Camera Question ??

[minnie04]

I was just wondering if anyone has the Panasonic DMC-ZS20? I just got this camera recently. Does it take really nice pic's from far away? It has the 20 zoom and I have practiced, but I'm thinking Disney when I'm using this camera. How is it at night too? Lastly what night setting do you use at the MK to catch the fireworks or night parades??


I really don’t want to lug my Nikon around the parks anymore.


Thanks :photo:

[minnie04]

Ok since no one has this camera. What do you set your point and shoot cameras on at night?? I wanted to practice before we go to WDW. I never seem to get the right settings when I’m trying to catch a night picture (kids in front of the castle). I want to prove to my DH that this camera was worth it. He says my Nikon is better (well I know it is) I just have out grown the big lens cameras and lugging them all over the parks.

ANY help would be appreciated :mickey:

[Altair]

Use "night portrait" mode for photos of people in front of the castle at night.:mickey:

[azcavalier]

I don't know how much you know about photography, so if you already know this, please don't be offended.

Photography is all about light. There are three settings that affect this: Shutter speed, Aperture, and ISO.

Since you don't have much light at night, you will need to have a slower shutter speed, OR a larger aperture, OR set your ISO very high. The drawbacks...

If you set your shutter speed to be too slow (basically anything under 1/50th of a second), then the picture will be blurry, since you're not using a tripod. If you set your ISO too high, the picture will come out somewhat grainy. Newer cameras are better at this, however. I have no idea how good your new camera is regarding this. Opening the aperture all the way will let in the most amount of light, and will probably be fine for taking pictures in front of the castle.

In reality, for night shots, you'll have to do some of each of these. You'll definitely want to bump the ISO up to 800 at a minimum. To have clear shots, you'll want to have the fastest shutter speed possible, but at the largest aperture. The thing about most point 'n shoot cameras is that they don't let you control the aperture or shutter speed directly. The "night" mode that they usually have is just doing that...adjusting the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

[minnie04]

Thank you for your help. No offence taken here. I will try what you are telling me for sure. I have never really used a small point and shoot camera. I have always had my Nikon D80 with me, so my pictures always came out great. I’m trying to set the memory on this one to what you gave me for the night shots in the parks. Thank you again for your help.:mickey:

[azcavalier]

One more quick thing...turn your flash off if you are going to try taking pictures of fireworks, or anything more than 10-15 feet away. Flashes just don't illuminate very well, especially the flash on a point n shoot camera. If you try to take pictures of parade floats with a flash, those floats are farther away than you think, and the flash either will not illuminate well, or will illuminate the spot in-between you and your subject, and it just won't turn out well.