How Do I Get Good Quality Pictures Without A Flash

I'm having a problem getting good pictures of a local band performing on stage. I went and got the nifty fifty for my 20d but the pictures are still coming out real dark. The night club doesn't allow any flashes so do you guys have a suggestions to get better pictures.

Tell us more about the shooting mode you are in, and the metering mode and ISO.

Read the link in my sig and bump your iso way up, but expose it properly to avoid noise.

Check whether you are -2 with the exposure- you may have accidently turned the wheel at the back of the camera?

Show us an example so we can see your problem....

It is impossible to assist you unless we can see the evidence.

Mark

wide open at whatever your max iso is on the camera. use any support at hand, pilars etc, to cut down on shake. i assume the club has its own rig? have a word with the mixer, and get him to sync up a couple of spots, so you get a chance of a few shots with decent light levels.

You must be using the wrong mode or underexposing because if you shoot properly and it's too dark you should get properly exposed blurry shots. Unless 30" won't record enough light.

Switch to AV mode, set the aperture to f/1.8 and set the ISO to 1600. Make sure the line on the -2 ... -1 .... 0 ... 1 .... 3 is at 1 and not on -1 or -2 (which will make it underexpose). Infact, try to overexpose the shot by 1/3 of a stop. If you get high enough shutter speeds (1/250 or higher) you can reduce the ISO or stop down a bit to increase IQ - but avoiding blur comes first.

illy wrote in post #2312421
Make sure the line on the -2 ... -1 .... 0 ... 1 .... 3 is at 1 and not on -1 or -2 (which will make it underexpose).

I think you mean 0

Also importantly, use partial metering and try metering off their face or something else you want to be properly exposed - if you use the broader metering you'll get all sorts of weird settings because the camera will set for the background and way overexpose the performers.

Also make sure that you're not exposing for the lights if they're behind the performers, that'll make for dark pictures.


The 50mm 1.8 should suffice for even the really, really bad pub lighting - you can get away with about a 1/50 shutter speed if you're really steady and they're not moving much, ISO 1600 and f/2 which is pretty darn sensitive. Worst pub lighting I've encountered required 1/30, f/1.4 and ISO 1600 so the 1.8 isn't far off that unless you have particularly badly lit pubs in your area

From your post 28/1/6 you had this problem still:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=133064

Your photo of the dancer as attached by myself below has the following details:


Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 20D
Software: Digital Photo Professional
File date and time: 2006:01:24 15:24:11
Y and C positioning: centered
-- Exif IFD --:
Exposure time: 1/60 s
F number: 5.0
Exposure program: Portrait mode (for closeup photos with the background out of focus)
ISO speed rating: 400
Exif version: 0221
Date and time of original data generation: 2006:01:24 15:24:11
Date and time of digital data generation: 2006:01:24 15:24:11
Meaning of each component: YCbCr
Shutter speed: 5.9 APEX = 1/60 s
Aperture: 4.6 APEX = F5.0
Exposure bias: 0.0
Flash: Flash fired, auto mode, red-yed reduction mode
Lens focal length: 53.0 mm
User comments: 264 bytes
Supported Flashpix version: 0100
Color Space: sRGB
Valid image width in pixel: 1400
Valid image height in pixel: 2100
Focal plane x resolution: 3959.3 (700800/177) ppi (pixel per inch)
Focal plane y resolution: 3959.3 (233600/59) ppi (pixel per inch)
Focal plane resolution unit: inch
Custom image processing: Normal process
Exposure method: Auto exposure
White balance: Auto white balance
Scene capture type: Standard

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With a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8 you should get good low light images. you should bump up your iso to 800 or even 3200 if you are in very low light. You are using a canon ya know.

From looking at his excellent web site from his helpful reply to you:

http://www.giovanniweb​.it …/pl_05_gn_20050​826_ostia/

I looked at one of his photos- see attached.

The details of his photo are below:

Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
Orientation of image: 1
X resolution: 72.0 ppi (pixel per inch)
Y resolution: 72.0 ppi (pixel per inch)
Resolution unit: inch
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS Windows
File date and time: 2005:09:25 14:08:37
Unknown tag (318): 0.3
Unknown tag (319): 0.6
Unknown tag (529): 0.3
Y and C positioning: co-sited
Custom image processing: Normal process
Exposure method: Auto exposure
White balance: Auto white balance
Scene capture type: Standard
Unknown tag (42240): 2.2
-- Exif IFD --:
Exposure time: 1/160 s
F number: 3.2
Exposure program: Aperture priority
ISO speed rating: 1600
Exif version: 0221
Date and time of original data generation: 2005:08:26 23:27:38
Date and time of digital data generation: 2005:08:26 23:27:38
Meaning of each component: YCbCr
Shutter speed: 7.3 APEX = 1/160 s
Aperture: 3.4 APEX = F3.2
Exposure bias: 0.0
Metering mode: Partial
Flash: Flash fired, compulsory flash mode.
Lens focal length: 70.0 mm
Supported Flashpix version: 0100
Color Space: Uncalibrated
Valid image width in pixel: 1000
Valid image height in pixel: 1500
Focal plane x resolution: 3958.8 (1152000/291) ppi (pixel per inch)
Focal plane y resolution: 3954.2 (1728000/437) ppi (pixel per inch)
Focal plane resolution unit: inch
-- Thumbnail IFD --:
Compression scheme: JPEG
X resolution: 72.0 ppi (pixel per inch)
Y resolution: 72.0 ppi (pixel per inch)
Resolution unit: inch
Offset to JPEG SOI: 882
Bytes of JPEG data: 4621

Now, if you read closely, compare the details of how he took his photo and compare it to yours. If you understand this you are halfway to solving your own problems.

I note you use Portrait Mode!!!

Good luck

Another year, you should get there!

Mark

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