P&S Struggle

Hi Ya'll, forgive the cross post but I am struggling with an issue in low light with an S5 IS. I know with an SLR the view is TTL and noise is a non issue. Is it the same with a DSLR?
In low light (night or evening) in just about any mode I struggle with focus especially in manual. if the camera doesn't lock on and I try to focus in manual, the noise produced by the LCD and the EVF make it difficult to get the focus DEAD ON because of the pixelation. If I am not zoomed for the shot, I can zoom in tight, focus the best I can, and zoom back wide to compose and pull the trigger. Even zoomed I dont nail it very often even after taking something well lite, focusing in auto, going back to manual there to confirm the diopter is dialed in.

Are DSLR's TTL with the view finders? and when you can't use the VF and have to use the LCD what have you un-covered that helps?
Thanks in advance for the newb
Blast-sneaks back across the P&S fence before they see me.

Depends on the DSLR. The higher up the food chain you go, the better the noise management. And, yes, DSLR's have optical viewfinders just like an SLR. Only one of them (ID MkIII) has live preview and it costs nearly $5,000.

liza wrote in post #3702702
Depends on the DSLR. The higher up the food chain you go, the better the noise management. And, yes, DSLR's have optical viewfinders just like an SLR. Only one of them (ID MkIII) has live preview and it costs nearly $5,000.

Do you take many low light shots and if so, is the noise an issue for you or have you found with experience a way to work through it and still compose/focus sharp comps?

Harry

Yes, DSLRs are TTL optical viewfinders; they're no different from the film SLRs in that respect. And most DSLRs won't let you preview on the LCD; only the Canon 1D Mk III and a few Olympus models offer that capability.

I shoot a lot of low light sports photography. Noise is an issue only if my exposure is off. If you don't understand basic manual exposure techniques, read Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure." And you aren't going to get good low light stuff with the camera you have. You need a DSLR with fast (read: f/2.8 or faster) lenses. I'd suggest a 30D and perhaps a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 lens, if you need a telephoto. The reason why I say 30D is due to its ability to shoot at ISO 3200, among other things.

Jon wrote in post #3702740
Yes, DSLRs are TTL optical viewfinders; they're no different from the film SLRs in that respect. And most DSLRs won't let you preview on the LCD; only the Canon 1D Mk III and a few Olympus models offer that capability.

Is noise ever an issue for you in low light compositions and do you have any tricks or work-arounds that seem to help you?

Harry

The Canon 20DA also had Live View. It was produced for a niche market however. The two major modifications were:

1) Live View so that you could focus stars using it attached to the telescope however pointing at the zenith...it still would be a neck cranker but still better than trying to focues stars through any viewfinder.
2) Removal of the IR filter in front of the sensor. This would produce a lot more nebulosity in shots of nebulae (extended reds etc).

This was a great model and still sought after in the Astro community looking for a DSLR.
There are several companies like Hutech that will do the modifications (IR filter removal but no Live View) on current models (they claim on the XTi that their technique does not remove the sensor cleaning feature) and pictures taken with their moded 5D are simply stunning on nebulae.

Too bad Canon quit making it. I was going to buy one but my wife at the time wanted something small for a long vacation trip so I ended up with a Canon SD500...nice but not nice enough.

The 20DA is specifically for astrophotography, isn't it? I'd love to have my 20D converted to IR for wedding work once I replace it.

rang wrote in post #3702926
.......... (they claim on the XTi that their technique does not remove the sensor cleaning feature) and pictures taken with their moded 5D are simply stunning on nebulae.
............

Nebulae?!?!?!?!?!,,,,,​,,,,,, *slaps leg laffin*,,,,Hell I'd settle for a clean shot of the frickin moon right now!

*grinnin*

Blast

Blast wrote in post #3703003
Nebulae?!?!?!?!?!,,,,,​,,,,,, *slaps leg laffin*,,,,Hell I'd settle for a clean shot of the frickin moon right now!

*grinnin*

Blast

Shoot with a tripod at ISO 100, f/8 aperture, and 1/focal length for shutter speed. That should do it.

liza wrote in post #3703063
Shoot with a tripod at ISO 100, f/8 aperture, and 1/focal length for shutter speed. That should do it.

ah, ah, ah, dont forget to shut down all the "help" Flexi, safety shift, safety MF. Would you go with MF lock or pure MF?

Blast

Yeah...sorry I tend to get a little "wordy.
When it comes to Astro stuff my wifes eyes glaze over and she just groans TMI (TooMuchInformation)

Liza,
You can sometimes find them listed on AstroMart or other boards but because the niche market audience is used to spending way big bucks and the technique to yank that filter without screwing up the body is very tough to do...the refurbed or moded 20D's or used 20DA's go FAST. And they go for way big bucks.
I thought about having Hutech mod my XTi but the cost ...I figured I would first spend the money on a 30D for a spare body since I seem to be enjoying terrestrial photography so much.
Tough decision.

rang wrote in post #3703115
Yeah...sorry I tend to get a little "wordy.
When it comes to Astro stuff my wifes eyes glaze over and she just groans TMI (TooMuchInformation)

Liza,
You can sometimes find them listed on AstroMart or other boards but because the niche market audience is used to spending way big bucks and the technique to yank that filter without screwing up the body is very tough to do...the refurbed or moded 20D's or used 20DA's go FAST. And they go for way big bucks.
I thought about having Hutech mod my XTi but the cost ...I figured I would first spend the money on a 30D for a spare body since I seem to be enjoying terrestrial photography so much.
Tough decision.

Not wordy at all my friend, very interesting I love this stuff, just hate being new. *smile*

Blast

Blast wrote in post #3702773
Is noise ever an issue for you in low light compositions and do you have any tricks or work-arounds that seem to help you?

Harry

Since you're not using the LCD, but an optical projected image, not in composition. There may be noise apparent in the captured image. Just expose correctly, or even a little to the right to reduce that problem. Neat Image and Noise Ninja do a good job of filtering out the noise.

Jon wrote in post #3704633
Since you're not using the LCD, but an optical projected image, not in composition. There may be noise apparent in the captured image. Just expose correctly, or even a little to the right to reduce that problem. Neat Image and Noise Ninja do a good job of filtering out the noise.

Hey Jon,
Sorry If I was vague here. noise in the final photo is not the issue. It is the noise produced by the LCD or the EVF that is making it difficult for me to FOCUS my composition in low light. If the auto focus doesn't lock on, sometimes I struggle getting it dead on myself with the pixelation produced by the projected noise.
Sorry to be confusing. Does this make sense?

Harry- thanks for the response, I appreciate you guys taking the time to help