f11 settings

[vivacircus]

I just got a f11...I don't really have much experience at all with manual settings! But the auto settings on F11 is pretty bad? It always chooses quite a high ISO even in bright conditions~ And I can't really work out the aperture and shutter speed settings! When I choose a high shutter speed it can't seem to select a proper aperture!? And vice versa... Is there anywhere i can read on how to do the settings properly?
Can anyone recommend what settings to put for taking fireworks?

Thanks!

[sjseto]

I just got a f11...I don't really have much experience at all with manual settings! But the auto settings on F11 is pretty bad? It always chooses quite a high ISO even in bright conditions

The F10 (and, I'm assuming, the F11) choose higher ISO's than I feel is necessary. I recommend setting the ISO manually at all times. I normally keep it at 80 and only increase it if necessary. Watch the LCD when you half-press the shutter button; the shutter speed will be displayed. If it's too slow for you to hand-hold the camera without risk of blur due to camera shake (normally, the longest such shutter speed that you'd want is the reciprocal of the focal length being used), then increase the ISO accordingly.

And I can't really work out the aperture and shutter speed settings! When I choose a high shutter speed it can't seem to select a proper aperture!? And vice versa... Is there anywhere i can read on how to do the settings properly?

I'm not sure what your exact situation is...you'll have to be more specific. But I suspect that you are underexposing the image when you're choosing the high (I'm assuming you mean "fast") shutter speed. In order for a photo to be properly exposed, there is a certain combination of shutter speed and aperture that will allow that to happen. The faster the shutter speed you choose, the larger the aperture will need to be in order for proper exposure to be achieved. In shutter priority mode, the camera chooses the aperture according to the shutter speed you've chosen. But if you choose a shutter speed that is too fast, there won't be an aperture large enough to compensate for it. When this happens, the numbers on the LCD will turn red to warn you.

Here is a shortcourses.com lesson on fine-tuning exposure (http://www.shortcourses.com/using/exposure/chapter3.htm).

Can anyone recommend what settings to put for taking fireworks?

There is a good tutorial for shooting fireworks here (http://www.photobird.com/learn/top5tipsfireworks.html).

Stephanie

[vivacircus]

thanks a lot~your reply really help me heaps! regarding the shutter speed... I think it is like what u said. I tried a couple of times to select the fastest shutter speed to try to capture a moving object but the aperture always appears red. I was just wondering is there a setting for me to use the highest shutter speed at an appropriate aperture..I actually don't really have much idea how to set the aperture and shutter speed priority modes so I just leave it in manual mode~I guess i need more learning and testing~

[vivacircus]

Also does anyone's f10 or f11 makes a weird mechanical sound when focusing?? Cos mine does and I don't know if it is a defect or just normal~Cos its still under warrenty~hee..thanks!

[sjseto]

Yes, the F10/F11/F30 make a fluttering noise when focusing. This is normal.

Stephanie

[P_Schneider]

Dont discount your scene modes out of hand. Some of them can take some pretty good shots. It's much better than auto mode in my opinion, especially if you don't want to mess with manual mode. Personally I use a combination of manual and scene modes depending on the shot. I love to use sport mode, fast focus, and last 3 burst for outdoor moving shots. It even did reasonably well towards dusk setup like that.

[vivacircus]

thank you all so much! will be playing around with my f11 more!!