The Disappearing "Werewolf" Moon

Last  night, or was it early this morning, depending on how you interpret the clock, while standing at our balcony, sipping our hot Milo (our tradition before we turned out the lights for the night), hubby and I felt that the moon that night was rather interesting.

It reminded us of those moons in movies where men turned into werewolves. Hurriedly, I set up the tripod ---- the secret to taking good night scene photography. 

Unfortunately, by the time the tripod was set up, the moon no longer resembled a werewolf night moon. However, we did capture some interesting shots, within 5 minutes, before it disappeared from view.

How To Take Better Night Scene Photography

While doing research on digital cameras, I came across several tips on how to maximize those particular cameras. While I would not be buying those cameras, it didn't seem to hurt to pick up a trick or two. Of course, not all the tricks might work, especially if you are like me, and own only a point-and-shoot camera with not much manual control. Still, it doesn't hurt to know, right?

So, as and when I'm in the mood, I shall be posting some of the tips here. These tips are not absolute, so if any of you are good at photography, please give some input, ok? It'll be greatly appreciated. :)

First, the question that I am always asking myself - how to take better night scene photography.

1. Long Exposure Time

One of the tricks to taking a clear, crisp night photo is to increase the exposure time. The longer the exposure, the longer the camera absorbs the low light that is available. Try decreasing the shutter speed to 1/15th of a second or longer.

2. Try Not To Use The Optical Zoom

If possible, avoid using the camera's optical zoom as it increases "camera shake". The higher the camera's optical zoom magnification, the longer the lens has to extend to shoot a photography, thus causing the camera to be especially sensitive to movement.

3. A Tripod Is Essential

Use a tripod when taking long exposures for night photography.

Tip no. 2 makes sense to me as I have noticed that if I use the zoom for night photography, the camera shows a "camera shake" icon on the LCD screen, and most of the time, the picture turned out grainy.

Well, until the next tip, happy shooting.  :)

Cameras, cameras & camears

Time flies when one is busy. It was with a shock that my numbed, sleep-deprived brain registered that the last post was written 8 days ago. Gosh, I'm 8 days older and I have nothing to show for it, other than more wrinkles....is it any wonder that my hubby asked me for a show cause letter???.......LOL!!!

Ok, here's my show cause letter. 

Let me see, what have I achieved in those 8 days.....nothing really, except that I'm slightly more knowledgeable where cameras are concerned. You see, I've been doing nothing but research after research on cameras, online and offline. 

And this is what I learned, from a professional photographer, none the less.  

I was lucky to bump into him at Wide Angle, a camera cum photographic shop in Brem Mall, Kepong, after a very stressful, jammed packed, and people-packed day at the recent PC Fair last weekend. 

But I digress. Back to the topic. Now, what Liong the photographer told me was, the better, more reliable brands for compact cameras are Nikon, Canon and Panasonic. Canon?? Isn't my current camera a Canon?? It wasn't very reliable, was it, if if had a design defect?

According to Liong, Canon is not the only brand affected. Nikon, Olympus and Panasonic had similar design defects, too. But as Canon had captured the biggest market share at that time, the numbers of complaints were more, too. Yeah, it's back to numbers and statistics.

But since then, Nikon, Panasonic and Canon have made technological advances in their designs, and have addressed this problem. And, if it is proven that the lens and shutter in my camera had failed to function due to the sensor defect, Canon will replace those parts free of charge, despite an expired warranty.

He advised me to send it to the Canon service centre in Glenmarie, and if it's not due to the design defect but to wear and tear, then Canon will issue me a quotation for the repairs and I can then decide whether to repair it or purchase a new camera.

He also taught me a host of photographic tricks, like how to overcome the glare of a lamppost that's in the forefront of a night landscape scene using a compact camera that has no lens filter. Just hold a black card and wave it in front of the lens. Yup, it's as simple as that. He demonstrated the effect in his studio, and the black card did not show up in the photo at all. Instead, it cut out the glare.

Thanks, Liong, for the nifty trick. 

 

related post: http://blackie007.blogspot.com/2008/12/canon-a430-powershot-digital-camera-has.html

Canon A430 Powershot Digital Camera Has Design Defects

For the past 3 days, I've been having problems with my camera. I've had it for 2.5 years. It's a Canon A430 Powershot.

During the day, photos turned out "overexposed". Below is a shot I took of the yard of my home during the day. It was quite gloomy & dark at the time the shot was taken. Instead of appearing dark and underexposed, the result was an image of too much light! 

Notice the horizontal lines on the photo

The shot below was taken inside my living room. We bought this sign for Blackie's room yesterday. The background was a beige colour, but the result was anything but beige.

Again, notice the horizontal bands

I googled to find out what the problem is, and discovered that worldwide, there are many people with similar problems when their camera approaches 2 years. It seems that it's a lens and shutter problem, where after x number of shots are taken, the cable snaps and the lens & shutter malfunction. It also appears to be a "design defect". Their video is clear, just like mine, too.

http://www.fixya.com/support/t366600-canon_powershot_a430_horizontal_lines

http://www.fixya.com/support/t965335-bright_picture_white_lines_in

It also looks like it costs almost the price of a new camera to replace the lens and shutter. *sigh* Does this mean I have to buy another camera? Any recommendations, anyone? I love to take night scenes, so a camera that produces excellent night shots is a must. 

follow-up post: http://blackie007.blogspot.com/2008/12/cameras-cameras-camears.html