Digital Photography Flash

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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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Digital Photography Flash

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7 Digital Photography Tips for Beginner

These 7 digital photography tips you can get started on your way to become an excellent photographer if you’d like.


#1. Digital photography tip: Learn your cameras settings

Chances are you shoot most of your pictures utilizing your camera's "automatic" mode. This will get you average results. If you are striving for great shots, you'll need to learn about other modes too. Take the time to read your camera's manual to understand when to use each shooting mode.


#2. Digital photography tip: Take more photos

Before going crazy buying the most expensive equipment right away, you had better take more photos because the more photos you take, the more you’ll know about what kind of camera to get when it’s time to upgrade. In other words, you can always delete the bad ones later.


#3. Digital photography tip: Busting the dust

Digital camera with removable lenses are prone to dust landing on the sensor. Static electricity around the sensor can possibly contribute to attracting dust particles, or other elements to this sensitive area of your camera. You can get rid of the dust is a camera blower brush, and tilt the camera down while blowing. Take care not to get any of the hairs snagged inside.


#4. Digital photography tip: Use a tripod

A tripod will keep your camera steady which will make your photos clearer.


#5. Digital photography tip: Shot your subject at different focal length, angles, and formats

Shoot your subject at different focal lengths - using the zoom on your photos will not only change how close your subject appears but it will also change the depth of field (ie the blurring of the background). It also allows you to shoot from different distances which can really impact how relaxed your subject is (there’s nothing better than a photographer in your face to make you tense up)


Shoot your subject from different angles - it’s amazing how much you can change a shot by getting on your knees or taking a few steps to the side.


Shoot using different formats - there are different ways to grip a digital camera. The two main ones are horizontally or vertically but you can also get into all kinds of diagonal ways to do it. Mix it up.


#6. Digital photography tip: Experiment with different ‘modes’

Even the most basic point and shoot cameras have different ’shooting modes’. These are usually things like ‘portrait’, ‘landscape’, ’sports’, ‘night’ etc. Sometimes it’s worth flicking through these to take shots at different settings. What these modes do is simply change the basic settings (like aperture, shutter speed, ISO) - all things that can change the look and feel of your shot considerably


#7. Digital photography tip: Play with your Flash

Try turning your flash off or forcing it to fire in shots. Sometimes adding flash to a scene where there’s lots of light behind your subject is essential (even though your camera might not think it needs it). This stops those silhouette shots where it looks like you’re trying to hide the identity on your subject.

About the Author

For more details of the tips, please visit to Digital Photography Tips. Ohblitz's Photo World is a photography site about tips, tricks & techniques photography for both beginner and professional.

Digital Photography Flash Tutorial


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