| Author | Thread |
|
|
07/29/2010 03:16:12 PM · #1 |
I have always had problems shooting in low light. This includes heavy cloud cover, dusk, or dawn. Are there any suggestions on what settings to use.
|
|
|
|
07/29/2010 03:30:47 PM · #2 |
That's really going to depend on what you are trying to accomplish. Perhaps if you could post an example or two of what you tried it would be easier to offer advice.
Beyond that, tripods, large aperture, high ISO, and artificial lighting can all help. |
|
|
|
07/29/2010 03:31:06 PM · #3 |
It's VERY difficult to get good shots overcast skies or in low-light situations. Imagine if Van Gogh had to paint "Starry Night" with Crayola Water Paints on an 8.5x11 piece of notebook paper.
As for settings, nothing you haven't heard before:
ISO: 800-1600
Aperture: Lowest Possible
Exposure, Long, but not long enough to get motion blur.
Lens: A lens that can take in light well in low-light situations, like this one.
In studio setting, use 400 watt bulbs, or even better, studio lights.
At dawn/dusk, shoot looking away form the sun to an area where the sun is still shining light.
|
|
|
|
07/29/2010 03:42:41 PM · #4 |
It's possible that your selected metering mode may be an issue. I also notice that out of several nearly identical images, the exposure often varies, depending on exactly where my camera was pointing. By shooting in RAW, I give myself a little fudge factor on the metering.
And definitely use a tripod or at least a monopod in low light. |
|
|
|
07/29/2010 03:43:28 PM · #5 |
what kind of problems, specifically?
In general, handholding in low light means keeping your shutter speed at least 1/60 if you are steady and braced well, faster if not (or you get motion blur from your motion :-) Also, the tendency is toward wider apertures to get enough light. f4 lenses are often not fast enough for low light, so then one needs to increase ISO higher--400, 800, 1000. As you go higher, you will get noisier images, but you will get images.
So, in some low light situation, when you have time, set shutter speed at 1/125 and ISO to 400, see if you have a wide enough aperture setting to get the shot (check histogram, too--LCD image is not reliable for judging). Then go to ISO 800, try again. Check the images on your computer, see how the noise is looking--too grainy, or acceptable. Try 1000, 1600--know the threshold where you would just rather not even bother, given the noise.
You should have a shutter speed priority setting--for low light you can set it to the slowest steady hand speed you can do (1/60 or 1/125, say) and let the camera set the aperture as needed. I don't know about Canon, but Nikons will allow the ISO to automatically shift in this mode (as an option) so you might have to dig thru your menus and see if you can set that. You may be able to set an upper limit so the ISO doesn't go higher than you like. Maybe a 20D person will chime in here :-)
If your subject matter is not moving, you can always go with a tripod, low ISO, and long exposure, too.
The ideal option? Get one of the new pricey buggers that goes to ISO 64000 or 125000 with little noise/grain. That is my longer term plan :-) After I win the lottery. [any plan that has as a first step "win the lottery" is not really a plan, is it? :-) ]
Message edited by author 2010-07-29 15:46:22. |
|
|
|
07/29/2010 03:44:14 PM · #6 |
I will have to take some pics and post them here for an example. I can't seem to find any of my old ones. Thanks apeture I will try that.
|
|
|
|
07/29/2010 03:51:49 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by eqsite:
That's really going to depend on what you are trying to accomplish. |
My camera is horrible at high ISO settings (like over 200), so my options are even more limited. But sometimes a low-light look is what you want ... this one I wanted to capture the soft glow of the city lights reflecting off the low cloud cover:
Tripod, ISO 80, f/2.71, 15 seconds: 
This one was essentially shot towards the sun, and so was deliberately underexposed to achieve the desired mood:
Handheld, ISO 80, f/8.00, 1/626 seconds:  |
|
|
|
07/29/2010 03:58:08 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by eqsite:
That's really going to depend on what you are trying to accomplish. |
My camera is horrible at high ISO settings (like over 200), so my options are even more limited. But sometimes a low-light look is what you want ... this one I wanted to capture the soft glow of the city lights reflecting off the low cloud cover:
Tripod, ISO 80, f/2.71, 15 seconds:
This one was essentially shot towards the sun, and so was deliberately underexposed to achieve the desired mood:
Handheld, ISO 80, f/8.00, 1/626 seconds: |
exactly :) |
|
|
|
07/29/2010 04:22:50 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by cowboy221977:
I have always had problems shooting in low light. This includes heavy cloud cover, dusk, or dawn. Are there any suggestions on what settings to use. |
Once one of the current challenges is out of voting, I can show you a great example of what works for me... |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/10/2025 05:00:41 AM EDT.
