Taking pictures of animals

[Clix Pix]

The manual which came with your camera (or the online version if there was not a printed manual in the box) should specify whether or not one can shoot in RAW with the SX740 HS. Most point and shoot cameras do NOT offer this option, just jpeg.

What is so significant about RAW? For serious amateurs and professionals, often there is a need or desire to extract more details and information from the raw file of an image they've shot, which then can then give them the opportunity to shape it to their preference (in terms of highlights, shadows, exposure values, etc.). JPEG does a lot of in-camera processing so that the person taking the shot doesn't need to do so, and most of the time this is perfectly fine, but when someone is shooting something where they may be expecting to display it in a gallery or have someone paying them for their work, they want to have more control over the final image, getting the tonal quality the way they envisioned it and/or saw it in reality and making adjustments to the dynamics of the scene's overall range. Leaving everything up to the camera to choose via jpeg processing may not always be optimal. When shooting portraits or images of people, it is always desirable to have more control over skin tones and other exposure values in an image. Most of the time this doesn't matter when someone is shooting casual snapshots and such, but when shooting fine-art quality images, wedding photography, wildlife photography, work for which one is being paid, etc., etc., it can make a difference.

 

[jwolf6589]

The manual which came with your camera (or the online version if there was not a printed manual in the box) should specify whether or not one can shoot in RAW with the SX740 HS. Most point and shoot cameras do NOT offer this option.

I checked and it cant.

 

[Clix Pix]

Chances are that you are not planning to be shooting images for sale, gallery display or publication, anyway, and jpeg will be just fine for taking fun shots at the zoo or at family events or other occasions.

 

[jwolf6589]

The manual which came with your camera (or the online version if there was not a printed manual in the box) should specify whether or not one can shoot in RAW with the SX740 HS. Most point and shoot cameras do NOT offer this option, just jpeg.

What is so significant about RAW? For serious amateurs and professionals, often there is a need or desire to extract more details and information from the raw file of an image they've shot, which then can then give them the opportunity to shape it to their preference (in terms of highlights, shadows, exposure values, etc.). JPEG does a lot of in-camera processing so that the person taking the shot doesn't need to do so, and most of the time this is perfectly fine, but when someone is shooting something where they may be expecting to display it in a gallery or have someone paying them for their work, they want to have more control over the final image, getting the tonal quality the way they envisioned it and/or saw it in reality and making adjustments to the dynamics of the scene's overall range. Leaving everything up to the camera to choose via jpeg processing may not always be optimal. When shooting portraits or images of people, it is always desirable to have more control over skin tones and other exposure values in an image. Most of the time this doesn't matter when someone is shooting casual snapshots and such, but when shooting fine-art quality images, wedding photography, wildlife photography, work for which one is being paid, etc., etc., it can make a difference.

No I am just a hobby level photographer so I am not being paid. If I was being paid I would have a SLR.

 

[Clix Pix]

If you were being paid for your photography you'd have maybe an DSLR or two and one or more full-frame mirrorless camera bodies, plus a bunch of lenses.....

And many serious amateurs/advanced hobbyists/enthusiasts also have the aforementioned as well, even when they are not being paid for their work.....

 

[MacNut]

If you were being paid for your photography you'd have maybe an DSLR or two and one or more full-frame mirrorless camera bodies, plus a bunch of lenses.....

A few lights. C Stands.

 

[Clix Pix]

And, yes, that, too -- all the accessories which go along with camera bodies and lenses in order to achieve the specific types of images that are desired! This is an expensive profession and an expensive hobby, no two ways about it! Studio lighting and stands, backdrop stands and paper and cloth backdrops, various props.....the list is endless!

 

[MacNut]

And, yes, that, too -- all the accessories which go along with camera bodies and lenses in order to achieve the specific types of images that are desired! This is an expensive profession and an expensive hobby, no two ways about it!

I never pick cheap hobbies, I have to decide on photography and music. Would have been much cheaper to collect stamps.

Eventually I need to build out my kit. Lenses, lights.

 

[mollyc]

Plenty of us have lots of gear without getting paid. It’s fine to not want that stuff (it’s expensive!) but don’t assume hobbyists only want low end gear.

 

[MacNut]

Plenty of us have lots of gear without getting paid. It’s fine to not want that stuff (it’s expensive!) but don’t assume hobbyists only want low end gear.

I'd love to make money doing photography. I know it's way to competitive to make real money doing it. The good thing is with the internet it is easier to get your work out there and seen.

When I took the plunge and went full frame I knew I was spending way over what I should have, but I wanted that flexibility that I could not get from lesser gear.

 

[jwolf6589]

If you were being paid for your photography you'd have maybe an DSLR or two and one or more full-frame mirrorless camera bodies, plus a bunch of lenses.....

And many serious amateurs/advanced hobbyists/enthusiasts also have the aforementioned as well, even when they are not being paid for their work.....

Well at least I am using a real camera and not just a phone like most people.

 

[ian87w]

I would set expectation to low. These 1/2.3" sensors can only do so much, and 40x zooming won't generate good result (add on the motion blur if you don't have the camera on a tripod).

Couple tips:
1. Practice manual focusing. This can be useful if there's a fence blocking the subject. The camera auto focus system will most likely want to focus on the fence. With manual focusing, you can get the camera to focus on the subject instead.
2. Just like another poster here said, try to be on a fast shutter speed for moving subjects. The problem is, with small sensor and slow lens, the camera will likely use high ISO, resulting less detailed photos (blotchy water colored due to noise reduction). Practice first so you know what to expect.

I grew to dislike these 1/2.3" sensors. They're old (seriously, Canon has these same sensors since the early 2000s, the only difference is the image processing chip called Digic), and just cannot do much in slightly challenging conditions. Once I got a taste of 1" sensors on compacts (eg. the Sony RX100), I would never get a 1/2.3" sensor camera again, unless it's a specialty camera (eg. waterproof compact camera).

 

[MacNut]

Well at least I am using a real camera and not just a phone like most people.

The iPhone is a great camera, in fact it is putting P&S's out of business.

 

[Clix Pix]

The whole photography scene is interesting. Sometimes amateurs/serious hobbyists have more and/or often the latest current gear than those who actually earn a living with photography. People choose what suits them and their budget and everyone has his or her own priorities..... For some, high-quality gear is what is most satisfying and if they can afford it, they go for it. Others find ways to work around a limited budget and still produce amazing photographic results. Having $$$$$ to spend on gear does not guarantee that someone is able to turn out creative, interesting, intriguing, captivating, stunning and beautiful images. A truly gifted, creative photographer can do terrific things with even simply an iPhone while someone else with the latest, greatest new XYZ camera and lens(es) may still only produce boring and mundane images that barely go beyond snapshot quality..... On the other hand, there are some types of images which simply cannot be shot without a specific type of lens or camera body and often a tripod or monopod.

And, yes, this is an addictive type of profession/hobby, too.....there's a reason that we refer to "GAS"! So back in 2019 when I made the switch from Nikon to Sony I told myself that I was not going to buy a bunch of lenses..... Well..... somehow I still seem to keep gradually accumulating them anyway!

As for lighting equipment, I have a couple of really neat and very portable Westcott Ice Light 2 LED "wands" that are great for a lot of situations and some older continuous lights and a couple more current LED panels which all work fairly well for my purposes. Even an LED flashlight works great in some situations when just a little light to fill in somewhere is all is that's needed. When I can, though, I really prefer to use natural lighting through a window....

In my small condo apartment I really don't have the space for a setup with several continuous lights, strobes, softbox(es) and a beauty dish, hair light, etc., on full-height light stands plus a boom and a backdrop stand, with all the accessories that go along with those, etc., etc..... Fortunately, since I am just a serious amateur and not a professional trying to make a living with this stuff I don't do portraiture or product shots for clients so don't need that kind of studio setup anyway. I also don't use on-board flash or external flash/speedlight units mounted in the camera's hot shoe, either, as I find them awkward and unnecessary for my type of shooting.

Along with the whole realm of photographic equipment and accessories there is also the additional need to have a computer which can handle anything thrown at it, plus one or more image editing software programs and sometimes some extra ones for specific special purposes (programs with filters, programs which focus on sharpening or on removing noise from images or on expanding the pixels so that the resolution appears to be greater, which can make a difference in some results). It all adds up after a while.....in terms of money and in terms of time spent, but oh, the joy of picking up and holding one's camera and spending some time taking photos of something interesting, something special or sometimes just anything at all......that makes it all worthwhile and can't be measured in mere expenditure of funds.

 

[MacNut]

I am amazed at the dynamic range these cameras have. I am able to pull out colors that I could never do before.

 

[Clix Pix]

The iPhone is a great camera, in fact it is putting P&S's out of business.

Exactly! People are loving being able to grab their iPhone or other brand of smartphone and firing off a few snapshots of themselves, family and friends at a celebration or on vacation, or just having a nice lunch or dinner somewhere.... They can take the photo(s) and immediately send off a text or email to friends and family in an instant, a much different experience than using a P&S. No fuss, no muss.....

The iPhone can also produce surprisingly good, even beyond snapshot-realm results in certain situations and just the other night I took a few shots with my 11 Pro -- one or more of which will eventually wind up on here in the Photo of the Day thread.....and I'll be surprised if the image(s) would be immediately recognized as an iPhone photo rather than having been shot with one of my "real" cameras......

 

[ian87w]

The iPhone is a great camera, in fact it is putting P&S's out of business.

True. For general situations, the smartphone has become the better choice. Not only they're more compact and with you at all times, their tech is improving on a faster pace than the traditional P&S cameras. Imo smartphones are already ahead in dynamic range and night shots. Add on AI stuff that makes creative shooting much much easier on these smartphones. Their only drawback so far is optical zoom range, but that will be mitigated soon with those high-res 100+MP sensors and machine learning.

 

[jwolf6589]

The iPhone is a great camera, in fact it is putting P&S's out of business.

No it’s not. Best Buy has plenty of cameras for sale.

 

[MacNut]

No it’s not. Best Buy has plenty of cameras for sale.

Exactly.

 

[mollyc]

No it’s not. Best Buy has plenty of cameras for sale.

Just because they are for sale doesn’t mean they are selling. The p&s market is in serious decline.

 

[jwolf6589]

Just because they are for sale doesn’t mean they are selling. The p&s market is in serious decline.

Not according to the sales people I talk too.

 

[mollyc]

Okay

 

[jwolf6589]

Okay

Yes phones have taken away business but I have spoken to camera sales people who say point and shoot cameras still sell.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Just because they are for sale doesn’t mean they are selling. The p&s market is in serious decline.

This is correct.

The turning point was about ten years with the iPhone 4S. The 4S's camera blew doors on the iPhone 4's camera and seriously represented the burgeoning smartphone camera world.

Note that Flickr (which existed for years before the smartphone) has ranked various models of the iPhone as the top "camera" for over a decade.

Heck, even legendary Rolling Stone photographer Annie Leibovitz has said that the best first camera is an iPhone. She said that YEARS ago.

Before smartphones, the film-based P&S camera drove innovation in the photography industry. Since then smartphones drive the photography innovation. Much of this is due to videography.

You can see all of this in today's digital photography hardware landscape. Sony and Canon are the dominant brands. Both brands have extensive experience in videography (unlike Nikon). Sony has sold smartphones as well (mostly in Japan and Asia, very little market penetration in the USA).

In order to make great standalone digital cameras you need to have your act together re: videography. Nikon does not which is why they are circling around the drain.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Going to the zoo tomorrow and got my canon powershot and Camcorder charged up. I hope the animals will be out so I can take some good shots. Anyone got any tips for good animal shots? I love animals and nature and prefer this for my hobby photography skills.

Set your aperture to the widest setting so your camera's depth of field doesn't render the cage (a.k.a. "habitat") details too clearly.

In 35mm SLR equivalents ideally you want a 300mm/f2.8 or 600mm/f4 telephoto. If you had big honking glass like that you'd either use a big tripod with a ballhead or possibly a carbon fiber monopod.

Luckily you are shooting digital and you don't need to worry about the cost of film and processing like the good ol' days when basically each image was a buck a piece regardless if it was a tosser or keeper.

Bracket heavily and shoot in burst mode if your camera allows it.