Do NOT use spot, use multi or average. Actually, if you are on full Manual control of Aperture and Shutter, I don't think this setting is going to matter regardless, since you are not using the camera to meter the light.
I use Custom White balance set at 5400, but the Daylight setting is at 5600 and should work just as well.
Ok I have shutter set no wat 8 and focal out 2.8 and white balance on custom.
On custom you will still have to the temperature, so try to set it close to 5400
I can only select custom. No temp settings.
"Custom" means you can create your own settings, there is a dial or something that will let you change the temperature there. Check out the owners manual...or just use the daylight setting.
Ok I put it on the one with the sun. I'm guessing that is daylight. It says fine setting.
Custom setting in your camere (Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd) doesn't support setting the white balance manually (by entering the Kelvin value). It requires you to use grey card (or white paper) to measure the color temperature of ambient light => not very suitable for beamshots.
=> Just use "Daylight"-setting and be happy with it.
On my Canon 30D the Custom WB setting will let you link to a previously taken shot of a sheet of white paper, as a reference for subsequent shots under the same lighting. This would again neutralize the beam tint (like Auto WB, only more accurately), which is what we want to avoid here.
On my camera, the setting that lets you manually select the color temperature is "K" (for Kelvin).
I suspect that on ILF's camera "Fine" stands for daylight, since this setting really can't be missing.
EDIT: Yep, the SUN icon! - why did they name it" Fine"?
(Well, it's past midnight here... 
)
On my old Panasonic FZ-28 it says 'fine weather' for daylight. On ILF's camera, the manufacturer must have shortened it to just 'fine'.
You guys are ate up on this camera stuff. And I mean that you are educating a dumb redneck like me on all this white balance and shutter speed and focal stuff.
Thanks.
Tell me the stats on this photo.
TK70 on turbo during the daytime at 10ft. I tried auto and it underscored it. Manual settings won't work inside which I found out already. I went to the SP2(nite mode setting) and it's better but still underscored.
Just curious what the shutter speed was and focal.
| Exposure: | Auto exposure, Landscape, 1/147 sec, f/2.8, ISO 64 |
You can check these easily by using Jeffrey's Exif viewer: http://regex.info/exif.cgi
Just follow the link, add the address of your photo into "Image URL"-field and press "View Image at URL"-button.
The end result should look something like this:
| You also might be interested in the Chrome extensionsomeone made to interface to my online Exif viewer |
| Some of my other stuff · My Blog · “Camera Stuff” · “Photo Tech” · Desktop Backgrounds · Pretty Photos |
| From Web From File |
Image URL: |
Basic Image Information
|
Here's the full data:
EXIF — this group of metadata is encoded in 3,084 bytes (3.0k)
| Camera Model Name | FinePix S8000fd |
| Software | Digital Camera FinePix S8000fd Ver1.01 |
| Modify Date | 2012:05:26 16:50:08 1 hour, 16 minutes, 32 seconds ago |
| Y Cb Cr Positioning | Centered |
| Copyright | |
| Exposure Time | 1/150 |
| F Number | 2.80 |
| Exposure Program | Landscape |
| Exif Version | 0220 |
| Date/Time Original | 2012:05:26 16:50:08 1 hour, 16 minutes, 32 seconds ago |
| Create Date | 2012:05:26 16:50:08 1 hour, 16 minutes, 32 seconds ago |
| Components Configuration | Y, Cb, Cr, - |
| Shutter Speed Value | 1/147 |
| Aperture Value | 2.80 |
| Brightness Value | 5.9 |
| Exif Image Size | 640 × 480 |
| Make | FUJIFILM |
| ISO | 64 |
| Exposure Compensation | 0 |
| Max Aperture Value | 2.8 |
| Metering Mode | Multi-segment |
| Light Source | Unknown |
| Flash | Off, Did not fire |
| Focal Length | 4.7 mm |
| Flashpix Version | 0100 |
| Color Space | sRGB |
| Sensing Method | One-chip color area |
| File Source | Digital Camera |
| Scene Type | Directly photographed |
| Custom Rendered | Normal |
| Exposure Mode | Auto |
| White Balance | Auto |
| Scene Capture Type | Night |
| Sharpness | Normal |
| Subject Distance Range | Unknown |
| Print Image Matching | (28 bytes binary data) |
| Compression | JPEG (old-style) |
| Focal Plane Resolution | 2,801 pixels/cm |
| Orientation | Horizontal (normal) |
| Resolution | 72 pixels/inch |
| Thumbnail Length | 2,168 |
PrintIM
| PrintIM Version | 0250 |
| Print IM 0x0002 | 0x00000001 |
| Print IM 0x0101 | 0x00000000 |
JFIF
| JFIF Version | 1.02 |
| Resolution | 72 pixels/inch |
File — basic information derived from the file.
| File Type | JPEG |
| MIME Type | image/jpeg |
| Exif Byte Order | Little-endian (Intel, II) |
| Encoding Process | Baseline DCT, Huffman coding |
| Bits Per Sample | 8 |
| Color Components | 3 |
| File Size | 16 kB |
| Image Size | 640 × 480 |
| Y Cb Cr Sub Sampling | YCbCr4:2:0 (2 2) |
Composite
This block of data is computed based upon other items. Some of it may be wildly incorrect, especially if the image has been resized.
| Aperture | 2.80 |
| Scale Factor To 35 mm Equivalent | 15.1 |
| Shutter Speed | 1/150 |
| Thumbnail Image | (2,168 bytes binary data) |
| Circle Of Confusion | 0.002 mm |
| Field Of View | 28.4 deg |
| Focal Length | 4.7 mm (35 mm equivalent: 71.2 mm) |
| Hyperfocal Distance | 3.98 m |
| Light Value | 10.8 |
This application uses Phil Harvey's most excellent Image::ExifTool library, version 8.91. Histograms created with ImageMagick.
Jeffrey last modifed this viewer on May 7, 2012.
This thread got me screwing around with my cheap point and shoot (Fujifilm vj100) it has a semi user programable mode so I took these two pics with ISO 400 (user adjustable), 1/4 sec shutter and F3.2 (both of which I can't seem to change manually).
Here is the cheap zoomie I am to lazy to look the name up on on high,
and here is the same light, with the same settings on low,
since the setting are the same between the two, the beam shots I take are somewhat useable for comparison between pics using the same settings right?
para-frame, if you were in manual mode then you should have been able to set the shutter speed and aperture independently of each other. I'm not familiar with the Fuji cam you're using but if it does indeed have a "manual" setting then it should have not been a problem. Check with the manual: these point-and-shoots can be very confusing to operate, sometimes. I've found that a full pro-DSLR is easier to figure out
and work around.
It is an automatic mode with limited adjustablity, I just checked the manual. Oh well, I can always just steal...er borrow by bros D200 or whatever it is if needed. 
I agree, a good SLR (all the ones I own are film) are much easier to set exactly how you want them, no sweeping through hidden menus, everything is right there in black and white.
[quote=para-frame]
It is an automatic mode with limited adjustablity, I just checked the manual. Oh well, I can always just steal...er borrow by bros D200 or whatever it is if needed.
[/quote]
Digital cameras depreciate terribly quickly. I picked up a 20 month-old, 99% new condition Nikon D40x (full box set) for a third of the original price! 
. You could probably find yourself a good bargain if you looked around. Come to think of it, I haven't bought any photo stuff brand-new since 2008. (I buy my flashlights new, though)
I just tried some beamshots too.. tried, because I didnt really succeed. My camera can be adjusted between F3.3 and F6.3 and 1/320 to 1 sec. Nothing really looked like I saw it, F3.3 and 1/2 sec was close.. its a Lumix TZ20, I didnt find anything to get longer exposure.
/edit: Manual says up to 60 sec exposure is possible. Now I have to find it.. I used ISO400 btw. Any better recommendations for settings on such a limited camera?
At a aperture of f/5.6 (ISO400, WB=daylight) take a series of exposures at, say, 1/8 (sec.),1/4, 1/2, 1", 2" 4", 8". Then scroll thru the images and see which one works for you. If the images are too dark then start your exposures at 1/2 sec and do the same (work downwards). If they're too bright then start at 1/30 sec and so forth. Btw, usually focusing manually before-hand is best. In low-light conditions any cam will struggle to attain focus. A good tripod is essential. Also, at longer exposures, use the self-timer of your cam to avoid shaking the whole rig. Yes, I know it's bothersome... that's why you gotta appreciate the effort those guys put in to give us those beamshots (especially outdoors)
Oops ! Sorry I missed that part about your cam only going down to 1 sec . If the images are too dark, then up your iso to 800 or higher if possible, and use max aperture. Then start at maybe 1/15 secs. and work downwards. Unfortunately, anything over iso 400's gonna be really grainy/blotchy where compact cams are concerned. Good luck and good shooting !
