[mtcart]

I am trying to get a feel for a starting point to improve what appears to be ( in all reviews of the K10D) a challenge with indoor no flash lighting.

The venue is various swimming natatorium competitive swimming settings with in water action as well as poolside portrait. Flash cannot be used during events but lighting tends to be good to excellent though the type of lighting varies site to site.

Any direction would be appreciated.

[Lowell Goudge]

I have shot many indoor events, from Tae_Kwan_do to basketball, to dance and high school musicals. I have never had a complaint about the quality of the images at 1600 or 3200 on my K10D or *istD, but maybe I am somewhat biased by what the quality of Kodak Tri-X 400 pushed 3 stops to 3200 ISO looked like.

Having said that, I shoot principally with either my sigma 70-200 f2.8 or my SMC 50mm f1.4/

If you want wuality indoor shots, the only secret is not the camera at all, but the lenses. ther is no such thing as a lens that is too fast.

[Canada_Rockies]

I am trying to get a feel for a starting point to improve what appears to be ( in all reviews of the K10D) a challenge with indoor no flash lighting.

The venue is various swimming natatorium competitive swimming settings with in water action as well as poolside portrait. Flash cannot be used during events but lighting tends to be good to excellent though the type of lighting varies site to site.

Any direction would be appreciated.

I have been quite happy with the results of my K10D at 1600. It is much better than I expected from the reports. Here is a suggested routine to run through at a couple of practices to refine what you want for the meets. You will review the tests after downloading. The LCD is not good enough for determining the best option for you.

Start at ISO 1600, RAW exposures only - you don't want jpeg conversion to screw up the tests. Use AWB so the LCD looks sort of OK, if you like. This won't affect your RAW images. You can do WB tests later.

Start with one area of the pool - starting blocks?
Set the multi exposure to 5 shots, 1 stop apart.
Have a willing subject of average skin tone get ready to dive off and take the five shots.
Change the ISO to 400 and repeat. (You will get overlap)

Repeat the test with each area of the pool you will need for the action shots.

Take a willing subject and take the poolside portraits in the various areas you will need to use. You will probably get away with just 400 here.

Review the shots in detail at home on your computer. Note the ones that are closest to what you want to see. Go to the next practice and repeat the tests at 1/2 stop intervals or 1/3 stop intervals, centered on your best result, to refine the technique.

This second set will let you know just where you want to shoot at the meet. The odds are pretty good that you will prefer the shots that show a tiny blinkie for a blown highlight in the LCD, or the last stop before the blinkie shows up. Compare the blinkie for the shots that work best on the monitor for you, and on the printer as well, then memorize the blinkie amount. This is your exposure base when you are not at your home pool.

If you want to short circuit the procedure, you could just play with the exposures and ISO's until you get a shutter speed you want and take shots right around where the first blinkie shows up.

Have fun!

[mtcart]

I have been quite happy with the results of my K10D at 1600. It is much better than I expected from the reports. Here is a suggested routine to run through at a couple of practices to refine what you want for the meets. You will review the tests after downloading. The LCD is not good enough for determining the best option for you.

Start at ISO 1600, RAW exposures only - you don't want jpeg conversion to screw up the tests. Use AWB so the LCD looks sort of OK, if you like. This won't affect your RAW images. You can do WB tests later.

Start with one area of the pool - starting blocks?
Set the multi exposure to 5 shots, 1 stop apart.
Have a willing subject of average skin tone get ready to dive off and take the five shots.
Change the ISO to 400 and repeat. (You will get overlap)

Repeat the test with each area of the pool you will need for the action shots.

Take a willing subject and take the poolside portraits in the various areas you will need to use. You will probably get away with just 400 here.

Review the shots in detail at home on your computer. Note the ones that are closest to what you want to see. Go to the next practice and repeat the tests at 1/2 stop intervals or 1/3 stop intervals, centered on your best result, to refine the technique.

This second set will let you know just where you want to shoot at the meet. The odds are pretty good that you will prefer the shots that show a tiny blinkie for a blown highlight in the LCD, or the last stop before the blinkie shows up. Compare the blinkie for the shots that work best on the monitor for you, and on the printer as well, then memorize the blinkie amount. This is your exposure base when you are not at your home pool.

If you want to short circuit the procedure, you could just play with the exposures and ISO's until you get a shutter speed you want and take shots right around where the first blinkie shows up.

Have fun!

Thanks Albert,

That really give me so great advise.

I'll let ya know.

Mike