Taking Photos Of White Cars

[djr81]

I am having all sorts of problems getting good photos of white cars on racetracks (ie moving) when the sun is out. The panels on the care seem to flare. (If that is the correct expression). anyway, see the attachment for what I am trying to say.

Can anyone suggest any set ups tips (eg exposure length etc) for the camera. It is a Canon S2 IS.

[2rismo]

Easy fix - buy a DSLR

Less easy fix - fiddle with settings on the S2IS. What degree of ISO control and exposure compensation does your camera have? i.e. what are the upper and lower values?

[djr81]

The shutter speed (if that is what you mean) will go down to 1/3200 of a second.

The equivalent film speed is Auto*, ISO 50/100/200/400 equivalent (* Camera automatically sets optimum speeds.)

Specs are here if it helps...

http://www.canon.com.au/products/cameras/d...s2is_specs.html

[2rismo]

I'm not so concerned about shutter speed as I am the ISO value. If you can manually change the ISO value, do so and set it to 100 for shots like the one in the example. Set the camera to shutter priority (probably on the main dial and indicated by the letters 'Tv'). Pick a shutter speed fast enough so that you're not getting blurred images but slow enough so that you're not losing too much depth of field. Pick a shutter speed (or range of speeds) that works for the conditions you're shooting in and make small adjustments up and down from there. If you see a white car coming and the current setting has been working fine for coloured cars, quickly bump the shutter speed to a quicker setting.

Hope this makes sense.

[djr81]

I usually set the camera to be able to manually select the shutter speed - mostly because it is in auto the car is gone by the time it gets its shit together. The speed I use varies, but typically is something like 1/400 or 1/640 or 1/800 (from memory).

The ISO speed has four (I think) settings - so I should use a lower setting for the shiney stuff?

BTW, what sort of DSLR whould you recommend for this sort of caper, ie cars on circuits.

Edited January 16, 2007 by djr81

[2rismo]

If it's a super bright, really clear sunny summers day then i'd drop it to 50 (i think thats the lowest on your camera). 100 should be more than adequate though. Watch what happens to the aperture value as you increase and decrease the ISO setting for a given shutter speed. You'll get the idea.

One of the best enthusiast DSLR's at the moment is the Canon 400D. Very very hard to beat for the money.

[djr81]

Thanks for that - you're a champ.

[WTF-33R]

whats the price on the 400d? im looking to upgrade my camera and im keen on a dslr

[boost3d]

dont look past a sony A100 though twin lens kit for like 1599 i think ....

[2rismo]

Errrr... no. Sony make great cameras but not like Canon. Not even playing the same game letalone in the same ballpark!

[boost3d]

you reckon the A100 lens kit is heaps better than the lens kit that comes with the 400D....

[dan_the_man]

Errrr... no. Sony make great cameras but not like Canon. Not even playing the same game letalone in the same ballpark!

agreed. go for either canon or nikon

[2rismo]

you reckon the A100 lens kit is heaps better than the lens kit that comes with the 400D....

Since when do people buy a DSLR and not buy better lenses? The included lenses for the A100 are better than the basic, entry level kit for the 400D but not better than *any* L-Series Canon you could look at.

[dan_the_man]

maybe he's worried about costs to start

I kno i was

[djr81]

I played around with the ISO settings on the camera last night. Turned out that I needed them turned up to 400 to compensate for not being able to have the shutter open for as long as I would have liked. Anyway, I think it worked ok.

[2rismo]

*STAB IN THE DARK* That same shot on a tripod and with a 4-5 second exposure at ISO 400 would have been less grainy and a better shot.

Have you played with the histogram yet? If not, learn what it does and go from there.

[sigsputnik]

a white subject on a landscpe shot in broad daylight is going to be tough. there are better photographers than me on here but for my 2c, here are some tips:

- pay close attention to light metering and tell your camera where to grab the light reading from. if it's averaging across the viewfinder, the sunlight will wash out your white subject.

- try and position yourself so the sun is behind you instead of shooting into the sun.

- use a uv filter or a polarising filter to cater for harsh sunlight. a gradient filter may also allow you to control the wash from the top of the shot.

- use a lens hood

- i know some people use a dual exposure filter to assist (especially for landscapes with bright skies and dark terrain) but they freak me out and i don't fully understand them.

the 400d is god's camera. i would buy one in a heartbeat if i had the $$$.

edit: hmmm, on second thoughts, the 400d is not god's camera, but it is blummin' good. and definitely go the canon over the sony.

Edited January 18, 2007 by sigsputnik

[djr81]

*STAB IN THE DARK* That same shot on a tripod and with a 4-5 second exposure at ISO 400 would have been less grainy and a better shot.

Have you played with the histogram yet? If not, learn what it does and go from there.

Problem was the wind was really howling - to the extent that I couldn't get the camera to hold still properly. A 4 - 5 second exposure would have been better, but there was no way I could have got a proper shot with it. I had to use the 0.125 second & even then half the shots had the comet walking across the photo.

Played with the histogram. Not suprisingly everything was on the LHS for this shot.

[2rismo]

That's a good tip about the lens hood. Get one and use it but remember to remove it for flash photography or you;ll get shadows over the pic.

I didn't look closely at the shot to work out it was the comet! Thought it was a plane flying over and I was spewing the other night that i'd missed seeing it.

If you want a challenge, get yourself onto the startline at WSID and try to take shots of white cars, at night, with their headlights beaming

[2BNVS]

i have the cannon 300D and even that takes hell good photos, i bought that 2 years ago, if i hadnt the 400d woulda been the pick today for sure

ben...