Making movies withh a Pentax "Point and shoot" camera.

[Mr Felix]

Folks,

I bought one of these Pentax cameras which was advertised as waterproof and having a focus distance of down to 1 cm.

Nice.

You can also shoot movies.

Better.

Ok, sorry I don't have the exact model number. I am just back from holidays and am jet lagged, and at work with a quick second to spare.

I made some movies with it but am "confused" to the results I am getting.

Close up it is fine for movies but long distance, well.....

Watching some of the movies they are OUT OF FOCUS in my mind, yet I have autofocus on.

Yes ok, without the model it may be difficult to help, but while I can think of it, I thought it better to post and see what happens. The way I am just now, I nearly feel like I need a holiday to get over the one I just had - kind of thing.

So if anyone could tell me what is happening - in basic-ish terms - I would be happy.

[ricktas]

In basic terms, if it is not in focus, it is cause it (or you) have not focused on what you want it to, or its camera movement. :D

[Mr Felix]

Yeah, thanks Rick, but I am "confused" why it takes good shots (images) - as in focuses - then shoots but when in movie mode it is, well, not doing that.

The movies are nothing "extreme". They are more like planes flying past and I am following them.

But watching the playback as much as you can see they are planes, there is no "quality" there.

I guess it could also be a distance factor where close up movies are nice and detailed as the things are "there" and so you can see the finer details, but at a distance the details is missing and so the image becomes "blurry".

I could try to extract a frame and post it here for CC - if that is allowed.

[ricktas]

I could try to extract a frame and post it here for CC - if that is allowed.

Yeah you can, but that is not going to tell us much. We would need to know ALL the details. Camera model, settings at time of frame (ISO, aperture, etc). You need to do some testing. Filming at items at different distances from the camera etc, and try and work out what is happening. A single frame from a video is not going to give us anything to go on.

Remember you could also have a faulty camera

[Mr Felix]

Rick,

Yeah thanks.

It is just I don't want to bore people here with VIDEO problems when it is a PHOTOgraphy forum.

It was more if anyone else has the same model and can give me a hint.


Granted the model will greatly help. I just posted this to prompt me when I get home to get the model etc and more information.

[I @ M]

With all due respect Mr Felix, your very infrequent visits to the site always seem to be only whenever you have a problem with your gear or technique.
Most of the times your pleas for help are so vague as to be unanswerable, just as today when you are not sure even of the type of camera you own.
Perhaps if you attempted to do more on the forum than just to blow in and out whenever you have a problem, people may take you a little more seriously.

Yes the words you and yours are deliberately highlighted as this is a forum for sharing and not all about you.

[Mr Felix]

I @ M,

How true.

However, I admit I am no expert.

If I was I wouldn't mind helping people.

When I do offer ideas I am correted because I am WRONG - or not up to date with the latest technologies or terms. Be that here or other places. So: I prefere to stay a dumb person and ask questions rather than being told I don't know what I am saying by people who know more than me.

I am busy right now and only got back recently from the holiday. I am going though the sorting of the pictures and movies. I am noticing "problems" and am asking.

I DO NOT have 24/7 ADSL at home. I posted here to to also prompt myself so next time I do get on line at home and there are replies, I can then fill in the blanks.

It would seem that people are not willing to share their knowledge with others.
This is not only true for here, but many places I visti. Yes it could be me, but I also accept I am me and we are all different.

[William]

Quote Mr Felix : It would seem that people are not willing to share their knowledge with others

:confused013 Plenty of people get plenty of help on this forum, Could be that not many have a Pentax P&S that takes Movies and is an unknown model :)

[Mr Felix]

Optio WG-1 (with GPS)

The "action" was WAY away and I had autofocus ON - as far as I know.

It auto focuses with the images and I didn't change anything to turn it off.

[arthurking83]

I was thinking of getting one of these(WG-2 model tho) as it seems to be quite rugged and hardy looking.

All I want it for is the video, and ruggedness, but the actual owner-to-be disapproves of it.

I was going to use it as a pressie for my daughter, who's current P&S is rather old and tired, so a pressie to update her current P&S.

Problem is tho, that it's ugly as hell(by her normally dainty and pink tastes! :P)

So the Sony TX-10 or 20 is now the order of the day, and probably in baby blue or the greeny-yellow colour they come in.
This makes it hard for me tho ... I wanted it as a (rugged-ish) video camera for our karting sessions.

Dainty pink or pistachio coloured camera mounted to a ratty looking feral kart with a smok'n stroker billowing out plumes of smoke .... is not an appropriate look!(according to the boys).

Sorry Mr F .. can't really help 'ya too much.

I suppose there are two current answers for 'ya.

One: now you have what you captured and there's almost certain not to be anything that can be done to fix it.

Two: use it more frequently and learn it's capabilities and ability. Learn to understand how it focuses when capturing video. Learn when to turn AF for video either on or off, or set it to a point and forget it .. and so on. At least in the future you won't have the same issue when you need it to work properly.