[mysticcowboy]

There are some good suggestions already posted, but some situations call for manual settings. If you can get reasonably constant light, it's often good to use a gray card and meter for ambient light and set your camera to manual and just leave the settings. I've done that for auditoriums and things like basketball games.

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is white balance. You can also set that once and save a lot of post processing time. If you shoot raw, it's always possible to tweak WB but that is often very time consuming.

michael mckee
My Port Townsend – A City in Photographs – 365

[audiobomber]

Thanks for all the responses, some great input here. When I started this thread, I didn't think my K-x was capable of Program Shift. I changed a setting and now it has hyper programming, so I'll be starting there and switch to manual if conditions are steady. I just wish it had TAv mode too.

[GeneV]

This is kind of a broad question, and I'm assuming that the OP means without flash. Without flash, technique as to shutter or aperture adjustment is really variable, since it depends from subject to subject whether the motion blur is acceptable.

If I am using one of my K or M lenses, then there is no choice but to go manual as Mark describes with ISO usually set at 1600 for K20d and 800 for the K10d. Otherwise, on the K20d it is usually Av with ISO set to 1600 or P hyper manual with an ISO range from 800 to 3200.

In any case, I will plan to spend some time with the pp noise reduction.

I'm scared shitless of bumping ISO higher than 800 on my K20D because the results are generally not great. I suppose I need to get some Noise reduction software and see what that can do for me.
I love shooting low-light scenes and after dark without tripod. It would be great to be able to bump the ISO up so as to get a decent shutter speed when required.
Using a lens with a large aperture f/1.2, 1.4 to 2.8 is highly advisable. Using a tripod where possible also helps.

[King_Boru]

I'll just point out that in some situations the lightning might trick you into thinking that a higher ISO is required. Often, to make your point and or bring mood into the image ISO 400 or even 200 can be used. Some of the best low light photographs that grace this planet were taken between ISO 800 and 400. I feel that in todays digitally driven society we are advertised to believe that you will obtain better results at higher ISO's. The camera will try an make things look like daylight, when it simply isnt. It won't capture the subtle lighting of the scene.

As mentioned using Manual exposure, spot metering and manual focus will allow you complete control. Expose for the subject (give or take a couple of 1/3rd stop EV's to reduce/increase darkness) and the end result will be much better than an image taken at ISO 6400 1/60 f/4 where everything looks like it is sunny.

[Ratmagiclady]

I like to leave the camera in P (I like the MTF line, in general,) and make use of the hyperprogram controls to override. I like the centerweighted metering mode for this, (just more predictable when there's like a light bulb or whatever in frame.) It usually ends up in Av or M before long, but it's a good starting point for me as I take the camera out of the bag: sometimes gets a shot off while Iorient to where I left the ISO last time.

Haven't tried TAv too much, myself.

[fporter]

Maybe mysticcowboy and King_Boru touched on this and I don't quite understand... when I'm trying to shoot in low light and using automatic metering my pics turn out unrealistically bright.

How do I set an exposure that'll capture the actual light levels? Before someone says, 'switch to manual...' I'm meaning what are rules of thumb (if any) or how should i use the spot meter or histogram so that I can get my first or second shot closer to what I want?

As Mark S suggested earlier, in manual, press green button to get recommended shutter speed after selecting f & ISO but where to from there?

[WMBP]

Maybe mysticcowboy and King_Boru touched on this and I don't quite understand... when I'm trying to shoot in low light and using automatic metering my pics turn out unrealistically bright.

Well, that should not be too surprising. You'll hear this said over and over again (may already have been said in this thread) but remember what the meter is trying to do: It's surveying ALL of the levels of brightness in the scene and then trying to set the exposure for the shot so that everything comes out a middle gray - neither bright nor dark. If you ask the meter how to shoot a bright sky, the meter will give you settings that make the sky too dark. If you ask the meter how to shoot a big pile of coal, the meter will make the coal too light. Now, shoot in a darkish room with a couple of table or floor lights or candles and the meter will suggest settings that lighten up the shadows - and blow the highlights from the lamps.

That's why you either have to learn to shoot Manual OR learn how to use exposure compensation (with the +/- button) to bias the meter one way or the other.

How do I set an exposure that'll capture the actual light levels? Before someone says, 'switch to manual...' I'm meaning what are rules of thumb (if any) or how should i use the spot meter or histogram so that I can get my first or second shot closer to what I want?

Well, this is where it gets tricky. DO NOT LET THE HISTOGRAM DICTATE YOUR EXPOSURE SETTINGS. Don't let the instant review of the shot dictate the settings either. You want to expose the shot that you get as much as possible of the data on the right side of the histogram, because those are the areas where your camera's sensor is most discriminating. If you do this correctly, in some cases where the dynamic range of the photo isn't very large, the result will look TOO BRIGHT when you view it immediately after capture on the camera's back panel. That's okay, so long as you didn't blow highlights. You can darken it up in post processing. This is an annoying, occasional requirement of digital photography. Not necessary if you are shooting film.

I don't know any rules of thumb. What I do know comes from experience, lots of experience shooting in low light. I walk into a church knowing from experience that I can set my camera to f/2.8, ISO 800 or 1100, and hope to get a shutter speed of around 1/60th sec. I set those settings, point the camera at a scene, and look at what the meter says. I don't just let the meter dictate my settings, because I have to look at the scene with my own eyes and try to decide what the meter is responding to. I've shot in rooms where the walls were mainly all glass, so there was lots of light coming in through the glass walls - meaning the indoors subject was strongly backlit. In such a situation the camera's meter is going to try to darken the scene up. The meter is responding to all that light coming in through the windows. But I want to make sure I expose properly for the person I'm trying to photograph and I don't care so much about the windows. So I very well may use settings that the camera thinks result in overexposure. That's okay. I may not mind blowing the bright windows out - might even like the effect - if the subject is nicely exposed.

As Mark S suggested earlier, in manual, press green button to get recommended shutter speed after selecting f & ISO but where to from there?

Well, you can put the camera's metering option to spot metering, and make sure you get the meting point right on some part of the subject that is critical to your exposure before you hit the green button. But I don't recommend using spot metering too much. I use full matrix metering nearly all the time. You just have to learn to look at the scene with your own eyes and think about it. To keep bright scenes bright, push the exposure a bit to the "right", that is, overexpose. You may have heard people say that you use an exposure compensation (EC) of +1 or even +2 when photographing snow.

Get familiar with the basic concepts, like how your meter wants to make everything middle gray. Then practice. Take test shots, look at the results and think about 'em.

Will

[RioRico]

I'm scared shitless of bumping ISO higher than 800 on my K20D because the results are generally not great.

On my K20D, I reserve high ISO for well-lit subjects requiring a small aperture and fast shutter. My greatest disappointment with the K20D is its fairly poor low-light performance. In dim hand-held situations I'm most likely to use my Sony DSC-V1 with NightShot on and, if the subject is close, an IR light, and abandon any expectation of clear imagery. Even with f/1.4-f/2 lenses wide open, the K20D all too often requires tripod or flash, not always possible in many venues. I shot a concert a few months ago (Robin Trower in a small dark ballroom at a local casino, no 'professional' photography allowed) with several digital and film cameras, and was least pleased with the K20D's results. Bother.

[WerTicus]

i throw on the fa 50 1.4, set the Kx to Av with auto iso 200-6400 and go nuts :P

when it gets really dark ill actually use the 1.4 at 1.4 and of course always make sure SR is engaged before shooting.

[paulelescoces]

I typically use AV mode... with poor light, if handheld I will use wide open (typically 2.8 as I use zooms.... if fits the need I pull out the K50 1.4). I typically have auto iso 100-1600. I modify things based on resulting shutter speed and maybe fix iso at 1600 if needed.

I am quite confortable using ISO 1600 on the K20D, with moderate noise reduction (lightroom 2.5) I get good results, need to be more careful here with heavy cropping in comparison with lower ISOs.... I have also tried ISO3200 on the K20D... would only really go here if there was no other option.

I typically prefer that the lowlight atmosphere is maintained through to the end result... in lowlight the result is typically lighter than reality so darkening it up in PP also helps cover the shadow noise. (probably better to EV+ while taking the shot?)

[JohnBee]

How do you shoot in low light? With my K20D, I like TAv mode. I set the aperture and shutter speed and let the camera expose with auto ISO (up to 3200). I can't do this with the K-x. If I choose the lowest shutter speed I will tolerate, the camera automatically opens the aperture all the way. If I choose aperture priority, the camera chooses an extravagant shutter speed at the cost of high ISO. So how do you shoot high ISO (I'd be interested in tips for my specific cameras or any camera).

PS I do use flash when I feel it's appropriate.

Get a fast lens and learn to shoot in manual.
You'll be amazed at what can do with that.

[audiobomber]

Get a fast lens and learn to shoot in manual.
You'll be amazed at what can do with that.

I have a 28mm 2.8, 35mm 2.0, 50mm 1.4 and 100mm 2.8.

I don't see why shooting in manual is talked about as though it requires extra skill. All you do is set the ISO, hit the green button and the camera brings up the aperture and shutter speed it would have chosen in Program mode. Then you decide whether to change Av or Tv. It's the same as using Hyper Program with fixed ISO, or using Av/Tv with fixed ISO and Ev Comp. I can understand someone preferring Manual, but all these methods will produce the same result, and all require equal skill.

[JohnBee]

I can understand someone preferring Manual, but all these methods will produce the same result, and all require equal skill.

And I can understand why you'd say that as well

One example of manual mode superiority with high sensitivities, is in cases where you find yourself making critical decisions within a scene that metering simply can't or will not do. And that's not knocking metering, however, do keep in mind that metering is rarely nothing more than a starting point from which you can fine tune your image with.

Again... my advice to you would be to experiment with metering in various modes(including M) and seeing where things go from there. You might be very surprised at what you'll discovery in the process. I know I was

PS. my wife and I rarely(if ever) shoot anything but M mode now other than for quickies.

[Marc Sabatella]

I shot a concert a few months ago (Robin Trower in a small dark ballroom at a local casino, no 'professional' photography allowed) with several digital and film cameras, and was least pleased with the K20D's results. Bother.

I'd be curious to see that comparison. Most reviews and everything in my personal experience suggests the K20D is one of the best APS-C cameras on the market in this respect, exceeded only somewhat by the cameras using a similar sensor as that in the K-x.