Indoor photography...royal P.I.A.!!

Seafood · 05-24-2011, 01:06 PM

I have a Pentax K100d with the kit lens as well as a Sigma 17-70. The sigma is pretty much permanently attached to the body unless I throw on the 70-300. Been shooting with this setup for about 3 years.

To get right to the point...either I, or the camera or the lens is simply TERRIBLE indoors. I just cant get anything to come out in anything other than the dreaded orange glow!

I have played with WB, ISO, etc etc and just cant get good quality, nicely lit photographs of the kids or anything else in the house.

PLEASE...someone help me understand what I can do different.

TY

joe.penn · 05-24-2011, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by Seafood

I have a Pentax K100d with the kit lens as well as a Sigma 17-70. The sigma is pretty much permanently attached to the body unless I throw on the 70-300. Been shooting with this setup for about 3 years.

To get right to the point...either I, or the camera or the lens is simply TERRIBLE indoors. I just cant get anything to come out in anything other than the dreaded orange glow!

I have played with WB, ISO, etc etc and just cant get good quality, nicely lit photographs of the kids or anything else in the house.

PLEASE...someone help me understand what I can do different.

TY

1.8 or better lens, higher ISO, Spot Metering (I think K100 has sm). I am guessing that using flash is not practical for you?

---

abmj · 05-24-2011, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by Seafood

... PLEASE...someone help me understand what I can do different. ...

Flash.

alohadave · 05-24-2011, 01:57 PM

Originally posted by Seafood

I have a Pentax K100d with the kit lens as well as a Sigma 17-70. The sigma is pretty much permanently attached to the body unless I throw on the 70-300. Been shooting with this setup for about 3 years.

To get right to the point...either I, or the camera or the lens is simply TERRIBLE indoors. I just cant get anything to come out in anything other than the dreaded orange glow!

I have played with WB, ISO, etc etc and just cant get good quality, nicely lit photographs of the kids or anything else in the house.

PLEASE...someone help me understand what I can do different.

TY

Example pictures with the settings listed would really help.

joe.penn · 05-24-2011, 02:03 PM

Originally posted by abmj

Flash.

That is why I mentioned "I am guessing that using flash is not practical for you?" as flash would be the solution, but I was guessing that the OP had to of tried flash before anything else as it is so obvious. So I am guessing that the OP is looking for a more natural picture within the shooting environment without a flash...

----

enoeske · 05-24-2011, 02:24 PM

Originally posted by Seafood

I just cant get anything to come out in anything other than the dreaded orange glow!
TY

An example would help; are you saying they have an orange color to them? Or that your shutter speed is so slow that they are blurry?

Not real clear on what the problem is in order to help you.

hcc · 05-24-2011, 02:37 PM

joe.penn guided you in the right direction. You need to use some faster lenses. That is, lenses with lage aperture (low f) typically f1.2, f1.4 or f1.8. These fast lenses are usually fast prime lenses with a single focal length.

Among these fast primes, there are several Pentax 50mm f1.2, 14 or 1.7; another classical lens is the FA31mm f1.8 Ltd. There are also 85mm f1.4 fast lenses (Pentax, Sigma, Vivitar).

Hope that the comment will help.

MPrince · 05-24-2011, 02:42 PM

Post a sample pic with exif data included, and also tell us about the ambient light. (Sunlit room, incandescent, etc.) Then we won't have to guess what the problem is.

But I can tell you right now, you would be surprised how dim indoors light is, even on a bright sunny day with all the curtains open. Flash is your best friend for indoor shooting, but not the built in flash, you need a shoemount flash, preferably off-camera. But those details can be hammered out later, after we have a sample pic to analyze.

bobpur · 05-24-2011, 02:49 PM

Hi

The K100 is terrible with white balance, even using the custom function.
This is especially true with mixed lights or the mini flo bulbs.
You can do best with Raw files but still a pain.
The KX is spot on most of the time.

MPrince · 05-24-2011, 03:29 PM

bobpur, I completely disagree with you. I have both the K100D and the K-7 and the K100D white balance works perfectly fine.

**Ash** · 05-24-2011, 05:46 PM

You can't take photos of something without some light.
Low light photography commands fast lenses and supplemental lighting.
You can even get away with a kit lens indoors if you have a good flash, but focusing will be the main issue.
A fast lens on a faster camera will work wonders. With what you have now, you may need to have a portable light with you just to illuminate the subject enough for the camera to find focus, then the flash will do the rest for the exposure.

newarts · 05-24-2011, 06:23 PM

There's not enough light for your camera/lens system.

Get faster lenses (like a Pentax-(F)A 50:1.7 which needs only 1/8 - 1/4 the light as your present lenses) or get a faster camera body like a K-x (which needs only about 1/4 as much light as your K100D) or get more light (learn to diffuse/bounce flash to avoid the Deer-in-headlight look).

White balance can be fixed - do some experiments to learn how.

cwood · 05-24-2011, 10:04 PM

As I understand it the OP is having trouble with "dreaded orange glow" and not his shutter speed - so new lenses are really fun but they won't do anything about your problem. Most cameras have the ability to register an image for custom white balance. It is the white balance setting that has this symbol

Find something white to take a picture of and then learn how to use this function on your camera and it should solve your "orange" problem.

Also - no cameras do a perfect job of AWB in any indoor or outdoor environment. Its nice that the newer cameras do better than the older cameras... but they are usually still off by quite a bit if you are actually worried about having nice looking skin tones. Outdoors, most cameras will balance too cool while indoors they tend to be too warm.

If you are shooting under sodium lights then slower shutter speeds will actually help your white balance because the lights can go through a whole cycle while the shutter is open. Under regular tungsten or florescent you should not have any complications unless you have mixed lighting with an open window nearby.

Seafood · 05-26-2011, 06:01 AM

Thanks all for the replies. Sorry I did not get back sooner...been away from a PC for a few days.

Yes they are orange. Yes sometimes there is motion blur. Heading out of town in a few hours for a family wedding. I will try to post some samples next week so I can get more accurate council. I also do not have a hot shoe flash...which I know I need. And the on camera flash is pretty much useless for getting any kind of genuine authentic colors.

I have an old A 50mm 1.7 but manual focus and children under 10 just don't mix well!

Thanks.

alohadave · 05-26-2011, 06:45 PM

Originally posted by Seafood

And the on camera flash is pretty much useless for getting any kind of genuine authentic colors.

You have much to learn.

05-24-2011, 01:06 PM	#1
Seafood Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 53	Indoor photography...royal P.I.A.!! I have a Pentax K100d with the kit lens as well as a Sigma 17-70. The sigma is pretty much permanently attached to the body unless I throw on the 70-300. Been shooting with this setup for about 3 years. To get right to the point...either I, or the camera or the lens is simply TERRIBLE indoors. I just cant get anything to come out in anything other than the dreaded orange glow! I have played with WB, ISO, etc etc and just cant get good quality, nicely lit photographs of the kids or anything else in the house. PLEASE...someone help me understand what I can do different. TY

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05-24-2011, 01:38 PM	#2
joe.penn Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,902	Originally posted by Seafood I have a Pentax K100d with the kit lens as well as a Sigma 17-70. The sigma is pretty much permanently attached to the body unless I throw on the 70-300. Been shooting with this setup for about 3 years. To get right to the point...either I, or the camera or the lens is simply TERRIBLE indoors. I just cant get anything to come out in anything other than the dreaded orange glow! I have played with WB, ISO, etc etc and just cant get good quality, nicely lit photographs of the kids or anything else in the house. PLEASE...someone help me understand what I can do different. TY 1.8 or better lens, higher ISO, Spot Metering (I think K100 has sm). I am guessing that using flash is not practical for you? ---

05-24-2011, 01:54 PM	#3
abmj Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Central California Posts: 600	Originally posted by Seafood ... PLEASE...someone help me understand what I can do different. ... Flash.

05-24-2011, 01:57 PM	#4
alohadave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Quincy, MA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,024	Originally posted by Seafood I have a Pentax K100d with the kit lens as well as a Sigma 17-70. The sigma is pretty much permanently attached to the body unless I throw on the 70-300. Been shooting with this setup for about 3 years. To get right to the point...either I, or the camera or the lens is simply TERRIBLE indoors. I just cant get anything to come out in anything other than the dreaded orange glow! I have played with WB, ISO, etc etc and just cant get good quality, nicely lit photographs of the kids or anything else in the house. PLEASE...someone help me understand what I can do different. TY Example pictures with the settings listed would really help.

05-24-2011, 02:03 PM	#5
joe.penn Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,902	Originally posted by abmj Flash. That is why I mentioned "I am guessing that using flash is not practical for you?" as flash would be the solution, but I was guessing that the OP had to of tried flash before anything else as it is so obvious. So I am guessing that the OP is looking for a more natural picture within the shooting environment without a flash... ----

05-24-2011, 02:24 PM	#6
enoeske Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Surprise, Az Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,136	Originally posted by Seafood I just cant get anything to come out in anything other than the dreaded orange glow! TY An example would help; are you saying they have an orange color to them? Or that your shutter speed is so slow that they are blurry? Not real clear on what the problem is in order to help you.

05-24-2011, 02:37 PM	#7
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,002	joe.penn guided you in the right direction. You need to use some faster lenses. That is, lenses with lage aperture (low f) typically f1.2, f1.4 or f1.8. These fast lenses are usually fast prime lenses with a single focal length. Among these fast primes, there are several Pentax 50mm f1.2, 14 or 1.7; another classical lens is the FA31mm f1.8 Ltd. There are also 85mm f1.4 fast lenses (Pentax, Sigma, Vivitar). Hope that the comment will help.

05-24-2011, 02:42 PM	#8
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	Post a sample pic with exif data included, and also tell us about the ambient light. (Sunlit room, incandescent, etc.) Then we won't have to guess what the problem is. But I can tell you right now, you would be surprised how dim indoors light is, even on a bright sunny day with all the curtains open. Flash is your best friend for indoor shooting, but not the built in flash, you need a shoemount flash, preferably off-camera. But those details can be hammered out later, after we have a sample pic to analyze.

05-24-2011, 02:49 PM	#9
bobpur Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 328	Hi The K100 is terrible with white balance, even using the custom function. This is especially true with mixed lights or the mini flo bulbs. You can do best with Raw files but still a pain. The KX is spot on most of the time.

05-24-2011, 03:29 PM	#10
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	bobpur, I completely disagree with you. I have both the K100D and the K-7 and the K100D white balance works perfectly fine.

05-24-2011, 05:46 PM	#11
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	You can't take photos of something without some light. Low light photography commands fast lenses and supplemental lighting. You can even get away with a kit lens indoors if you have a good flash, but focusing will be the main issue. A fast lens on a faster camera will work wonders. With what you have now, you may need to have a portable light with you just to illuminate the subject enough for the camera to find focus, then the flash will do the rest for the exposure.

05-24-2011, 06:23 PM	#12
newarts Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Ames, Iowa, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 2,965	There's not enough light for your camera/lens system. Get faster lenses (like a Pentax-(F)A 50:1.7 which needs only 1/8 - 1/4 the light as your present lenses) or get a faster camera body like a K-x (which needs only about 1/4 as much light as your K100D) or get more light (learn to diffuse/bounce flash to avoid the Deer-in-headlight look). White balance can be fixed - do some experiments to learn how.

05-24-2011, 10:04 PM	#13
cwood Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: California Posts: 851	As I understand it the OP is having trouble with "dreaded orange glow" and not his shutter speed - so new lenses are really fun but they won't do anything about your problem. Most cameras have the ability to register an image for custom white balance. It is the white balance setting that has this symbol Find something white to take a picture of and then learn how to use this function on your camera and it should solve your "orange" problem. Also - no cameras do a perfect job of AWB in any indoor or outdoor environment. Its nice that the newer cameras do better than the older cameras... but they are usually still off by quite a bit if you are actually worried about having nice looking skin tones. Outdoors, most cameras will balance too cool while indoors they tend to be too warm. If you are shooting under sodium lights then slower shutter speeds will actually help your white balance because the lights can go through a whole cycle while the shutter is open. Under regular tungsten or florescent you should not have any complications unless you have mixed lighting with an open window nearby.

05-26-2011, 06:01 AM	#14
Seafood Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 53 Original Poster	Thanks all for the replies. Sorry I did not get back sooner...been away from a PC for a few days. Yes they are orange. Yes sometimes there is motion blur. Heading out of town in a few hours for a family wedding. I will try to post some samples next week so I can get more accurate council. I also do not have a hot shoe flash...which I know I need. And the on camera flash is pretty much useless for getting any kind of genuine authentic colors. I have an old A 50mm 1.7 but manual focus and children under 10 just don't mix well! Thanks.

05-26-2011, 06:45 PM	#15
alohadave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Quincy, MA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,024	Originally posted by Seafood And the on camera flash is pretty much useless for getting any kind of genuine authentic colors. You have much to learn.