low light settings
Posted 27/10/2010 - 10:28
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Firstly, what colour is the kitten?
It may sound an odd question but remember your camera is trying to produce an "average" level of light. This means that very dark/black objects will over expose and very light/white objects will under expose.
If you have a white kitten then try taking a reading off something neutral and lock the exposure before recomposing on your subject.
It may sound an odd question but remember your camera is trying to produce an "average" level of light. This means that very dark/black objects will over expose and very light/white objects will under expose.
If you have a white kitten then try taking a reading off something neutral and lock the exposure before recomposing on your subject.
Joining the Q
Posted 27/10/2010 - 10:57
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Another thing to try is to up the ISO to 400 or 800. Turn on all the lights as a single energy saving bulb isn't going to help. Put the camera in Tv mode and select the widest aperture. The image may be a little soft but too bad.
Put the flash up and try it in trailing curtain sync mode the ">>" thing.
If the speed is about 1/15 or slower you will get a blur but as the flash fires you will get a solid image of the cat. Hopefully if you play about with the Tv you might get a couple of interesting snaps. Just follow the subject and press the shutter at intervals.
My cats just lie about a lot so speed is not an issue.
Failing that get a faster lens. f1.4 f1.7 f2.8
Put the flash up and try it in trailing curtain sync mode the ">>" thing.
If the speed is about 1/15 or slower you will get a blur but as the flash fires you will get a solid image of the cat. Hopefully if you play about with the Tv you might get a couple of interesting snaps. Just follow the subject and press the shutter at intervals.
My cats just lie about a lot so speed is not an issue.
Failing that get a faster lens. f1.4 f1.7 f2.8
Lurking is shirking.!
Posted 27/10/2010 - 12:02
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thanx guys... the cat is white and ginger...I tried the lock exposure but didn't seem to help...but i did only have a single energy bulb..
will try with curtain open to try and let in more..Not the greatest help but should let in some more light
He's very active kitten..
i was using a 50mm with I think I was using the 1.4 but not sure I also have a macro lens with 2.8 100mm but I didn't think that would work..
I think too I may have had the shutter speed wrong...I sometimes get confused with the numbers I may have been trying to use a faster shutter of 1/100 or perhaps higher...
I've never tried the trailing curtain sync but will give that a go...
the main problem was the whole pic was black
I was able to use photoshop to autofix the pics and came out pretty good if a little noisy which i can definately live with...I'd attach a photo to show what prephotoshop if I new how
thanks again...
will try with curtain open to try and let in more..Not the greatest help but should let in some more light
He's very active kitten..
i was using a 50mm with I think I was using the 1.4 but not sure I also have a macro lens with 2.8 100mm but I didn't think that would work..
I think too I may have had the shutter speed wrong...I sometimes get confused with the numbers I may have been trying to use a faster shutter of 1/100 or perhaps higher...
I've never tried the trailing curtain sync but will give that a go...
the main problem was the whole pic was black
I was able to use photoshop to autofix the pics and came out pretty good if a little noisy which i can definately live with...I'd attach a photo to show what prephotoshop if I new how
thanks again...
Posted 27/10/2010 - 13:45
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Black? Not sure why they would be.
The 50mm f1.4 should be perfect. Close it down a little and it will be sharp enough too (f1.7, f1.8 ).
The macro might be worth a try as you can sit some distance from the bundle of joy and track it a bit more easily but you will get more blur from the lens movement, also it will be pretty sharp at f2.8.
Try just using no flash, ISO800 and Aperture mode. See what the shutter speed comes out at. That should give you a reasonable light level and a guide to what the camera should be doing. I don't go above ISO400 on the K-7 but you will be fine much higher on the K-X.
If kitty is really fast then the shutter speed will need to be fast to freeze the action. Its a hard combination in natural light.
To give you an idea,
This was ISO200, f1.7, 1/60s, 58mm Nokton manual focus.
OK the cat is not exactly active , dead to the world more like, but it's natural light from the window and you could be looking at 1/240s with ISO800 which would freeze "some" action. Thinking about it, light is going to be your friend here.
[IMG]http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx49/df8/IMGP0031-1.jpg[/IMG]
The 50mm f1.4 should be perfect. Close it down a little and it will be sharp enough too (f1.7, f1.8 ).
The macro might be worth a try as you can sit some distance from the bundle of joy and track it a bit more easily but you will get more blur from the lens movement, also it will be pretty sharp at f2.8.
Try just using no flash, ISO800 and Aperture mode. See what the shutter speed comes out at. That should give you a reasonable light level and a guide to what the camera should be doing. I don't go above ISO400 on the K-7 but you will be fine much higher on the K-X.
If kitty is really fast then the shutter speed will need to be fast to freeze the action. Its a hard combination in natural light.
To give you an idea,
This was ISO200, f1.7, 1/60s, 58mm Nokton manual focus.
OK the cat is not exactly active , dead to the world more like, but it's natural light from the window and you could be looking at 1/240s with ISO800 which would freeze "some" action. Thinking about it, light is going to be your friend here.
[IMG]http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx49/df8/IMGP0031-1.jpg[/IMG]
Lurking is shirking.!
Posted 27/10/2010 - 15:18
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dougf8 wrote:
Put the camera in Tv mode and select the widest aperture.
I think you mean Av. In Tv mode, you can't select an aperture.Put the camera in Tv mode and select the widest aperture.
With the Kx, I wouldn't be afraid to crank up the ISO to 1600 or even 2500. In Av mode, selecting the widest aperture your lens is offering should give you decent results. If your lens isn't of the constant opening type, you might want to keep it in the short focal length to keep the shutter speed as high as possible. Trying to follow the action (panning) while taking the picture will also help.
Pets, especially the young ones, are just about the toughest thing to photograph. They're totally imprevisible, and they rarely stand still when you want them to.
Good luck.
Yves (another one of those crazy Canucks)
Posted 27/10/2010 - 17:06
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Thanks all really appreciate it..
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5 posts
15 years
I have tried using the sport setting as often it is a kitten I am trying to photograph in action..but I get more blur than I want....
pet setting doesn't feel right but when I try with the tv setting I get really dark photo's almost black..
I know this is me an not knowing the right settings to use and I was wandering how you get action shots in low light very quickly I can't seem to find a continuous flash burst like on my lumix tz8 so if anyone has any suggestions on how to get good photo's in low light for continuous action shots it would really help...
The last setting I used was 800 iso or 1600 iso, not sure what aperature but gave me really fast lens but I had to crank up exposure to +2 and even then still way too dark any help and suggestions would be great...