Working with digital images

[SJB]

I recently sold my old 35 mm camera and bought a digital camera. Almost every shot I take, even in daylight, is blurred. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

[ShutterbugGail]

Join the club! Almost everyone has lots of blurred photos when they first begin using a digital camera.  

The blur is most likely caused because you are depressing the shutter-release button down quickly in one step. This does not allow the digital camera to focus properly.

Depressing the button in one step can also cause a bit of camera shake due to shutter lag. Shutter lag, which most current digital cameras have, is the delay between pressing the button and the digital camera processing the image to the memory card.

Unlike the single-step button on a 35 mm or other film cameras, the shutter-release button on a digital camera should be used in two steps. It is really easy once you practice it a few times.


First, frame you subject and press the shutter-release button down half way. This will lock focus and exposure on your subject.

Next, steady yourself then fully depress the button. According to one of our experienced Board of Directors, Uncle Frank, once you've focused, the actual shutter delay is less than 100mS.

Here's an illustration of the two-step shutter-release button sequence:




Related reading:

Using the two step shutter-release button on your digital camera

http://www.digicamhelp.com/shutter-release-button/index.htm

[Deb]

Hi, if I might add, blurry photos from digital cameras can also result from an inappropriately set focus mode, shutter speeds set too slow for hand held photography and/or too low ISO selection. Since you are already familiar with 35mm photography, I'm gonna assume these terms are not frightening to you. (If they are, let me know and I'd be happy to elaborate.)  

If your camera has optional focus modes, such as "infinity", "landscape", etc., it may be set to the wrong mode for the type of photos you are shooting. This may also result in fuzzy, out-of-focus images. For instance if you're camera is set to "infinity" or "landscape" mode and you are trying to photograph near objects, those object will be blurry. In this case, the camera lens automatically moves to a distance position and locks in that position. You may want to check your camera setting.

If your camera is set to a slow shutter speed (manual mode) or you are using "aperture-priority" mode, that may too result in fuzzy images as the shutter speed to which the camera defaults is too slow for hand held use. This, too, results in fuzzy photos.

Finally, if your ISO setting is too low for the light conditions, the camera will default to a slow shutter speed again being too slow for hand held photography.

If you think you are depressing the shutter correctly, then take a look at your camera settings. The problem may lie there.

Hope this helps.  

Cheer,
Deb

[Alex Oliver]

Note:

THis question about shutter lag, which can cause blurred images, has been move here:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=q-b;action=display;num=1095532089;start=0#0