NASA Shuttle Launch

Well, you would have more MP to be able to digitally zoom afterwards by cropping, and it has a 20x optical zoom....

With that being said, I'm not generally a fan of putting that many MP in such a small chip, since noise will be more apparent in the pictures. ; However, with noise reducing software that might not be an issue.
 
Yes actually. ; The Digic4 is a really good chip, and you have 67% more MP, plus a substantial more optical zoom (75% more).
 
One quick little caveat here, just to make sure you're aware:

The "12x" vs the "20x" zooms on those two cameras isn't all at the telephoto end. ; That multiplication number is based on multiplying from the widest setting...

In other words, you're S3 IS starts with the widest angle being 36mm. ; So the 12x zoom means you get a maximum optical telephoto reach of 432mm. ; If you were to add the 1.7x telephoto extender to that, you'd stretch your optical reach to 720mm.

The SX10 starts at a wide end of 28mm. ; So the 20x zoom means you get a maximum optical telephoto reach of 560mm. ; Now, don't get me wrong - that's a lot more telephoto, plus a significantly more useful wide end too. ; But the actual gain in telephoto shooting isn't quite "8x"...it's more like 3.5x difference...or the equivalent to a 15.4x zoom on your S3.

Just wanted to make sure that's understood...the telephoto extender, even the 1.7x, will get you more reach than the new camera alone will. ; Of course, you can always add the 1.7x extender to the new SX10, and get a crazy 952mm optical equivalent!!
 
"zackiedawg" said:
One quick little caveat here, just to make sure you're aware:

The "12x" vs the "20x" zooms on those two cameras isn't all at the telephoto end. ; That multiplication number is based on multiplying from the widest setting...

In other words, you're S3 IS starts with the widest angle being 36mm. ; So the 12x zoom means you get a maximum optical telephoto reach of 432mm. ; If you were to add the 1.7x telephoto extender to that, you'd stretch your optical reach to 720mm.

The SX10 starts at a wide end of 28mm. ; So the 20x zoom means you get a maximum optical telephoto reach of 560mm. ; Now, don't get me wrong - that's a lot more telephoto, plus a significantly more useful wide end too. ; But the actual gain in telephoto shooting isn't quite "8x"...it's more like 3.5x difference...or the equivalent to a 15.4x zoom on your S3.

Just wanted to make sure that's understood...the telephoto extender, even the 1.7x, will get you more reach than the new camera alone will. ; Of course, you can always add the 1.7x extender to the new SX10, and get a crazy 952mm optical equivalent!!
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Would the Kodak Z980 be a better choice than the SX10 in regards to the zoom?
 
Okay, the Kodak gives you 2 more mm on the wide end and 64 more on the telephoto end. ; I'm not sure how much of a factor the 64 would be....(35mm equivalent)
 
So I've gone through all this work taking pictures of the lighthouse for nothing. I forgot that I had my S3 with me when I visited KSC 2 years ago. There was no shuttle on the pad but I believe this is the same pad it will launch from this weekend.

ksc020.jpg




This version was resized for web hosting a while back and lost it's exif data. I have the original at home. I'm assuming I was zoomed in all the way on this.
 
I have been in contact with Ben from Launch Photography, he is the one who gave me some settings.

You want to use manual exposure and focus on a telephoto; if it launches June 13 or 14 I would use ISO 100 500th f8. If it delays into a night launch then it's very different, say ISO 400 f8 1/250.
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Although someone on another forum disagreed with him.

Who ever was telling you was thinking DSLR and possibly has never done any serious usage of a P&S. Both the S3 and the SX10 defraction limit way before f/8. I'd suggest f/4.5 on the S3 and wide open (f/5.7) on the SX10 and use the default ISO (80), adjusting shutter speed appropriately. He may or may not be giving the correct EVs. I'd look at the EXIF data on YOUR lauch pad shot to evaluate the suitability of those EVs. I'd still throw the meter in spot mode and check a few minutes before launch. As far as focus just set to infinity.
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I agree with the person who disagreed. ; DSLR and P&S are different settings, with F8 on P&S being minimum aperture, and therefore too small and subject to diffraction. ; I'd definitely stay within the F5.6-6.3 range, ISO100 if possible, and try to keep the shutter speeds around 1/400-1/500. ; The manual exposure is probably a good idea with the extreme difference in lighting when the flame is on...but be ready to adjust it a bit, or the EV, if you find the flame blowing out or causing flare. ; Personally, I'd underexpose a bit for the rest of the scene in order to preserve the bright highlights in the flame plume.
 
Unfortunately the shuttle was scrubbed so I didn't even get to see it. I'm hoping they push it back to July and we can try again. Our tickets are still good for whenever they reschedule.
 
Too bad. ; Sadly, that was always the pattern when I missed a launch. ; It was never a weather scrub, it was always a hardware problem that would take weeks to fix.

It could be worse. ; I once met a couple who came all the way from Austria because they were friends with a European astronaut. ; That flight was scrubbed a couple of days before the launch and finally got off a month or two later.
 
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