Canon's Powershot A80 for Non-Professional?

[CassBH]

Hi all! I'm new to this forum and would love some feedback from anyone who has a Canon Powershot A80. My husband recetly bought me this camera to use for personal and professional use (I am a makeup artist and do a lot of Before and After shots).

While I am certainly not a professional photographer (nor do I aspire to be), I would love all the pics I take to be decent enough that I can put a few up on my website occasionally.

So, my question is this...other than keeping the entire camera set on "automatic", can anyone make recommendations on what settings I should have the camera on for the most flattering pictures of mostly faces withing 1-2 feet in daylight?

Also, is it just me, or did anyone else find the User Guide/Instruction booklet with this camera a little "lacking" and "Overwhleming" at the same time?? (especially for a newbie to Photpgraphy)???

Look forward to your responses!
Cassandra

[modmans2ndcoming]

if it has a preset portrait mode, test that out as see what you think. you might want a tripod...does it come with a remote so you can take the picture with out touching the camera?

[CassBH]

It does have a portrait mode, I believe. Not sure about the remote feature though.

As I complete novice in the camera world, what would the tripod add, other than eliminate any shaking of the camera?

[modmans2ndcoming]

it would provide exactly what you said.

[CassBH]

Thanks!

[Chunk]

Hi all! I'm new to this forum and would love some feedback from anyone who has a Canon Powershot A80. My husband recetly bought me this camera to use for personal and professional use (I am a makeup artist and do a lot of Before and After shots).

While I am certainly not a professional photographer (nor do I aspire to be), I would love all the pics I take to be decent enough that I can put a few up on my website occasionally.

So, my question is this...other than keeping the entire camera set on "automatic", can anyone make recommendations on what settings I should have the camera on for the most flattering pictures of mostly faces withing 1-2 feet in daylight?

Also, is it just me, or did anyone else find the User Guide/Instruction booklet with this camera a little "lacking" and "Overwhleming" at the same time?? (especially for a newbie to Photpgraphy)???

Look forward to your responses!
Cassandra

IMHO it's hard to take flattering portraits from 1-2 feet away due to perspective distortion and foreshortening of features. I think it would be better to get a little further away and zoom in to fill the frame with your subject.

[CassBH]

Chunk,

Perhaps I exaggerated the proximity to my subjects. What you suggested has been what I have been doing. Getting fairly close but using the zoom to have the subject fill in the frame more.

BTW, do you have any personal experience with this Canon camera? Just trying to get people's feedback on it and its capabilities..

Thanks,
Cass

[Chunk]

Chunk,

Perhaps I exaggerated the proximity to my subjects. What you suggested has been what I have been doing. Getting fairly close but using the zoom to have the subject fill in the frame more.

BTW, do you have any personal experience with this Canon camera? Just trying to get people's feedback on it and its capabilities..

Thanks,
Cass

Nope. I have a Canon S30 that I find frustrating because of limited aperture range, real pokey shutter response and not to large a zoom. I do like the small size. I'm real happy with some of the photos I've taken with it.

[tod4115]

Hi, I have a Cannon A80 and have found that a tripod is invaluable for clear pictures in any mode. I also use the 2 second timer and that lessens the camera shake from the button being pressed. I have not used the portrait mode excessively but the times I did, the pictures were fair to disappointing. The auto and "p" mode portraits were of better quality. I think I need to experiment a little more.