Help for a newbie...grainy photos

[jistead1]

Hi there,

I recently got a new camera for christmas, a Fuji Finepix S1000fd 10 MP. I'm still trying to figure out how to use it as it's a fair bit more complicated than what I used to have (a basic point and shoot). I just can't seem to get any good photos out of this camera and I'm fairly sure its user error!!

So, this weekend I took a whole bunch of photos and I had them printed and I wasn't please with them at all. They are quite grainy and the colour seems out of whack. Now, I did discover that I had the colour setting mistakenly set on Chrome which is a high saturation apparently. So I'm sure that accounts for some of it but I don't think that all of the story.

I seem to be having problems uploading the photo. It says it's uploaded but I don't see it in the message. Any ideas?

And here is the EXIF info.

Primary Image
Manufacturer = FUJIFILM
Model = FinePix S1000fd
Orientation = The 0th row is at the visual top of the image and the 0th column is at the visual left-hand side
X Resolution = 72
Y Resolution = 72
Resolution Unit = Inches
Software = Digital Camera FinePix S1000fd Ver1.03
Last Modification Time = 2009:01:25 12:33:09
YCbCr Positioning = Co-sited
Copyright =
- Exif Specific
Exposure Time = 1/70 sec [0.014]
F Number = 3
Exposure Program = Normal program
ISO Speed Ratings = 800
Exif Version = 0220
Original Create Time = 2009:01:25 12:33:09
Digitalization Time = 2009:01:25 12:33:09
Components Configuration = YCbCr
Compressed Bits per Pixel = 2
Shutter Speed Value = 599/100 [5.990]
Aperture Value = 86/25 [3.440]
Brightness Value = 5/1 [5.000]
Exposure Bias Value = 0
Max. Aperture Value = 297/100
Metering mode = Pattern
Light Source = Unknown
Flash = Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, red-eye reduction mode
Focal Length = 8 mm

Flashpix Version = 0100
Color Space = sRGB
X Dimension (Pixel) = 3648
Y Dimension (Pixel) = 2736
Focal Plane X Resolution = 6129
Focal Plane Y Resolution = 6129
Focal Plane Resolution Unit = 3
Sensing method = One-chip color area sensor
Image Source = 03
Scene Type = 01
Rendered by Customer = Custom process
Exposure Mode = Automatic exposure
White Balance = Automatic white balance
Scene Capture Type = Standard
Sharpness = Normal
Subject Distance Range = Unknown
- Thumbnail
Compression = JPEG compression
Orientation = The 0th row is at the visual top of the image and the 0th column is at the visual left-hand side
X Resolution = 72
Y Resolution = 72
Resolution Unit = Inches
YCbCr Positioning = Co-sited

The picture was taken indoors and there was some natural and overhead lighting.

Also, does anyone know if it is possible to convert the picture back to Standard colouring from Chrome?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Julie

[another view]

ISO Speed Ratings = 800

Most likely this is the problem right here, but it looks like you're still working on posting the image (let us know if we can help, but you will need to downsize it - maybe to 640px wide). If the camera was on an auto-ISO mode, then maybe this happened because of low light. Try taking some shots with more ambient light such as daylight, and you should be fine.

"Chrome" probably means that it's supposed to look like slide film, which could be really intense color depending on the film - but... With a jpg file, there really isn't a way to change it after the fact to a different mode, but in a program like Adobe Photoshop Elements you can change things a bit.

[jistead1]

Okay, it worked.

[SmartWombat]

>> ISO Speed Ratings = 800
ISO800 explains why it looks grainy.
Lower ISO speed makes the image smoother, but needs a longer exposure, or flash, indoors.

I think your shutter speed was 1/70 second, which is long enough that you will get a lot of blurring as people move. Particularly children fidgeting.
That will make it look at first as if it might be out of focus.

What's got me confused is that it gives two exposures:
>> Shutter Speed Value = 599/100 [5.990]
>> Exposure Time = 1/70 sec [0.014]
If your shutter speed really was neraly 6 seconds I would be very surprised.

>> Flash = Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, red-eye reduction mode
This really confuses me, because it doesn't look like flash was used here.


Looking at the EXIF from the photo you uploaded (I use EXIF Viewer add-on to Firefox)
ISO Speed Ratings = 800
Shutter Speed (Exposure Time) = 1/63.56 second
Flash = Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, red-eye reduction mode

Again I'm very surprised that the flash fired, as I can't see it in the image, the fill-flash is subtle. I'm not sure but at this resolution it looks like the red-eye may not have worked on the youngest on the right.

[jistead1]

Thanks for your reply.

>> ISO Speed Ratings = 800
ISO800 explains why it looks grainy.
Lower ISO speed makes the image smoother, but needs a longer exposure, or flash, indoors.

I think your shutter speed was 1/70 second, which is long enough that you will get a lot of blurring as people move. Particularly children fidgeting.
That will make it look at first as if it might be out of focus.

What settings would be appropriate for a picture like this? Is it best to use the manual settings to take photos?

>> Flash = Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, red-eye reduction mode
This really confuses me, because it doesn't look like flash was used here.

I agree it doesn't look like the flash fired but it did.

I think I need to get me a good digital photography book and it read it. I really don't know much about all these settings. My camera can do alot...I just need to figure out what I want it to do!!

Thanks,

Julie

[freygr]

There is a good web site which will help you under stand the exposure settings, link: http://dryreading.com/camera/index.html

[jistead1]

Thanks a lot! I'll check it out.

Julie

[SARtech]

Can see no flash and the coloring gives that away also.
Since it appears you were using 800 ISO the flash most likely would not fire as there was enough light not to trigger a flash. This would have been much sharper with say ISO 100 with the flash.

If I might suggest... keep your eye out for distracting things in the background like clutter behind people. (like clocks, knicknacks, stuff on the walls,)

Good luck!

Kristine