A bit more camera stuff

[Grandad]

I have not been too happy with my pics lately particularly from the Fuji X10 that I have always rated highly. Pictures have been a bit thin and washed out with not much colour saturation.
I went through all the menus but couldn't find an answer or an improvement. SO, what I have done is to set the exposure to minus 2/3 of a stop which is improving the contrast and colour by slightly underexposing.
The Fuji HS50 is suffering much the same but to a lesser extent and I have adjusted that to minus 1/3 of a stop.
Just popping this in here because others may have had the same experience AND I am hoping that Horus will have some words of wisdom for me on the subject.......always appreciate H's valued comments and suggestions.

As an afterthought, it could of course be my eyes not seeing so well.

[Horus]

That was my first reaction Grandad remember Claude Monet's famouse paintings of water lilies that always had that too much purple effect to them? all down to him having cataracts so maybe it is more to do with your eyesight than the cameras. Why not post a few images that you think are not up to par, but leave them unaltered, that way we can judge for ourselves if it looks like your cameras are at fault? Either way, as it is mainly yourself viewing these images does it really matter so long as you are happy with them?

[Grandad]

OK. These three are with the X10 that is giving the least acceptable results.

This is with EXR auto that I use most of the time and is giving results that I am not happy with.


This is on 'P' setting with -2/3 stop exposure compensation


This is on 'P' setting with no exposure adjustment


PS. I have just checked the manual and among the hundreds of setting combinations you cannot adjust EC in auto EXR, only if using HD. I will await your comment H before looking into the HD route...

NOW WHERE DID I PUT MY BROWNIE BOX CAMERA

[Horus]

Grandad I cannot honestly say I can see a vast amount of difference other than the one you adjusted seems a little darker inasmuch as the background leaves of the trees above the fence line are not so visible in your second image as they are in the other two.

[LovelyLadyLux]

OMG I must have glaucoma too cause I can't really SEE much difference!!

It would be really hard for me to pick a BEST of those three as they're all so close it would be hard to say which is the best.

BTW - quite like the planters!

[Kiya]

The only difference I see is in the second picture where the flower colour is much deeper/sharper than the other two plus then it makes the fencing in the background darker

[Grandad]

I think I have to conclude that it ia a combination of my eyes and a not very good PC screen. I get so used to seeing pictures on my wifes ipad where they all look so bright and crisp.

[Horus]

That is another thing you have to take into accont Grandad, a smaller screen with a high resolution such as Mrs G's tablet will show an image in better detail than on a run of the mill PC monitor.

[Grandad]

Just to draw a line under this. I searched the manual which has SO many settings and combinations (is all that really necessary?) and found that with the EXR set to HR (high resolution) I DO have the option to adjust the EC so I have set it to minus 1/3 of a stop (underexposure) and this is giving me better results IMO QED!

[LovelyLadyLux]

I love looking at my photos on my Kindle or my daughter's Ipad vs my laptop. When I see my photos on my Kindle they always look so much better.

I really couldn't detect any appreciable different in the three photos.

What I did like in the photos was the owl and head planters. They're really interesting and add a real element of interest to the pots. Saw your banana tree in the background too. Hope it is doing well. I've never tried to grow on but love the look of their leaves. They get quite tall too.

[Grandad]

LLL, I don't think I know anyone else like you and Kiya who look so closely into photos. Are you sure you two girls are not former detectives?

I am of course referring to the banana PLANT that is well hidden but you spotted it. Yes, it is doing well and here is a snap from this evening.


My DiL tells me that you can keep them going into next year if you wrap them and she will give me some wrap before the winter. She is becoming the expert in the family so I will just follow what she says.