Does anyone else use a Fuji Finepix S8000fd?

[clairescavys]

Hi there

I'm currently using a Fuji Finepix S8000fd camera for my wildlife photography but I am having a couple of problems with it. I just wanted to ask if it was just me having these problems, therefore it's something I'm doing wrong, or is anyone else having them.

1). When I take photos in evening time, when it's not quite dusk, it's still very light outside, the photo comes out really dark when I've downloaded it onto the computer. Now, when photographing animals, I will not use a flash (believe me, I know someone who does this, and I keep trying to persuade him not to do it!). The photos come out looking like I've taken them late evening when it is actually dusk/nighttime. Any way I can get round this?

2). When I try to take a photo of either birds on a feeder, or a butterfly on a flower/leaf, I just cannot get the camera to focus on the animal and the photo comes out blurry not matter what I try. I'm not a camera expert, so am not sure if it's something I'm doing, but surely for such a good reviewed (and expensive - well for me!) camera, it should be able to take good clear images of these?

Many thanks for any help - it is much appreciated.

[Kayleigh]

Hi Claire, I have the S9600 sounds like you have to play around with the settings.
Evening you have to use a tripod or the images come out blurred.
you can alter the brightness somehow (not read that bit yet)
Have you got a macro/super macro button.
have you got a "focus check button" allows you to focus precisely.
These are a couple I took.

[jay37]

autofocus often struggles in low light and you may be better off using manual focus
to make the pics lighter use button with +and- on it this is exposer compensation, you could also use manual mode where you can set shutter speed and aperture this gives you control.
its a lot of trial and error but if you plug away it becomes clear honest
jay

[wend5000]

i have the s8000fd

if you are close use the macro/supermacro button...on the back of the camera to the left of the menu button looks like a flower. Macro if you are fairly close and supermacro if you are very close.... it will give a red square on the view finder if not able to focus (if on macro this means you probabley need to go to super macro (pressing macro button again) you take it off by pressing macro button again.

As for the lighting...on SP2 setting you can change it to night which gives you a better pic when dusky...you get this by turning dial on top to SP2 and then press menu button on back press right hand button when 'scene position' is highlighted, then go down to night and press ok button (menu button)

try taking off the face detection and image stabiliser button (hand button and the button above it) sometimes them being on can affect the shots.

hope this helps... you may have tried this already, but i love my camera.... (i cant afford an SLR and this ione came in second best when i brought early in the year. Any probs feel free to contact (i am not expert, but i will help if i can!

Wendy
x

[wend5000]

sorry.... forgot to say....

as for focusing... make sure the 'box' on viewfinder is on the actual subject then it normally fixes on that and not the surroundings.

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Originally Posted by clairescavys

Hi there

2). When I try to take a photo of either birds on a feeder, or a butterfly on a flower/leaf, I just cannot get the camera to focus on the animal and the photo comes out blurry not matter what I try. I'm not a camera expert, so am not sure if it's something I'm doing, but surely for such a good reviewed (and expensive - well for me!) camera, it should be able to take good clear images of these?

Many thanks for any help - it is much appreciated.

I have one and have had the same problem. I tend not to use the macro setting now but using the supermacro, seems to work really well.

The camera on the whole I think is great. I really should try and upload some more pictures. I do find the 18x zoom still isn't enough to get really close up of water voles though

BWD