Hi i just got this new cam and i was hoping to get some better pics with it, thing is i need tips on the settings and stuff!!!
Yes i know its not an slr but i wanted something i could fit in my pocket. Heres what i got…… dont laugh!!! lol
Any tips to get better photos would be great, already tried a few macro shots of some of my lights but i think im missing some vital info. Or maybe this cam just doesnt cut it??!!
Cheers in advance, Ady
Nice camera ady. I'm not sure whether your old camera had manual settings but have fun playing. Out of the three different cameras in our household only the cheapest of the bunch takes descent macros. I generally change the focus to center spot so that the focus does not wonder around all over the joint. Use some sort of tripod. Never hold the camera and use the timer. I usually use 10 seconds to give everything time to settle down. The pictures above show your half way there. Question though if I may. The last shot, how did it take the picture with the lens covered. Magic?
Yeah i set the timer to ten seconds, im not sure what im doing at all with the manual settings!!! Its all very confusing at the minute 
Oh yeah, the photos of the cam were took with my htc radar phone and uploaded directly to flickr 
Thanks for taking the time to give a complete novice some tips!!
This is one i took earlier messing around with the new cam
Sorry but with I cant tell you anything about settings on macro as there is none on the cheap camera I use for macros except the focus and flash which I dont use. The light must be pretty good and I prefer sunlight. There will be plenty of others who will chime in and then the fun starts. Cheers.
A lot of the points in this don’t apply but it’s a good article:
http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/digital-slrs/50-essential-photography-tips-50006080/
It’s impossible to cover everything, but I would say, get a fast memory card, take lots and lots of photos (and learn how to be critical), learn how to set white balance, learn about colour temperature and exposure, get or make a soft box.
If you’re taking photos of torches, a small tripod and a couple of lamps combined with one of these makes a world of difference.
Now you get to learn how to use it!
I think you might be best off using aperture priority to keep the aperture as wide open as possible in an attempt to keep your shutter speeds faster. Use auto iso to help in that goal, it will probably stop at 400 which is a good thing.
Your maximum length of shutter is 8 seconds, so you’re going to have to give some light to your subject. Shine one of your flashlights either on the item you’re taking a picture of or hold a white poster board near it but out of the picture and shine the light on that, bouncing light back onto your subject. This is where I like using the Nichia 219. I have a triple from EDC+ that works quite well for macro imagery.
That should get you started, use A, f/3.1 (your camera’s wide open setting) avoid zooming more than just a wee bit (2x) and then if necessary crop the image for a closer look. Try for a shutter of at least 1/15sec, even on a tripod, by adjusting your lighting. A white poster board, a white pillow case, even a white T-Shirt. Dig out the wife’s wedding dress and use the train. Just kidding, don’t want ya to end up dead. 
Use a North window with a table in front of it and shoot at 9 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon if you have to. If you do that, you might still bounce light from one side.
Good luck!
Love the expression on the dog’s face!
Lots of light, lots and lots of light makes everything easier. Well diffused light is best. In fact sunlight is usually best, but we’ve not seen a lot of that round here in the last year or two.
The very most important thing is light. The amount and quality of the light are critical to getting a good picture. You can fudge around this by changing the aperture and exposure length, but if the lighting is wrong the shot just won’t come out.
Just been reading these replys and yes i think you are all correct…… iv lots to learn!! just had a play with the aperture settings and thing iv a small grasp on what that does…… im going to have a good read of the manual over the weekend i think!!!
Yes that dog is my pride and joy… 20 month lakeland cross, she is a little beast haha
Thanks for the input on using my new toy folks!!!
I forgot to say, have fun with it! You can learn a lot just by playing around with one setting at a time.
Don’t make it an ordeal, let it happen and have fun.
Oh, and of course, Show Us!
Handheld G1X w/250D close-up filter. Extreme Lo mode on a new driver in my HD2010 with XM-L2 on copper star. Seriously lo, less light than a 3mm led on an old button cell.
Nice pic! I wish I had got a DSLR instead of my S95. 
The G1X is the size of a G12 but with a sensor almost the size of a DSLR sensor. It’s bulky, a bit of a hassle to carry around but it’s pictures are the best IQ I’ve found from a non-DSLR camera.
The S95 is a very capable camera in it’s own right!
Have you seen the new Canon mini DSLR? Recently announced, it’s smaller than the Rebel series while still taking the EF-S and EF lenses. And for only about $500! If I’d known that, I probably wouldn’t have bought the G1X. $800 with 18-55 EF-S lens, check it out http://www.adorama.com/ICASL1K1.html
I paid that for the G1X and it’s just barely smaller than the SL1 body. Go figure.
Thats one great dog, full of character
Take loads of photos and see what works. If you can, take a few photos of the same subject with different settings, but record what the settings were so that you can review them and see the effect the settings have on the photo.
I still regret selling my Olympus om1 as Ive never really got to grips with these newfangled digital cameras….or computers……or mobiles………
I hadn’t seen it until now, and now I want one! >.< It has a touch screen too!
I do like the S95, but I find the screen is a little too nice, and misleading. Even with a calibrated monitor photos don’t look quite as nice. I used to have the opposite problem with my old Nikon P&S because the screen was so crappy.
welcome to the world of photography!! there are a lot of things to learn along the way, but don’t forget to have fun! one thing in regards to composition, a very simple tip, try to keep your horizon line straight (parallel to the top and bottom of your…. screen, in this case)…. and as everyone has said, ‘light light light!’ photography ‘is’ light and if you start to pay attention to how light allows you to see (highlights, shadows, value, hue, etc…) you start to get a better understanding of what to look for in your photos…. sounds hokey, but try to see not just with your eyes, but with your mind (always thinking) and your heart (how does the image ‘feel’)….
enjoy your new toy!!
Bit of video testing with the phone and new fuji cam….
Phone…
Fuji f660exr cam……
Nice cam OP, Ive been researching new cameras recently and pocket zoomers are also one of those that Im thinking of buying ;)!
Overall what Ive found out is that Fuji’s EXR series pocket zoomers are rather good, so I believe youve got yourself decent cam!