So just WHY does my camera have separate portrait settings for 'Man' and 'Lady'?

[SybilBeddows]

It seems very peculiar to me. Any ideas?

[BertieBotts]

Try taking a photo of the same person, using both, and compare them!

[StealthPolarBear]

I don't understand!

[LeBOF]

Manual and, er, something else?

[StealthPolarBear]

Does one add on a false moustache and beard and the other add on ridiculously long eyelashes, beauty spot and pouty lipstick?

[MmeLindor.]

Does it say Man and Lady or M and L?

What kind of camera is it?

[SybilBeddows]

Neither do I Stealth, neither do I

It is a 2008 Hitachi digital camera which I got for dh and he never used it so I am taking it over.

There are lots of different modes like 'Pets' and 'Running water' with little explanations of what they are for. The explanations of the 2 portrait settings just say that they make the subject stand out against a blurred background, but no explanation of what is different about the 2 and why there isn't just a single 'portrait' setting.

[SybilBeddows]

it appears to be about whether the subject is a man or a lady, not the photographer!

[SybilBeddows]

Mme it says 'Man' and 'Lady'.

[MmeLindor.]

Maybe it has a special filter on the Lady one, to flatter norks.

[StealthPolarBear]

might it be as simple as height? The average heights will be different, even though there will be overlap.

[MmeLindor.]

SPB
That would not work with my DH - he is only 5'7 :o

[SybilBeddows]

if it is height, though, why not just have 'tall' and 'short' settings?

[queenofthemojavewasteland]

But surely on a portrait height wouldn't matter?

This camera sounds like it's been designed for people who want to impress others with how amazing their camera is with it's superfluous settings.

[SybilBeddows]

LOL Queen, quite possibly!
It does have a shaky hand setting that I like though. (I mean it minimises the effect of shaky hands, not that it makes it look like you've got them.)

[Continuum]

Probably make the woman look all softer with fuzzier skin and warmer colours or something and the man all sharp edges and colder.

[Continuum]

But yes, take photos and compare, or tell us what camera you've got and we can look online about what it says about the settings.

[Continuum]

Object to "lady" on principle btw!!

Last post in a row!!

[SybilBeddows]

ah yes, more blurry for women to make our skin look prettier and sharper for men to show up their muscle definition perhaps?

I will definitely be taking photos of everyone with both. At the moment I only have children in the house and it may not work on them.

[SybilBeddows]

Hitatchi HDC-886E

The manual just says 'Portrait Man: Select this mode when you want to capture an image that makes a man stand out against a blurred background.
Portrait Lady: Select this mode when you want to capture an image that makes a lady stand out against a blurred background.'

[SybilBeddows]

sorry, Hitachi.

[AliceWyrld]

Try taking a picture of a woman who isn't a lady and see what happens? Although it might break it.

[CRIKRI]

How utterly bizarre.

(Starts looking at settings on all her cameras)

[alexpolismum]

[idly wonders how many cameras CRIKRI has got]

I don't think I would have noticed if it were on my camera. So far I've only used the zoom on the special features (not really interested in photography, just want nice pics of my children)

Perhaps it uses a different kind of lighting, to make a man or a lady show up differently?

[nickelbabe]

the Man setting is soft focus to make the man look better looking.
no need to have that on the Lady setting