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From: Wolfgang Weisselberg on 6 Dec 2009 20:34
Prof Wonmug <wonmug(a)e.mcc> wrote:

> I just tested it. I had a friend wave at a moderate speed. The hand
> was a total blur.

You need much more light then.
Or at least a higher ISO setting.

Problem is that the camera needs to collect a certain amount of
light ... and with not enough light, that takes just too long
for a moving hand.

> Even with a fairly slow pan, everything is blurry.

To be expected. Hold the camera steady.

> I may have to forego the compact P&S and get a DSLR. Any
> recommendations?

One that feels right in your hands. (Large hands? Try the camera
with a battery grip/portrait grip screwed on.)

You might want to evaluate your already shot photos for focal
lengths so you know what lens(es) you should look for --- if
possible, use fast lenses, they allow you shorter exposures.
Remember: A body goes out of date within a few years, but
good optics last decades. And while IS (image stabilisation,
also known as VR, OS and similar) is valuable, it will *not*
help against a waving hand.

Also consider buying an external flash unit: it can bounce the
flash over the ceiling (looks *much* better) and can recharge
quicker (some even allow external high voltage sources for higher
speed), especially if you don't need to fire it at lots of power.
(Higher ISO settings help) Be aware that the flashes are not
build for long time continous flashing: they can overheat.
Read the manual.

-Wolfgang
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