North East Buses

This is my new camera - £79.99 from Argos. And I must say it is excellent!

(10 Jun 2015, 9:43 am)LeeCalder wrote [ -> ]

This is my new camera - £79.99 from Argos. And I must say it is excellent!

Buy rechargeable batteries. 

(10 Jun 2015, 9:59 am)Tommy_1581 wrote [ -> ]Buy rechargeable batteries. 

Yeah I'm going to get some at the weekend - I take it, it uses a lot of juice?

(10 Jun 2015, 9:43 am)LeeCalder wrote [ -> ]

This is my new camera - £79.99 from Argos. And I must say it is excellent!

Similar to my 10mp camera I picked up cheaply from Cash Converters last year

(10 Jun 2015, 10:18 am)MrFozz wrote [ -> ]Similar to my 10mp camera I picked up cheaply from Cash Converters last year

Yeah I love Nikon cameras - really good quality

(10 Jun 2015, 10:25 am)LeeCalder wrote [ -> ]Yeah I love Nikon cameras - really good quality

My camera is a Fuji Camera...Looks quite similar to yours

i think it's the Coolpix P510 I've got too, and it's a decent camera. Just barely gets any use, because I always opt for the DSLR.

I have been looking to purchase a Nikon 1 compact recently though.

Does anybody know if these - http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/pa...554993.htm are any good?

(10 Jun 2015, 2:08 pm)Davie wrote [ -> ]Does anybody know if these - http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/pa...554993.htm are any good?

Personally, I wouldn't get a 16MP camera for £19.99 more than the 20.1MP camera that I've just purchased. 

I've had some good results so far.. Here's one I took earlier. Just a random 'macro' style shot.

Just testing out my new camera by Lee Robert Calder, on Flickr

(11 Jun 2015, 3:57 pm)LeeCalder wrote [ -> ]Personally, I wouldn't get a 16MP camera for £19.99 more than the 20.1MP camera that I've just purchased. 

I've had some good results so far.. Here's one I took earlier. Just a random 'macro' style shot.

Just testing out my new camera by Lee Robert Calder, on Flickr

That's not really macro photography mate. It's just using a shallow depth of field. 

Also try adjusting the exposure if you can, because that photo looks like it's let a bit too much light in, and the photo probably isn't doing your camera the justice it deserves.

Well I used the macro button lol

(11 Jun 2015, 6:58 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]That's not really macro photography mate. It's just using a shallow depth of field. 

Also try adjusting the exposure if you can, because that photo looks like it's let a bit too much light in, and the photo probably isn't doing your camera the justice it deserves.

I uploaded the photo because I believed it was a good photo 

I decided to head over to Jessops today and treat myself to a new travel camera. The purpose was to have something suitable to carry around with me most of the time that doesn't occupy the space of a DSLR or Bridge camera. I went for the Sony HX60. It cost £189, and I got a free Sony leather case with it. I did opt to purchase an additional 'hard' case too, because of it having to sit in my bag.

I've not had a chance to use it out and about today, but I've had a quick play around with it in the house, and I'm well impressed. Has similar modes to my DSLR, and also has a similarly wide ISO range and shutter speed. The WiFi transfer mode is impressive too, and I can quickly transfer photos to my phone when out and about.

I'll take it through to Whitley Bay tomorrow I think and have a proper look at it then.

Anyone got any advice on the best shutter speed / settings to catch the screen on the Enviro 400 MMC demonstrator as the images I have taken so far have been unable to get even a half decent shot of the screen.

(14 Jul 2015, 2:02 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Anyone got any advice on the best shutter speed / settings to catch the screen on the Enviro 400 MMC demonstrator as the images I have taken so far have been unable to get even a half decent shot of the screen.

You need a lower shutter speed to catch the destination working properly. The entire display is a colour LED (like the little square panels GNE have on some of their destinations), and as you will probably know, these sometimes don't come out properly.

On my photo yesterday (where the display came out as it should), it was on 1/60, but I had to pair that with settings to make the photograph darker (lower shutter speed lets more light in). You need a higher shutter speed when the bus is moving to ensure the photo isn't blurry, so if you want the destination to come out nicely, your best bet is to get it stationary.

(14 Jul 2015, 2:38 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]You need a lower shutter speed to catch the destination working properly. The entire display is a colour LED (like the little square panels GNE have on some of their destinations), and as you will probably know, these sometimes don't come out properly.

On my photo yesterday (where the display came out as it should), it was on 1/60, but I had to pair that with settings to make the photograph darker (lower shutter speed lets more light in). You need a higher shutter speed when the bus is moving to ensure the photo isn't blurry, so if you want the destination to come out nicely, your best bet is to get it stationary.

Thankfully managed to get a shot with the LED showing pretty clearly in Bishop Auckland Bus Station. Had to rush as it arrived late, only 3 passengers wanted to board and because it was late I had to get the shot before service 5 left.

Thanks anyway [emoji2]

(14 Jul 2015, 2:45 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Thankfully managed to get a shot with the LED showing pretty clearly in Bishop Auckland Bus Station. Had to rush as it arrived late, only 3 passengers wanted to board and because it was late I had to get the shot before service 5 left.

Thanks anyway [emoji2]

Divvint say it was late... DaveyB will be all over that post like a tramp on chips - nowt compares to the Scania E400!

(14 Jul 2015, 2:51 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Divvint say it was late... DaveyB will be all over that post like a tramp on chips - nowt compares to the Scania E400!

The lateness was down to other factors:

X71 leaving Newcastle a few minutes late.
Being stuck behind a tractor.
A fair few got on in Spennymoor.
Traffic getting into Bishop Auckland.

Has anybody got any good photo enhancement software that you can use for windows that's free to download?

(15 Jul 2015, 6:59 am)Jackamcardle wrote [ -> ]Has anybody got any good photo enhancement software that you can use for windows that's free to download?

http://www.fotor.com/ is pretty good.

(15 Jul 2015, 6:59 am)Jackamcardle wrote [ -> ]Has anybody got any good photo enhancement software that you can use for windows that's free to download?

Does your camera not come with a free package?

Also, not free, but I'd recommend a copy of Photoshop Elements... I think it's around the 60 quid mark. I use Photoshop CS6 for post-processing, and it works a treat.

(15 Jul 2015, 5:25 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Does your camera not come with a free package?

Also, not free, but I'd recommend a copy of Photoshop Elements... I think it's around the 60 quid mark. I use Photoshop CS6 for post-processing, and it works a treat.

My Nikon L330 came with a trial of editing software, but I tend to use Windows rubbish or Flickr rubbish.

I still have a copy of MGI Photosuite 4 kicking about somewhere...Lent it off my mate years ago and slyly copied it...

Must admit am shite at photo editing

One thing I really need to work on is which modes and settings to use for my photos. The main issue I'm having now is catching LED screens especially on newer buses where they often can only be caught by using a lower shutter speed, although a problem I am having is when a lower shutter speed is chosen the photo often tends to come out blurry when buses are moving. I often can't seem to get the balance right between catching the LED screen and getting a fairly decent quality photo. Anyone got any advice on what to do about this?

(19 Jul 2015, 11:33 am)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]One thing I really need to work on is which modes and settings to use for my photos. The main issue I'm having now is catching LED screens especially on newer buses where they often can only be caught by using a lower shutter speed, although a problem I am having is when a lower shutter speed is chosen the photo often tends to come out blurry when buses are moving. I often can't seem to get the balance right between catching the LED screen and getting a fairly decent quality photo. Anyone got any advice on what to do about this?

For most of my photos yesterday, I was on shutter priority (S). My ISO was set to either 250 or 400, and shutter speed around 1/320. Within that mode, I've set multiple shot instead of single shot too. Works a treat, but you have to take multiple shots for each photo, and the camera will not react as quick with the viewfinder on screen. Example below (although I changed speed to 1/400 for this shot):


Go North East - 9119 - SN64CTU by aureolindn, on Flickr

If something is standing perfectly still, i.e. the shots I got of 9119 at Chester, I just used the auto mode with no flash. Example:


Go North East - 5403 - NK15ENR and Go North East - 647 - NL63XZU by aureolindn, on Flickr

(19 Jul 2015, 11:42 am)aureolin wrote [ -> ]For most of my photos yesterday, I was on shutter priority (S). My ISO was set to either 250 or 400, and shutter speed around 1/320. Within that mode, I've set multiple shot instead of single shot too. Works a treat, but you have to take multiple shots for each photo, and the camera will not react as quick with the viewfinder on screen. Example below (although I changed speed to 1/400 for this shot):

If something is standing perfectly still, i.e. the shots I got of 9119 at Chester, I just used the auto mode with no flash.

Thanks [emoji2]

Not totally clued up on how to use this camera. Recently for photos of buses made from 2014 onwards I have been using M and P modes with mixed results, usually terrible. Not really sure on modes and such and I have just had to guess, the day the X66 StreetLite's hit the rode I ended up trying almost every mode but didn't change the shutter speeds or anything like that as I didn't really know how and what would be a good speed. For older buses I have been using sport mode where the photos usually come out great.

(19 Jul 2015, 11:51 am)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Thanks [emoji2]

Not totally clued up on how to use this camera. Recently for photos of buses made from 2014 onwards I have been using M and P modes with mixed results, usually terrible. Not really sure on modes and such and I have just had to guess, the day the X66 StreetLite's hit the rode I ended up trying almost every mode but didn't change the shutter speeds or anything like that as I didn't really know how and what would be a good speed. For older buses I have been using sport mode where the photos usually come out great.

See the other thing for me is that I shoot in RAW format. So if I mess up, and say select the wrong ISO for example, I can correct it in CameraRAW once I get home. But you need something like Photoshop or Lightroom to use that, as it's an Adobe plugin. I guess Nikon would have released similar for our cameras, but I've never bothered with it.

Sport mode will work fine, because it's going to shoot somewhere around 1/1000 and 1/1250, which is over compensating for what you need. It'll also select the ISO for you. Unfortunately though, your camera is working faster than what the LEDs blink on a destination display, hence why it appears blank or fuzzy. I stopped using sport mode, because some of the newer destinations seemed to blink the top and bottom halves in succession. So you'd end up with photos of half a destination.

(15 Jul 2015, 6:59 am)Jackamcardle wrote [ -> ]Has anybody got any good photo enhancement software that you can use for windows that's free to download?

Windows Live Photo Editor.

(14 Apr 2015, 1:19 pm)GX03 SVC wrote [ -> ]Just bought my new camera - hence the random posts in the "What's annoying you today?" thread.

Nikon Coolpix L330:

I quite like it on first opinions, I've taken a test image of my garden and its quite a performer. I won't have the problem with dropping it as it comes with a thing that goes around your neck.

Can I just say that Nikon Coolpix L330s are rubbish. 

I've failed to take a decent photo of anything recently that hasn't blurred, stayed the correct colour or hasn't gone grainy. I've had to put EVERY photo through the photo editor and even 1 or 2 from a batch of 10 will actually get published due to the rubbish camera.

If you ever buy one, prepare for crappy grainy images after a few months. It's a completely bollocks camera.

Stupid heap of absolute flaming crap!

So yesterday morning after many weeks of debating, I went out and purchased a Nikon D5200 (DSLR Camera) from Argos for £349.99, after a quick set up and an hours charge at home I headed out for a few photos and I wasnt disappointed by the quality of the camera, which made for an enjoyable afternoon using the RAW+Fine settings.

A few photos from yesterday can be seen on my Flickr Page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarkey/