Full auto portrait mode?

[Splog]

Hi all

A mate of mine will be a dad in a couple of weeks time and he would to take some shots of the baby and mother et al ... Anyway I've offered to loan him my 50D and 580EX to get the shots, but he knows very little about photography! What setting do you suggest I get him to use? ... Portrait and bounce the flash seem simplest to me? ... What do you all think

 

[haggis]

Natural light would be much softer and give a more intimate image, depends what he's looking for really.

 

[J4MIE_P]

Possibly Av?
I know he doesn't know much but if you put it in Auto ISO and give him a quick explanation of apertures might get him some better images? Allowing for them shallow depth of field shots?

 

[Splog]

Natural light would be much softer and give a more intimate image, depends what he's looking for really.

Yeah, thanks Jim, I will suggest the natural light

 

[Splog]

Possibly Av?
I know he doesn't know much but if you put it in Auto ISO and give him a quick explanation of apertures might get him some better images? Allowing for them shallow depth of field shots?

Thanks Jamie, I did try explaining some the simpler stuff, but he was totally lost with it Wouldn't portrait mode do this anyway?

 

[~Sam~]

What do I think? Honestly? I think he should get hold of a good P&S and 'focus' on the more important things - the camera will do it's job, they will capture the memories, no real pressure and you can roll up with your camera (if you wish) for a few new-borns a couple of days later.

 

[Janice]

Can you not take the photos for him??

 

[Splog]

What do I think? Honestly? I think he should get hold of a good P&S and 'focus' on the more important things - the camera will do it's job, they will capture the memories, no real pressure and you can roll up with your camera (if you wish) for a few new-borns a couple of days later.

Thanks Sam, Surely setting the 50D on an full auto mode will turn it into a P&S anyway They are hoping to get some large prints done if the shots turn out okay. Not sure what you mean about the important things though

Can you not take the photos for him??

Fortunately not, I will be away at the time

 

[~Sam~]

Thanks Sam, Surely setting the 50D on an full auto mode will turn it into a P&S anyway They are hoping to get some large prints done if the shots turn out okay. Not sure what you mean about the important things though

The more important things are the whole 'I'm a DAD!! YAY!!!' you numpty!! That's also why I said a good P&S would be enough - kind of a live in the moment, document that moment and BE THERE!!!

Turning to Auto would, pretty much, do what you say (obviously) - there is also an added pressure on a new Dad handling the camera a friend has given him and stressing over not dropping it etc.

I think your offer is a very kind one, your suggestions over settings are just right, but if he has no experience he's better left in his comfort zone in what is a stressful experience even without the camera!!

 

[Shine On]

Important things include just about everything other than photography when there is a newborn in the house, I know, my wife is currently trying to put our 2.5 week old son down for a sleep at the moment!

A compact camera would be my suggestion too, the difference between your 50d on auto, and a compact p&s is that the p&s is generally optimised to work brilliantly on auto - your slr isn't.

I'm trying to do a 365 of Oliver's first year, it's difficult to find the time to take pics now I'm back at work this week, so my wife is enjoying getting involved using her Sony Cybershot p&s which takes zero thought or effort to to get half decent shots from.

 

[Splog]

The more important things are the whole 'I'm a DAD!! YAY!!!' you numpty!! That's also why I said a good P&S would be enough - kind of a live in the moment, document that moment and BE THERE!!!

Never thought of that

Important things include just about everything other than photography when there is a newborn in the house, I know, my wife is currently trying to put our 2.5 week old son down for a sleep at the moment!

A compact camera would be my suggestion too, the difference between your 50d on auto, and a compact p&s is that the p&s is generally optimised to work brilliantly on auto - your slr isn't.

I'm trying to do a 365 of Oliver's first year, it's difficult to find the time to take pics now I'm back at work this week, so my wife is enjoying getting involved using her Sony Cybershot p&s which takes zero thought or effort to to get half decent shots from.

Many thanks for the advice, I'll pass it on and see what they want to do

 

[danbroad]

if I were loaning, I'd use RAW, centre point AF, AE/AF lock on a half shutter, Aperture priority stopped down to as close to wide open as is sharp [say f/2.8 on the nifty fifty], re-enable the focus confirmation beep, Auto-AF focus mode, Auto ISO up to as high as the camera will allow.

Tell him to keep the portraiture subject dead centre of the frame so you can crop later. Half press to the beep, then finish the shot immediately. You can sort out WB later, and even in the unlikely event they're all ISO 3200, at least they'll be blur-free.

 

[Splog]

if I were loaning, I'd use RAW, centre point AF, AE/AF lock on a half shutter, Aperture priority stopped down to as close to wide open as is sharp [say f/2.8 on the nifty fifty], re-enable the focus confirmation beep, Auto-AF focus mode, Auto ISO up to as high as the camera will allow.

Tell him to keep the portraiture subject dead centre of the frame so you can crop later. Half press to the beep, then finish the shot immediately. You can sort out WB later, and even in the unlikely event they're all ISO 3200, at least they'll be blur-free.

Thanks Dan Excellent advice.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

Never full auto, even for a 3-year old!

1. Give him a decent book + manual and couple weeks to read.
2. Spend an hour or so to make sure he understands it
3. Full manual, RAW, probably wide open and off they go!

 

[Splog]

Never full auto, even for a 3-year old!

1. Give him a decent book + manual and couple weeks to read.
2. Spend an hour or so to make sure he understands it
3. Full manual, RAW, probably wide open and off they go!

Thanks, but somehow I doubt this would work

 

[seriousrikk]

The thing most non-slr users fail at when handed an SLR is depth of field.

The camera in full auto will rarely stop down too much, especially with a flashgun onboard. Result is mother OR baby in focus, both if he is lucky and gets the angle right.

(I've loaned folk my SLR and set it up for what I would have thought is foolproof operation - and they have given it back complaining it is a rubbish camera and they couldn't use it)

Another vote for recommending him a good P&S that he can learn how to use and capture their life over the coming years.

 

[desantnik]

P&S unless you are detached from the action and able to concentrate then the P&S is the best way by a long way.

Lets put it this way, I've learnt to leave the serious photography kit alone unless my mission is 100% photography. Mucking around with friends and family I don't want/need to be giving it the concentration and thought that it needs to get better shots than the G11 can do for me.

Less intimidating for everyone concerned too.