography lesson-too much for me to cover. Purchase and read "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. It's a great book for learning the basics of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO and their relationships with each other. Quick and dirty, photography is about controlling the light to your sensor, there are 3 ways this can be done:wider or smaller lens opening, faster or slower shutter speed, or varying the sensitivity of the sensor. A black screen is simply not enough light to your sensor.
edit: I just took my S2 out and tried what you did with yours, and mine too went to F 8.0 when I pushed my shutter speed to 1/3500. I guess there is a bit of a logic circuit built in, the camera thinks that the only way you could possibly need that high of a shutter speed is that there is blinding light out there and it stops down the lens. I noticed when I went into a more normal realm with shutter speed it opened up the lens again. Buy the above mentioned book, it will teach you what you want to know and then some. There are no short cuts here, except for maybe the green square and modes CCW from there on the dial, but then you as the photog have lost control. I personally have never used any of the scene modes except stitch assist.
The reason 1/2500 is on your camera is not so you can use it to stop action, 1/250 will do that. If you are in very bright light and you have stopped down your lens as far as it will go, and the shot is still overexposed, you have to stop light from getting to the sensor somehow and that would be with a faster shutter speed.

[XaiLo]

I am quite new to the scene, but why are you using F7.x? Wouldn't it be wiser to choose a lower f-number, so lets say f2.8? You are blocking more light from the sensor with a higher F-number.

As TenD stated it is the internal programing that is causing it to close. I am curious why this function extends to manual mode unless it's some sort of protection for the sensor.:confused: I pretty much live in manual mode and I have never played in that range so it made me curious.

[black udder]

Thanks for the recommended reading TenD, I admit, I'm very much in need of education when it comes to photography.

What you said makes total sense and answered my question (why there is even a 2500+ on the camera in the first place).

I'll have to take a peek for that book you mentioned.

It's so easy to buy a camera, but using it it a whole other story :)

[BowerR64]

You would use F8 outdoors and if you wanted more of the image in focus.

I think i would go the other way if trying to capture actioin, i would want a larger apature and a faster shutter. Depends on how much zoom your using though because it tends to close down the more zoom your using.

SLRs use a really high ISO like 3200 and this gives them all th elight they need, so then they can crank the shutter speeds and get all the best shots with no motion blur.