topic Re: sx420is questions in Point & Shoot Digital Cameras

sx420is questions

Fionna — Mon, 01 May 2017 20:49:31 GMT

I just bought sx420is and would love to learn more about taking good pictures. I cannot find a place to get the info. Anyone here have one?

Re: sx420is questions

kvbarkley — Mon, 01 May 2017 20:53:04 GMT

https://learn.usa.canon.com/home/home.shtml

Re: sx420is questions

Fionna — Mon, 01 May 2017 21:26:45 GMT

I went there before I joined the forum and could not find anything on my camera.

Re: sx420is questions

ScottyP — Mon, 01 May 2017 23:24:00 GMT

Learning how to be a better photographer is not something specific to your exact model camera. To learn about your model just read the manual, and you can supplement with any 3rd party guide books for your model like the so-called "Idiot's Giude to xxxxx" or the "Dummies Guide" or etc...

What you need more than that is an understanding of exposure and composition, neither of which is specific to a camera model.

I suggest you start learning exposure by searching YouTube for free tutorials on the "exposure triangle". This is the central concept in all photography. Watch 2 or 3 short tutorials on this and it makes sense. Basically exposure is getting light into the camera to make the image. Not too much. Not too little. There are 3 variables you can manipulate to control the amount of light: 1.). Time of opening (shutter speed), 2.) size of opening (aperture) and 3.) sensitivity to light (ISO). Give and take between these variables to get the right amount of light and as a side effect you get different looks to your images.

Composition is another thing you can can find a lot of free tutorials on.

Good luck and hope hope you have fun.

Re: sx420is questions

Fionna — Tue, 02 May 2017 00:08:30 GMT

I just want to take a picture and have the background blurry. So far I have looked on you tube and have found nothing that I can do to get it with my camera. I have read where I can, but they did not explain how.

Re: sx420is questions

newsense52 — Tue, 02 May 2017 00:34:03 GMT

The blurry background photo is only achieved with a focusing lens camera ( macro ) and not on a powershot like camera.

You can try to off the digital zoom and auto focus from menu and focus the object in a short distance.

Re: sx420is questions

ScottyP — Tue, 02 May 2017 01:33:46 GMT

Not so. You can get a blurry background. That is one of the side effects I mentioned above, for a large aperture. A big aperture gives a shallow depth of field in focus. You can exaggerate it by getting as close to your subject as possible while putting the background as far behind the subject as possible. You further exaggerate it by using a somewhat long (zoomed in) focal length.

Set the camera to AV setting. That is for "Aperture Value". Select the lowest aperture number, which is the biggest aperture your lens can do.

Zoom in a bit. Not full supertelephoto or anything, but do zoom in. It won't work on the widest angle shots because wide angle lenses give a lot of depth of field in focus and you want the zone of in-focus stuff to be as slim as possible.

Move in close to your subject. Since I just asked you to zoom in, you might not be able to get super close but do what you can.

Make sure the background is quite a way off behind your subject. The farther the better. It won't work if they are leaning back on a wall while you shoot it head-on because the background is too close.

It will work. Not as easily as on a bigger sensor camera with a bigger opening in the lens but it will work.

Re: sx420is questions

Fionna — Tue, 02 May 2017 02:42:21 GMT

where is the av on my point and shoot? I can't find it. Check online still cannot find where it would be.

Re: sx420is questions

newsense52 — Tue, 02 May 2017 12:33:08 GMT

LOL topic " depth of field " will give you an idea how a camera works with a blurred bacground but focused object.

Re: sx420is questions

Fionna — Tue, 02 May 2017 12:51:10 GMT

I am glad you think this is funny.

I thought this forum was to help all kinds of people. Novice and experience ones.

I do not know anything about cameras and taking pictures. I am trying to learn. I have seen dslr that have the ap on the knob. I do not have one of those.

I have a canon sx420is. I have seen pictures taken with this camera that shows the background out of focus, but they do not tell you how to get it.

Re: sx420is questions

Danny — Tue, 02 May 2017 13:46:31 GMT

Hi, Fionna!

If you don't mind us chiming in, you can easily achieve the effect you're looking for on the PowerShot SX420 IS by putting your camera in Portrait mode. This sets up the camera to take a photo with your subject in focus and the scenery blurred. The camera does this by adjust its aperture to the widest opening it can achieve under the lighting conditions.

You'll find more information on this mode on page 43 of your manual, which you can find right HERE. While the manual shows a person as the subject, your subject can be anything you want.

Hope this helps!

Re: sx420is questions

Fionna — Tue, 02 May 2017 18:19:57 GMT

No that is not working either. I have tried so many pics and the background is still not coming out blurry. Here is a site that talks about it, but I still cannot get it to blur, https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-get-blurry-backgrounds-with-a-point-and-shoot/

Re: sx420is questions

newsense52 — Tue, 02 May 2017 19:26:43 GMT

Have patience and later on you will get it by so many trials.

Here is what i did with my powershot, Select Scn ( scene mode ) on control dial knob, press center knob ( function/set ) and select portrait. Again digital zoom and auto focus off from menu, manualy focusing a near object ( less than one foot away and the background is far enough - say 100 yards. The background appears as distorted in LCD but the focused object is clear. If the background is within 20 feet or less away from the focused object , the background is not blurred.

Re: sx420is questions

Richard — Tue, 02 May 2017 20:50:17 GMT

Hi Fionna,

Thanks for posting.

In addition to the Portrait mode, suggested previously, I'd also use change your camera's AF (AutoFocus) Frame setting.

To do this, power your camera on and press the MENU button. Next, scroll down "AF Frame", then use the left or right buttons to select "Center". Once you focus on your subject by pressing and holding the shutter release halfway down, you may move your camera for the best composition, then press the shutter release the rest of the way down to take the photo.

If your subject is too small to take up the entire AF Frame, try reducing its size. Just below "AF Frame", you'll see "AF Frame Size". On this setting, use the right or left arrow to select "Small".

Re: sx420is questions

Fionna — Tue, 02 May 2017 20:50:40 GMT

Thank you so much. This explains it great, just what I wanted.

Re: sx420is questions

newsense52 — Wed, 03 May 2017 13:12:30 GMT

Another way to compare the photo results is to select different ISO number. Press func/set button, select ISO, select from highest, then take a shot and do it again selecting the next lower ISO, and compare the photos to select which one you like and try more the next lower ISO. If the you selected lower ISO the LCD is darker then stop it.

Enjoy photography.

Re: sx420is questions

Fionna — Wed, 03 May 2017 13:27:35 GMT

Thank you Richard, I will give that a try too.