Originally posted by excanonfd Where are you shooting that you can can only manage 1/30 sec, ISO 800 at wide open? What camera are you shooting with, I shoot with a K20D and I think I get acceptable results with minimal noise reduction at ISO 1600.
Strong national museum of play in Rochester NY. It's maybe 30% behind glass exhibits, 30 percent nostalgic exhibits the kids can play with and 40% just stuff the kids can play with. They are always having new the history of type exhibits. It's great for family photos but many areas have low lighting, high ceilings, angular walls and or celings and I swear they paint some areas with light absorbant paint. A high power flash just gets absorbed when you try to bounce. It's also good practice to learn to shoot low light situations. It was a complete madhouse this last weekend though (super hero weekend, meet batman etc). People were parking on the grass etc. I kind have wished I had not been in lens testing mode and was more in get some good shots mode. Its an hour and a half drive so we don't go there too often.
here is one I wish I hadn't botched so bad (feeling stupid for not using flash, I didn't even think of it but it probably would have worked here).
museum Photo Gallery by Richard Homeyer at pbase.com
Camera is an old ist-ds which explains the poorer high iso performance. A newer body with beter high iso performance is on my save up for list.
Originally posted by excanonfd Have you looked at a Pentax 35-70/2.8 AF (built-in motor)?
I have seen it once or twice but not enough I started searching for it. I have recently taken an interest in such lenses though (won a canon fd vivitar 28-70mm cheap with internal autofocus) and lost a similar chinon one. I can start looking for the pentax one and do some research on it. thanks.