blurred pics/videos??

[mariebx19]

Hi,hoping someone can help.I just bought the fujifilm finepix s8200 with 40x zoom.Not sure if it is just the settings i have it on (not sure what it should be) but pictures and videos are such bad quality :/ Also when i zoom in,when it gets past 20x zoom,whatever i am recording stays blurry and the camera wont focus and other times the camera is constantly going in and out of focus.Anyone know how to fix it? and what is the best settings to have the camera on? I just video moving animals most of the time.This is a snapshot pic i got from a redording...................This is one i got from the previous camera i had,finepix s6800.....so you can see the difference.

[Black Pearl]

Leave it is SR AUTO, cross your fingers and you should get a few decent shots - assuming the light is good enough for the subject you are shooting because its not very good at focusing and the high ISO results are poor - assuming you can hold it steady enough because thats a huge lens on a tiny lightweight camera so you are fighting physics - assuming you understand its a few year old very basic bridge camera and you won't get outstanding shots from it regardless of what you do with it and assuming you practice and practice and practice and practice until you get to be familiar with it.

[Manfred M]

Hi welcome to CiC Marie(?).

Unfortunately you really don't give us much to go on and the problems could be anything from incorrect settings, to a defective camera to operator error or a combination of several factors. There are not a lot of members here that shoot that type of camera and getting into specifics on particular model is going to be tough.

The first thing that comes to mind when looking at the two images is that the horses are moving in the first shot and standing still in the second. At first glance the images in the first shot seem to have been taken on a fairly dull day (less light) than in the second one, where I see some distinct shadows. I'd also guess that the first image looks like you have done more zooming in than on the second one. So the two images were taken under very different settings; the shooting conditions shown in the second image seem to have been far better than the first one. The conditions you were using the camera under could explain the differences between these two images.

I assume that you are hand holding the camera in both shots? The first shot shows signs of motion blur and camera shake (are you using the image stabilization function?) Are you following the horses as they are moving? This could result in focus tracking issues.

The other problem that you bring up with respect to focus seeking on long zoom shots. This is a fairly common problem seen on a lot of cameras and lenses when they are getting towards far end of the zoom range. When hand-holding your camera for video, shooting at wider angles is more likely going to give you better results.

When pros shot video, they use tripods or other stabilization equipment. They do not use autofocus and do not use auto exposure and their cameras cost a lot more money than your S8200. I think realistic expectations on what this equipment can do should be at the top of your list.

[mariebx19]

Yeah been reading up on it and it doesnt have the best reviews especially when it comes to focus and blurryness.I know it's a cheap camera so wont have the best quality pics but it is a newer one (im guessing) to the s6800 that i had before and even when there wasnt too much lighting and they were moving,the pics would turn out much better.How do i get image stabilization? It did come with a years warranty so could return it,probably go with the s6800 again cause i know how that worked and was happy with the images/videos i got but cant seem to find them anywhere apart from ebay but they are used and dont come with warranty.Any other camera reccomendations? One that doesnt go out of focus all the time.Will just be used for taking videos of horses/dogs/cats.

[Manfred M]

Marie - the one advantage you have over us is that you have the user's manual that shipped with your camera. I would check there first to get the details on the questions you may have.

As for recommendations, unfortunately I really don't know the superzoom camera lines at all any more. Fujifilm has an excellent reputation when it comes to professional video lenses. Both Panasonic and Sony have a long and well deserved reputation in the video camera business, but how far that legacy plays into the cameras they make at your price point, I don't know.

Sorry that I can't be of more help.

[Black Pearl]

Yeah been reading up on it and it doesnt have the best reviews especially when it comes to focus and blurryness.I know it's a cheap camera so wont have the best quality pics but it is a newer one (im guessing) to the s6800 that i had before and even when there wasnt too much lighting and they were moving,the pics would turn out much better.How do i get image stabilization? It did come with a years warranty so could return it,probably go with the s6800 again cause i know how that worked and was happy with the images/videos i got but cant seem to find them anywhere apart from ebay but they are used and dont come with warranty.Any other camera reccomendations? One that doesnt go out of focus all the time.Will just be used for taking videos of horses/dogs/cats.

Why not get a video camera? They have good optical zooms, they are specifically designed to focus while recording video, the video will likely be of higher quality as its the primary function of the device and it'll be easier to use.

[IzzieK]

I do not have the same camera system that you have but I used to shoot worst than you, Marie...one operator problem (that Manfred mentioned) that I see in your first shot is that the shutter speed is not fast enough to track the horse's movement. If I were you, I'd sit down and learn and relearn how the focus system works with and without a tripod both. As I had explained to a friend recently, there is no crappy camera, just crappy operator. Her husband bought her her first digital camera two years ago and was left untouched because she said it is an el cheapo. Her last camera was a film system. I sat down with her just teaching her the basics of what a digital camera can do, let her play with it then sat her in front of my laptop just post processing some of her takes/images. Before we left her place she was happily shooting and planning where to go to do some shoot, whereas before she was bored out of existence because her husband was busy during the day...

[mariebx19]

yeah didnt get much from the manual.I will look into video cameras.I have changed a few things in the setting to what i have read is best.So will have another go when i go to see my horses tomorrow and see if it is any better,if not im just going to return it if i can (it came with a years warranty so sure i could) and just get the previous one i had.It wasnt always the best if it was darker or i had it right at the end of the zoom which is only 30x but I was always happy with how they pics turned out.This is a couple of videos that i made which was with the s6800 so still much better than the pic above.This is all i do with the videos and video the progress of my horses so as long as it it good for that.So miserable without one so hopefully get it sorted tomorrow.Thanks for the help
https://youtu.be/gtTpKhlzqMc
https://youtu.be/KSTRVDmvDpM

[Manfred M]

Marie - you've put together a couple of nice videos there.

I can definitely see some focus seeking, exposure changes and image noise where the camera boosted the gain for indoor / low light shots. These are all related to the conditions you were shooting under and the camera was trying its best to come up with acceptable shots.

The camera shake is all yours (which is why most commercial video is shot from a tripod). The other thing I did notice is that you like to zoom in on your subject. As you do have some video experience, I suggest that you might watch feature video / films and watch how the editor has assembled the scenes. There is very little zooming, the video is assembled following some basic guidelines and scene cuts tend to be hard, rather than fades (fades are used to suggest time has passed). I'd also like to suggest you pay attention and concentrate on front and / side shots. The rear ends of horses and humans should be mininized.

As for tools, you might find that a "proper" video camera is easier to hand hold, but will also required good technique. Rather than zooming, I suggest you shoot wider (far more forgiving with hand holding). Long shots will have more atmospherics, lower maximum aperture, etc and won't generally give you as sharp a shot as you might hope for.

I don't know what your budget is but the Panasonic FZ200 (also a superzoom like the Fujifilm S8200) has a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout its zoom range. The faster lens would definitely make sense in some of the lower light conditions you are shooting under. The zoom is "only" 24x, which might not seem like that much, but most pro lenses still photographers use tend to be less than 3x for quality reasons.

[mariebx19]

Thanks.Yeah i do find it hard holding it still,especially because with that camera s6800,it doesnt have the bit to look through when taking videos so have to hold it in front of you looking at the screen.Some clips were put in slow motion using a video editor.The clips arent the best ever but i was always happy with them.Struggling to find the camera for sale unless it is a used product but will be sending my s8200 back tomorrow.

[Manfred M]

I believe the latest release by Panasonic is the FZ300 (I had bookmarked FZ200 some time ago as I was intrigued by the fast lens on a superzoom).

http://shop.panasonic.com/cameras-an...K.html#start=4