[Eriol]

The K r takes great outdoor pictures (daytime), but I've been having trouble trying to get some good pictures indoors and when it starts to get dark. I've actually been getting pretty frustrated and a part of me wonders if a point and shoot would do a better job than the K r does in low light.

I almost always get grainy and out of focus shots.

I'm almost positive that it's me that isn't adjusting something I should be adjusting. How do you handle indoor and low light situations? Do you use different settings? Lenses?

I've tried out all of the automatic settings on the camera (auto, portrait, night scene, etc). I haven't tried customizing because I don't want to mess anything up.

All I have is the K r and the DAL 18-55 lens that came with it.

I hope someone can help me out here. Last thing I want is my wife telling me, "I told you you should have just bought a 200 dollar camera!"

Hi,

here is what I do:

Without flash: open aperture - risk of FF! I do not use focus correction, and I leave white balance at AWB. The K-r has excellent focus points, so for indoors shootings I choose a fixed focus point (mostly centered) and then focus a bit behind the actual focus: E.g. for people, I focus on the ear if I wish to have the nose in focus. And I take two or more pictures to make sure one is in focus ... Well, that's the K-r. We have to take it as it is ... My favourite lenses for indoors shootings are 50/1.7 and Tamron 28-75/2.8.

With flash: Preferably external flash - always use manual settings, e.g. 1/125s with aperture 8, and then try a bit; the flash will do the rest. It is not recommended to use any program automatic for indoor flash photography IMHO.

Eriol

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Last edited by Eriol; 06-30-2011 at 04:27 AM.

[reivax]

I was trying to find a picture that showed the problem I had been talking about, but I guess I deleted all of them. If I find one, I will upload it. This is one picture that I would have wanted to turn out better, but as you can see, the background light took over the picture. How should I have fixed this?



As far as EXIF info:
Lens: DA L 18-55
Focal Length 23.1
Shutter Speed: 1/50
Aperture: F11
White Balance: Auto
Autofocus: On

Any other info needed?

[philbaum]

I was trying to find a picture that showed the problem I had been talking about, but I guess I deleted all of them. If I find one, I will upload it. This is one picture that I would have wanted to turn out better, but as you can see, the background light took over the picture. How should I have fixed this?



As far as EXIF info:
Lens: DA L 18-55
Focal Length 23.1
Shutter Speed: 1/50
Aperture: F11
White Balance: Auto
Autofocus: On

Any other info needed?

Learn to use the auto exposure lock (AEL). Using any of the exposure metering modes, swing the camera until you've got the metering for the dark area, then push the button for AEL, swing the camera back until you've reframed the image and take your picture. read your manual about how long the AEL lasts, its not long. I'm not familiar with the Kr so you'll have to read your manual for the details.


If you must have both the highlights and shadows of a high contrast scene like that, you will have to go to hdr process. I have never used the built in hdr processing so can't speak to that, but have used the software versions. but thats a whole nuther topic.


best wishes,

[hnikesch]

Using is a small program called AutoHDR1.107, free download that can help your image see attached, you can do the same in PS Elements just using adjust lighting under enhance the shadow/highlight function see 2nd image, I find it useful if I blow a shot and need a quick fix. The internal Kr HDR is much better, it takes 3 images to create one shot.

Hans

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

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Last edited by hnikesch; 06-30-2011 at 01:56 PM.

[reivax]

Using is a small program called AutoHDR1.107, free download that can help your image see attached, you can do the same in PS Elements just using adjust lighting under enhance the shadow/highlight function see 2nd image, I find it useful if I blow a shot and need a quick fix. The internal Kr HDR is much better, it takes 3 images to create one shot.

Hans

Wow! I need to start looking into photo editing. That looks amazing compared to how it looked before. Anything that can fix lack of auto focus? Doubt it, but you never know.

[GrinMode]

Wow! I need to start looking into photo editing. That looks amazing compared to how it looked before. Anything that can fix lack of auto focus? Doubt it, but you never know.

When auto focus fails, you can manual focus or use live view. Manual focus is better with a split screen, and one has to try K-r live view to see how fast (or slow) it is.

Of course both won't help much with moving subjects (ok, you can do it using MF with practice and experience), buy hey, a blurry/bad picture is better than no picture at all .

[hnikesch]

Wow! I need to start looking into photo editing. That looks amazing compared to how it looked before. Anything that can fix lack of auto focus? Doubt it, but you never know.

Photoshop Elements is your best bet, you can find lots of help on line and it is very powerful. You should be able to find if on sale full price is $99 US $70 on Amazon but you can do better.

Hans

[reivax]

Thanks for the advice on Elements. I hadn't used Photoshop in years (last time was when I was in High School... let's just say it's been at least 10 years). I downloaded Elements (trial version) and it's nice for basic photo editing, but I have to be honest that there is other open source software that is just the same (or better) and free.

If anyone is interested in trying those out, there is Paint.net (actually what it's called) and GIMP2.

Paint.net has a pretty simple interface, while GIMP2 is a little more complicated (more powerful too).

[GrinMode]

Thanks for the advice on Elements. I hadn't used Photoshop in years (last time was when I was in High School... let's just say it's been at least 10 years). I downloaded Elements (trial version) and it's nice for basic photo editing, but I have to be honest that there is other open source software that is just the same (or better) and free.

If anyone is interested in trying those out, there is Paint.net (actually what it's called) and GIMP2.

Paint.net has a pretty simple interface, while GIMP2 is a little more complicated (more powerful too).

I use GIMP. For basic PP it's powerful enough.

[reivax]

Took a look at Elements again, and it has some cool features GIMP and Paint.net don't have or do well. One of them is the self-healing effect, the other is that Elements does a better (easier) job of selecting.

[Clicker]

You could use spot metering and meter the shadows then highlight and use an average or spot meter a mid point in your viewfinder and shoot. Your other option would be to do HDR option.

[mattt]

Try bracketing - I bought a lens from a retired officer from the Provincial Police who worked ident. During the transaction we had a nice chat, and he said that bracketing was the most important thing they taught him in his training... if you bracket, you KNOW you'll get a good one. You can't retake a crime scene. Most of the new digital models auto bracket by a set +/- EV value.

[JohnBee]

The K r takes great outdoor pictures (daytime), but I've been having trouble trying to get some good pictures indoors and when it starts to get dark. I've actually been getting pretty frustrated and a part of me wonders if a point and shoot would do a better job than the K r does in low light.

I almost always get grainy and out of focus shots.

I'm almost positive that it's me that isn't adjusting something I should be adjusting. How do you handle indoor and low light situations? Do you use different settings? Lenses?

I've tried out all of the automatic settings on the camera (auto, portrait, night scene, etc). I haven't tried customizing because I don't want to mess anything up.

All I have is the K r and the DAL 18-55 lens that came with it.

I hope someone can help me out here. Last thing I want is my wife telling me, "I told you you should have just bought a 200 dollar camera!"

"Low light shooting is an art"

And you will likely need to learn it like everyone else

Having said that, the best way to test your wifes theory would be to borrow a smaller camera and see what you get. (who knows?) not everyone is detined for DSLR type photography. - And I don't mean that in a condescending way(please don't take it this way), I simply mean that we all have different needs and/or tolerences when it comes to photography. And P&S types are no less than any other imo,

[Ben E]

So it the 18-55 lens that makes it grainy? I thought it depended on the camera itself, not the lens.

Oh well I guess it gives me the excuse to buy a new lens :P

[yeatzee]

So it the 18-55 lens that makes it grainy? I thought it depended on the camera itself, not the lens.

Oh well I guess it gives me the excuse to buy a new lens :P

Of course not Well sorta....

The 18-55 as stated is a "slow" lens meaning it does not take in much light. A lens like say my K 50mm F/1.2 is light sucking beast on the other hand

To compensate for this, the ISO must be bumped up thus resulting in a "grainy" image. Faster glass exist among other reasons for more low light capabilities. Of course, the price rises with the lowering of the number accompanying "F/"

btw. Learn to shoot in M mode Personally I went with M mode immediately. I didn't want a bad picture to be the result of my camera's error but rather my own..... you get good this way