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50 D has me having fits!

Spinner of TalesSpinner of Tales Registered Users Posts: 528 Major grins
edited July 21, 2009 in Cameras
Ok to most here this may seem like a dumb question but I am stumped.
I bought a Canon 50D and have been trying to get used to it. The other day I had a great chance to photograph some wild turkeys with their poults and had the camera set on the sports mode and that unknown to me set the ISO on auto.
90% of my pics were shot with a 1600 ISO because thats what the camera chose to use. My question is with that ISO are they now useless or is there a way to salvage them in Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 ?
Second question is there any way to over ride that auto setting when the camera is in the sports mode?
I know with my Rebel EOS I could put it in sports mode and set the ISO to about any setting and I didnt have to worry about it jumping to
an Auto ISO.
I hope I'm not being bothersome asking these questions but I have no where else to turn and I know there is is world of knowlege within this site.

Thanks for any help.

Spinner:thumb

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    ToshidoToshido Registered Users Posts: 759 Major grins
    edited July 19, 2009
    Likely most popular advice you will get is ti get out of those auto modes :)

    I have not looked at the auto modes on my 50D when I get a chance I will take a gander though.
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    Spinner of TalesSpinner of Tales Registered Users Posts: 528 Major grins
    edited July 19, 2009
    Toshido wrote:
    Likely most popular advice you will get is ti get out of those auto modes :)

    I have not looked at the auto modes on my 50D when I get a chance I will take a gander though.

    I appreciate that. thumb.gif Your probably right about the staying out of the auto mode. I shoot mostly wildlife and usually at 400 ISO due to the conditions I run across in the field and it was nice being able to have the camera set in the sports mode as it usually stopped the movement of the animals well.

    Best,

    Spinner
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    RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,931 moderator
    edited July 19, 2009
    My question is with that ISO are they now useless or is there a way to salvage them in Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 ?

    What´s wrong with the pics? A 50D can produce low noise images at ISO 1600 if you have exposed the pic correctly. Post sample and tell us the problem you need to fix.

    You will get better results from the camera once you move from the scene modes to the ¨creative¨ zone and learn how to control shutter, aperture and ISO.
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    Spinner of TalesSpinner of Tales Registered Users Posts: 528 Major grins
    edited July 19, 2009
    Richard wrote:
    What´s wrong with the pics? A 50D can produce low noise images at ISO 1600 if you have exposed the pic correctly. Post sample and tell us the problem you need to fix.

    You will get better results from the camera once you move from the scene modes to the ¨creative¨ zone and learn how to control shutter, aperture and ISO.

    Richard, thanks for the reply. If you go over to the Wildlife section of the board and look at my post titled, Turkey hen and poults you will see the effects of the pics being shot in the 1600 ISO. The discussion there might help also.
    Thanks again your input is appreciated. thumb.gif

    Spinner
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    ToshidoToshido Registered Users Posts: 759 Major grins
    edited July 20, 2009
    Owners manual page 196 shows a nice chart showing what can be set in which mode.

    According to that in ALL basic modes ISO is auto.

    Page 47 owners manual

    "all you do is point and shoot and the camera sets everything automatically"

    Also page 47

    "shooting setting cannot be changed in the basic zone modes"


    This was also corroborated with me checking it out on my 50D. Now I feel dirty setting the dial to a basic mode :)
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    Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited July 20, 2009
    Ok to most here this may seem like a dumb question but I am stumped.
    I bought a Canon 50D and have been trying to get used to it. The other day I had a great chance to photograph some wild turkeys with their poults and had the camera set on the sports mode and that unknown to me set the ISO on auto.
    90% of my pics were shot with a 1600 ISO because thats what the camera chose to use. My question is with that ISO are they now useless or is there a way to salvage them in Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 ?
    Second question is there any way to over ride that auto setting when the camera is in the sports mode?
    I know with my Rebel EOS I could put it in sports mode and set the ISO to about any setting and I didnt have to worry about it jumping to
    an Auto ISO.
    I hope I'm not being bothersome asking these questions but I have no where else to turn and I know there is is world of knowlege within this site.

    Thanks for any help.

    Spinnerthumb.gif
    0. I find it a little strange that you have significant noise at ISO 1600 .... unless your images were under exposed and you pushed them in post - that can induce or bring to the surface a huge amount of noise.

    1. If there's significant noise, you might want to try any one of the various noise reduction softwares(Noise Ninja, Neat Image, etc). It's amazing what can be done with these. Further, I believe many of these offer a trial version that will allow you to determine if buying (and using :D) the software will solve your problem for you. Might be something to look into.

    2. As has already been said, using the auto modes, the camera is making the decisions for you. For the future, you might want to try moving to either Tv or M mode. This will give you much more control over the final result. It sports mode, I believe the camera sets both the aperture and the shutter speed (high) and then looks at the light to determine what ISO is needed to get a decent exposure.
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    CookieSCookieS Registered Users Posts: 854 Major grins
    edited July 20, 2009
    Just shoot in shutter priority and you should be able to keep your actual iso. it will just adjust the aperature as needed. ( similar to sports mode)
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    MT StringerMT Stringer Registered Users Posts: 225 Major grins
    edited July 20, 2009
    I've had 5 different DSLR's and yet to use any of the Auto modes. Most of the time, I shoot in AV mode for both wildlife and sports. It's just too easy to adjust the ISO when the shutter speed drops. Other times I shoot in manual, especially during night games (football, baseball/softball) or indoors for basketball and volleyball.

    And a note about the noise. Sometimes I shoot at ISO 3200. When you can't use flash, you gotta do what you gotta do. I use Noiseware Pro to help minimize the noise.

    Good uck.
    Mike
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    Jekyll & HydeJekyll & Hyde Registered Users Posts: 170 Major grins
    edited July 20, 2009
    90% of my pics were shot with a 1600 ISO because thats what the camera chose to use.
    J: Congrats Spinner on the woodscraft to get those shots!

    H: In Sports Mode, the camera will always try to maximize your shutter speed (to freeze motion). To accomplish this, it will therefore 1: Open the Aperture to maximum, and 2: Increase the ISO significantly (no manual adjustments are possible).

    J: And to tell you the truth, As it turned out, I think the camera was pretty darn close to what most folks would have set themselves. mwink.gif

    H: For example, 1/100 sec or 1/125 sec @ 200mm when shooting birds out in the field is already pretty marginal for most people, even if you have IS or a tripod. And the 3rd shot is even beyond that at 1/100 sec @ 400mm (100-400L?).

    J: So let's say that the camera had only bumped the ISO up to 800 instead of 1600. You would have been shooting at 1/50 sec @ 400mm. And the Subject Motion Blur already starting to show in the shots you posted would have been much more significant.

    H: Now I do follow what you're saying. I myself shoot birds until it's so dark the camera can't even focus any more. And I will almost never ever go beyond ISO 800 (due to, like yourself, noise considerations!). So my keeper percentage (when it's very dark) is often very very low. But of course those lucky keepers have much less noise (BTW I love Noise Ninja for those unfortunate high ISO shots).

    J: So if you want to control the ISO when out shooting wildlife, I'd recommend shooting in Manual Mode. Begin by setting the ISO to 400, open the Aperture to max, and adjust your Shutter Speed. Take a test shot and evaluate the image on the LCD, check the histogram, and watch for the Highlight Warning "Blinkies." Adjust your shutter speed as necessary.

    H: Voila. Now you don't have to worry about adjusting your exposure for any subsequent shots until the light changes (the light looked pretty consistent in your shots). If the light changes, adjust your shutter speed as necessary. If you begin to notice too much blur, increase your ISO (until you reach your personal max threshold).

    J: Other times, the light (or your angle to the light) may be changing a lot, and you might wish to use one of the more automatic modes. In this case, I'd recommend shooting in Aperture Priority, as it will ALWAYS select as fast a shutter speed as possible (given the ISO and Aperture you've chosen). Use the Exposure Compensation setting as needed. This mode isn't nearly as consistent as shooting in Manual, but sometimes things are happening so fast that Manual results in too many poorly exposed shots (when you can't keep up with exposure adjustments).

    H: So with either of these modes, you'll have complete control over ISO and end up a very Happy Camper :D . And when you feel confident enough, take another step forward, and then another after that. Pretty soon you'll be helping Other Folks on their own Journeys of Discovery.

    Best of Luck,
    J&H
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    Jeremy WinterbergJeremy Winterberg Registered Users Posts: 1,233 Major grins
    edited July 20, 2009
    Yeah, I'm not sure why you're experiencing noise problems at 1600 ISO ne_nau.gif...

    I was in California and we went to the beach right after Sunset (I was upset! It took us too long to drive there and we missed it) But regardless I wanted to get some beach shots... I shot at 6400 ISO and got some really nice pictures, even though it looked Pitch Black outside! The noise wasn't incredibly bad either, and a little Noise Ninja magic makes it look perfect!

    I also got a shot of a Police Helicopter shining its spot-light on a House Party at 11pm... "The Party Is Over! The Party Is Over!" ... Using 12,800 ISO... But, that's a whole other story! mwink.gif Noise was ridiculous with the 12,800 ISO but its still a sweet picture!
    Jer
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    Jekyll & HydeJekyll & Hyde Registered Users Posts: 170 Major grins
    edited July 21, 2009
    Yeah, I'm not sure why you're experiencing noise problems at 1600 ISO ne_nau.gif...
    J: Well if you're a birder, everyone knows that feather detail is Everything (and the OP indicates he's a wildlife shooter).

    H: Feather detail is extremely difficult to separate from noise. Most of the time a lot of the detail is removed along with the noise. This results in either "Mush" or that "Plasticky" look. (Same goes for fine hair detail).

    J: I try to always use selective NR, but even then noise can still remain problematic. Especially in the large prints that I produce.

    H: On the other hand, NR can do wondrous things for images that have a lot of smooth surfaces and hard edges. Automobiles, Aircraft, Buildings, Water etc for instance.

    J: So it all really depends on what you shoot.

    H: But my own tolerance level for Birds isn't far beyond ISO 400. And it sounds like the OP's is similar.

    Regards,
    J&H
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