Going to Tokyo...

[andrew_hull]

I have a good idea of what is in store, as I lived there as a child. Can

someone tell me how bright the subway cars are? Are they dim or bright?

[aaron l]

They're really dark. iso 800, 1/20, f4, just a guess.

[andrew_hull]

Thanks.

[berg_na]

Actually, I found the subway cars to be very well lit... There are <a href=" of shots on Flickr</a> on this very subject.<br><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/42/79908983_b43c2d6f2c_o.jpg">

[bueh]

The underground lines (Metro and Tokyo lines) are pretty dark, as Aaron noted. Even with fast lenses motion blur and camera shake will be an issue (unless the car isn't moving). But the above-ground lines (i.e., JR lines) are much brighter, at least when it is daytime (see Berg's posting). In general, people don't like be photographed in Tokyo in their daily lives -- at events or festivals or parties this will be exactly the opposite.

[denise_d]

It really depends on which train, which line and whether it's above ground or below ground.

The JR line trains (which are different than the subway) tend to be pretty bright even below

ground. I think the platforms and the stations are dimmer than the interior of the trains,

maybe because the train car interiors tend to have lots of white and silver...Above ground on

the Yamanote Line, I had no problems with ISO 200 and handheld on an average type day. I

didn't try shooting anything while the train was underground, though.

[ilkka]

It cetainly depends a bit on the train and even more on whether the train is underground or not. Instead of speculating with possible variations, here is one quite typical example.<div></div>

[Craig_Cooper11664875449]

Typically Id use ISO 1600 film at f/5.6 and 1/125th on the Tokyo subway (Im in Tokyo right now) which is more or less exactly the same as Ilkka's numbers above - relatively in stops, I'm +4/ISO, -2/f & -2/S.

Aaron's numbers are about 2.5 stops over-exposed

[bueh]

Okay, here is one of mine -- f/2.8, 1/200 sec, ISO 800:<div></div>

[andrew_hull]

Thanks everyone. This allays my concern that it was too dark. I've got some fast lenses and can shoot up to 1600 well, so I'm in good shape. Thanks again.

[aaron l]

<p>Even though the cars "look" bright, they're really quite dark. Bueh's settings are about right.</p>