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I just got a new camera, a Panasonic Lumix FZ28 (10mp, 18x zoom).  After 8 straight days of sun, it got cloudy the day I got the camera.  My first set of pics were with the sun out and they were fantastic (in Auto mode).  Since then it has been cloudy and the pics have been very soft.

 I checked the settings on the soft pics (all taken in Auto mode) and the shutter was 1/125, and ISO400.  I'm not sure which of those caused the pics to be soft, probably the shutter.

 I experimented today with Shutter priority Mode, setting it at about 1/300 for shady shots.  I also dropped the ISO to 200.  The pictures of course came out dark, but by increasing the midtones in editing, they turned out good.  Best of all, I got detail on all the feathers.

 Am I on the right track for taking crisp pictures in shade?

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Life List: 224
Latest Birds: Northern Pintail, Snow Goose, American Dipper, Red-breasted Merganser

You're probably right in thinking that the softness is coming from camera shake, and that a higher shutter speed will help with this.  You can try raising the ISO to recover your brightness, but you'll also get more noise.  The two settings are directly proportional (half shutter time and twice the ISO will give the same exposure), so you could try 1/250 shutter and ISO 800 and see how that looks.  Chances are the shot will be crisper, but you won't like the noise.

The third setting you can play with is aperture, or the f/stop.  I'm not sure where this was in your test shots, so I can't really advise you on anything specific to try.  In general, the smaller the f number, the more light will be let in, and the less shutter speed you'll need.  The trade off here is depth of field.  As the f number decreases, you'll have less depth of field to work with, and more of your shot will be out of focus.

Hope this helps.  Let me know if I can explain anything better.

I have some examples to show.  The first was on a cloudy day using the auto mode.  This was at full zoom (18x, aka 86mm).  The camera chose f4.4, 1/125 and ISO250.

 

The picture turned out pretty soft.  Kinda blurry and more noise than I would expect for ISO250.  This is almost a 100% crop, I think I shrunk it a little more.  I believe f4.4 is the widest aperture my camera allows at full zoom.  It may also be the full zoom that increases the noise and blurryness.

 

Here's one with comparable lighting, taken with Shutter Priority, set at 1/250, and ISO set at 200.  Since I didn't zoom in all the way (about 90%, aka 81mm), the camera was able to chose f4 as aperture.  Its still not perfectly crisp, and I had to lighten it up a lot after the fact, but I do like the results.  It may be the best I can do on a cloudy day. Unfortunately, these settings have mixed results, but I do get a few really nice pictures

I'm not sure if the dark background improves the clarity of the pictures or complicates it.  I don't think it made much difference on the exposure on this one since I had the shutter and ISO fixed and the camera chose its widest available aperture.  But it does look nice.

 

 

  So right now, my plan for cloudy days is still to use Shutter priority at around 1/250, avoid full zoom, and keep ISO between 200 and 400 depending on conditions.  I might experiment with flash, but my camera has no hotshoe, so I'm stuck with the built in flash which may not be helpful.

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Life List: 224
Latest Birds: Northern Pintail, Snow Goose, American Dipper, Red-breasted Merganser

It sounds to me like you've got a handle on what works for you and your gear.  I don't have your camera, so I can only offer general advice. 

I think experimenting with flash is a great idea, too.

I think your problem is camera shake if your pictures aren't as sharp as you'd like. Your camera has a 27mm wide angle, 18x zoom lens. Relevant to 35mm terms, that puts your maximum zoom at 486mm, not the 86mm that you mentioned. At these focal lengths, it is hard to get crisp shots without the use of a tripod, especially at the slow shutter speeds you've been working with. The general rule of thumb I try to use is to keep my shutter speed at least as fast as the focal length for hand held shots. If you are shooting at nearly 500mm focal length, then 1/500 shutter speed would be the slowest I would attempt a hand held shot. If you can't get your shutter speed fast enough with the available light, a tripod is probably your best bet since your camera's built in flash probably wouldn't reach the target unless you were within ten feet or less. Long zoom lenses are great for getting up close, but the further out you zoom, the harder it is to keep things steady and get those sharp image. I'm no professional but I can tell you from experience, a tripod makes for better pictures. Hope that helps a bit.

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Have you tried changing the white balance setting to cloudy on the FZ28?  You do that on the main shooting menu.  I never use the Auto setting because the photos come out too light.  I mostly use Aperture and Shutter priority on the FZ28.

That hummingbird picture is FABULOUS!!

Thanks, I hadn't tried that setting, I just found it and its easy to get to.  I'll give it a shot tomorrow (its supposed to be cloudy out).  I've been avoiding the auto for the same reason.  I prefer the shots a little underexposed so there's something to work with.  I'm using shutter priority almost all of the time.

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Life List: 224
Latest Birds: Northern Pintail, Snow Goose, American Dipper, Red-breasted Merganser

Most wildlife photographers that I know use Aperture priority...  And they use a tripod.  Tripods are a pain so at least get yourself a monopod.

The hummingbird picture is a bit soft and probably can be improved with a tripod.  This type of "setup shot" on a feeder is perfect for tripod shooting.  I don't know if this camera provides for a remote switch for shutter control, but if it does... get one.  

Your problem is a common one for wildlife, my most difficult problem.  

Shoot lots of shots, be brutal and scratch most of the shots, use the slowest ISO possible and the highest f-stop that you can.  

Shooting in diffuse, or clowdy light conditions can have some advantages.  It does however create some problems.  Keep at it.

Fraser

This is how I deal with shades and clouds I shoot in raw and white balance set to auto, which gives me the full tonal range of pixels in the image then these can be then I can work on the shadows and highlights in camera raw

 

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My New Avatar is in memory of Nancy my darling wife of 10 years who passed away on Monday November the 16th 2009 after an illness

My photo gallery http://thekiwi.org/photography/index.php

Kiwi is correct... however I was not sure if the camera in question had the ability to shoot in "RAW" and or if the OP can process Raw images.

Fraser

Photgog:

Most wildlife photographers that I know use Aperture priority...

Could you explain this?  I haven't found a reason yet to use aperture priority, at least not when photographing birds.  My goal is to get the bird in focus, I haven't been too worried about whats behind or in front.  My understanding is that the aperture is mainly for letting in more or less light and also affects the depth of field.  But when I'm zoomed to 400mm and its cloudy, and I need to set the shutter around 1/400 to get a clear shot, I don't have much choice on aperture, I need it wide open.

Now I was shooting a volleyball game yesterday and it was great to use a small aperture, since I could get the whole court in focus (and it was sunny out).  But I haven't yet started using it on birds.

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Life List: 224
Latest Birds: Northern Pintail, Snow Goose, American Dipper, Red-breasted Merganser

You can improve a photo by manipulating settings and fiddling with editing, but the harsh reality is that there's no substitute for the good old sun. No cloudy day photo will ever look as good as one taken with full sun from a low angle coming from the right direction (unless you're using a multi-flash setup). The cloudy shots always look flat and one-dimensional compared to well-lit shots that create those subtle shadows that add depth and texture. They always look mushy and hazy, like there's a film on your lens. You wouldn't think something as tiny as the glint of a catchlight in a bird's eye would make that much of a difference, but it does.

With respect to Aperture priority... and wildlife photography... so much of birding and indeed other "wild life"  the time that the photographer has to take the photo of a fleeting warbler in a tree,  in and out of the bushes, and just generally doing everything they can to make life difficult for the photographer.... is limited.  Focus is almost always an issue and if you shoot in auto focus... like I do, then the camera always focuses on the branch in front of the bird.  With aperture priority then you might still have a chance th capture the bird in focus.  Now if the bird is an Egret, standing at attention in the lake... take as much time as you like to set the focus and details. 

If it is a fleeting shot, like so much of birding is... you will get better results with Aperture. 

Fraser

The reason why wildlife photogaphers use Aperture priority is for the reason of having control over the DOF (Depth of Field) the Aperture setting is what has the direct effect upon the DOF. By using Aperture priority you have the control of DOF and if you need to control the exposure rate (the shutter speed) then you can adjust the Aperture setting or the ISO rating.

The reason why DOF is important is the following

When shooting wildlife you want to try and shoot the subject only without the extra stuff such as trees branches etc. When you see the photos where the background id blurry that is a result of a shallow DOF.  The larger the Aperture opening (smallest fstop  ie f4, f5.6) the smaller (shallow) the DOF giving the blurry background.

the smaller the Aperture opening (higher fstop setting IE f16,f22) the larger the DOF these settings are good for landscapes everything in focus near to far.

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My New Avatar is in memory of Nancy my darling wife of 10 years who passed away on Monday November the 16th 2009 after an illness

My photo gallery http://thekiwi.org/photography/index.php