Nothing To See Here, So Look Carefully - With Fujifilm, Panasonic, and Olympus

Trying to compile a portfolio of the dullest photographs in Perth, I lifted my Fujifilm X-10 at the traffic lights and pushed the shutter button. There was no traffic accident to record, no wild bogan behaviour...everyone was just quietly going to work. The only crime visible in the frame was the price of petrol.

What is remarkable about the image is that it was literally the work of 3 seconds. The camera had been set to EXR - a Fujifilm automated setting that carries on from normal auto or program. As near as I can tell it analyses the scene in front of the sensor, compares it to a library of good pictures, and then decides what to do. I am pleased it released the shutter - normally it tells me to put the lens cap back on, go home, and take up stamp collecting...

Seriously, folks, this sort of program is pooh poohed by the pundits but is actually a brilliant idea by the manufacturer. I am sure that it is not just Fujifilm - Olympus and Panasonic have great automatic programs in their menus as well. With a camera that is going to be used by a tourist, or a busy Mum or Dad, or an internationally famous world-wide icon street shooter ( complete with three-day growth and a scarf around their neck...I've seen the advertisements... ) this sort of quick response and decent result is just the thing. Click and run.

Okay, set the thing up for success - give the camera permission to shoot up to 1600 ISO and admit that you need to shoot at 1/30 of a second to prevent blur ( Olympus users take note - your camera has tiny little stabilisers that let you shoot at lower speeds. ) and make sure you have a decent speed card in there - and then go for it. These cameras will produce the goods.

Note, I was stopped at the lights at the time. The camera was put down safely on the seat afterwards and then I carefully and courteously rear-ended the Mazda.

Uncle Dick