Help with Blurriness, Digital Image Stabilization, Samsung S860 camera

[98SS]

Hello all,

I don't have the camera on me at the moment so I'm guessing at the model number based on pictures and such online. But I bought a Samsung S860 for my wife a little over a year ago and it's been the source of a fair amount of frustration lately. It seems like this "Digital Image Stabilization" feature does nothing but make the picture even more blurry. And now I can't get it to stop coming on when shooting in Auto mode. I could swear that when I first bought it, the DIS feature did not kick in during Auto mode. Only when you selected the DIS mode on the Mode dial.

A website claims that you see the image on the left with DIS off and your natural handshake going on. Then, the image on the right with DIS turned on. I'm definitely getting a lot of the one on the left when the DIS symbol pops up while I'm focusing.


I think the specs are 8.1MP, 3264x2448, 3x Optical Zoom, 5x Digital, 11MB Internal Memory, Digital Image Stabilization.

I'm almost certain that the camera used to take great pictures in Auto mode, but that's not the case anymore. I have to switch to Manual or Program mode and I can never seem to get the settings right or keep the blurriness down consistently.

Does anyone have any input on blurry pictures with this camera or similar cameras?

Thanks in advance.

[SmartWombat]

Post some of your pictures here, and if you can readout the EXIF information, the shutter speed and aperture. That'll help people see the problem.

[Medley]

The one instance I can think of where IS makes the image worse (with regular consistancy) is panning. Panning is when you attempt to move the camera along with a subject in motion. In this instance, the image stabilization actually tries to counteract the motion of the camera, resulting in an effect that is the opposite of what was intended.

- Joe U.

[OldClicker]

There are three things that make a shot blurred - the camera moving, the subject moving and out of focus. Set up a test to eliminate these three and see what you have. Post the test shots. - TF

[freygr]

With out a some sample photos posted it's is very hard to tell what the problem is:

Problems:
1) low light
2) slow shutter speed
3) Depth of field
and there are other problems ........

[98SS]

Sorry, I'm sure it's not helping much without example pictures, but I will have some up tomorrow. I would say tonight, but I'm going to a concert tonight, so I doubt I'll have time after work.

I know that I've gone into Manual or Program mode and played with ISO settings and shutter speed to experiment with low light conditions, but isn't Auto mode supposed to be independent of those settings?

Regarding things moving or the camera moving, the blurry pictures happen even if it's a bush or a house or a tree (with no wind). What typically seems to make it worse is indeed the lighting. If it's inside with incandescent lights, it does it. If it's at night with street lights on, it does it. Hand shake does make it worse, but even leaning the camera up against something rigid only helps it a little. When you zoom in the picture is still a little fuzzy.

Does it during the day with sunlight? I'm not sure. I'll go through a bunch of scenarios ASAP and get em posted. In the meantime, I'm considering buying a second camera because we are going on a big trip in a week and I don't want to take this camera with the way it's acting. This trip will be full of those pictures that you look back on for the rest of your life. We're going to Paris and Rome.

Thanks for the responses, and bear with me for the pictures.

[98SS]

OK, these are probably poor examples. All were with the White Balance set to Auto, resolution at 5 Megapixels, Sharpness set to "Soft", Metering set to "Multi", and the lighting was incandescent overhead with ambient sunlight coming in the windows... if any of that helps. (Click images to enlarge)

Manual Mode - Flash Off
F2.8
speed 1/4s
ISO 200



Manual Mode - Flash Off
F8.4
speed 1/4s
ISO 200



Manual Mode - Flash Off
F2.8
speed 1/30s
ISO 200



Manual Mode - Flash Off
F2.8
speed 1/30s
ISO 800



Auto Mode - Flash On
camera auto set F2.8
camera auto set speed at 1/45s
camera auto set ISO 100
DIS "handshake" icon did not appear during focus



Auto Mode - Flash Off
camera auto set F2.8
camera auto set speed at 1/6s
camera auto set ISO 200
DIS "handshake" icon appeared during focus




This one was a bit different, but both it and that last remote control pic are prime examples of the fuzziness when the DIS kicks in.
The dog was not moving.

Auto Mode - Flash Off
camera auto set F4.8
camera auto set speed at 1/4s
camera auto set ISO 200
DIS "handshake" icon appeared during focus

[98SS]

My initial reaction to it all is that I want to turn the damn DIS thing off when I'm in Auto mode with the flash off. I just can't figure out how.

[Medley]

A general rule of thumb is that any shutter speed slower than 1/60s is too slow to hand-hold the camera. I know that 1/4s seems like a short time frame, but in terms of shutter speed, it's an eternity.

The image with the best focus is the one with a 1/45s shutter. That approaching the speed where camera shake due to hand movement is negated.

There's an easy way to test this theory. Set up another test, only this time, set the camera on a solid surface, and use it's built-in timer (hopefully it has one). This will give you time to press and release the shutter (ruling out movement) before the camera actually takes the photo. If the images still come out blurry, we can eliminate camera shake as a cause.

- Joe U.

[Frog]

Another thing is that you are getting a very narrow depth of field with the f/2.8 shots.
I can shoot as low as 1/10 sec with a vr lens if I brace myself and depress shutter very softly. !/4 is too much to ask.

[98SS]

When I set the shutter speed faster, it can't get enough light, even at the highest ISO setting of 1000. As I set the shutter speed slower, by the time it gets enough light to make a good picture, the DIS handshake kicks in and screws it up.

The camera also has a DIS mode, and when I use it, all pictures are fuzzy. It's seriously as if this DIS feature is doing the exact opposite of what you would think it's supposed to do. I can't get it to stop coming on during Auto mode with flash off.

[Frog]

The camera can only do so much.
If there isn't enough light, there isn't enough light.

That's when you get some light or use the flash.

[OldClicker]

From these shots, I would say that the IS is not helping at best. Only solution I see (other than repair) is to stay out of Auto and turn it off.

But you still need to get the shutter speed up, use a flash or use a tripod. Look at the 6 shots of the remote. Which is the sharpest by far? The one with the flash because the flash stops the motion (The flash duration is probably about 1/2000 sec. or faster.). The camera is just shaking too much at these shutter speeds to get a sharp image.

TF

[98SS]

We went and looked at some cameras today, and I found another (better) model Samsung that had the DIS feature. It allowed me to go into the settings and specifically set the DIS to Off.
Great, I thought. But then I knelt down and took a shot under the counter where there was less light and lo and behold, the camera tried to slow the shutter speed and added DIS even though I had it set to Off. And again, it blurred the picture.

A sales person was telling me about the cameras, and said she would stay away from all of Samsung's cameras as well as Canon's P&S ones because they put all their stock in their SLRs. She felt the Canon SLRs were well worth the money, but not the P&S.
Their SLRs were a bit more than I want to spend, and some of the P&S cams like the Nikon CoolPix and one of the Sony Cybershots seemed pretty flexible.

Think I could just get one with a much higher ISO range (i.e. 3200) and be able to shoot in manual mode with high ISO and fast shutter speed? Is this what I need to be looking for in my next camera?

[OldClicker]

We went and looked at some cameras today, and I found another (better) model Samsung that had the DIS feature. It allowed me to go into the settings and specifically set the DIS to Off.
Great, I thought. But then I knelt down and took a shot under the counter where there was less light and lo and behold, the camera tried to slow the shutter speed and added DIS even though I had it set to Off. And again, it blurred the picture.

A sales person was telling me about the cameras, and said she would stay away from all of Samsung's cameras as well as Canon's P&S ones because they put all their stock in their SLRs. She felt the Canon SLRs were well worth the money, but not the P&S.
Their SLRs were a bit more than I want to spend, and some of the P&S cams like the Nikon CoolPix and one of the Sony Cybershots seemed pretty flexible.

Think I could just get one with a much higher ISO range (i.e. 3200) and be able to shoot in manual mode with high ISO and fast shutter speed? Is this what I need to be looking for in my next camera?

High ISO is going to get grainy and (unless your going for an artistic look) ugly - especially with a P&S. Cameras aren't magic. If you do not have enough light, you cannot hand hold without seeing camera shake. Things that help (not cure) are tripods, image stabilization, more light, faster (larger aperture) lens and flash. - TF

[Frog]

Don't know who the sales lady or what store you went to but sales people at chain stores are not known for their camera or photography knowledge.
I don't know Samsung but from what I read Canon has some of the best p&s cameras out there and even have made me(a nikon guy) consider getting one as a point and shoot when I don't want to carry my dslr.
Like Old Clicker said, they don't make magic cameras that can take pictures in any situation with or without vibration reduction.
No camera can take a sharp photo, with or without vibration reduction, if there isn't enough light to give a fast enough shutter speed. If you manually control the shutter speed to make it what you want, then you'll have an under-exposed photo.
Use a flash, or get a tripod so the camera doesn't move after you hit the shutter.