Can't get a right composition

[Eagle355]

I've been trying a few indoor test-shoots with my REbel T1. I use a 18-55mm lens with 3.5-5.6f.

I set the white balance on custom and shot in manual mode with the lens set to MF. I tried to consult the Metering mode of the camera and change the aperture/shutter/ metering zone and also played a bit with iso speed. There was lightbulb lighting in the room. However the shots were terrible, i tried to shoot with changing focus length and settings but the shots were terrible, i got fed up and just packed the camera. I can't understand what am doing so wrong and i get these results?



File Name IMG_0304.JPG
Camera Model Canon EOS Kiss X3
Firmware Firmware Version 1.0.9
Shooting Date/Time 28/2/2010 11:53:24 πμ
Owner's Name
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/30
Av( Aperture Value ) 6.3
Metering Mode Partial Metering
ISO Speed 400
Auto ISO Speed OFF
Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Focal Length 21.0mm
White Balance Mode Tungsten
AF Mode Manual focusing

The man here is playing with cards and i tried to focus on the cards but its all washed out



File Name IMG_0325.JPG
Camera Model Canon EOS Kiss X3
Firmware Firmware Version 1.0.9
Shooting Date/Time 28/2/2010 12:24:40 μμ
Owner's Name
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/5
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6
Metering Mode Partial Metering
ISO Speed 400
Auto ISO Speed OFF
Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Focal Length 20.0mm
Image Size 4752x3168
Image Quality Fine
Flash On
Flash Type Built-In Flash
Flash Exposure Compensation 0
Red-eye Reduction On
Shutter curtain sync 1st-curtain sync
FE lock OFF
White Balance Mode Tungsten
AF Mode Manual focusing


Same here

File Name IMG_0324.JPG
Camera Model Canon EOS Kiss X3
Firmware Firmware Version 1.0.9
Shooting Date/Time 28/2/2010 12:23:31 μμ
Owner's Name
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/5
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6
Metering Mode Partial Metering
ISO Speed 400
Auto ISO Speed OFF
Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Focal Length 20.0mm
Image Size 4752x3168
Image Quality Fine
Flash On
Flash Type Built-In Flash
Flash Exposure Compensation 0
Red-eye Reduction On
Shutter curtain sync 1st-curtain sync
FE lock OFF
White Balance Mode Custom
AF Mode Manual focusing

Here i tried to use a more dark background to shot the cards



File Name IMG_0312.JPG
Camera Model Canon EOS Kiss X3
Firmware Firmware Version 1.0.9
Shooting Date/Time 28/2/2010 12:07:11 μμ
Owner's Name
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/13
Av( Aperture Value ) 4.5
Metering Mode Spot Metering
ISO Speed 200
Auto ISO Speed OFF
Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Focal Length 24.0mm
Image Size 4752x3168
Image Quality Fine
Flash On
Flash Type Built-In Flash
Flash Exposure Compensation 0
Red-eye Reduction On
Shutter curtain sync 1st-curtain sync
FE lock OFF
White Balance Mode Custom
AF Mode Manual focusing

Any help please as this is getting very frustrating... Are there any general rules to follow such as: outdoor daylight use this # of aperture /shutter /iso. Outdoor cloudy...indoor bulb light etc.

[LeeR]

Part of the problem here is that you are shooting at very low light levels which means big apertures and tiny depth of field. Take these same shots in daylight and you will find "focus" gets a whole lot better.

[zona5101]

i do not see any area in any of the photographs that is in focus. I do not detect motion blur, just out of focus.

[OsmosisStudios]

The cards is simply: they're too close. The 18-55 lens can't focus that close.

The others are a head scratcher. Is the camera set to Auto-focus, and not manual?

[Nicole]

Ok, so a few things to look at. First, the easy one. Your shutter speed is slow for hand holding. Probably not a huge issue in these shots just because the issue is more your focus.

You said you were using manual focus. So, the first question for you is whether or not you wear glasses (and if the scene looked in focus in the viewfinder before you shot it). If it did look in focus, something that you may need to do is adjust the diopter. And if that's not it, then you just need to work on your focusing or use auto focus when possible.

And last, I'd agree with Os, with the card shots I'd wonder if you were too close to focus anyway.

[autofocus]

I have to agree with Osmosis and Nicolle..It's probably a combination of things wrong. Way too slow shutter speeds to hand hold, too close to the subject for your lens to focus, bad light, etc. Why are you torturing yourself by doing everything manualy, especially if you are a beginner..set your camera in P, or green box full auto, single shot focus so it will lock in if the distance is correct, turn on your flash and bounce if you can, or turn on brighter lights to illuminate the subjects better. There is nothing wrong with your camera, just how you are using it

Vince

[Rehesan]

Agree with all the above comments.

I would suggest, if you are new to DSLR cameras to use it in a mid-auto setting in order for you to practice and get familiar with the basic functions. For instance I would let the camera to talke care of the WB and the Focus, you mentioned the WB is set to custom, so my question here is: how did you get the right balance? you should select the WB when the setting is in custom. Also because you are using a Canon, I would suggest to shot using the TV or AV camera modes, so in that way you can play selecting either the sutter priority and let the camera to set the aperture, and viceversa, without compromising the correct exposure.

The main issue in all of your three photos is the out of foucs, so let the camera lense to AF and also turn on the IS feature if equipped.

[Eagle355]

I know the camera is great that;s why i bought it. I am just trying to learn to use it properly-i.e. in manual mode. I used custom WB by photographing a white sheet and then going into the menu to choose it as custom WB. The lens was also set in MF-manual focus. In the view finder the cards did looked a bit blurry but when i was zooming out the cards appeared to be in a distant.

I was getting close to the cards so that my whole shot-photo had the cards in it and not let;s say the table and then the cards on the table. That;s why i was getting close, Some of you also mention that i used slow shutter? I was consulting the camera's metering system and was playing with the shutter and aperture values to get the metering close to 0.

I bought an SLR camera to use it properly..i would like to learn to shot great photos in manual mode, if i just used auto i would have kept my canon G10, Maybe is hard in the begining to learn ?

Thanks for your comments though

[LoveDSLR]

Did you get focus confirmation while focus manually?

[Rehesan]

Originally Posted by Eagle355

I know the camera is great that;s why i bought it. I am just trying to learn to use it properly-i.e. in manual mode. I used custom WB by photographing a white sheet and then going into the menu to choose it as custom WB. The lens was also set in MF-manual focus. In the view finder the cards did looked a bit blurry but when i was zooming out the cards appeared to be in a distant.

I was getting close to the cards so that my whole shot-photo had the cards in it and not let;s say the table and then the cards on the table. That;s why i was getting close, Some of you also mention that i used slow shutter? I was consulting the camera's metering system and was playing with the shutter and aperture values to get the metering close to 0.

I bought an SLR camera to use it properly..i would like to learn to shot great photos in manual mode, if i just used auto i would have kept my canon G10, Maybe is hard in the begining to learn ?

Thanks for your comments though

The comments were telling you were using a slow shutter speed fot handheld shooting, maybe for the metering that means you need to use a tripod to make the photo.

I never told you that use the camera in Auto mode, I just suggested to start learning by using a semi-auto mode, as I mentioned: AV, TV will help you to learn about correct exposure and Auto focus will help you to get nice focused images. Then you can proceed and go fully manual.

As I understand from your comment, you were getting closer to the cards to make them fill the composition in you viewfinder, so the problem is the kit lense cannot focus when the subjetc is too close, maybe you should review your focal lenght and try to get the picture (cards) using the longest focal length of your lens: 55mm for example.