Using ISO 400 for inside (flash) photography a good idea?

[robvonk]

Next sathurday i have a dinner party with some (15) friends. Last time i shot pictures at such a party i messed it up :) See: http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=24819 I used a borrowed flash, with too low batteries. I want to make sure i do it better this time.

I bought a 550EX and practiced with it. I read the manual and still are a bit confused about all the options but that shouldn't really be a problem if i leave it on auto.. (and P on the camera)

I read this page: http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

and i bought an omni bounce for the flash.

I will buy eight fresh AA cells (anyone a tip for good ones?)

I noticed that, even with fresh batties, it can take some before the flash is ready again. It all depends on how hard the flash 'has to work' ofcourse. So now i was thinking:

Will it help if i put the camera to ISO 400 to preserve batteries and to make it faster ready?

I'm very happy with the low noise on the ISO 400 setting and this is not a paid job for me. I'm just an amateur.. Is this a good idea or isn't it worth the 'trouble'?

[slin100]

Yes, using ISO 400 will greatly improve flash recycle times because the flash will only need 1/4 of the power that it needed at ISO 400.

Using ISO 400 may also result in images that look more natural because the background will be two stops brighter than ISO 100. OTOH, this may be unimportant, irrelevant, or undesired if you're taking closeups and there is no background, or the background is cluttered.

[Tapeman]

A higher ISO will give your flash more reach and require less power for closer shots.

The 550EX is a battery hog, but works well for me.

[nucki]

Next sathurday i have a dinner party with some (15) friends. Last time i shot pictures at such a party i messed it up :) See: http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=24819 I used a borrowed flash, with too low batteries. I want to make sure i do it better this time.

I bought a 550EX and practiced with it. I read the manual and still are a bit confused about all the options but that shouldn't really be a problem if i leave it on auto.. (and P on the camera)

I read this page: http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

and i bought an omni bounce for the flash.

I will buy eight fresh AA cells (anyone a tip for good ones?)

I noticed that, even with fresh batties, it can take some before the flash is ready again. It all depends on how hard the flash 'has to work' ofcourse. So now i was thinking:

Will it help if i put the camera to ISO 400 to preserve batteries and to make it faster ready?

I'm very happy with the low noise on the ISO 400 setting and this is not a paid job for me. I'm just an amateur.. Is this a good idea or isn't it worth the 'trouble'?

some other hint when bouncing the flash from the ceeling. dont use a omni bounce!! I've got bad results with that

see pictures shoted indoors here:

first: shot without omnibounce:

http://www.picturebase.at/bilder/Klassentreffen/Bilder/IMG_0920_jpg.jpg

second: shot with omni bounce: not the white overexposed line just over the heads?

http://www.picturebase.at/bilder/Klassentreffen/Bilder/IMG_0922_jpg.jpg

just a hint, maybe its usefull for you or anybody else...

best regards
peter

[timmyquest]

I find that the omni bounce works best in larger rooms when the subject is not as close as the ones in your photograph. None the less, i use it much less then i expected i would.

[lime]

robvonk,
I've used a 10D & 420EX, angled with a white index card, FEC -1.5, manual, i try to keep the SS around 1/60, iso400 and have gotten some great results.
I've read from others that you can get longer batt. life & faster refresh from some of the rechargeables, here's a link http://aa2200.mahaenergy.com/

Here are some:
10D+17-40 f4
http://www.pbase.com/image/25267034.jpg

10D+17-40 f4
http://www.pbase.com/image/25267810.jpg

10D+28-135IS
http://www.pbase.com/image/26127998.jpg

[scottbergerphoto]

Yes, using ISO 400 will greatly improve flash recycle times because the flash will only need 1/4 of the power that it needed at ISO 400.


Raising the ISO to 400, increases the flash range by a factor of 2, not 4.
100 to 200 increases the range by 1.2, and 100 to 400 by 2. So you will still save battery power and have faster recycle times but by a factor of 2, not 4.
Scott

[robertwgross]

Raising the ISO to 400, increases the flash range by a factor of 2, not 4.
100 to 200 increases the range by 1.2 ...

Scott, I think you mean a range increase factor of the square root of 2, which is about 1.4.

---Bob Gross---

[VonClev]

I've found that the Adorama Strobo-sock works great to diffuse flash either bounce or direct. Good luck.

[slin100]

Raising the ISO to 400, increases the flash range by a factor of 2, not 4.
100 to 200 increases the range by 1.2, and 100 to 400 by 2. So you will still save battery power and have faster recycle times but by a factor of 2, not 4.
Scott
I wasn't talking about range. I was talking about the energy required by the flash to produce the correct exposure on a subject at a fixed distance. Each 1 stop change in ISO reduces your power requirement by 2. Therefore, a 2 stop change from ISO 100 to 400 reduces the battery usage by a factor of 4.

[toglenn]

I won't be afraid to use ISO 400 in any situation. The 10D has such low noise there is little difference between the noise levels between ISO 200 and 400. My 10D is set for ISO 400 most of the time.

One day I forgot to change my ISO settings from 800 to 200 for outdoor shoots and I was surprised how nice the ISO 800 turned out. A little work with Noise Ninja and they were very acceptable.

toglenn

[Vegas Poboy]

I set the camera & flash to the following settings when shooting 90% of my indoor shots and with normal lighting. ISO 400 1/60 -1/30 on the shutter @f/5.6. This includes dinner parties & weddings. I use the omni bounce and most of the time I'm within one stop of perfect exposure if I'm not already there. If you have good clean / clear ceilings try bouncing the light of the ceiling. the 1/30 setting is good for getting better DOF.
Of course try it and see I also use to carry a cheat card with settings written down.

[scottbergerphoto]

Raising the ISO to 400, increases the flash range by a factor of 2, not 4.
100 to 200 increases the range by 1.2 ...

Scott, I think you mean a range increase factor of the square root of 2, which is about 1.4.

---Bob Gross---
You might be right about that Bob, I don't have the Nikon Flash Guide with me now. I am certain that bumping the ISO to 400, only doubles the Guide Number, not quadruples it.
Scott

[maderito]

When I first got my 10D (about a year ago :) ), I was so impressed by the low noise that I set the ISO to 400 for most everything (except low available light settings).

Then I posted a question on this forum about what ISO folks were using. Several mentioned that they varied ISO to shooting conditions and used ISO 100 for flash.

I have since switched to shooting flash with ISO 100 most of the time (and RAW captures). The noise is, of course, lower, especially in shadows.

What really made me a convert to ISO 100 while using flash was the greater flexibility with handling underexposed shots. I frequently use bounce flash, and underexposure, although not the rule, is common. Underexposed shots have substantially increased noise. It's an inherent characteristic of the sensor. Under these conditions, the difference between ISO 100 and 400 can be dramatic.

I would rather use a few more batteries than miss good shots because of noise problems. Although noise can be corrected with Noise Ninja or Neat Image, it takes a lot of post-processing time and effort.

[Tom W]

I use 200 quite a bit for most of my photography - It gives me a little more flexibility.

Its not a bad idea to utilize the ISO speed to help vary the background light, particularly if you prefer a smaller aperture or faster shutter for some other reason. Manderito is right - noise, though small, does start creeping into the shadows at 400 and may be a problem depending on your exposure.

[Webster]

Ni-Cad or NiMH batteries will charge up the flash a whole lot faster than alkalines. I seem to remember that Ni-Cads recharge a little faster then NiMH, but have to be changed a lot more often.