S2 Is - Help!

[upsgirl88]

Hi! I'm not an experienced photographer by any means so I'm looking for some help with settings and I have a couple questions about the S2 IS that maybe someone here might be able to help me with.

The only photography I do is concert shots. I was recently hired by about.com to do reviews so I need to make sure I can get some good shots at concerts.

I've used my s2 IS for several shows now and I have the same problems every time.

I generally shoot in Automatic because I don't know enough about the setting to change them.

Here's the problem I have. I've been told that there's no point in using flash because you're not really close enough for the flash to matter, but when I don't shoot with the flash the photos come out blurry. When I do shoot with the flash I cannot get the camera to snap a picture quick enough to get the shot I want. It takes a good 10-15 seconds of fighting with it before it actually takes a shot.

I've tried the continuous shooting mode and the pictures come out blurry with that as well.

I'm getting very frustrated but I've seen other people's concert shots with the S2IS and it's gotta be something I'm doing because I've seen some awesome shots.

The other question I have is about the audio on my camera. Has anyone had trouble with the audio? When I shoot a video at a concert (I know I'm not supposed to, shhhh) the audio is absolutely terrible and you can barely make out what they are singing. Maybe I have the wrong settings?? Or is this a common problem??

Any help you can give me would be much appreciated. And any setting advice in general.

Thanks!
Bobbi

[BowerR64]

There is not enough light so you have a few things you can do. First you need to get in as much light as you can get by doing that you need to open the apature all the way that is marked by the F stop like (F3.5) the smaller the number the more open the apature is and the more light can get in. Next you need to increase the sensativity of the sensor this is controlled by the "ISO" you can try 100 and 200 on the S2. If you go to 400 the shots will be better exsposed but they may look a little grainy. If you arnt good with post processing you may not want to use that.

The other thing you can do is bring a tripod. Whats good about the S2 is it has a swivel screen so you can sit it on anything and then swivel the LCD into a position that looks comfortable. The S2 is a great camera and if you read and ask more questions here we should be able to get you up and running fast.

What i would do if it was me is try P mode for a while, maybe boost the ISO to 100 then 200 and see how the images look for you. Try and take them on the maximum resolution with the fine detail on and then recrop them screw them down to the size that best fits the website. I usualy take mine at the max then scew them to 640X480 wich seems to tighten the images and makes them look a little more crisp.

Another thing to try and its a good one, get a little beanbag or a beniebaby. Sit the camera on a stable table then sit the camera on the beaniebaby and position it where its pointing at the stage with the LCD swiveled out so you can see it without touching it. Now set your timmer or set your custom time delay. This setup works great for tripod type shots in low light that does not need alot of gear to carry around. You canspin the beaniebaby into different positions but still keeping the camera motionless.

The reason your camera takes blury pictures is because the shutter is to slow, its to slow because there is not enough light.

Watch this video The whole picture lowlight (http://rapidshare.de/files/34888173/DIY_whole_picture_lowlight_photography.wmv.html) This episode is doing EXACTLY what you are needing to do. They even take pictures of an actual band on stage in the same lighting conditions as you.

home made beanbag
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/BowerR64/Camera/Beanbag2.jpg

how it works
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/BowerR64/Camera/BeanBag.jpg

One you can buy that has a tripod mount
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/BowerR64/Camera/ThePod.jpg

[upsgirl88]

Thank you sooooo much for all your help! I posted in another forum and they pretty much told me that the S2 IS was useless for concerts and I should get another camera :(

I love Canons though, the flip out screen is what drew me to the S2 IS.

I have another concert coming up in 2 weeks so I will try out your suggestions and see if they help. By changing the ISO and apature will that allow me to snap the picture faster? Or am I simply doing something wrong when I'm taking the picture? I zoom in on the subject, press down lightly to focus and then try to snap the photo.

The bean bag thing is interesting, I've never heard of that before. But like i said, I'm not much of a camera techie at all! I don't know if that would work at a concert though, there's not really anywhere to set it down unfortunately.

Thank you so much for the tips!

[BowerR64]

Thank you sooooo much for all your help! I posted in another forum and they pretty much told me that the S2 IS was useless for concerts and I should get another camera :(

I love Canons though, the flip out screen is what drew me to the S2 IS.

I have another concert coming up in 2 weeks so I will try out your suggestions and see if they help. By changing the ISO and apature will that allow me to snap the picture faster? Or am I simply doing something wrong when I'm taking the picture? I zoom in on the subject, press down lightly to focus and then try to snap the photo.

The bean bag thing is interesting, I've never heard of that before. But like i said, I'm not much of a camera techie at all! I don't know if that would work at a concert though, there's not really anywhere to set it down unfortunately.

Thank you so much for the tips!

Its not the best camera for low light but its not a junk camera either.

Can you post a picture of what you have taken so far? any that came out decent?

Other then spending $800. your camera will do jsut as good as just about any other camera available today so what are they sugesting? An SLR?

Look at the camera the guy is using in the video, its not an SLR and he has taken decent looking concert shots. I think hes using a power zoom fuji wich has the same specs as the S2.



The bean bag thing is interesting, I've never heard of that before. But like i said, I'm not much of a camera techie at all! I don't know if that would work at a concert though, there's not really anywhere to set it down unfortunately.

Thank you so much for the tips!

There is no tables? no place to sit? What about a monopod? that could help a little. See the problem is with low light you either need the camera very still, or you need more light so if you combine all the sugestions you should get somthing useable.

Sitting it on a table will require more shots at random times, this is the luck shot way. Where you set the timmer and then hope that you get a good one. 99% of my shooting uses this technique. I never go out and say this is going to be the shot because im not that good. I shoot 50 shots and hope i get 1 that looks good. The more you shoot the better your odds are to get 1 or 2 that you like though.

If you want to shoot faster shots from shot to shot you have to set the camera up to shoot like that. That will envolve a little more understanding of the camera.

There is a mode on this camera that will shoot shot after shot byitself. Like say you set it to snap 50 shots, and then delay 3 seconds between each shot. Thats what it will do. This will give you 3 seconds to swivel the camera then let go of it. The more stable you keep the camera in low light the better your shots will be.

[cat]

Thank you sooooo much for all your help! I posted in another forum and they pretty much told me that the S2 IS was useless for concerts and I should get another camera :(

I love Canons though, the flip out screen is what drew me to the S2 IS.

I have another concert coming up in 2 weeks so I will try out your suggestions and see if they help. By changing the ISO and apature will that allow me to snap the picture faster? Or am I simply doing something wrong when I'm taking the picture? I zoom in on the subject, press down lightly to focus and then try to snap the photo.

The bean bag thing is interesting, I've never heard of that before. But like i said, I'm not much of a camera techie at all! I don't know if that would work at a concert though, there's not really anywhere to set it down unfortunately.

Thank you so much for the tips!

Yes that would be me you are referring to, and I gave you the exact same tips as Bower.... although you appear to have ignored that element of what I said... the S2 isn't good for low light it's a compact for heaven's sake... if you only take photo's at concerts then you should have researched better.

[upsgirl88]

I definately can't go with an SLR because they don't allow them into most concert venues. And I'm not looking to spend the $800 or more either, lol The S2IS was $700 when I bought it, I can't believe how cheap it is now, lol

Anyway, here is a link to my most recent shots:

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bobbismith88/album?.dir=/9e17re2&.src=ph&.tok=ph5oTnFB8dBZNb1V

There are a few good ones, but it was such a frustrating night. I should have been able to take 500-700 photos and I only got 175 to choose from because I could not get the damn camera to snap a picture when I wanted it to. I'd get the shot I wanted all focussed in and by the time I got the camera to snap I completely lost the shot I wanted. Ugh.

Thanks again for your help.