Grainy photos and troubles in macro

[Myka]

I have a Canon G7 and I keep getting really grainy photos, and it's not focusing very well in macro. I take 50 billion photos and only a few of them are half decent as most aren't focused. I'm also having troubles getting true colors, especially reds. Reds are coming out too bluish, but when I try to adjust white balance they turn out brown. Bleh. The colors are really bleh compared to real life.

I have been trying all sorts of settings, and change them up all the time, but if you want specifics go ahead and ask because I'm not really sure what other info to provide...I'm not camera savvy at all.

Any help?

Here's some good examples: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...&postcount=113

[fkshiu]

The pictures are grainy because you're using too low a resolution setting. The pictures are all less than around 80KB in file size. They should be much larger. Use the maximum file size and resolution on your camera.

As far as the colours are concerned, Canons generally don't have the best WB compensation characteristics. Try re-adjusting the colours with software after you take them and download them onto your computer.

[rstar]

Originally Posted by fkshiu

The pictures are grainy because you're using too low a resolution setting. The pictures are all less than around 80KB in file size. They should be much larger. Use the maximum file size and resolution on your camera.

As far as the colours are concerned, Canons generally don't have the best WB compensation characteristics. Try re-adjusting the colours with software after you take them and download them onto your computer.

+1 I
always take my pictures at the maximum resolution other than raw. Then touch up the color correection with the software that came with my camera, usually just to pull some of the blue from the photos. Then resize them yourself when you save over the corrections, and upload to photobucket at 1 megabyte file size.

[Myka]

Hmmm, I thought I had it set as maximum resolution. The camera is 10.0 mega pixels. I have it set on "superfine", and the biggest pixels (3648x2736) which only gives me 240 photos on a 1 GB memory card. They should be bigger than 80 KB, no?

I use Picasa to touch up color on the photos, but I still can't get it even close to the vibrancy of reality.

[rstar]

Originally Posted by Myka

I use Picasa to touch up color on the photos, but I still can't get it even close to the vibrancy of reality.

Thats your problem right there. Unless you export the photos picasa compresses them right down to nothing. The camera should have come with its own software. I use Olympus master, its what came with the camera, but i also think its available for free and should work with any picture type other than raw unless the camera is an olympus. Its simple and does a good job, it will actually allow you to enter any color tempurature you want to alter the white balance. For the hard core editors there is always photoshop.

[RuGlu6]

you will also get grain if your ISO setting is higher then 400, set at 100 and use macro mode .
I get very good macros with canon S3is

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by rstar

For the hard core editors there is always photoshop.

For the less hard core, Photoshop Elements has most features the average editor needs without the Photoshop price. I have PS CS3 and Elements 6.0, and usually use Elements, it's quicker and easier.

[fkshiu]

Phhhphtt, iPhoto is where it's at. Came right on my iMac which Steve Jobs personally built and delivered to my door in between organ transplants.

[Snaz]

http://www.gimp.org/

"GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages..."

I have been using GiMP more and more instead of Photoshop these days. If you know PS then the transition can be tough but a newbie should be able to pick it up easily.

[Myka]

Thanks for all the ideas! I installed the software from my camera, and it really sucks. Or maybe I didn't figure it out...

One of my problems is that no matter what settings I try on Manual Mode the pics are super super dark, so i set ISO at 800 and then it's "normal" brightness, but pixelated. I tried somemore photos and got the best ones just setting everything on auto. Of course... *rolls eyes*

I will try some of these other programs. Thanks!