Kyocera FineCam S3 ZoomKyocera packs 3 megapixels into the smallest zoom-equipped digicam yet. Too cool!<<Optics :(Previous) | (Next): Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests>> Page 6:Exposure & FlashReview First Posted: 7/1/2001 |
Exposure
The Mode dial on the back of the camera controls the S3's main operating mode, with options for Setup, Record, and Playback. Through the Record menu, you can select one of two exposure modes: Program AE (default) or Aperture Priority. In Program AE, the camera controls both shutter speed and aperture settings. In Aperture Priority mode, the user can select either an f/2.8 or f/6.2 lens setting, while the camera chooses the best corresponding shutter speed. Shutter speeds range from 1/2,000 to 1 second in Program and Aperture Priority modes, or can be set at 2, 4, or 8 seconds in the camera's Long Exposure mode (activated through the Record menu).
The S3's default metering system is Evaluative metering, which takes readings from various points throughout the image to determine the best overall exposure. Through the Record menu, you can change the metering system to Center-Weighted or Spot metering. Center-Weighted metering reads a large area in the center of the frame, and averages the values to determine exposure. Spot metering reads a small point in the very center of the frame to judge the exposure, which is very useful for backlit or high-contrast subjects. Though the S3 does not offer a separate AE Lock function, you can manually lock the exposure by pointing the center of the frame at a specific part of the subject, halfway pressing the Shutter button, and then reframing the subject while holding down the Shutter button halfway. This locks both focus and exposure until the Shutter button is either fully depressed or released.
You can lighten or darken the exposure by adjusting the Exposure Compensation from -2 to +2 exposure values (EV) in one-third-step increments. The S3's default sensitivity setting is equivalent to 100 ISO, but can be increased through the Record menu to 200 or 400 via the X2 and X4 settings. As usual, boosting the light sensitivity also increases the image noise levels, although the S3's noise level at the X4 sensitivity setting is still quite low. White Balance offers five adjustment settings to match a variety of light sources: Preset, Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, or Fluorescent. The Preset mode enables you to set the color balance manually by holding a white card held in front of the lens.
A Self-Timer option in the Record menu allows you to set a 2- or 10-second countdown between the time the Shutter button is pressed and the exposure is made, for self-portraits or other timed shots. It's the first menu option on the screen, making it very quick to access. There's also a Color mode option that offers Black and White and Sepia exposures.
FlashThe S3's built-in flash offers Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill In, and Flash Off options. In the Auto flash mode, the S3 automatically fires the flash in low lighting or when the subject is backlit. Red-Eye Reduction mode fires a small pre-flash before the full flash, to reduce the occurrence of the red-eye effect. Forced Flash triggers the flash with every exposure, while No Flash completely disables it. These last two modes work independently of light level. Kyocera reports the effective flash ranges as 90 cm to 2.5 meters at the wide-angle setting.
Movie Mode
The S3 can also capture up to 15 seconds of moving images without sound, at the 320 x 240-pixel resolution. The Movie mode is accessed through the Record menu, but highlighting the Image Quality / Movie icon and scrolling through the quality options until the small movie camera icon shows up in the upper right corner of the LCD.
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