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03/21/2009 02:56:42 PM · #1 |
| Does lack of light cause subjects to be less sharp? For example, I shot a couple today(sister-in-law and future brother-in-law) for a save the date card they want to send out. I took some shots with on-camera flash and some without and the ones with flash seem to cause facial features to be much sharper(not harsh mind you) just sharp. Whereas the pics without the flash, or at least some of them, seem out of focus even though I hadn't changed anything but the White Balance and the flash being on or off. |
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03/21/2009 04:06:56 PM · #2 |
What shutter speeds are you shooting at?
With a flash, it's likely your camera is limiting the minimum shutter speed (usually to 1/30 or even 1/60), but in low-light without a flash it might be dropping to even lower shutter speeds so you're introducing hand-held blur or even slight motion blur by the subects. |
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03/21/2009 04:19:31 PM · #3 |
It's indirectly the cause. With a lack of light, you need wider apartures and slower shutter speeds. Lens can only let in so much light, so it usually has to have a slower shutter speed.
When your shutter speed gets slower, you start running into problems with hand holding the camera and subject movement.
You should post some examples with shutter speeds.
To prevent:
1. Add more light either with extra flashes or use the sun.
2. Use a tripod to prevent camera shake.
3. Up the ISO.
4. Get some faster lens (ones with a wider aparature - lower Fstops). |
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03/21/2009 05:49:19 PM · #4 |
Also, "sharpness" is a perceptual issue. Contrast = sharpness. Flashes are very contrasty, low, ambient room lighting is not; it "wraps around objects perceptually. If you want to explore the differences, create an interesting still life and shoot from a tripod, at the same aperure, with and without flash, and compare.
R.
Message edited by author 2009-03-21 17:49:29.
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03/21/2009 06:19:59 PM · #5 |
| I will start paying more attention to these threads... It's been over a year since I got into photography and I've been running around guns blazing, without really kicking back and taking these things into consideration before shooting...without really putting thought behind the requirements before each shot. I guess shooting street stuff is is trickier in that sense because, you see something and you fire away and conditions change a block away...still though... |
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03/21/2009 10:22:47 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Also, "sharpness" is a perceptual issue. Contrast = sharpness. Flashes are very contrasty, low, ambient room lighting is not; it "wraps around objects perceptually. If you want to explore the differences, create an interesting still life and shoot from a tripod, at the same aperure, with and without flash, and compare.
R. |
This is probably the reason I find the difference. I was shooting in manual mode in the outdoors. I was actually shooting up to 1/360th without the flash and the maximum of 1/200th with. Aperture varied in both situations. Just nice to know. |
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