GroundquestMSA wrote:The camera only has two aperture options, F3.3 and F10. I have used the F3.3 with a longer exposure, and F10 with a shorter exposure, and the results have been nearly indistinguishable.
I have the Lumix TS3 rather than the TS4, but I don't believe my camera has any sort of aperture control. The combinations you mention don't make sense since the combination of open aperture (F3.3) with long exposure admits more light, and the other combination admits less light, so the overall exposures with these two combinations would be quite different. If you do have the ability to control aperture, then a larger f-stop will give you greater depth of field, and make the image less sensitive to focus problems, but you should figure out what the problems are with focus rather than trying to compensate with aperture. With P&S cameras you generally need to put enough light on the subject to get the autofocus to work properly. You are probably also aware that the shutter button has to be half-way depressed to get the autofocus to work, and in caves this can take several seconds. If your photos are fuzzy, and you're doing a long exposure, you also need to ensure that the camera isn't moving. I always use the timer to ensure that the pressing and releasing of the shutter doesn't cause camera movement.
The cover photo of the February, 2012 NSS News was taken with a Lumix TS3 and a 30 sec exposure using a headlamp for light-painting.