Digital Photography Flash

1

I need help with low light photography camera settings. I am using a Sony Alpha 200 digital?

I don't want to use a flash. I have been photographing live bands in nightclub settings. Most of my photos turn out grainy and my subjects who are moving on stage appear blurry. I have the best luck using the highest ISO and selecting the action setting on my camera. This helps with the blurriness but the photos are very grainy and not sharp. Any suggestions?

You didn't say what lens you're using so I'm guessing its the 18-70mm
f3.5/5.6 lens that came with the camera. While its not a bad lens, its not well-suited for low-light, non-flash use. Conditions such as those require a fast lens to keep the ISO settings down while giving you a faster shutter speed.

I suggest buying a Minolta Maxxum 50mm f1.4 lens.* A 50mm lens on your A200 will be an equivalent 75mm lens. How will that help? The f1.4 lens is 2 2/3 stops faster than the 18-70mm at the 18mm end (f3.5) and 4 stops faster at the 70mm end (f5.6). Lets look at a few hypothetical examples to see the importance of lens speed:

ISO 400

f1.4 @ 1/125 sec.
f3.5 @ ~ 1/20 sec.
f5.6 @ 1/8 sec.

ISO 800

f1.4 @ 1/250 sec.
f3.5 @ ~1/40 sec.
f5.6 @ 1/15 sec.

ISO 1600

f1.4 @ 1/500 sec.
f3.5 @ ~ 1/80 se.
f5.6 @ 1/30 sec.

As you can easily see, its all about lens speed. You will be able to keep your ISO lower which will improve your picture quality while still maintaining a faster shutter speed.

Another benefit of an f1.4 lens will be a brighter viewfinder which will help with composition and the camera's autofocus.

Of course, a fixed focal length lens isn't as versatile as a zoom but you can do what we did when zoom lenses didn't exist - move closer or farther away.

"Best wide-angle lens? Two steps backward. Look for the 'ah-ha' ". Ernst Haas.

When shooting, use the camera's built-in Noise Reduction program.

Shoot in Aperture Priority with the lens wide-open and let the camera take care of the shutter speed.

* Every legacy Minolta Maxxum AF lens made since 1985 is compatible with your A200. I found a Minolta Maxxum 50mm f1.4 at http://www.keh.com for $325.00 in "Like New" condition. KEH is a very reputable on-line seller. Here are some other reputable on-line sellers:

http://www.adorama.com
http://www.bhphotovideo.com
http://www.beachcamera.com
http://www.uniquephoto.com

Of course, you can always try eBay. I saw one 50mm f1.4 at a Buy It Now price of $259.00 and one in bidding, currently at $157.50.

Fill Flash and Digital Camera Noise Removal - PaintShop Photo Pro X3


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