Hi, im new to digital cameras and recently got the Nikon Coolpix 990. I have very little experience with cameras. Every photo I take during the day time, the pictures look great, but when it starts to get dark or shady, the pictures will look very grainy and sometimes very blurry. I can't figure out why this is, and how to fix this. I would like to take some photos at night time, and in the wilderness. Can anyone suggest any settings I should set the camera to?

Thank you;

Ryan rmf@ignmail.com

-- Ryan (rmf@ignmail.com), July 14, 2000

Answers

Sounds like you need to adjust your white balance setting to reflect the change in light as well as your ISO rating. That should help you out.

-- Sue Bald (destiny3@ix.netcom.com), July 14, 2000.

When the scene gets darker your camera needs a larger aperture and/or a slower shutter speed in order to get enough light on the CCD to form an image. A consequence of a longer, or slower, shutter speed is that you will be more likely to let the camera move around and slightly blur your images. No one can really hold a camera completely still for any reasonable length of time.

The solution? Increase the light level with auxilliary lighting or a flash, and/or use a tripod. If you can't increase the light level, the tripod or a stationary object is a must. Then you can play around with long exposures and the bulb mode... :-)

I'll make one more suggestion. This is the most obvious one that so many overlook, READ THE MANUAL. There is a multitude of stuff you never knew you wanted to know to be found betwixt it's cheap paper covers.

For beginner's info, and a fair amount of imtermediate knowledge, have a look at www.shortcourses.com . You can order the books or look them over online. Well worth the trip. More than you ever wanted to know.

Also, make sure your camera is set for the lower ISO settings like 100, instead of 200 or 400.(often show as +1 or +2 in digicams) The higher ISO's can contribute to graininess.

Good Luck!

-- Gerald M. Payne (gmp@surferz.net), July 15, 2000.