Technique for Digital indoor Candids??

Hello Everyone!

Great Forum!

 

I currently use a Nikon CoolPix 800 digicam.

I'm trying to shoot candid shots indoors at parties, conventions,

meetings, etc...

Most of these enviorments have poor lighting.

I would like to NOT use a Flash.

What are my options?

I'm also interested in trying out a wideangle lens for those hard

to fit shots!!

Thanks or any help...

Your options are limited Nicholas.

 

1.) Turn flash off (using menu settings or flash control button) and shoot by avaiable light. You complained about poor lighting in many situations, but if you're choosing not to use flash you're also choosing to use the ambient light, whether it's poor or not.

Using manual white balance (if your Coolpix 800 allows it) will probably help to adjust to the particular light situation.

Adjusting the ISO speed up may help the shutter speed, but may also degrade the overall image quaity. I'd leave this on Auto.

 

2.) If your camera allows it you can try adjusting the flash output down by a stop or more to "tone down" the appearance of flash.

In this case leave the white balance on daylight or Auto.

If you don't want to use flash, here are some tricks:

<ol>

<li>

Be calm. Practice holding your camera still. (I can hold up to 4 secs without a support.)

<li>

Find some interesting light before you shoot.

<li>

Evaluate the light situation, if the available light is distributed, use matrix metering. If there is a center of attention, use spot metering. Use exposure compensation to make adjustment.

<li>

The auto WB works very well in most situations.

<li>

 

Prefocus and hold the shutter button, wait for the opportunity. The digital camera is too slow for you to follow people. Let people walk/run into your frame.

</ol>

I have many indoor candid shots with my CoolPix 800. For privacy

reason, I only post this shot in a public place as an example.

<p>

<img src="/users/SLIU/sliu-02-01-12-17-41-02.jpg">

<P>

Don't use high ISO (because of noise). Try to find a support if the exposure is too long. The key is planning and expectation. Since digital camera can take more shots than film and show result immediately, take advantage of it.

<p>

The theory that only film camera can take low light indoor candids is bullshit.

<p>

<img src="/users/SLIU/sliu-02-05-18-00-22-32.jpg">

Another example.

Yes a digital camera can be used in low light. But the same

principles that govern film apply with digital capture. For

example, someone here said they can hand hold the camera for

4 seconds, which is sheer nonsense.

 

You are probably asking more of the specific camera mentioned

than it can deliver. You may get some lucky shots, but without a

very fast lens and a TTL flash that provides a wide latitude for fill

compensation, it'll just be that...luck.<div></div>

I checked the information of the two photos I put above (using

iphoto).

 

The first one: 1/4 sec @ f4.8, -0,3 EV, ISO 151

 

The second one: 1/3 sec @f4.8 -0.7 EV, ISO 100

 

I also have some candid shot taken at 1 sec @f3.5.

 

The point is not how long you can hold or how lucky you are. The

point is that it is possible to take low light photo of long exposure

(> 1/30?) with digital camera hand held. I can not explain why.

Could it be that there is no vibration of moving mirror in the

camera? Or could it be due to the short focal length of digital

camera (in my case, the focal length is between 7 and 14 mm, if

you use 1/focal length rule, that allows 1/7 or 1/14 exposure, I

am not sure if this is correct).

 

I admit that 4 sec record is little bit exaggerated. My actural

experience of exposure longer than 4 sec withou our tripod was

in landscape though (on an airplane). Perhaps that is luck ;-)<div></div>

The example of 1 sec hand held. (They are all from the same

camera, CP800) Not pure luck.<div></div>

BTW, I don't think CP800 can compete with Leica with high

speed B&W film (or any high end digital camera : DSLR, E-10,

G2, etc.). It is a low end camera, but it is not a toy. If you use it

properly, it can take very nice photos. That is all I want to say with

my examples.

Ahh, but it is pure expermintal luck to use a slow lens at ISO 125

in poor lighting conditions and get a worthwhile image. S. Liu,

you seem to profess that a basic digital camera can somehow

defy physics. That one can become a human tri-pod, stop their

heart from beating, and shoot pictures at super-human lengths

of time. This is advice for cyborgs, not some guy looking to take

flashless pictures at a party where you can actually recognize

some of the people in the photo.

 

If one has a passion for low light work, there are alternatives that

are far more capable of achieving reliable results. One poster

stated "use film", perhaps a bit stridently, but true non the less.

Low light is still a strong hold of film. Fuji ISO 800 coupled with

an inexpensive used 50mm 1.4 lens and consumer level body

will outperform the Nikon 800 all night long. IMO, to profess

otherwise is pure one upmanship ego doing the talking.

neither is DSLR or fast lens Digtial camera (G2, E-10, 3040Z,

4040Z). There is no doubt that a fast lens and film are the best

choice.

But his question is about how to use CP800 with max f3.5 ISO

400 to take indoor candid shot.

<p>

Indoor candid shot doesn't always mean low light shots as I

posted above and below. And I don't think exposure longer than

1 sec would work for people shot anyway, digital or film,

because people move. 1/3 or 1/4 sec can be achieved with

CP800 with some practice of holding the camera. That is fact,

not luck. And it obeys physics of short focal length, small sensor

digital camera.

<p>

BTW, in terms of luck, I think luck is on the side of digital camera

if you compare it with film camera. I can take hundreds of low

light party shots, have instant review and keep a few good one

(my rate is about 10:1). If the shots are very "mission critical",

you need a tripod or good flash, or film camera. That is for sure.

There is not free lunch in the world.

<p>

<img src="/bboard/image?bboard_upload_id=8931384">

<p>

1sec @f4.2, -2 EV, 10.40 mm, ISO 100.

BTW, a consumer digital camera like CP800 is not going to give you an exhibition quality 8x10 print anyway, no matter what lighting you have. If that is your goal, get a "real camera".

<p>

What I am talking about is reasonable snapshot which can be printed at 5x7. For these kind of photos, CP800 could give you image quality better than most film P&S cameras.

<p>

<img src="/bboard/image?bboard_upload_id=8724784">

<p>

I am not competing with him ;-)

dude, 1/4 sec is not the same as 4 sec. i don't believe that anyone can hand-hold a 4 sec exposure without a tripod and get sharp pictures...as Marc said that's just defying the laws of physics.

The short from an airplane was at 6 secs, not 4 secs. I never said that I took 4 sec shot of people, nobody could hold still for such a long time ;-)

I used the Coolpix 800 for a little over a year. Great camera, very limited for what you want to do with it. However, I would try to keep the shutter speed faster than 1/8. Since this camera doesn't have a manual mode you will have to get creative. Use manual focus, and if there is not enough light to get the shutter up that high, point the camera at something brighter until you get the shutter you like. Then half press the shutter to "lock in " the exposure and recompose the scene. Other people have posted good advice for white balance. ISO 400 at longer exposures on this camera is unacceptable in my opinion, but it is useful if you have enough light for a 1/30 or maybe a 1/15 shutter speed. If you are underexposing some shots try and use software such as Photoshop Elements (the cheap version). to correct this via the levels command. Use auto levels to start until you get the hang of it. Some of your shots won't look too bad using these suggestions, and some will look horrible. I have found it is more fun to learn from experience instead of thinking about what kind of equipment I can blow my money on next.<div></div>

hmmm. I'd recommend using the white balance as much as possible. Many of the samples posted here are just too warm. Beyond "romantic" to the point of distracting. Shoot wide open. Brace yourself. The shutters are pretty gentle in these digital boxes. <p>I'll try posting an image I made yesterday with an E10, arguably the worst most expensive low light digital camera made. The noise is deafening. This one was F2 @ 1/2 second... t<div></div>