Anyone has a Minolta Dimage XT? I need help pls!

[freemanteo]

I got a dimage xt and the camera is good only daytime and with ample lighting. I can only set it to auto for clear pics, if i set it to manual or night portrait or ANY other settings, it will be blur and it shows either the "hand shaking" or a red dot that is cannot focus.


what is ging on, how can i use the camera without auto?

thanks.

 

[Viper GTS]

Basic photography:

Low light requires a longer exposure time, or a more sensitive film, or a combination thereof.

Your camera is compensating for low light by using a long exposure time.

The blurriness comes from the inherent instability of your hands.

Bottom line is if you want to shoot low light & not use a more sensitive film setting you need to use a tripod.

The "hand shaking" icon, if you'd read your manual, is an indication that the shutter setting the camera deemed necessary (or that you chose) is too long for you to reliably shoot while holding the camera.

Viper GTS

 

[StageLeft]

You can buy a nice tripod for about $10 from bestbuy. It's around 4 inches long and has a telescoping base. If you get a big 4 foot tripod you'll never use the mammoth thing.

 

[LordJezo]

I have the Dimage X (in my pocket right now actually) so I can feel your pain (as the cameras are pretty much the same thing)

You won't be able to ever take low light pics with that camera. I have tried everything and nothing works.

Unless you mount it on something or find a ledge to rest it on low light pics will never work. That blurr warning will show up and the pics will be ruined.

But if you do found something to mount it on the pics will come out quite nicely. I took a few night shots of Atlantic City from the top of the Ceasars parking deck by resting the camera on the edges of the deck and they came out nicely using the night mode for the camera.

But as far as holding the camera and doing what you say.. wont work. Thats the main reason my next camera will be a Cannon as they seem to be able to pick up night shots much better (at least with the A-60 I have fooled around with).

It's just not dark night shots the camera (dimage) is bad at.. it's anything that is not a bright day shot or very well lit room. It's a shame the camera can't handle lower light situations. My camera always has this problem with things..

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
You can buy a nice tripod for about $10 from bestbuy. It's around 4 inches long and has a telescoping base. If you get a big 4 foot tripod you'll never use the mammoth thing.

I dunno about the XT, but my S414 has one major flaw - The tripod mount is nowhere near the center of mass.

Those little 4" POS tripods won't hold it. I have a full size telescoping tripod (extends to my height), picked it up from DurocShark for dirt cheap.

Works great.

freemanteo

When you get your tripod be sure to get the IR remote for the camera. Very, very handy.

Viper GTS

 

[samgau]

I got the A-70 from canon and it does a decent job with low light shots.... at least on auto... for longer exposure I've been using one of these small tripods...

 

[freemanteo]

Thanks people, i wanted to know that it is a flaw. Before this i had a Canon S100, S200 and it works fine without flash with low light.

I mean, with low light settings, and with flash, only the person/thing you are focusing at will be lighted up but you cannot see the background or the whole picture, while with the canon, i can take low light settings with no flash and i can see the whole picture.

I i need a tripod.... what a hassle, i did not buy a small compact camera just so that i had to carry a tripod around!