Newbie help needed

Newbie to digital photography here. Recently retired and recently a
Grandpa for the first time. Have used a digital camera for the past 5
years or so at school but only for webpages and printing. The camera was
an Olympus C700, I think. Had no problems with it.

Since I retired, I wanted a digital camera for the new grandbaby. Wanted
good auto mode, clear pictures and good colors. Read reviews on the web
and decided on and bought a Canon Powershot A540. Has many added
features if I want to get further into picture taking.

This problem has probably been addressed here many times. I downloaded
the last 500 posts to the group and did not see anything about it so am
posting and asking for help or your thoughts.

Am using auto mode, sized for a little bigger than an 8X10 and superfine
quality since I bought a 1G card for the camera. The camera has a 2" or
2.5" LCD viewer. I use the LCD and also the viewfinder to take pictures.
The pictures shown on the LCD are beautiful. Download by USB to
Macintosh. The pictures on the computer are great and make great desktop
pictures. Now the problelm.....took the card to CVS and used the picture
machine to have prints made. The prints do not look near as good as on
the LCD or the computer. They seem very dull and washed out.

Thoughts appreciated!

tia.......Rich

My daughter just got a Canon - I'm not overly impressed with the quality.
I've used a Nikon D-50 for my photos, but also have used the Sony Cybershot
for pix that I don't need to adjust or care about artistic shots. I like
the Sony much better for the quality.

"Rich Binkley" wrote in message
...
Newbie to digital photography here. Recently retired and recently a
Grandpa for the first time. Have used a digital camera for the past 5
years or so at school but only for webpages and printing. The camera was
an Olympus C700, I think. Had no problems with it.

Since I retired, I wanted a digital camera for the new grandbaby. Wanted
good auto mode, clear pictures and good colors. Read reviews on the web
and decided on and bought a Canon Powershot A540. Has many added
features if I want to get further into picture taking.

This problem has probably been addressed here many times. I downloaded
the last 500 posts to the group and did not see anything about it so am
posting and asking for help or your thoughts.

Am using auto mode, sized for a little bigger than an 8X10 and superfine
quality since I bought a 1G card for the camera. The camera has a 2" or
2.5" LCD viewer. I use the LCD and also the viewfinder to take pictures.
The pictures shown on the LCD are beautiful. Download by USB to
Macintosh. The pictures on the computer are great and make great desktop
pictures. Now the problelm.....took the card to CVS and used the picture
machine to have prints made. The prints do not look near as good as on
the LCD or the computer. They seem very dull and washed out.

Thoughts appreciated!

tia.......Rich

Rich Binkley wrote:

The pictures shown on the LCD are beautiful. Download by USB to
Macintosh. The pictures on the computer are great and make great desktop
pictures. Now the problelm.....took the card to CVS and used the picture
machine to have prints made. The prints do not look near as good as on
the LCD or the computer. They seem very dull and washed out.

My daughter just got a Canon - I'm not overly impressed with the quality.
I've used a Nikon D-50 for my photos, but also have used the Sony Cybershot
for pix that I don't need to adjust or care about artistic shots. I like
the Sony much better for the quality.

I do not know if I have a problem with the camera or the developer. I
would think that if the camera shows good pictures on the LCD and the
mac shows good pictures on the screen, I should get good pictures when I
have prints made. Am I wrong in this. I really do not know.

I would have thought I could get at least as good a quality priints with
this new camera as we do with the 30 year old film camera it was to
replace. Again, I really do not know.

tia.....Rich

On Sat, 12 Aug 2006 15:56:00 -0400, (Rich Binkley)
wrote:

Rich Binkley wrote:

The pictures shown on the LCD are beautiful. Download by USB to
Macintosh. The pictures on the computer are great and make great desktop
pictures. Now the problelm.....took the card to CVS and used the picture
machine to have prints made. The prints do not look near as good as on
the LCD or the computer. They seem very dull and washed out.

Snip

I do not know if I have a problem with the camera or the developer. I
would think that if the camera shows good pictures on the LCD and the
mac shows good pictures on the screen, I should get good pictures when I
have prints made. Am I wrong in this. I really do not know.

I would have thought I could get at least as good a quality priints with
this new camera as we do with the 30 year old film camera it was to
replace. Again, I really do not know.

tia.....Rich

Rich,
1st, Congratulations on reaching retirement & becoming a
grandfather!

2nd, The above combination + digital photography sounds like
you will be having a great start in keeping yourself busy with
something you enjoy & that can be of such joy to others too.

As to your printing problem & questions:

As much as I dislike Walmart, they do have the FUJI Frontier
photo processor which is very well regarded. There should be other
places locally that have this photo processor as well. Don't know
what CVS has but if that's the only place you have had prints make &
you don't like the quality, ask what film processor they used & try
another someplace else. It's also possible that it was not calibrated
properly.

Another thing to consider it that there may be a difference in
how you home monitor is adjusted compared to the place where you get
your pictures printed. My TV for example is set for richer colors &
higher contrast than real life but that's my viewing preference when
watching most DVDs.

Try another film processor 1st & you will likely (hopefully)
be pleased with the results. If the results are the same as CVS &
they use the Fuji Frontier photo processor than you may need to adjust
your monitor accordingly or in the case of your Canon camera select
"vivid" picture mode if this model has it. The results may be more to
your liking.

Good luck on all 3 new frontiers, no Fuji pun intended.

Respectfully, DHB



"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

"Rich Binkley" wrote in message
...
Newbie to digital photography here. Recently retired and recently a
Grandpa for the first time. Have used a digital camera for the past 5
years or so at school but only for webpages and printing. The camera was
an Olympus C700, I think. Had no problems with it.

Since I retired, I wanted a digital camera for the new grandbaby. Wanted
good auto mode, clear pictures and good colors. Read reviews on the web
and decided on and bought a Canon Powershot A540. Has many added
features if I want to get further into picture taking.

This problem has probably been addressed here many times. I downloaded
the last 500 posts to the group and did not see anything about it so am
posting and asking for help or your thoughts.

Am using auto mode, sized for a little bigger than an 8X10 and superfine
quality since I bought a 1G card for the camera. The camera has a 2" or
2.5" LCD viewer. I use the LCD and also the viewfinder to take pictures.
The pictures shown on the LCD are beautiful. Download by USB to
Macintosh. The pictures on the computer are great and make great desktop
pictures. Now the problelm.....took the card to CVS and used the picture
machine to have prints made. The prints do not look near as good as on
the LCD or the computer. They seem very dull and washed out.

Thoughts appreciated!

tia.......Rich

Hi there.

First off, I am not familiar with your camera, and it is a very long time
(5yrs) since I last used a Mac, so my suggestions may turn out to be total
rubbish.

If the coulours and density are Ok on both the Camera and the Monitor, it
could just be that the lab were having a bad day, or perhaps every day is a
bad one. Try someplace else.

If the problem is the same, then it is your system that is wrong.

You should check the Camera menus to ensure that the Camera is not set to
attach the Adobe RGB Profile to the images, and that the Mac is also not set
to Adobe RGB. If they are change them to sRGB. Commercial printers almost
always want sRGB Profile. An image tagged with Adobe RGB and viewed or
printed on a sRGB System will look dull and and washed out.

Another possibility is that your Monitor is needing Calibrated, and is
showing the images as more bright and saturated than they actually are.
Quite often the Camera LCD will make pictures look brighter than they really
are, and in any case it is difficult to make accurate decisions on such a
small screen.

The other common cause of viewing errors, is having the Monitor set to its
native colour Temperature of 9300K
when for accurate printing it should be set to 6500K.

These are a few suggestions, which could all be playing some part or none.

Roy G

Roy, DHB & Hoover, thanks for your time and the replies. Will try
another type machine and look into the other suggestions.

Appreciated.....Rich

no problem Rich, good luck - let us know what you get and how you like it

"Rich Binkley" wrote in message
...
Roy, DHB & Hoover, thanks for your time and the replies. Will try
another type machine and look into the other suggestions.

Appreciated.....Rich

hoover wrote:

no problem Rich, good luck - let us know what you get and how you like it

"Rich Binkley" wrote in message
...
Roy, DHB & Hoover, thanks for your time and the replies. Will try
another type machine and look into the other suggestions.

Appreciated.....Rich

Went to another CVS and got pictures done. They were much better. Had
the same pictures done at a Walgreens and they were about the same as
the second CVS. Must just be our local CVS.

Do not mind going to another picture place, just an excuse to get the
Goldwing out.

Thanks to all, Rich

On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 19:02:02 -0400, (Rich Binkley)
wrote:

hoover wrote:

no problem Rich, good luck - let us know what you get and how you like it

"Rich Binkley" wrote in message
...
Roy, DHB & Hoover, thanks for your time and the replies. Will try
another type machine and look into the other suggestions.

Appreciated.....Rich

Went to another CVS and got pictures done. They were much better. Had
the same pictures done at a Walgreens and they were about the same as
the second CVS. Must just be our local CVS.

Do not mind going to another picture place, just an excuse to get the
Goldwing out.

Thanks to all, Rich

Rich,
Thanks for taking the time to tell us how things worked out
for you. Often times the Original Poster (OP) does not follow though,
leaving those who tried to help wondering how things worked out & if
anything they said helped.

Thanks again for letting us know how things worked out for
you, this helps us *all* learn something.

Respectfully, DHB

Enjoy the Honda Goldwing too.


"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918