Olympus Stylus Tough 6020

[streamerguy]

I got this camera for Christmas last year because I really wanted a waterproof camera. I like the underwater shots, but I'm not impressed with the out of the water pics. It seems like when I turn the flash off the shutter speed is really slow, how do I fix that? I usually have the flash on auto but then the flash comes on even if I don't need it, and then when I turn it off the pictures don't come out good. This usually happens on darker forested streams, but there is still enough light so you don't need the flash. On bigger open bodies of water the pics are actually pretty good. I also noticed some of the pics and vids are real grainy, especially indoor ones. The modes I usually use are landscape, sport, portrait, and of course the underwater ones which I don't have a problem with. I even tried macro but still have the flash/shutter speed problem.

Attached is a picture with the flash and without the flash.

 

[gfen]

I went through this with jdaddy awhile ago, and I think in a couple of threads. I wish I knew where they were, maybe someone can offer them up if they know?

This was one, however. A little later are some tips to work with an automatic camera to take advantage of its features.

 

[pcray1231]

I'm a camera noob, but learning a little.

In both pics, the problem is that your camera focused on the ground and not the fish, and thus prepared its settings for that. You may have some setting control on whether it focuses in the center or averages the field somehow. Holding the fish closer to the camera may help too. And I'm not sure about Olympus, but my waterproof P&S allows you to half press the button and it outlines what it's focusing on, if it's on the wrong thing, you just try again till it gets it right. If that all fails, heck, put the fish on the ground where it wants to focus anyway.

A little about lighting. If lighting is too low, the camera will try to compensate, and it has several options.

1. Flash. I tend to try to avoid flash for fish pics, but sometimes you have no choice for that camera.
2. ISO. This is the sensitivity to light. Higher ISO's allow you to get enough light without lowering the shutter speed, but images are less sharp, and too high an ISO setting results in "grainy" images.
3. Shutter speed. You can keep ISO low and slow the shutter down, thus letting in more light. But you then have to hold the camera more still. The downfall is blurry images, like #2.

If you have a manual setting, you can use that to find your happy medium. If not, look for maybe a "sport" mode, which will lock in a fast shutter speed and compensate with ISO. Some of the others, like portrait or landscape, might do the opposite and keep ISO low and adjust shutter speed. Check your manual.

Unfortunately, there isn't always a happy medium. This is the disadvantage of P&S cameras, small lenses don't handle low light conditions well. The smaller the lens, the worse. Salesmen always focus on MP and zoom. In the real world, the optics of the system are more important to getting good pictures.

 

[streamerguy]

I did try the sport setting on one trip and it did help with the shutter speed but the pics are grainy. I seem to only have problems with brookies, but nothing else. I guess I'll just have to experiment..

 

[Ramcatt]

it has nothing to do with flash or ISO
you need to use the macro setting when you are shooting things close to make them in focus

see how the rocks are in focus...and the fish isn't

 

[streamerguy]

I did try macro too and the shutter speed was still slow when the flash was off which blurred the pictures.

 

[pcray1231]

Yeah, in the last pic, again, you focused on rocks. It could be the need for the macro, but you're holding that fish far enough away I wouldn't think you'd need it. At least on my camera you wouldn't at that distance, maybe yours is different.

But you definitely gotta figure out how to get that camera to focus on the fish and not the background. Just gonna take some playing.

-Like I said, try looking at settings, maybe you can change where it's taking its focus from (field average vs. center).

-Try moving the fish closer and using macro. Or move it further away and zoom.

-Squat and hold the fish near the ground so that the ground isn't so far from the fish, you give the camera no choice what to focus on.

If all else fails, tell the camera it's right, it should focus on the ground. Find a nice, wet piece of moss to lay the fish on. Or I sometimes use shallow water, which aids in quick release, and semi-in water pics are attractive.

 

[streamerguy]

Yeah I guess I just need to play around. Some of the pics I have the fish is in focus but the background is blurry, but most of the times the fish is blurry as you can see in my other pics.

Pic 1 the fish is really in focus but my brother and the trees in the background aren't.

Pic 2 I one of the few pics with the flash that actually turned out good and I had the fish on the ground too so that might of helped.

 

[gfen]

nor will he be. nor can he be. well, maybe htere, but youw ouldn't want him to be.

normally he couldn't though.

that said, there's a few simple tricks to combat what you've got going on here. part of it is simply understanding the limits of the programmed functions, and how to use them to your advantage.

except i'm leaving work now, so you'll have to be left hanging.

 

[pcray1231]

Your instruction manual:

http://www.olympusamerica.com/files/oima_cckb/STYLUS_TOUGH-8010_6020_3000_mju_TOUGH-8010_6020_3000_Instruction_Manual_EN.pdf

p. 16.

Press the shutter button down halfway to focus on the subject

Wait for it to box the subject and turn green before pressing the rest of the way. If box is over something other than the fish, release, and try again. I realize this has to be done quickly. Practice at home with a similar sized object. Digital cameras are nice for that, just throw away the pics!

You can also change your focus mode, instructions p. 34. In face mode, it's guessing what you want to be the subject, so thats when the "halfway and evaluate" comes in play above, which is what I use. You can also do spot, which puts a target in the middle of the frame and focuses on that. Stay away from AF tracking, as it'll lock on the rocks and keep it there when the fish comes in its vision (that may be what's happening here).

 

[streamerguy]

Thanks for the manual, I have it on my computer somewhere but couldn't find it.

I'm kinda playin around with it now. I always press it half way first for it to focus and then press it all the way. I noticed that when I put my hand in from of the camera like I'm holding a fish the box in the middle was orange and blinking and wasn't focused, but when I moved my hand out of the way the box was green and focused on the ground. The focus mode was on spot. When I changed it to face it would focus on to the floor next to my hand. I never tried the AF tracking thing.

 

[pcray1231]

The orange and blinking is bad, it's telling you it can't focus, which leads to pictures like the above. This thing apparantly REALLY wants to focus on the ground for some reason. You have to figure out how to make that box go green on your hand.

Try macro mode. I wouldn't have thought you'd need it at that distance, but every camera is different, maybe this one wants it.

Or maybe it's just really slow to focus, hold that halfway button a while and see if it adjusts.

 

[streamerguy]

Well, I tried macro and it worked! The box was green and it focused on my hand, but my hand was much farther away from the camera than it usually would be if I wanted to use macro. So I guess if I want to try close up shots I'll just have to use macro, even if the fish isn't even that close to the camera. It did focus better in macro but the shutter speed is still slow if I have the flash off though.

 

[pcray1231]

Ok, now you've solved one problem, now its the lighting to figure out.

Without flash, your camera's small lens isn't getting enough light. It's slowing its shutter speed to compensate. Your only other option is to increase ISO instead of slowing the shutter speed. If you want total control to find that happy balance, use it in manual mode and specify shutter speed and ISO settings. For quicker and mindless, use a preset mode like "sport". In sport mode, your camera should put priority on keeping the shutter speed fast. Thus, when it encounters low light, instead of slowing the shutter it will increase the ISO setting to compensate. Depending how dark it is and thus how high it takes the ISO, the danger is that your blurry images could be replaced by grainy images.

Experiment with what works best.

 

[pcray1231]

If there's no happy spot between grainy and blurry, it's simply too dark for your camera. The best you can do is turn the brightness down, it will allow a darker picture. Then you can use the camera's software, or software on the computer, to artificially brighten it after the picture is taken.

 

[streamerguy]

I also have a Canon Powershot(not waterproof) which I don't use anymore because it broke, but if I would use that and the Olympus both at the same place where there is low light(but high enough where the flash isn't really needed) and the flash is on auto on both cameras then the flash would go on on the Olympus but not the Canon, and the lens are the same size. So the flash comes on on the Olympus sometimes when its not really needed, and thats when I turn it off and the shutter speed slows. I wish on the newer point and shoot cameras you could change the shutter speed manually like some older digital cameras.

I started messin with the ISO(in the Program Auto mode, not sport, landsape, etc), I made it higher and I used it with and without macro with the flash off and it actually came out ok so I may have solved the problem. Still a tad bit grainy but better.

 

[streamerguy]

If there's no happy spot between grainy and blurry, it's simply too dark for your camera. The best you can do is turn the brightness down, it will allow a darker picture. Then you can use the camera's software, or software on the computer, to artificially brighten it after the picture is taken.

How would I turn down the brightness on the camera? I know how to edit it and such on the computer but lowering the brightness on the camera then editing it later might actually help.

 

[pcray1231]

Yeah. Lens being the same size doesn't mean they let the same amount of light through, there's a quality of glass aspect. There's also differences between brands on how well the electronics work to balance all these factors out.

The best you can do is get the most out of the camera you have. With enough adjustments and keeping your environment in mind, you can get most of them to take decent pictures. For instance, if you just can't get it right with the lighting, on stream, you can usually walk to a brighter place.

There are much bigger differences between cameras than the number of MP and zoom ranges that are printed on the labels at big box stores. My rule of thumb is generally look for the one that looks like the worst deal, meaning you get the lowest MP, zoom, etc. for the price and size. Thats probably the best camera in that class, lol...

 

[streamerguy]

Overall I do like the camera(especially with it being waterproof) and it does take good pictures in regular light conditions. The only problem is taking pictures in places like brookie streams where you're in the middle of the woods and lighting isn't always the best.

 

[pcray1231]

Brightness.

p. 30, exposure compensation. Make sure not in auto mode. Menu, scroll down to:

-0.3-----+-0.0------+0.3

Press left or right (left to darken), press ok.

Auto will override your settings, so you can't have it there for this setting. Also, it's possible that turning it off will reset it to the default, some cameras do that (annoying). Might be able to change the defaults if you want.

You can also change how it evaluates brightness, center spot or averaged (ESP). See p. 34 in the manual.