need help with these crappy pics!

ok, so i just got my 40d anyway, but i went to a pageant practice tonight and thought i'd try to see what i could do indoors with my Tamron 17-50. i've gotta shoot for real tomorrow night tho

thru the viewfinder, it focuses instantly and looks PERFECT, but the pics dont

for a dark room with a bright stage, what metering should i use? i tried a few i think, played with ISO's etc, any suggestions? should i use the 70-200 f4L instead?

These are some of the crops, the full photo and crops are on my flickr photostream if you want more examples...

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I'm not seeing any exif info. I would guess that most of it is simply due to a too slow a shutter speed.

if you can, check them on my flickr page and do More Info, i have shutter speeds ranging from 1/40 to 1/200... i dont know why they arent showing up on here, the IMG code points straight to the flickr pics

Drop a couple here on your post as attachments (using the Go Advanced button). Keep them under 1024 on the longest side and under 150K.

from the looks of it, you're suffering from:
1) not using manual in the type of situation you should
2) cropping way too much
3) putting too much emphasis on the camera instead of yourself.

this causes:
1) pictures coming out overexposed
2 a) more noticeable noise
2 b) higher likelihood of failed focus
3) complaining the camera doesn't meet specs

the solutions are:
1) use manual, or Av if you know what to compensate for (actually harder to use than manual, so just save the effort and go manual)
2 a) get closer
2 b) use a faster lens
2 c) use a longer lens
*note, the suggestion is all three or at least two of the three*
3 a) learn the limitations of your own abilities and improve on them
3 b) learn the limitations of your camera and work around them
*note, the suggestion is both*

have fun shooting the next time, point of mistakes is to learn from them, not to worry too much about them.

From your flickr page, the EXIF for these pictures are:

1) 1/800-f/3.2-ISO1000-spot
2) 1/100-f/3.2-ISO1000-spot
3) 1/200-f/2.8-ISO1000-pattern
4) 1/80-f/2.8-ISO1000-center weighted

What and how many focus points are you using? In the last picture for example, your shutter speed is only 1/80, you have a very shallow depth of field with an aperture of f/2.8, and the subjects appear to be moving toward the camera. For starters, I would generally use an ISO of 1600 or 3200 for stage performances without flash to make sure my shutter speeds are as high as possible. I also would normally use only the center focus point and if the performers are moving a lot, especially from the front of the stage to the back (or vise-versa), I would use AI SERVO.

Is the lighting consistent throughout the performance? If so, you may want to set the camera to manual, dial in a proper exposure and shoot away. That way your camera meter won't get fooled by the big difference in the performers attire. If the level of light is constantly changing, Av or Tv would probably be better.

To me, they look out of focus. I'd use center AF only and recompose if you need to.
As for metering, in situations like this manual is the best imo as the dark background will probably fool the metering to overexpose unless you use spot metering maybe.

I see some good advice posted here already. However, when I went to your Flickr page, something stood out right away. The images you show on POTN are crops. However the full size shots on Flickr appear to have sharply focused portions of the image in the foreground. The problem I see is that you were probably using a wide aperature, and all 9 focus spots. This will allow the camera to focus on one area (the foreground) while the rest of the image is oof due to the wide aperature. Now since you're inside, you still want the aperature open as wide as possible, so you have to be careful what you are focusing on. I'd suggest that you select the center focus point only, and use it to focus on the person you want to be sharp.

Zonieart brings up a good point. I had not looked at the uncropped pictures before reading that post but I agree with the assessment that it looks the focus is in the foreground in those shots. If you open the uncropped pictures in ZoomBrowser, it can show you what the active focus points were when the picture was taken. That may shed some light on what is happening.

Here's a guess: metering is off, fooled by a dark background. Solution could be incident metering - using a separate meter to measure the light falling on the stage, rather than reflected light.

You used spot metering for some of them and chances are that you accidentally metered the light on the dark background, causing overexposure.
Very good advices above already, not much to add.

My tips based on what I know about that shoot:

With that amount of light, use also 70-200 f4L mostly, change lenses (wider for beginning and end show) to get variance.

If you shoot 70-200, stay in 70-135 range. With 200 you have danger of shake.

ISO 1600 all the time.

Shoot RAW if you can.

Any metering mode BUT spot metering.

If the lighting does not change and it is what you had in rehearsal, use Manual mode and f4 with ca. 1/400 shutter speed (minimum 1/200). Av mode set to f4 with center-weighted metering might also work. Test, check histogram that it is balanced, if you change settings verify from LCD and histogram how it looks.

Choose only center AF point and focus with that to main subject. AI Servo works if you have enough light, else one-shot AF.

Support lens to audience chair shoulder or use monopod.

Photographing is about making decisions and adjusting to ever-changing environment. You need to know what you want technically - before you shoot. One part of your brain needs to be analytic, one part artistic.

these cropped pics are just to show how my subjects look. i just cropped and resized so i wouldnt have to post huge pictures.

also, i did set the AF spot to center and made sure i tried f2.8-f5, i did shoot them all in Av mode, i'll try manual later, which metering mode should i be in when i use M mode?

Even tho (if u saw the full pics) you say the foreground is in focus, and i honestly dont know how, i used the center focal point on their face and snapped immediately...

i will get it eventually

I am glad you made this thread anyway, it is good for us other noobs .

Great info by all, thanks!

aparis99 wrote in post #5891028
these cropped pics are just to show how my subjects look. i just cropped and resized so i wouldnt have to post huge pictures.

also, i did set the AF spot to center and made sure i tried f2.8-f5, i did shoot them all in Av mode, i'll try manual later, which metering mode should i be in when i use M mode?

Even tho (if u saw the full pics) you say the foreground is in focus, and i honestly dont know how, i used the center focal point on their face and snapped immediately...

i will get it eventually

1) You should never have to crop much, just resize. Any more than 20% crop means you aren't shooting correctly and pretending that most of the work is after the shoot rather than during it.

2) ALWAYS shoot wide open if your lens can go to f2.8 or f2 (for this sort of thing). If it can go faster than f2, you can choose what to set the aperture at depending on your distance and the amount of light.

3) When in M, metering mode is pointless, you set the exposure anyway.

4) If you cropped a lot, the chances that you were still inside the center focus point when focusing on the people in front is quite probable. Focus "points" are actually focus bands, and the bands are very large compared to the dots on the screen (except for 1d cameras where they really are accurate since there's so many points)