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06-18-2015, 05:13 PM   #1
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how do I focus

I just purchased the K3 with the 18-250 sigma lense, both new...I both the camera for my sons 8th grade graduation...well the pictures inside the church were ok...but the still pictures out side in the sun were magnificent...here is the problem....I have the camera set on green mode....but if the fiqure moves or is moving the shot is all blurred....what am I doing wrong....the owners manual you need to work for NASA to understand...any movement seems to blur the picture...please help
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Jan

06-18-2015, 05:47 PM   #2
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Do you want the camera to re-focus even if something moves? Set it to AF-C by holding down the AF button above the swtich, then turning the front e-dial (I believe it's the front one).

If you're getting motion blur, use a faster shutter speed.

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06-18-2015, 06:48 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by jjusko Quote
I just purchased the K3 with the 18-250 sigma lense, both new...I both the camera for my sons 8th grade graduation...well the pictures inside the church were ok...but the still pictures out side in the sun were magnificent...here is the problem....I have the camera set on green mode....but if the fiqure moves or is moving the shot is all blurred....what am I doing wrong....the owners manual you need to work for NASA to understand...any movement seems to blur the picture...please help
Thanks
Jan

Jan,


There are three contributors to blurry images:
1. Main subject out of focus.
2. Camera shake.
3. Subject movement.


You will steadily develop the skills to get your main subject in focus. (I recommend using centre-point, single-point focus for now.)



You will also develop steadier hands and a sense of what shutter speed you need to cancel out camera shake and subject movement.


When you shoot in green mode, shutter speeds can easily get too low, especially indoors.


Check out some youtube clips about shooting in shutter priority mode first, then learn about aperture priority.


I totally hear what you are saying about the difficulty of reading manuals. Videos and how-to books are great ways of getting it all in digestible chunks.
06-18-2015, 07:30 PM   #4
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Take the camera out of "Green mode" and, learn how to use your camera manually so you can force it to take the shots you want correctly.

06-18-2015, 07:31 PM   #5
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Check to see if your shutter speed is too low which is likely the cause of your blurry pictures. When the subject moves (even slightly), you need to change it to 1/320 or higher to have a good chance to freeze the movement.
06-18-2015, 09:12 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by jjusko Quote
.I have the camera set on green mode..
Green mode = bad idea. In good conditions it will produce an average OK image, that is what it is for. As you discovered outside. In less than ideal conditions your images will suffer because the camera really is not very smart.

Unfortunately a DSLR is not a "point and shoot" camera, it requires an operator that knows at least something about what they are doing. And even more unfortunately really understanding what the camera is doing will require some learning. Reading the manual is not really an option but required. I know, that goes against all the rules, too bad. Read it. Two or three times. You also need to know about the exposure triangle. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Get this book: "Understanding Exposure" by Brian Peterson. Read it. Then read the manual. Then read Understanding Exposure again. By now you will have a good foundation in photography and be able to get decent images in most conditions.

As noted above your images are blurry because your shutter speed is too slow, almost certainly. Here is an article that explains the exposure triangle: Learning about Exposure - The Exposure Triangle - Digital Photography School I still suggest you get the book but this is a taste.
06-18-2015, 09:26 PM   #7
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Great advice so far. I also recommend signing up to a beginners photo course. I did that when I got my first DSLR and it have helped me a lot!

06-19-2015, 04:17 AM   #8
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I get no feel for how familiar you are with DSLR's generally, but you need to check out (a) how to hold a camera properly - rest the base on your left palm; use the fingers of your left hand to make lens adjustments; use your right hand to fire the shutter, etc, (b) that the camera has achieved focus lock before firing the shutter, and (c) that the shutter speed is correct for the lens focal length AND subject.
06-19-2015, 06:14 AM   #9
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Here's how I shoot 99% of the time.

Focus mode AF.C (AF.S for some subjects if you can lock on)
Center focus point.
Spot metering or center-weighted.
Shutter priority, not focus priority. This is up to you, but for me I'd rather snap the shot than potentially miss it.
TAv mode - front wheel is shutter speed, back wheel is aperture. Balance the two for good ISO performance. Moving subjects, keep shutter speed over 1/125. The K3 can handle a high ISO, so set the aperture around f8 for general use, and balance with the shutter speed to keep ISO below 6400 most of the time.

It does take some practice. If you have dogs, they're great subjects when they're playing. Keep that center point on your subject. Use the back button (labeled AF) and use the trigger to actuate your shutter.
06-19-2015, 09:02 AM   #10
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Learn about the exposure triangle and the effect of the parameters.

Shutterspeed; faster shutterspeeds (1 second is slow, 1/8000 is fast) freeze motion. Play with it an see what suites the scene; you can start with something like 1/500.
Aperture: determines the depth of field and the amount of light that reaches the sensor. Smaller numbers (e.g. 2.8) let in more light but result in a shallow DOF so only the person in the picture is in focus but the background is blurred.
ISO: the 'sensitivity' of the sensor for light. the lower the number, the more light needs to reach the sensor for correct exposure. Higher numbers result in more noise, but ISO800 should be no issue at all and thereafter it depends on you sensitivity for noise.

I would suggest to try TAv with a shutterspeed of around 1/500, an aperture around 8 and the iso lower limit at 100 and higher limit at 3200. And when you use the flash, don't use auto-iso.
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