DIGITAL camera question, please help me out!?

Question

Thanks to all your wonderful help, recently, I bought a Canon SD 750. I loved it, fell in love with its color accent features, zoom, video and thin, lightweight design. HOWEVER, after only 2 short months of using it, my brother fell into a mud puddle at the park and completely ruined it. I mean COMPLETELY. I wanted to jump into Best Buy and buy the same one again, but I realized that this particular camera ( I think it's the same with the SD 630) does not take very good pictures in a graduation / stage setting. Meaning that when I tried to take a picture of people on stage in dim lighting, the pictures come out very dark, sometimes nothing at all. SO,

does anybody know of a GOOD camera that will take excellent pictures at graduations, or other stage-type events? If so, please respond!! Thank you!!

Answer 1

Many times it is more about the settings that you use rather than the camera that you have. Does your camera have manual settings? Does it have low light settings?

Often times you cannot get good event photos unless you have either the use of a flash or a still subject and a steady surface to rest your camera on.

Answer 2

When you choose your new camera make sure it allows full Manual control. Then, find a comfortable chair in a quiet place and read and study the Owner's Manual. Then read and study it again. Learn all the controls and features of your new camera. Practice using them and then practice some more. Your camera should become an extension of you. You should be as comfortable using it as you are a pen or keyboard or pair of scissors.

Taking acceptable photographs in low light requires skill and knowledge. Its almost mandatory that you use your camera in Manual mode. You will also need to use a high ISO, which creates problems of its own. If your camera has Noise Reduction plan on using it.

Referring to my trusty FotoSharp (fotosharp.com) "Day & Night Exposure Guide" I'll choose Scene # 10: Home Interiors - average light; school stage/auditorium. Lining up ISO 800 beside it here are its suggestions:

At f2, 1/60 sec. shutter speed
At f2.8, 1/30 sec. shutter speed
At f4, 1/15 sec. shutter speed

Those are some slow shutter speeds even with Image Stabilization or Anti-Shake. Definitely too slow to hand hold with a 200 or 300mm lens. So lets try ISO 1600:

At f2, 1/125 sec.
At f2.8, 1/60 sec.
At f4, 1/30 sec.

Still slow, especially if your lens starts at f3.5 or even f4.5.

Now lets look at ISO 3200:

At f2, 1/250 sec.
At f2.8, 1/125
At f4, 1/60

Sigma offers a 50-150mm f2.8 constant aperture zoom. Its approximately $700 US. Canon and Nikon offer their own ultra-fast zooms but you'd best be sitting when you read the prices.

As you can see from the examples, low-light photography where there is any subject movement at all is a difficult proposition. You'll have to accept a loss in image quality caused by "digital noise". Noise Reduction can help and there are programs which help even more.

I hope you've forgiven your brother. Enjoy shopping for your new camera.