Nomadic Vision

Over the past few years, the quality of compact cameras has been closing in on DSLRs. It is possible to use high end compact cameras to get images that cannot be distinguished from a pro grade SLR. Compact cameras are great tools for travel photography as they don’t take up much space and they have a great zoom range.

Are you happy with the images you are getting from your compact camera?  I’ve listed a few tips to improve your images taken with a compact camera.

Proper Camera Technique

One of the fastest ways to improve your images with a compact camera is to concentrate on using proper camera technique.

Photographers using SLR cameras will usually hold the camera up against their faces to look the the viewfinder. This causes the photographer to use two hands and minimizes any possible camera movement.

Many compact camera users do almost the opposite. They will hold the camera far in front of their faces and use the LCD display to compose their images. Using this technique can result in some unusual, hard to get images, but it also has the least stability and can result in blurry shots.

Therefore, to improve camera technique, use two hands and hold the camera as close to your body as possible, tucking your elbows into your body.

Use the Lowest ISO settings

Compact cameras are notoriously noisy. One sure way to improve compact camera images is to use the lowest ISO settings. Compact cameras are usually usable until ISO 400 but ISO 100 is far cleaner and often more saturated.

Compact cameras also have built in noise reduction for higher ISO values. Whilst this reduces the noise, it also smooths out a lot the detail that you would want to see in your images, resulting in a muddy, “digital looking” images.

Solve the noise/noise reduction problem by leaving the camera on the lowest ISO setting and make sure you do not use an auto setting that automatically adjusts the ISO settings.

Learn to use the manual settings

The automatic settings are set to take average images under average conditions. This causes two problems. Firstly, are you happy to settle for “average” images? Secondly, the best conditions photography generally takes place during the “golden hour”, during sunrise and sunset, hardly average conditions.

In order to take great images in great conditions, you will need to use the manual settings of your compact camera.

Controls for aperture and shutter speed are usually found under the menu options of the camera, so you are going to have to read through your camera manual to work out how to manually select these two values.

I learned this lesson when trying to shoot a landscape about an hour after sunset with a compact camera. The auto settings gave me an exposure of 1/30^th of a second at F2.8. This gave me a horribly underexposed, soft image. To get the exposure I desired, I used an exposure of 30 seconds at F8.

Shoot in RAW

Over the years, the RAW vs. JPEG argument has surpassed the Canon vs. Nikon argument. A general consensus is that if you want speed in terms of having the final print ready, shoot in JPEG, but if you want optimum quality, shoot in RAW.

The argument holds true for shooting with a compact camera. If you are taking snapshots of your Christmas celebrations, shoot in JPEG, but if you want the best quality with the most flexibility, shoot in RAW.

Many of the compact cameras on the market do not have a RAW mode. In this situation, you will have to shoot everything in JPEG, but you should always have the option to choose your colour space. Choosing Adobe RGB will give you more control and flexibility then sRGB, but will require a bit more work before printing.

Use a Tripod

Using a tripod is a sure way to improve your images, regardless of whether you are using an SLR or compact camera, but most compact camera users don’t bother with a tripod.

Using a tripod has two major benefits. The first is that you can use a slower shutter speed. This enables you to use a lower ISO value and also can be used to show movement, like the misty water effect when shooting a waterfall.

The second advantage to using a tripod is that it forces you to slow down and think carefully about composition. You’ll end up with fewer images, but far more images that you are proud of.

Learn the tricks and perks of your camera

Every compact camera has little features that can be used to make some unique images.

Mine has two that really make it fun to use. The first is the ability to sync with flashes at a very high speed.  My DSLR syncs with my flashes at 1/200^th of a second. I’ve synced my compact with my flashes at 1/2000^th of a second!

The other feature I love about my compact camera is its size. Because the camera is so small, it fits in many of the cheaper water housings available for cameras. The price of a water housing for my DSLR puts in water photography out of my price range, so I love that I can use my compact camera for water photography.

The only way to learn about your camera’s special features is to read your user manual and also to type your camera name into Google to see what features other users have found. If you have any other tips, please leave them in the comments section below.

When you’re ready to move on to something bigger, check out this post.

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