request advice Finepix fujifilm S8500 bridge camera (3 Viewers)

[Earnest lad]

Dear forum colleagues
I have the above which is a 46x optical zoom bridge camera. I have no knowledge of photography. However I have been using the camera when birding. I simply put the camera to the "auto" setting with the dial , then snap away when I see birds, zooming in and out as necessary. I dont bother with the other settings as I am bamboozled by the photography technology.
However, I notice I have been getting a lot of blurred pictures of the birds I have snapped. For example, small birds such as tits at feeding stations are so fast one often gets little more than a blur.
That has got me thinking. Rather than simply snap away with the "auto" selection on the dial, is there any other setting or combination of settings that would help me to improve the clarity of my photographic efforts with birds.
For example are there any settings other than the default ones of "auto" that might help. I dont know much about photography but have read about such matters as shutter speed, iso setting, and others.
Any advice would be helpful please.
By the way I do appreciate this model of camera is sure to have its limitations as to how far you can go in regard to quality of photo.

 

[delia todd]

The photography experts on here will have a fit when I suggest you perhaps use Sports Mode and get the multishot facility added to it.

With that combo there's a chance of getting some of the bird's movements captured pretty well.

I have that stored in SP1 (which you might find on the dial if it's similar to my SX50). SP2 has Aperture Priority with macro mode for flowers and insects.

If you've a younger brain than mine, forget those and wait for the experts on here to explain how to use Shutter Priority etc. I get lost in the techie details and forget what I'm supposed to do when I see a bird LOL.

 

[poledark]

Earnest,

Basically turn the knob on top to S and then the dial on the back to set speed, suggest 1/1000sec,



https://youtu.be/jLAy4aiLXr4

Den

 

[Earnest lad]

The photography experts on here will have a fit when I suggest you perhaps use Sports Mode and get the multishot facility added to it.

Dear Delia
Thank you for the advice. I will try it. Please can you advise what "multishot" facility is?

QUOTE=poledark Basically turn the knob on top to S and then the dial on the back to set speed, suggest 1/1000sec,

Dear Poledark. Thank you for the advice. I will try it with shutter speed 1/1000 as advise
Thank you for the youtube link which i have watched and saved and found very useful