Moving dog, snow, flash, and 300D

[ray_chang2]

What is the best way to photograph a moving dog in the snow with the

300D?

 

I know it's not easy, I normally set up the camera for 2 stop over

for snowy scenes, but that's not possible with the sports mode.

Using the "P" mode, I can only get decent pictures with the built-in

flash (max speed of 1/200 second) and it is too slow to capture a

moving dog. This picture is one of the better ones, still I have to

stretch out the histogram like crazy. I'm not sure you can see it in

the downsized jpg, the dog is all blotchy and a shade lighter than

she really it.

 

I know I can get a better body, I just want to improve my batting

average without getting new equipment. Would I have better luck with

grey card metering and manual flash? But I'll still have the slow

sync problem...<div></div>

[jpfy32]

Why do you need a flash? I would set the camera to shutter priority at about 1/500. If you lens does not have a large enough apperture for the shot put the ISO up. It may help to exposure lock prior to the shot.

Hope this helps. Nice image btw

[paul -]

<i>I know I can get a better body, I just want to improve my batting average without getting new equipment.</i><p>Good idea. A "better body", used in the same point-and-shoot modes you are currently using, wouldn't give any better results.<p>Your understanding that you need to compensate when exposing snow, and that you need a faster speed to stop action, says you don't need to rely on the "idiot modes". Use M, Av, or Tv modes to gain more control over the exposure.<p>If you want fill flash, but can't get a fast enough sync speed to stop action, use a flash that supports High Speed sync to get a faster speed. Or don't use flash, crank up the ISO and shutter speeds, and clean up the subsequent noise with a program such as NeatImage.<p>From the looks of the blown-out snow, your observation that the dog is actually darker than in the image, and your comments about blotchiness and stretching the histogram, it looks like you overdid it in post-processing.

[phil vaughan - yorkshire u]

Get a meter reading off a neutral grey, either a grey card or something in the background, set your camera to this reading at 1/500 shutter. You'll be able to change the aperture as necessary by adjusting the ISO setting.

 

As above, you understand what's going off here, why are you shooting in the 'idiot' modes? Your understanding of what the meter's doing means you're more than ready to shoot AV, TV or M.

 

You do need to learn a little more about creative flash (based on your question), but that's for another time.

[ray_chang2]

Thanks for the answers.

 

The reason I started using the flash was because of the high contrast condition yesterday, it was not easy to get any texture out of a dark dog. In fact, without the fill flash, I got black holes for eyes most of the time. (This one was also back lit.) Anyway, when I post processed the monitor image to what I thought was reasonable, it became un-printable because of the blotchness in this case. I do agree it is over done. I also agree I should have used Av mode more instead of the idiot mode P. But again, I have to give up the fill flash (because the camera would set the shutter speed to 1/200 automatically) and rely on good natural light.

 

Actually the P mode is not always stupid, I have to admit (gievn my skill level) most of the time it makes decisons as good as mine. With the 300D, the AI Servo seems to work reliably in "Sports" mode, when I said a better EOS body, I meant a high flash sync and AI Servo one can control. (The AI Servo does works in One Shot mode, however, it only kicks in 2 seconds after focus is aquired, not easy with a moving dog, this is probably the number one reason for 300D users to upgrade to a better EOS body.)

[mark u]

I guess you're being somewhat unfairly harangued for using the Sports mode when you needed AI Servo focus and that was the only way to get it with your Rebel. You might be interested to look at this solutiuon which claims to make AI Servo a useable option in creative zone modes with the Russian hacked firmware:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00As3D

 

I imagine you take quite a few pictures of your dog in a variety of conditions. Since the dog has a relatively dark coat, this provokes a number of metering problems, particularly if you are trying to use flash as well (I have the opposite problem - a white Samoyed). Solutions are helped by the hacked firmware that allows flash exposure compensation (FEC), ISO 3200, RAW + jpeg, etc., but even so you will encounter tricky situations where you may be able to rescue the shot by manipulation of a RAW capture that would be hard to achieve with a jpeg without somewhat degrading the image in processing.

 

As a general point, it is useful to understand what is the optimal offset from a partial meter reading for your dog. To that end, meter a grey card, and meter the dog's coat in the same light. You should try a series of bracketed shots to confirm the readings, and also to allow for the fact that the coat might reflect different amounts of light viewed from different angles. Repeat in different lighting conditions. The idea is to be able to set an exposure compensation level that will allow you to use partial metering on the dog's coat in a variety of different conditions to optimise the exposure for the subject - your dog. Once you have a partial meter reading, you can set an exposure in M mode using this and not worry about the other elements of the scene, provided that lighting is fairly constant. If lighting is potentially variable (moving in and out of shade, for instance), then use Av or TV mode and exposure compensation with partial metering. You are really going to know where those * and Av+/- buttons are!

 

Similar considerations apply to using flash. As you probably know, E-TTL flash with the Rebel is highly sensitive to the colour of what lies under the focus point at the moment of exposure, unless you use FEL on a mid tone subject at a similar distance prior to taking the shot (not practical with a dog running around). This means that the dark coat will tend to cause the flash to over-expose, unless you correct by setting a negative level of FEC. Again, you need to experiment in order to determine what is the best amount of compensation to apply. You will need to do this for both circumstances where the main illumination is flash, and also for fill flash, where the balance between ambient and flash exposures has to be taken into account. For more on flash, you should read the flash bible (and then read it again) at:

 

http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

 

Incidentally, I think most wedding photographers (who are used to dealing with brides in white and grooms in black) would have struggled to find the optimal solution with a Rebel and a highly mobile dog in the snow. You had to choose between exposure accuracy and focus accuracy - not an easy choice.

[ray_chang2]

Thanks Mark. It sounds simple, but it never occured to me to figure out the optimal offset. Perhaps the offset wouldn't be constants in different lighting conditions, but that's still way better than what I was doing.

 

Normally, if I was taking pictures of a bunch of kids running around in the snow, I would just use the P mode and +1.5/+2 stops and concentrate on shooting instead of thinking about exposure all the time. I just couldn't get any printable images with the dog yesterday.

 

All with similar problems:

 

www.TheChang.Net/storm05

 

(These are examples of failure.)

[rayfraser]

Just a suggestion: If more camera manufacturer's would pay attention to SMaL's patents, assuming SMaL is accepting license fees, then the extended dynamic capability may eliminate your problems. For just $10 at CVS you can purchase digital cameras with SMaL technology and try their extended dynamic range. Of course there are many shortcomings to cheap fixed focus one-time use cameras - but their extended dynamic is best in industry.

[andrew robertson]

Oh, Ray, SmAl sounds good but when you look at the output quality - it's about where the

digital camera market was six years ago.

[tommyinca]

BTW: If you use an external flash which support FP-Sync, you can go much higher than 1/200 sec with the 300D. 300D internal flash is what is limiting the 300D to 1/200 sec.

[medina photography cherry]

What lens are you using?

I have a 10D, but am planning on pivking up a drebel as a backup, so I am not familiar with it's features. 1st of all get a dedicated shoe mount flash like a 420ex or 550ex. I would put the camera in manual and take a meter reading off the dog, set the aperature you want (probably 5.6 - 8.0 for descent DOF) then move your shutter until you get a 0 (3,2,1,0,1,2,3,) take a shot. Most likely the dog would be underexposed so compensate until you get a proper exposure for the dog. Once you have that (probably -1, or -2) shoot away. The snow will be white white, but your subject is the dog. and don't bother with the built in flash, the snowy, cloudy day is one big diffuser.

 

Rob

[micheleberti]

<p>Catch the dog and chain it to a pole, then set the camera to M, expose for him and ambient light, shot. In case the dog is particularry irriverent and get angry and excited set the camera to AI SERVO.</p>

<p>ooopps... do not forget to unchain your dog and then go skyiing! ;-)</p>

Hope this helps.

[ray_chang2]

Thanks guys, a lot of good suggestions.

 

I'm thinking about getting the Russain Hack and a 420EX now, FEC and a swivel head sound good. For people not too familiar with the 300D Digital Rebel, be aware AI Servo works well only in Sports Mode (ISO 400 only), in One Shot mode, AI Servo kicks in at a random time while you're recomposing. I hope the Russian hack solves that problem.

 

I used the Tamron 28-75/2.8, a really good small lens for about $330.

[splat]

"For people not too familiar with the 300D Digital Rebel, be aware AI Servo works well only in Sports Mode (ISO 400 only), in One Shot mode, AI Servo kicks in at a random time while you're recomposing. I hope the Russian hack solves that problem."

 

The hacked firmware will fix the problem of servo mode kicking in while you recompose. That was the main reason I installed the hack. It allowed me to put off getting another camera for a while but I eventually got a 20D because I neeed a digital backup camera. With the hack the digital rebel is a great camera.

 

You seem to have two problems. First is that the sync speed of 1/200s is to slow to capture your moving dog. The other one is related to not being able to choose the cameras focusing mode.

 

To get around the sync speed problem you need to get a flash that supports high-speed sync. Be warned though that a flash using this mode will not freeze action like when the flash is in normal mode. Also as your shutter speed gets higher you loose more and more power from you flash. There is a table availabe somewhere that shows exactly what your power loss will be but I can't remember where it is exactly. It will work but don't expect to be able to o 1/2000s at f/8 with any kind of range at all.

 

The focusing issue is harder to fix. If you are dedicated to taking the picture and aren't playing with the dog at the same time you can just hold the shutter button down half way for a while and trick the camera into seeing motion. After it has switched to servo mode it will stay there till you let up all the way on the shutter. If you are playing with the dog at the same time then this methos doesn't really work well. There is workaround that simulates you holding the button half way down by plugging in a jack into the wired remote plug and cinnecting the two wires that indicate the shutter is half way down. For this I bought one of those hands free devices ment for a cell phone at "The Doller Store" ($1) and twisted two wires together. It works great but drains the battery if you leave it in a lot because the camera is always focusing.

[mark u]

One other thought about shooting in snow... it can upset colour balance as it reflects the sky, so it can be worth setting a custom colour balance in snowy conditions.