What to do when there just isn't enough light?

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

03/20/2006 01:39:52 PM · #1

I was shooting a friend's figure-skating carnival yesterday. It was held in (what appeared as) a surprisingly well lit rural arena. But with my 70-300 4.5-5.6 in use I was metering at about ~1/30s. I've got some fairly sharp 'artistic' (one sharp person in a blurred group) shots through motion tracking but I was, of course, unable to come anywhere close to 'freezing' the action which would be desirable during jumps and spins.

With my lense wide open and the ISO cranked to 800 (1600 on the D100 is almost unusably grainy), I'm left wondering whether there is anything else which I can be doing to bring the shutter speed down to get closer to freezing the action and reducing the camera shake (450mm equivalent at 1/30s while tracking the subject with cold hands).

It is doubtful that they'd let me use a flash (sb800 future purchase) during a performance but even if they did I'm unsure whether it would do much good anyway from 50m away or behind glass.

Is my solution to simply find a brighter rink and buy a better lense (f/2.8 telephoto prime) or are there other methods to get more light?

Spork99

OM System OM-1

03/20/2006 01:44:11 PM · #2

Nikon 200mm f2

That's what you want.

Canon PowerShot Pro 90 IS

03/20/2006 01:46:52 PM · #3

Well of course that's what I want! haha.

Added requirement for solution: $500 budget at this moment. (amazing f/2 VR primes come later)

Message edited by author 2006-03-20 13:47:37.

coolhar

03/20/2006 01:52:22 PM · #4

I think you've answered your own question well. Maybe you could try the higher ISO and clean up with a noise reduction program like Neat Image. But even a very fast aperture lens with VR (or image stabilization) may not bring you up to where you need to be for quality action shots. Would be a shame to buy an expensive lens and still not get the images you're after. Sometimes it's as you say -- "there just isn't enough light".

03/20/2006 02:10:11 PM · #5

You're at 1/30s @ f/5.6 (assuming you're near the long end of your zoom), so if you had an f/2.8 lens you'd be two stops faster, or 1/125. that's about a stop slower than you'd really want, but it certainly would be much more workable than the 1/30. But you're talking about a 300/2.8 prime, which is not a cheap investment either, and the DoF will be thin, so MF is not an option for this type of sports. Where it is an option, you're in potentially decent shape; Nikon 300/2.8 AI and AIS lenses (manual focus) are available used from about $750, a LOT cheaper than buying new. I don't think that helps you here, though.

Message edited by author 2006-03-20 14:10:28.

03/20/2006 02:44:36 PM · #6

Thanks for the advice. The used 300 2.8 is something I'll look in to (though a quick calculation reveals that you certainly weren't kidding on the thin DOF... good MF practice for me).

The only other option I see at the moment is the eventual upgrade to a D200. It seems to have much better handling of the high ISO shots, an important element in situations like this as many of the skaters have black outfits (noise galore).

fotomann_forever

03/20/2006 02:51:06 PM · #7

You could shoot in RAW underexposed and then "push" in conversion.

03/20/2006 03:04:20 PM · #8

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

You could shoot in RAW underexposed and then "push" in conversion.

True, dat. The noise levels would be the very similar to using the next higher ISO if pushed a full stop, but there is the potential to push a fraction of a stop. Good point.

03/20/2006 03:14:34 PM · #9

Originally posted by ShorterThanJesus:

...The used 300 2.8 is something I'll look in to (though a quick calculation reveals that you certainly weren't kidding on the thin DOF... good MF practice for me)...

For used copies of the 300/2.8 Manual focus lenses, look at KEH. The ones in the $750 range are in well-used condition (KEH calls it "bargain"), but KEH typically rates their lenses conservatively and you have the right to return it if not satisfied. Do be aware of how using one of these will affect your metering. You may be almost on your own with exposure, which might make for interesting times. You'll also be focusing "stopped down" if you're not shooting wide open, and that willl dim the viewfinder somewhat, though not typically more than you're already used to with the slower zoom, and you really buy a 300/2.8 to shoot wide open anyhow.
Shooting manual-focus for skating would be quite a challenge; you could have success by "zone focusing." You bring your focus to a spot on the ice, and fire when the subject enters that zone. Tricky but doable. Easier with sports like baseball ;-)

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

03/20/2006 03:26:27 PM · #10

I've got a local shop which focuses on used equipment so I'll check with them. As cheap as I may be, I will gladly pay a bit of a premium for the freedom to march in to a store and talk to a person if I encounter problems with the equipment.

There is still so much for me to learn but the zone method is definitely what I'd be using as I've got a bad eye for focusing at the best of times so following a subject moving in and out of focus would be futile.

Are there flash solutions for shooting situations like this (if allowed by the subjects) or is that just not an option? If not a flash, how about strapping a couple of diffused industrial work lights on to the boards and shining them on the area of the ice where I intend to be doing more of the shooting?

Message edited by author 2006-03-20 15:37:31.

SDW

Canon EOS-60D

03/20/2006 03:38:11 PM · #11

I would even find 1/125 a problem @300mm. Isn't the optimal setting twice the zoom as well? Or at lease have a IS or equivalent for that lens.

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye for Nikon

03/20/2006 03:51:26 PM · #12

Originally posted by southern_exposure:

I would even find 1/125 a problem @300mm. Isn't the optimal setting twice the zoom as well? Or at lease have a IS or equivalent for that lens.

He'd probably be OK with 1/125 if using a monopod, or if bracing against something, which is often possible.

Flash, if allowed, might just just give you enough extra to be worth it. All you really want is a gentle fill light on the dark uniforms, which might let you increase shutter speed a stop. Using much more flash would overpower existing light and look horrible. A good powerful flash with the capabiltiy to zoom to 105mm or so would put out enough light to be useful at well over 100 feet, but would limit you to the flash recycle time for "full recharge."

Edit:
Also, look at this accessory. I know that some wildlife photogs use it to condense the beam of their flash; I have no relevant experience but wanted to pass on the link.

Message edited by author 2006-03-20 15:55:28.

muckpond

Nikon D200

03/20/2006 03:51:33 PM · #13

for events like this you can always just rent an expensive lens. that's what i do. :)

ralph

Nikon Z9

03/20/2006 03:55:40 PM · #14

convert the images to B&W to hide the color noise at 1600

makes them more artistic as well ..

Nikon MF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AIS

03/20/2006 03:56:19 PM · #15

Originally posted by muckpond:

for events like this you can always just rent an expensive lens. that's what i do. :)

Yeh, but you're just too practical Rob!

Seriously, also a great suggestion if you do this type of shooting only occasionally.

EricMGB1974

Nikon D700

03/20/2006 07:42:26 PM · #16

If you're willing to sacrifice a little focal length a Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 might fall in your price range used. For a bit more the AF-S version is excellent for this type of shooting. I shot a NCAA hockey game this weekend in a smaller rink with the 80-200 f/2.8 AF-S on my D200 and found 200mm to be perfectly adequate and being able to zoom out to 80mm provides a bit more flexibility than a fixed lens if you don't have a second body. For even less money a used Tamron, Sigma, or Tokina 70/80-200mm f/2.8 would also be a possibility.
If you don't want to invest in more equipment right now, or even if you do get the faster glass but want to get the maximum shutter speed possible, you can set your camera to shutter priority and then increase the shutter speed until it meters at you largest aperture. Next take a few test shots and check the histogram as you gradually increase the shutter speed. The camera will register underexposure, but as long as the shadows aren't clipped in the histogram and you shoot RAW you can correct the exposure in RAW conversion and get very satisfactory results and as an added bonus you can fine tune WB during conversion as well. If you do this with a variable aperture zoom make sure you have it set to its maximum focal length and aperture (i.e. 300mm at f5.6) when you set the camera so that exposure is adequate throughout the zoom range.

Message edited by author 2006-03-20 19:46:36.