Help with shutter speed on a S3

[cabbieman]

I'm having a problem taking photos during the day.If I set the shutter speed longer than about 1/20 then the picture is completely wiped out. I've tried taking down the exposure but this doesn't seem to help. I can take the time up to 15" at night and it's fine. Is it me or is the camera not capable of long shutter times during the day? :confused:

[ooverdrive]

Cabbieman try to set safety shift to off position.For this dail to
Av or Tv mode,and focus, and open menu go settings,below spot AE point
find safety shift and set it to off.let us know wether this works

[Visual Reality]

The reason you have a problem is because it is simply too much light. Shutter speed simply affects how much light gets in before it closes. Just enough to properly expose the shot but not too much to blow it out all white. Well, that is what you are doing with too long of an exposure during the day.

I am not sure of a solution or how to control the light to get a long exposure during the day - one of the more experienced members can chime in about that.

[stickwolf]

The obvious answer is a filter. Use a filter over the lens that blocks out light, I guess that would be a 6-coat polarizer or a neutral-density filter. Obviously in manual mode, you can also increase aperture and that will cut down the light some. But I think the filter is the answer. Basically sunglasses for the camera. Imagine looking at the sun with your eyes. You can do it for a moment, but with sunglasses you can do it a lot longer before your eyes blow-out to white with no picture (which they do too just like the camera if you stare too long). Same idea. Get a filter (you'll need an adapter too).

[Visual Reality]

Well you shouldn't be looking directly at the sun no matter what, even for 1 second...;)

[stickwolf]

Well you shouldn't be looking directly at the sun no matter what, even for 1 second...;)

Well, an INSTANT maybe. Still not a good idea, but my point is that you CAN do it if you have sunglasses but even then probably not TOO long. So anyway, not the perfect analogy, but I was happy with it nonetheless. Ever see the movie "Pi"?

[cabbieman]

Thanks for the reply's to my question. ooverdrive, tried that but no difference. I think I will have to try some filters but I'm going into unknown territory here and if anybody has any suggestions then I would be grateful. I still find it hard to believe I cannot use a longish exposure during daylight.I'm no expert as youv'e guessed but I thought this would be a straightforwardish thing to achieve. If I wanted to blur running water a little bit for example, are we saying it can't be done during daylight unless I use a filter? :confused:

[Cowpoke98]

Thanks for the reply's to my question. ooverdrive, tried that but no difference. I think I will have to try some filters but I'm going into unknown territory here and if anybody has any suggestions then I would be grateful. I still find it hard to believe I cannot use a longish exposure during daylight.I'm no expert as youv'e guessed but I thought this would be a straightforwardish thing to achieve. If I wanted to blur running water a little bit for example, are we saying it can't be done during daylight unless I use a filter? :confused:

You have your aperture set at 8 right? Stick it on manual settings, crank the aperture up to 8, iso down to 80, then play with your shutter time.

Thats the trade off for any camera. The longer you leave the shutter open the brighter the picture will be. It works at night because nothing is bright, you NEED the long shutter speed then. But in bright sunlight leaving the shutter open lets too much light in. Cranking the aperture up to 8 will let less sun in, but it may still be too much. As the others said, the next step would be a filter.

[berniej]

For motion blur you want a slow shutter of course but high aperture as stated here: http://www.hp.com/united-states/consumer/digital_photography/take_better_photos/tips/blur.html

[griptape]

Am I the only one who doesn't understand why you would have any reason to use a long shutter speed in daylight? I can understand wanting to control your exposure, but when all you have to do to get the exposure how you want it is to turn the shutter speed up... Why not just turn the shutter speed up? Is there some benefit I'm not aware of to having a longer than neccesary shutter speed?

[Dafer]

cabbieman I understand what you mean and what you want to do, but as it stands the S3 can not do it. I have a S45 that has a mode for blurring water in a waterfall for instance. It worked pretty good, but I did notice the pictures were overexposed somewhat. The S3 has no such mode. You have to set the shutter speed slower than 1/2 second. But if the light is bright it will not work, it will be all white. I read that a neutral density filter will work. I think I remember it will reduce light intensity 1-4 stops. ( I guess you can get a filter rated 1-4) It will slow it down enough to blur water falls, but not let enough light in to wash out the picture. If any of this is incorrect someone please set it straight.

Dave

[DirePenguin]

If you want that blurred waterfall look, or any kind of motion blur, in bright sunlight, having an ND or a polarizing filter is the only way to do it. The camera cannot do it on it's own.

Most polarizers are "worth" 2 stops (mine is), which you can get ND filters worth 3 (and possibly more).

Using just my CPL, I was able to get the shutter speed down to 1/25 for this waterfall pic (in full sun) and you can see that it's just starting to show the "silky" look; if it was a cloudy day I could have gotten even a slower shutter speed:
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t122/DirePenguin2007/Waterfall1.jpg

[cabbieman]

Thanks guys, at least I can now stop playing with it now I know it can't be done. Look out filters, here I come :D

[XaiLo]

Thanks guys, at least I can now stop playing with it now I know it can't be done. Look out filters, here I come :D

Please let me suggest "Understanding Exposure" Revised Edition by Bryan Peterson for under $20 it's a nice light read with tons of practicle examples. :)