LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Ath$rton

Ath$rton

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84
Name
Matthew
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Yes
I went out to do some indoor skating photography in the evening i was finding that when i had fast shutter speed it wasn't letting enough light in! So i had to use the flash which burned the subject and it didn't look very good i also had alot of noise in my photo. Due to my subject moving with quite some pace i had motion blur! Anyone got any ideas how to sort my problem out!:)
 
If you are indoors shooting sport you need to have either a faster lens, or external (remote?) flash. Or both. And be willing to accept the noise.

What lens do you have now?
What ISO were you shooting at?
 
to add onto richards question, what shutter speed had you decided on.

Also i would agree with drummer that lowering the flash intensity would defo help or reducing(higher f number) your appature would go some way to helping stop the flash blowing out the highlights
 
hi yes i dont know how to upload a photo but i was trying al shutter speeds ranging from 200-500 and none would work ! i was taking photo of skaters in stockport and i found that my flash was ruining the picture but without it would not focus or let enough light i have 430 ex ii but im trying to get tht to work wirelessly i was using 17-85 is usm f4-5.6
 
Whn you say the shutter speeds would not work how do you mean?

First tip, buy a 50mm F1.8. This will let in approx 3 stops more light than your current lens. For you this means if the exposure suggests you need 1/30th with the 17-85mm you can get 1/250th with the 50mm F1.8. Also the autofocus will have an easier time because it has more light to work with.

You can use flash as an alternative too. Set the camera to Manual. 1/250th ISO 1600 and the widest aperture possible. Mount the flash on the camera in ETTL mode. Ensure AF is in servo mode and just have a go. Then based on the exposure you get adjust the flash compensation accordingly.

If you are still getting inconsistent exposure you will need to switch the flash to manual too. This requires a little experimentation and a bit of reading beforehand. There is a chart in the user guide for your flash that gives you the required power for a subject distance and aperture - start with that.

Autofocus will be the most difficult thing to get right in the low light conditions with the 17-85mm. It is possible just much harder because the lens lets less light in.
 
avoid flash for sports. go with fast lenses. lenses like 85mm f1.8, 70-200 f2.8 IS MkII if you can afford it
 
I wouldnt really advise on using flash for sports but i suppose it depends on the situation. Like the others have said you really need a faster lens to be honest. For sports I use a Tamron 70 - 200 F2.8 which is great. There is better ones out there but again it comes down to cost and this one was within my price range. I personally dont worry about how high I have my iso so my advise would be to invest in faster glass and bump that ISO up to get a fast enough shutter speed
 
Ath$rton said:
But wont 50mm be to zoomed out wont i struggle to fit them in the picture?
Click to expand...

The fun of a prime - you zoom with your feet. Position yourself for the best shots using the capability of your lens.
 
Ath$rton said:
yes i really want the 70-200mm but i cant afford the is version and i'm stuck to choose for the 2.8 or the 4 / non is or is
Click to expand...

The non IS if fine. Most of the time shooting fast moving sports you need to leave it off anyway.
Luckily i found out this before parting with my cash and saved a lot of money by going for the non IS
 
I use a 70-200 2.8 non-is. Fab lens and I use it for shooting football.people say its not as sharp as the f/4, but I've had both and don't find that the case.
 
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