black photos

[billseifert]

I just used my refurbished SX60HS.  After several hundred photos, two were completely black.  I usually look at photos before releasing the shutter button, so I think it took those photos.  But they turned out completely, uniform black.  Any ideas what happened?  9Perhaps that is the reason someone returned it and it became a refurbished camera.)

[smack53]

Is it possible that you were using the flash for those photos and the flash was not ready for those two shots, resulting in an underexposed shot? Has the problem persisted, or was it just on this occassion? I've done that with my PowerShot SX150 IS where the flash was not ready, and voila, totally black images!

Steve M.

[billseifert]

Thanks for taking time to respond.  But I'm embarrassed.  I think I know what happened.  I was driving 4WD on a backroad and I think I remember the camera was bumping something and the shutter went off a couple of times.  I have a good habit of always using my lens cap.  So, of course, the photos were black.  I'll monitor this more and report if the black shots appear again.

Thanks for you good suggestion!  That one makes sense too, but I did not need flash all day that day.

Bill

[Waddizzle]

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@billseifert wrote:

Thanks for taking time to respond.  But I'm embarrassed.  I think I know what happened.  I was driving 4WD on a backroad and I think I remember the camera was bumping something and the shutter went off a couple of times.  I have a good habit of always using my lens cap.  So, of course, the photos were black.  I'll monitor this more and report if the black shots appear again.

Thanks for you good suggestion!  That one makes sense too, but I did not need flash all day that day.

Bill

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I strongly suggest that you invest in a padded camera bag of some kind.  When I am on the go, I use a holster style bag.

[billseifert]

Thanks.  Yes, I have one.  But I take photographers out on full-day trips in the back country.  The rule is, if I hear "stop," all vehicles stop and people get out for photos.  This happens so often as we average about 4 mph for the day.  Putting the camera back in that bag so many times is irritating.  So it hangs from my neck.  But once in a while it gets bumped with the rough road.  This time it may have been still left on when driving and I bumped the shutter button a couple of times - only noticing it because I heard the shutter sound.  I have so many electronic devises' beeps - GPSs, DashCam, laptop, all of our cell phones - in the 4Runner, plus all its beeps, somethimes I ignore them, especially in a rugged stretch of road.

Bill

[Waddizzle]

I use a holster similar to this one.  Mine has an additional waist strap.  It comes in smaller versions for P&S cameras.  The smaller version sells for about the cost of a 32GB memory card.

This bag is made by Lowepro.  It is VERY well padded.  It has a couple of pockets.  Mine has a rain cover, which works just as well at keeping dirt and dust off the bag when I'm hiking around the in the woods. 

I also have a camera strap that hangs the same way made by Black Rapid.  Standard neck straps are not comfortable to me.

[Waddizzle]

Here is a similar bag by Canon.  They sell it for the smaller Rebel DSLRs, but I found it to be just a little too tight.  It would be great for compacts.

The top flap opens so that you remove or insert the camera deep inside of it.  It has a velcro insert to hold the camera in place.

[billseifert]

Thanks.  I have a belly pack that works well.  I just have to use it when it's a bumpy ride.

[Waddizzle · Accepted solution]

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@billseifert wrote:

Thanks.  I have a belly pack that works well.  I just have to use it when it's a bumpy ride.

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You'd better. All it takes is for just one deer to jump out in front of you, you slam on the brakes, and your camera goes flying.  One car pulling out in front of you, or cutting you off, to make you slam on the brakes.

I live in the NYC tri-state area, where there are LOTS of bad drivers.  I am told that there are 20 million people living within 25 miles of Time Square.  That's more than the entire population of most states  If that sounds like a lot of people crowded together, consider the fact that roughly 1/3 of that area is water.

I do not dare to drive around with a bare camera on the car seat.   In fact, I stopped putting camera bags on the seats.  They ride on the floor now, because that seems to be where they end up, anyway, half the time.