harolnick

I love Canon and am happy with my little SX700HS. But as a classical-music reviewer, I frequently have to whip out my camera after a performance (never during, for obvious reasons) to take a curtain call or the last seconds sitting at a piano etc. The stage is always fine, the color can be processed with the usual editing. But--depending on my seat--those faces can be blurred. I can't use a tripod, I attempt the "correct" way to hold the camera, the zoom sometimes works, but those blurs from shaking are troubling. I'm ready to buy a new Canon (if not too expensive) with anti-shaking mechanism, but unsure what to purchase. Any ideas?

JD750 Loc: SoCal

This does not sound like something a new camera will fix. If your zoomed in given indoor lighting, you shutter speed may simply be too low. What lens are you Using? What level of zoom are you using, and what exposure mode are you using? What is your shutter speed? You might want to use M exposure mode or else Shutter Priority so you can control the minimum shutter speed.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

To JD750: the SX700HS is a fixed-lens camera.

To the OP: this camera has an optical image stabilizer and being only a "moderate" zoom (30x) compared to many, my money is on the shutter speed being too slow. There are a few packaged shooting modes you can try if you aren't ready to learn manual exposure or shutter priority mode:

High-Speed Burst HQ
Handheld Night Scene
Low Light

harolnick

Sounds good. I called Canon (their tech help is the best), and they suggested a) I switch from Auto to TV (time value), then set the shutter speed between 300-400 (I put it on 320). Tomorrow is a concert, so I'll try things out that way. As you can probably imagine, I'm a lazy shooter, so don't want to start pressing buttons in a dark dark auditorium, where only the stage is light. So we see what will happen. Many thanks.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

DOH! Thank you Linda.

I think learning M may be the best way for him to go. He can dial in exposure before the event then be ready to shoot at the end of the show.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

The age old rule of thumb is the minimum shutter speed is 1/focal length. So if you have a 100mm lens, then 1/100 is the minimum. That doesn't account for camera motion or movement of the subject. I think you starting point 300-400 is good thing to try. Make sure the ISO is appropriately set for the lens and the available light.

harolnick

All your answers have the commonality of setting the shutter speed higher (now it will be 320). Added to that will be attention to holding the camera, and hoping that the pianist doesn't whizz off and on the stage. Then I will not only hope for the best but use Ugly Hedgehog's expertise for the best. Thanks one and all.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

At max zoom, the largest aperture is only F6.9, so there is not a lot of light getting to your sensor.

There is no doubt that a better camera, either a bridge camera that has a larger max aperture at full zoom, or a camera with interchangeable lenses, will be a good solution. Shooting what you are shooting with a 70-200 F2.8 zoom lens will let you use an ISO that is 3-2/3 stops lower or a faster shutter speed or both, for less noise and sharper images because the details won't get lost in the noise.

harolnick

Aha! Any particular Canon bridge camera in mind? A simple title., and I can do my research (both on line and in my bank account). In the meantime, I'll work with the suggestions given in previous messages tomorrow night.

repleo Loc: Boston

I wasn't familiar with your SX700HS, so I looked it up out of curiosity. I found this description of a feature on your camera that I thought was interesting and may be part of the solution to your problem if you haven't been using it already.

Zoom Framing Assist
The PowerShot SX700 HS camera has the telephoto reach to capture subjects a long distance away using its powerful 30x Optical Zoom. At maximum telephoto, however, it can be challenging to track a moving subject. The Zoom Framing Assist seek function makes it much easier to use the camera's powerful zoom lens. When you press and hold the Zoom Framing Assist function button, the camera will automatically zoom out to include a wider angle of view, enabling you to more easily locate your moving subject. Once you find it, releasing the button will cause the lens to return to its original zoom position, intelligently keeping the subject in focus until you're ready to shoot and capture the perfect close-up moment. You can even make zoom adjustments while the button is pressed, with an animated assist frame that makes viewing easy. When the button is released, the lens will return to the adjusted zoom position.

You can also use Zoom Framing Assist to keep your subject's face the same size in your frame no matter how they move. Tap the Zoom Framing Assist function button to detect your subject's face. As your subject retreats and advances the camera automatically zooms in and out so their face remains the same size. It's especially useful for capturing the expressions of fast-moving children. And, for even more convenience, the Zoom Framing Assist function is also available when shooting video.

harolnick

Wow!!!!! Ugly Hedgehog again shows its genius. I'll look up the Zoom Framing Assist and experiment tomorrow at a concert, along with the other suggestions.

harolnick

P.S. To Replo: I always wondered what that button on the side was. Now I know. (A clod like me doesn't deserve to be in the pantheon of Ugly Hedgehog users.)

repleo Loc: Boston

'Read the manual' is a constant refrain here on UHH, but we all think that is advice for the other guy. Let us know if it works.

harolnick

Absolutely. Review will be written Friday night, pix will be attached (under the accreditation of Samuel A.Dog) and I'll send the link. As for the book....er....I've never been attracted much to manual labor!

JD750 Loc: SoCal

It works if you read and understand it. Not everybody can do that. Lots of different types of people like to take photographs. Not all are diligent about reading manuals. For them I suggest a good institutive user interface is imperative.