# Shooting in low light



## acrit478 (Jun 8, 2012)

How do you get good photos in low light? 

I know about slower shutter speeds, shooting wide open, and increasing ISO, but I am going to be a second shooter for a wedding in a couple weeks and I cannot get a sharp image as I am practicing. I have a mounted flash but I do not want to rely on that for every shot. Plus it doen't even go off for every shot when I use it, its a fairly cheap flash I think ... came with my camera kit.

If anyone can offer any insight I would really appreciate it!


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## 12sndsgood (Jun 8, 2012)

What you mentioned is really the basis, I could say use a tripod. but for a wedding not very practical. You could likely get away with a monod to help with the vibrations. The other important factor for Low light is gear, what gear are you using?


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## acrit478 (Jun 8, 2012)

12sndsgood said:


> What you mentioned is really the basis, I could say use a tripod. but for a wedding not very practical. You could likely get away with a monod to help with the vibrations. The other important factor for Low light is gear, what gear are you using?


 Hi, I have a canon 60d and will be using 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8, and 50 f1.8


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## TCampbell (Jun 8, 2012)

Steady the camera.  Use good hand-holding technique and brace yourself and/or the camera whenever possible (e.g. lean on walls, railings, columns, etc.)  The f/2.8 lenses shouldn't have too much trouble.  I've found that I do occasionally need to crank up as high as ISO 3200 for natural light with f2.8 glass in church lighting.  And for a ceremony, you can take your time to get clean shots and/or use a tripod if you must.  You can "de-noise" the images in software... what you typically can't do is remove the blur due to a hand-held shot with a slow shutter.  Given the choice... take the noise.

For non-ceremony shots, use the flash.   Flashes need time to recycle before they can flash again.  If your flash isn't going off for every shot, then you might be shooting too soon.  Keep in mind if the shot didn't require ALL of the flash's power, then it might be able to fire again almost immediately... but too many shots in a row and it'll drain through the capacitors and require time to recycle.  Make sure you have fresh batteries and bring spares.  If the recycle time starts to consistently lag, swap the batteries.


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## 12sndsgood (Jun 8, 2012)

Well you have the lenses, I'm not sure on the levels of cannon and how good the iso is on the 60D someone more experienced could maybe answer that.


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## toughsamurai (Jun 13, 2012)

A tripod or monopod will do.


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## sovietdoc (Jun 13, 2012)

Camera - check
Lenses (f/2.8 or better) - check
Flash - where is it?


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## mjhoward (Jun 13, 2012)

sovietdoc said:


> Camera - check
> Lenses (f/2.8 or better) - check
> Flash - where is it?



It's right here...



acrit478 said:


> How do you get good photos in low light?
> 
> I know about slower shutter speeds, shooting wide open, and increasing ISO, but I am going to be a second shooter for a wedding in a couple weeks and I cannot get a sharp image as I am practicing. *I have a mounted flash but I do not want to rely on that for every shot*. Plus it doen't even go off for every shot when I use it, its a fairly cheap flash I think ... came with my camera kit.
> 
> If anyone can offer any insight I would really appreciate it!


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## JeremyDueckPhoto (Jun 13, 2012)

I say bounce flash, off walls, ceilings, etc... gonna need a speedlight even if you rent one. 

In the darkest situations you can always shoot faster shutter speeds to get sharp photos, even if you slightly underexpose and then increase exposure in PP. However, this brings up noise...

Ceremony shots with a tripod can work well

Can also get a little light gain with a f1.4 or 1.2 lens


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## sovietdoc (Jun 13, 2012)

mjhoward said:


> sovietdoc said:
> 
> 
> > Camera - check
> ...



Yeah, that's not really a flash... 

..It's more of a way to ruin a shot.


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## mjhoward (Jun 14, 2012)

sovietdoc said:


> mjhoward said:
> 
> 
> > sovietdoc said:
> ...



Oh, when I read they said it came with his/her camera kit, I assumed it was an OCF that he/she keeps mounted.  I suppose they could have been referring to the pop-up flash, which as you said, is garbage


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## Solarflare (Jun 14, 2012)

You could get fast primes. For example, a f/1.4 will give you 2 stops,  i.e. 4 times, as much light as a f/2.8. Theres apparently even f/1.2  primes for Canon, thats even more powerful. If you choose small focal  lengths, for a bit more depth of field.

I second the Monopod and add activated IS on top. Only helps if the  blurr is from your own movements, though. If you get slower than, say,  1/30s shutter speed, it will be the people who have already moved.

You can shoot RAW and try to reduce noise intelligently with Photoshop etc later. You cannot fix blurr from movement this way, though.

If nothing else helps, you could rent one of these low light performers, but I dont dare saying their names in this subforum: DxOMark - Camera Sensor Ratings.


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## bratkinson (Jun 14, 2012)

Be exceedingly careful of your shutter speed!  I have done quite a bit of low-light work with my 60D and a 24-70L, but even wide open or nearly so, the shutterspeed was, in many cases, too slow to stop the movement.  In looking at the EXIF info, I was too often slower than a 30th.  Instant recipe for disaster.  

Also, shoot your grey card and set white balance a hundred times if you have to!

As far as your flash goes, get some Sanyo Eneloops batteries.  My 580 EX ii cycles almost instantaneously with them!


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## morganza (Jun 14, 2012)

TCampbell said:


> Steady the camera.  Use good hand-holding technique and brace yourself and/or the camera whenever possible (e.g. lean on walls, railings, columns, etc.)  The f/2.8 lenses shouldn't have too much trouble.  I've found that I do occasionally need to crank up as high as ISO 3200 for natural light with f2.8 glass in church lighting.  And for a ceremony, you can take your time to get clean shots and/or use a tripod if you must.  You can "de-noise" the images in software... what you typically can't do is remove the blur due to a hand-held shot with a slow shutter.  Given the choice... take the noise.
> 
> For non-ceremony shots, use the flash.   Flashes need time to recycle before they can flash again.  If your flash isn't going off for every shot, then you might be shooting too soon.  Keep in mind if the shot didn't require ALL of the flash's power, then it might be able to fire again almost immediately... but too many shots in a row and it'll drain through the capacitors and require time to recycle.  Make sure you have fresh batteries and bring spares.  If the recycle time starts to consistently lag, swap the batteries.



This sums it all, up, very useful information.


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## msaha (Jun 16, 2012)

Rent Canon 35mm 1.4, Rent Canon 50mm 1.2, Rent Canon 85mm 1.8, and Use the 70-200mm 2.8
These will help you with the APS-C body
Happy shooting!


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## slackercruster (Jun 16, 2012)

monopod or high iso and denoise


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