Camera Labs

I'm going to a large well lit indoor motorcycle show next weekend and was wondering what would be the best settings to have my ZS3 set at?

I prefer shooting w/o a flash if possible, I have done so in the past with other camera but it was usuallt hit or miss.

TIA,
John

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JJR

Hi John, I'd use the Normal mode because it's automatic, but lets you adjust some settings, and ensure the flash doesn't go off.

For the best quality, use the lowest ISO setting possible which doesn't give you camera shake - you will need to playback and zoom-in to check your results as you go along to find the right balance. If you're getting camera shake, increase the ISO gradually until it goes away. As this number gets higher, the quality reduces, so that's why it's good to keepo it low where possible.

Try some tests in a similar environment before hand if possible.

Gordon,
As usuall many thanks for the info!

So the Nomal mode would be set with the flash off and the ISO set at 400 (that is the lowert that I can go in that mode I believe. Also should I screw ith the exposure settings at all?

What about the light settings, I have it set at auto white balance, would another setting such as halogen be better? I'm unsure of the kind of lighting is used at this show. It is a vary large commercial venue.

Could I use the Iltellegent Auto with the flash off and get the same results?

John

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JJR

Hi,
I am a Panasonic user, but not a zs3 user. With my lz5, noise is significantly present even at iso200, so I use iso of 80 or 100. If your motorcycle showroom is well lit, this should not be a problem. Check your manual for white balance, or there are chances that you will have unusual saturation of some colours than you would like. As for flash, I always keep it to forced off. If you get jitter, try to steady the camera on a support or yourself leaning against a wall, etc. You may also want the vivid mode for best details. Check out the scene modes your camera provides in the manual. Adjust white balance depending on the lighting.
Hope this helps...
Jinay.

Hi John, you should be able to set the ISO to whatever value you like in Normal mode - as Jinay says, set it to 80 or 100 ISO, no higher for the least electronic noise - sufficient light permitting of course. Auto White Balance should be fine unless you're experiencing colour casts, in which case try a different setting. Avoid intelligent auto for all but casual snaps as it locks out many controls and may fire the flash even when you don't want it to. I'd also recommend having a good read through the manual.