ISO setting low light - No flash allowed - Help needed

[neil_ewins]

I Have a wedding to shoot i went to the rehearsal and the vicar is adamant NO

flash at all. During the rehearsal i was finding i was having to use 2500 ISO

giving me 4.8 @ 1/8 sec. The camera is a Nikon D300 with a Nikon 18-200 VR zoom

lens. Has any one had to use these high settings before? is so what type of post

procesing did you use to remove the grain ?

 

Many Thanks

 

Neil Ewins

[pete_s.]

That lens is really unsuitable for low light photography. You need a fast prime lens like 35/2, 50/1.4, 50/1.8, 85/1.4, 85/1.8, 105/2 or similar.

 

Peter

[marcphotography]

Like Peter said, you should pick up a wide aperture prime lens like the ones he listed. Even with one of those you may still need a fairly high ISO without being able to use any flash. I dont know what software you are using to edit your images, but I think that lightroom does a pretty good job with its noise reduction slider. I have also heard people talk about a product called noise ninja. I I have never tried it but I guess it does pretty good.

 

One question I have to anyone replying to this post.....Do the noise reduction tools make your images softer than usual?

[picturesque]

At 1/8 sec., you'd be getting subject motion. It is possible to get good images (maybe not tack sharp images) if you wait for the pauses between motion, but you'd have to shoot multiples to be sure you have enough. And you aren't going to be able to get any kind of movement at all. You're, of course, definitely going to need a tripod. I use Neat Image for noise reduction. Any noise reduction software softens the image somewhat, but the good ones do so intelligently.

[laronge photographie coutu]

Bump your iso to 6400 to get your shutter speed up. The D300 has ok 6400 performance; then Noise Ninja the files. You should be fine.

[Matt Laur]

Shoot RAW files, whatever you do. Many more options for noise reduction, that way.

 

The 18-200VR can be used hand-held at 1/8th if you're careful, and folks are just standing there. What focal length - given the setting - do you find that you'll be using? A 50mm/1.8 is a very inexpensive bit of insurance, if the distance is right.

[gpjoell3]

Neil,

 

It sounds like you are shooting on Program and not Manual Mode. Shoot on manual or aperture priority and set your aperture to F2.8. Then try to set your ISO to 1600-3200. Like Matt stated, shoot RAW. I use Noise Ninja and I love it. It does soften the picture up a little, but you can control the amount of softness compared to the degree of noise in your photo. In addition, you may have to use a tripod. Just remember, most weddings are lite to a degree around the Altar. One last thing you and try is to bump up the exposure value on the camera.

[the black rabbit]

Also...the vicar says no flash...but what he means is no flash whilst he is doing his thing.

So you can balance the noisy, blurry images by bouncing your flash on a wide lens whilst they enter the church and, signing the register...or any moment the vicar isn't about ;)...also when they walk down the isle married. The vicar doesn't want you to start a flash fest basically and thus take the limelight away from him ;0

 

Or you could approach him before and explain the church is dark and you need to use flash [bounce flash] but this will not distract from the wedding...and if he could mention or someone mention to the congregation that only the official wedding tog [yourself] should use flash! 9 times out of 10 they say no way...but you never know.

[neil_ewins]

Thanks for all of the responses it has been very helpful.

I am shooting in aperture mode but to compound it i will bee using the lens at around 100mm. i have the apeture wide open and always shoot in raw. I will definitely be checking out noise ninja. I mentioned to the vicar i would just use flash for the bride walking up the isle with the father but he was adamant NO FLASH AT ALL stating that if i used it then the congregation would be using it. So i think it will be some noise ninja and black and white

 

Thanks every on

 

Neil Ewins

[wedding-photography-denver]

You can use 3200 and get decent results if you don't need to print huge.

 

I would rate the ISO at 3200 along side my 5d's (perhaps slightly noisier).

[david_garcia10]

Get a Nikon 50mm f1.8 it is only at $100+ and that f1.8 can really help you in low light and you can lower your iso thus lower the grain... f2.8 is great in low light as well. Your 18-200 is only good outside but inside you are going to have problem focusing. If you don't want to buy any lens use tripod or monopod if you can. Goodluck!

[steve_c.5]

I go along with Martin C. I typically use flash only during the processional and recessional. And I let the church coordinator / Vicar / Minister know this ahead of time. I give them assurance that I will not detract from the actual ceremony. The reason I use flash during processional/recessional is because people are walking down the aisle, and the motion can't be captured without going ISO 6400, which would typically look bad in a dark area. And, that part of the church is often dark. I jack up the ISO to 2000 or better, go manual, and shoot with rear curtain sync. Experiment with the settings beforehand. Use a bounce card or diffuser. Shoot the rest with available light and a fast long zoom from the back of the church. Reenact the ring placement, candles, and kiss shots after the ceremony if needed to get those nice closeups you can't get otherwise.

[William Michael]

In regards to you mentioning to the vicar you would just use flash for the Bride walking up the aisle with Her Father, and the answer being adamant, NO FLASH AT ALL:

 

I do not wish to comment upon noise or ISO, but, sans flash, I would not use the 18 to 200 for these processional (and recessional) shots.

 

A fast (and inexpensive) 35mmF2 or 50mmF1.8 (if the aisle is long), would be a much better choice.

 

In regards to shooting in aperture mode, (and especially if you will use the 18 to 200 for most shots):

 

Shooting in aperture priority mode, especially with a varying minimum aperture across the zoom range, can, under pressure shooting cause mistakes.

 

I am not suggesting you are not experienced in managing the Av mode; or that you are a novice; I am merely mentioning the potential pitfalls of Av in this situation, just in case you are unaware of them.

 

In the situation you have described, I would work in manual mode.

 

FYI.

 

Ref: my post Mar 21, 2008; 05:27 p.m.

 

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

 

 

WW

[photo_dark]

In my personal opinion and from my experience, an f4 constant aperture lens is passable in some cases for lower light weddings, but realistically a 2.8 constant aperture lens is all but a necessity for wedding photography.

 

At the very least, pick up the 50 1.8, and best case, consider investing some money in some form of 24ish-80ish lens with a constant f2.8 aperture. I'm a canon guy so i'm not sure what is available from nikon (aside from the third party sigma 24-70 f2.8 or the tamron 28-80 f2.8, both reasonable in quality and price).

 

ISO 3200 and above is passable as long as everything is exposed correctly and you are using some sort of noise removal software (neat image / noise ninja will do it)

 

That and use a tripod or at least a monopod, and stick to Av mode, or M if you have reasonably consistent lighting. If you are going to use Av mode, i'd almost suggest spot metering and be sure to meter the face of the person with the darker skin to avoid blown highlights or destroyed shadows (a real danger at ISO 3200)

[conraderb]

get a 50mm 1.4 lens or 35mm 1.4 or 85mm 1.4 - actually, get all three, plus a 2.8 VR lens, and you might be okay.

 

get a tripod as well.

 

ISO 3200 should be pretty decent on the D300. a bit of noise ninja and you should be fine.

 

remember that for very wide shots, it doesn't matter if you really drag the shutter. it's only for tight shots of the clients when you need to keep your shutter speeds high to freeze them.

[the black rabbit]

Get a tripod set up at the back of the church and put your long lens on it, then when they come to the centre with the vicar use a slower shutter speed to bring down the ISO. It works.

People are saying use 3200 iso...but that to me is insane. Your pictures will be so heavily noise induced that even the noise ninja will struggle.

Another idea is to use is a constant light you can just get an assistant to hold and point it at them as they walk down the isle...a halogen or something, the vicar said no flash...not 'no light'! You see vicars always want to assert control and be the centre of the fuss...it is upto you to persuade them of why and how you plan to shoot.

It is a good idea to set up shots after aswell, the ones you feel will be the same as what happened in the ceremony which you couldn't quite get...the bride will not really know the difference when she gets the proofs as she would have forgotten in the flow of the day.

[russ_konrad]

<b>"...People are saying use 3200 iso...but that to me is insane...."</b>

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The D300 works very well at ISO 3200. Here is one from a recent wedding. Slight noise reduction used in Photoshop. No other changes made.

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<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/2372487606_0f01098e0c.jpg?v=0">