Using My colors (vivid) on my Canon SX50hs. Need advise: We are going to be taking a trip to Lake Powell for three days next week. On addition to a boat tour with the red canyon walls...

patrick43 Loc: Los Lunas,NM

We are going to be taking a trip to Lake Powell for three days next week. On addition to a boat tour with the red canyon walls there will be an opportunity for a short visit to antelope canyon. I see that the sx50 has a shortcut button where you can enter my colors and one of the color choices is vivid. I'm wondering if this is worth setting up and also how hard it would be to switch between this setting and normal. I have a feeling it will be pretty crowded and rushed in the canyon and I don't want to waste time and miss shots changing back and forth. But, I'm pretty sure this will be my only chance to visit this iconic place and if the vivid setting would make a huge difference in colors "popping" i'd kinda like to try it. Any thoughts from my expert friends on this topic will be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Patrick

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

My best advise if you don't shoot "RAW" and PP is to practice going between your normal setup and vivid till it is second nature.
Also I think the sx50 has two custom presets that you could program this into one and you toggle instantly to it.
Good luck, and practice! Wish I was going with you, sounds like a great trip!

patrick43 Loc: Los Lunas,NM

BassmanBruce wrote:

My best advise if you don't shoot "RAW" and PP is to practice going between your normal setup and vivid till it is second nature.
Also I think the sx50 has two custom presets that you could program this into one and you toggle instantly to it.
Good luck, and practice! Wish I was going with you, sounds like a great trip!

Thanks for the advise, BassmanBruce. I really need to learn how to shoot "RAW". I've gotten decent with PP in picasa and might stick with that. Need to check about the presets. I do have a few days to practice. patrick

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

patrick43 wrote:

Thanks for the advise, BassmanBruce. I really need to learn how to shoot "RAW". I've gotten decent with PP in picasa and might stick with that. Need to check about the presets. I do have a few days to practice. patrick

It is extremely easy to work with raw files with the SX50 and DPP, much easier than the various alternative approaches. You can then make camera setting decisions after the fact.

Mike

patrick43 Loc: Los Lunas,NM

Blenheim Orange wrote:

It is extremely easy to work with raw files with the SX50 and DPP, much easier than the various alternative approaches. You can then make camera setting decisions after the fact.

Mike

Thanks Mike, really need to explore raw. Forgive my lack of photo expertise, but do you mean doing something like vivid colors in camera after the shot? patrick

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

KIS ... Keep It Simple....
I am going to the zoo today. C1 is HDR, C2 is Single shot both Aperture Priority. M is for Flowers, ISO 100, 1/400, f-8, with flash. Normal shooting will be Speed Priority to capture the beast as it leaps the mote to crunch my head.

Set the camera to what ever priority (my case aperture) you want ( :arrow: do not have the dial on C1 or C2 ) ... hit menu... go to bottom to SAVE,chose that... C1 or C2, make a choice with the circle of the rocker ring around the function button. Then it says OK to keep, Menu to not.... where the heck is OK???? aaaaha, it is the "function-set" button dead center. Now if you turn to the C1 or C2 (chosen) you will have that setting.

Now you have the setting for a particular situation... and you have it fast. Write what C1 and C2 are for on your wife's cheek if you are far sighted... she will never know. Patrick, just look and read and she will think you are so loving.

KIS, in the sun is not where you need to be trying to see how to set up a menu.... Amazing Camera... Took mine out to shoot junk, trees, signs, clouds, just to test it for today... After the zoo is not the time to find out that a setting was wrong... if it looks good on my 28" Monitor and works in my HDR program.. then ready to go with confidence.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

patrick43 wrote:

I'm wondering if this is worth setting up and also how hard it would be to switch between this setting and normal.

Switching back and forth would be a nuisance, with a good chance for error. I would leave it at the normal setting and make any adjustments in post. Of course you can always experiment before you leave. You may decide that vivid is perfect.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

Setting vivid tell me you shoot jpeg, (as RAW normally is not affected by those settings.)

If you stay with jpeg, many post programs let you play around with saturation levels since that is roughly all that vivid is.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

If you don't have a lot of time to practice, I'd leave all settings in normal, and keep an eye on your exposure when shooting. Even if you only shoot jpg, it'll be much easier for you to make adjustments in pp than if you start with a "vivid" shot, especially since there are generous folks in the post-processing forum on UHH available to assist :)

Get the exposure and the focus right; all else will fall into place. Have a great trip!

Redrock51 Loc: Utah

dpullum wrote:

KIS ... Keep It Simple.... br I am going to the z... (show quote)

***Don't know you, but love your personality! Great post.

Addyrose

I have an sx50. I adjust the saturation and contrast in the editing process. I have found shooting in vivid is overdone on the camera. I like to shoot in the JPEG/raw setting. That way if I need to I can really adjust if the lighting is tricky. I have revived many a picture adjusting in raw. I also like the clarity adjustment. I use Elements 12.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

patrick43 wrote:

We are going to be taking a trip to Lake Powell fo... (show quote)

Patrick, before you go, why not shoot a few local shots using that color feature and compare them to those shot without? Then, you might have an idea of how it will effect your shots.

Haydon

BassmanBruce wrote:

My best advise if you don't shoot "RAW" and PP is to practice going between your normal setup and vivid till it is second nature.
Also I think the sx50 has two custom presets that you could program this into one and you toggle instantly to it.
Good luck, and practice! Wish I was going with you, sounds like a great trip!

Agreed, I don't jpg until I've processed the RAW file. I know it's a lot more work, but, once an image is TOO overly saturated, you will have less latitude in adjustment. I always leave color levels neutral and adjust in post.

MontanaTrace

SX60. Pretty much the same. "Vivid" can sometimes be too hot. Not a real big deal in that you can back it off in PP. I use a tripod with HDR. I shoot in "normal" and occasionally switch to "standard art."

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Another mention re the shortcut button on back: you can set it to toggle among jpg only/jpg+raw/raw only. That's how I use it. Handy for when you are quickly switching from action shots, where you want faster writing to the card, to a serene landscape with plenty of time to compose and expose.