ISO 1000 on the D60

[dcphoto]

I am struggling with the result of images I took with my D60 at an ISO of 1000. The images appear pixelated, not crisp and clear like they do when I use ISO 100, 200 & 400.
I took the pictures for a wedding client and the church restricted me to no flash in a very dark setting. I had assumed by using a higher ISO and a large ( F1.8 ) aperature I could avoid having the camera mounted on a tripod & avoid having blurred pictures if my subjects moved.
Is ANYONE out there that can help me with a solution. I would really like to have these images looking crisp.
IF ANYONE has suggestions about what they would recommend if I get into another low light situation where flash is not possible, PLEASE let me know!!!
I feel a little bit of desperation so any help & guidance is helpful.
THANK YOU!

[daveh]

Well you can't have everything. High speed pictures will look worse whether digital or film. For these pictures, give NeatImage a try. It's supposed to work miracles with noise. I haven't tried it myself but I intend to if I ever have to shoot at 1600. Also try various softening filters and printing the images smaller to hide the defects.

For the future, consider a 10D. Most people say that it has at least a one f-stop advantage for noise vs. speed. (i.e. 800 on the 10D looks like 400 on the D60.)

Also, strongly consider a tripod - at least use the tripod for SOME shots at a lower speed.

Make sure your clients know in advance that if they choose a dark place to get married, the shots are not going to be so great. It's not your job to circumvent physics, but it is your job to understand and explain the limitations.

Of course there's always the 50mm F1.0 too...

[robertwgross]

We always go to the wedding chapel in advance to survey for such problems. If the camera can't "cut it" then, we change to a different system, such as a film camera with super fast film.

---Bob Gross---

[dcphoto]

Hi Bob,
Thanks for your input.
I had gone to the church ahead of time to view the location and had determined that ISO 800 would work well with my D60. However, the lighting was even more limited when I got there that day.
Is there a big difference in appearance when you shoot with a film of ISO 1000 or faster verses what is produced by the digital camera?
I have never used an film faster than ISO 400 so I am not sure what a faster film would produce and how it would look in comparison to a digital image. What has your experience been?

[dcphoto]

Thanks Dave!
I will look into NeatImage. I was thinking that there must be some software out there to help. I will let you know if I use it and if it improves the images.

[robertwgross]

First of all, there is a pretty limited selection of films with speeds higher than ISO 800 or 1000. Also, some of us are equipped more for digital and some are more for film, so we can't jump back and forth completely.

Second, when one of us surveys the chapel in advance, we try to allow ourselves some leeway on exposure. For example, if we survey on a bright day and there is a little bright sunlight coming through small windows, then we know we can't count on that for an evening ceremony.

If there is a lot of mild ambient lighting (chandeliers, etc.), then we know we can count on that to be available, even though it is not bright.

We try to arrange it for the critical wedding shots to be taken immediately after the ceremony, with most of the guests gone, and we can use high-power strobes and get excellent results. If the chapel manager won't allow strobes, then we go back to the clients and tell them what extra this is going to cost us and cost them.
When all else fails, there is digital post-processing. It takes time and it gets varying results, and you can't always make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

For one wedding, the bride had hired one pro photographer to shoot everything, and he gave instructions that absolutely no others could shoot inside the wedding chapel while he was there. Then the groom had me come in and "shoot around" the other pro. To avoid a confrontation, I only shot after he did, and I used mostly ambient light. The other pro did not even set up outside the chapel, and I got some of the most popular shots there. It was a cloudy/misty day, and there was a Scottish piper in the chapel yard... quite colorful, with the wedding party.

I asked the groom "What if the other photographer objects to me?"

He said "Who do you think is paying the bills?"

Case closed.

---Bob Gross---