I bought a digital Canon Rebel the first or second year they were on the market. I have only used it for photographing my grandkids and have loved using it on the "auto" mode.. just point and shoot. On my recent trip, I discovered that taking photos from the train in auto mode just doesn't work. Can anyone tell me what settings to change so that I can get better photos from the train? I would still like to keep as much "auto" as possible, but obviously something's got to change! I don't really understand all the terms involved in photography. . .and don't particularly care to. (I'm not striving for great quality photos, just ones that are in focus!!!)
Any quick suggestions for settings would be greatly appreciated!
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
While I'm not familiar with Canon, my SLR has settings for various scenes, like Portrait, Outdoors, and probably - Action like sports. That's the one you should use for photos from the train to reduce blur from the train speed.
If you want to get fancy, there should be a dial for Shutter Priority. Use that then adjust the shutter speed to a higher speed like 1/500 or higher - but requires good sunlight. If else fails, dig out that instruction manual, that should put you to sleep on rough track.
Posted by Train Granny (Member # 30118) on :
I think I'm gonna have to dig it out, palmland, and I'm gonna get another cup of coffee first. Thanks for the action sports tip! I'll try that option first.
Posted by Vincent206 (Member # 15447) on :
Techno-speak here: the Sports/Action setting will capture moving objects well but that setting will tend to produce pictures that have a lot of out of focus regions as well. If you have time, try shooting with the Action setting and then switch to the Landscape setting. In Landscape you get better depth of field than with the Action setting. Depth of field = how much of the scene will be in focus, measured from the point where you are taking the picture to the far horizon.
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
My Canon Powershot has a "Kids and Pets" setting, supposedly designed to capture subjects that won't sit still. I've had mixed results. Objects and features relatively close to the moving train tend to blur. And the sway of the train car and dirty windows only make things worse.
I've had better luck when I've used the video setting to make short videos of the passing industrial scenery. Everything stays in focus and there's no blur at all. Give it a try.
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Posted by Train Granny (Member # 30118) on :
Thanks, guys! I'm thinking I may try the video camera on my iPhone. It gets pretty good video when I'm not on the train!
Posted by pporro (Member # 31539) on :
"Little Running Man" (as I call it) is Sports mode, which will set you to a higher ISO and higher shutter speed priority. That means you should stop action better. If that's what the question was?
You just asked about "better pictures" that's kind of open ended?
As for Auto, the green box or whatever, it's the worst of all choices. Yes it's easy, but you have no control.
Even "P" gives better images because you can select the ISO or light sensitivity. You don't want to go over 400 on that camera unless it's night. I try to shoot everything at ISO 100 because it gives a better image, richer colors.
TV = Time Value, which is basically Auto but you set the speed. Moving things, if you aren't panning along, 1/500th and maybe 1/640th, minimum. You can go faster if you want. Camera picks the Aperture, so you could have less depth of field.
AV = Aperture Value, you pick the size of the opening in the lens. Camera picks the shutter speed. Advantage, you can get grater depth, but if you have it set at f/8 and it's not a bright day, and the camera picks a slow shutter speed, you'll get a motion blurred photo.
In Auto you can't pick the ISO, so once again the camera decides and you get a mystery setting. That's why you want one of the setting where you at least have a little bit of control over what you are doing.
So basically you have three main variables, #1 sensitivity, which a lower number gives a better color, cleaner shadows and crisper images. BUT you lose the speed and lens opening for depth of field.
OK you pick #2 Shutter Speed, now you should have a higher ISO and larger lens opening, You can stop motion. (even a speeding locomotive?) LOL but you give up depth and some color.
You want the foreground and distant trees to all be in focus, you pick a smaller #3 Aperture f/8 will do. But Ah Ha, you lose color saturation and the ability to stop motion.
Every time you favor one variable to gain what you need for a shot, you lose a little from the other two. That's why there are all those choices. Every situation needs a best balanced solution.
If that's too much information... set it for Sports which will stop things that are moving. I'm guessing that's what taking photos from a moving train would be the foremost problem?
Posted by Train Granny (Member # 30118) on :
Thank you, pporro. Good information. I just need to practice using those settings before I get not the train!!
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
In my opinion, the biggest problem in shooting from trains is the crap on the windows. There will always be crap on the windows. The way to combat this is to select a large aperture (f2.8, 3.5, 4) and when the camera is focused at infinity or near infinity, the crap on the window will not be in focus. It will be just a kind of haze, which can be eliminated in post processing with Photoshop Elements or a similar program.
The second problem is reflections on the windows. One combats this best, in my opinion, with a rubber screw-in lens hood that is clapped against the window.
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
My biggest problem with photography onboard AMTRAK is also the reflections in the window -- I have tried holding the camera up against the window, but that does not seem to help much -- in many cases, it just tends to emphasize the dirt and crud on the windows more.
Posted by Big Merl (Member # 3251) on :
I'm gonna tell you my trick, as a 100% point and shoot amateur. I have a Rebel T1i, I set it to sports mode and enabled continuous shooting. I would find something I wanted to take a picture of from the train. I would aim, hold down the trigger for a few rotations and then pray that one of those many pictures was good enough for the scrap book. Surprisingly, that trick worked really well. I probably took about 1,000 pictures from the train and ended up with 50 that I put on my Facebook. It is a brute force method, but it let me sit back and enjoy the trip and not mess with settings that I don't understand.
No matter what settings you pick, I would recommend up grading to a class 10 memory card. Amazon Basics has a really nice one that is really affordable that I have had nothing but good experiences with over the last six months. This will give your more freedom since the card can save faster than your camera will, so you won't have any of that annoying waiting for the card.
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is Sports mode, which will set you to a higher ISO and higher shutter speed priority. That means you should stop action better. If that's what the question was?