Recommend Digital Camera

[SkyStrike]

Do you mean using an external flash ?

By the way, any comments on the examples of photos I posted in post #18 ?

Thanks...

From my limited experience shooting indoors (baby portraits)...If you are not going to use flash, you will have to accept the fact that you will likely require high ISO from 800 and above (to me, 1600 is v.high already) that will introduce noise. But considering the prints that you will make or the screen resolution you will want to display, actually 1600 won't really look that bad with some noise reduction.

If possible,
- The situation can be improved by removing the "casing" for the ceiling light to increase the light
- Use a white/bright background.
or place your subject near windows where the light will shine on their face etc.


Shooting with flash indoors. It will be best to look into bounce flash. It can be done even with on board flash. Just need to DIY a namecard bounce. Basically it's a white namecard infront of the flash that is 45 degree aiming the ceiling. But this namecard bounce will "eat" up abit of light as compared to using external flash where the head is tilted facing the ceiling. When shooting with flash bounced to the ceiling, need to take abit more care in PP where the shadows of the eyes, forehead etc gets too dark due to the light casting down from the top.


For post 18, shot #3, it's a common "problem" when using direct flash. (In my words) The background will be darken as your camera is "tricked" to shorten the shutter speed (lesser time for the background to be exposed properly) and the difference in the amount of light in fore and background due to the flash causes the background to be dark.

In cases like this, if you have the option to diffuse your flash abit. it may look better. Best is you can bounce your flash to the ceiling or "somewhere", where you can spread across the room/frame. When the flash is bounced to the ceiling, it will act like an additional lamp brightening up your frame, so you can use a lower ISO etc.

 

[Octarine]

I am not sure how dark do you mean when you say low-light performer.
If I am taking photos for an event in my house, then I would turn on all my lights. My 3-room flat living hall lights consist of 2 chandelier with 5 energy saving bulbs each. So that should be enough light, right ?

No. What you perceive as bright will still be dim for cameras, especially when using energy saving bulbs. Have a look at studio equipment which is meant to deliver bright light for cameras. You won't find 9W energy saving bulbs there...

 

[ahboy168]

S95 or s100.
Tested and proven by myself on my two young sons.
Because the rest still too big in my pocket ... Ha ha.
If you print just 4R, it is good enough!

 

[pinholecam]

Do you mean using an external flash ?

By the way, any comments on the examples of photos I posted in post #18 ?

Thanks...

Generally ISO will be high if its indoors. Easily ISO800 and above.
I'd usually try to avoid that, by attracting the child nearer the window, turning on more lights or use flash.
On flash, I dislike direct flash, so mostly I use bounce flash.
If you don't have a off camera flash, you can make a bounce card.
Just wrap a piece of card with aluminum foil and use that at an angle to the flash, bouncing the flash towards the ceiling.
At a push, I've even went to the kitchen and used a shiny stainless steel pot cover to use as the bounce medium.


Here is a thread I started sometime ago on taking photos of children.
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/pentax/698116-taking-photos-my-child-thread.html
hope it will be helpful

 

[kuryakin]

So which camera did you buy? Like what a previous post stated, compact cameras usually will have issues focusing fast enough for moving kids.....I end up with high ISOs or using the in-built flash or even the video function (which can be nice for following kids around).

Canon G12? Although its a still heavier/bulkier than your list.

 

[coolthought]

Hi guys, Please recommend me a digital camera from the following choices:

1) Canon S95
2) Panasonic LX5
3) Olympus XZ-1
4) Samsung EX1
5) Other similar range

Purpose: Basically to take photos of my 2 year old kid who doesn't stay still and some indoor functions at home.

Highest Priority: Image quality
Lowest Priority: Size/weight of camera

If I am not wrong the prices are almost similar averaging $650 so lets just leave this factor out first.

Thank you!

What I would normally do is to go read the reviews and shootout between these compacts. The reviewer may be biased or may try to be as objective as possible. So, do read at least a few.

Or I would write the names of these compact and paste it on a wall and then throw a dart to make my selection. Probably, I would use a much much bigger piece of paper to write down S95 as this is my personal favorite.

 

[coolthought]

I am not sure how dark do you mean when you say low-light performer.

If I am taking photos for an event in my house, then I would turn on all my lights. My 3-room flat living hall lights consist of 2 chandelier with 5 energy saving bulbs each. So that should be enough light, right ?

Maybe with some examples, I can explain what I require in a new camera. Thanks!

You might be using all 10w bulbs or 100w bulbs.....

Suggestion for you is to shoot in the day with good amount lights coming in from the windows.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

What I would normally do is to go read the reviews and shootout between these compacts. The reviewer may be biased or may try to be as objective as possible. So, do read at least a few.

Or I would write the names of these compact and paste it on a wall and then throw a dart to make my selection. Probably, I would use a much much bigger piece of paper to write down S95 as this is my personal favorite.

Hahaha that's a good recommendation
yeah ultimately they are all there or thereabouts.

Still worried that TS expecting miracles out of this acquisition. Hope there won't be disappointment.

 

[sonofthesand]

After reading all of the posts here and reviews on other website, the most likely camera I will choose is Olympus XZ-1

The bounce flash tip was really useful to me. I tried a DIY reflector to bounce the flash from my old digital camera and it worked. The photos look much better now with foreground and background lighted.

Thanks everyone! :thumbsup: