[twitch]

K-x doesn't have auto ISO in manual mode.

Beleive me, you do not want auto ISO in this situation, all that will do is cause your exposures to be all over the place and mostly to blow highlights badly.

Use manual mode, pick an ISO (say 3200, 4000, 5000 or 6400), shoot wide open, and hopefully you will get the shutter speed you need for good exposure. If not, adjust ISO.

I would also advise turning on blinkies and using them to detect whether you have the highlights you want to keep. Even a histogram is not much use as you know you will blow any lights in shot, but you absolutely don't want to blow faces. A histogram can't show you that, highlight blinkies can though. Usually I don't like blinkies, too distracting, but in this case they are useful so you know exactly which elements of your photo you have within the DR of the camera.

[gebco]

Beleive me, you do not want auto ISO in this situation, all that will do is cause your exposures to be all over the place and mostly to blow highlights badly.

Use manual mode, pick an ISO (say 3200, 4000, 5000 or 6400), shoot wide open, and hopefully you will get the shutter speed you need for good exposure. If not, adjust ISO.

I would also advise turning on blinkies and using them to detect whether you have the highlights you want to keep. Even a histogram is not much use as you know you will blow any lights in shot, but you absolutely don't want to blow faces. A histogram can't show you that, highlight blinkies can though. Usually I don't like blinkies, too distracting, but in this case they are useful so you know exactly which elements of your photo you have within the DR of the camera.

Yep, that's what I do: set ISO and aperture. I'll try the 'blinkies'. That way I'll know when to dial in some +/-EV.

[selar]

Dance is not sport, you dont need high shutter speeds. Okay there are some forms of dance that are fast moving, but they end up being a gymnastic performance rather than a dance performance If you have seen some practice runs of the dance beforehand, which is not difficult when its a family member dancing, you can actually pick the moments when the dancers are almost standing still momentarily holding a pose. Shooting wide open is not a good idea either, you need a bit of depth of field as well to ensure atleast all of your subject is in focus. The main thing is not to overexpose, the reflective metering is easily fooled by that big black backdrop, a few practice shots should let you determine how much -eV you need for the venue. I'd lock in as low an iso as you can, if you stop believing that foolish reflective light meter on your dSLR and actually look at the dancers on the stage, they are usually lit bright as day, also that black backdrop can bring a lot of chroma noise into the picture otherwise. M mode, hmm, those stage lights change colour and intensity often, sure go ahead with M mode, if you want to miss a lot of shots adjusting settings. You paid big bucks for that onboard computer on your dslr, you might as well put it and the fancy metering to good use. Matrix metering is no good either, unless you link AE to AF point. Finally, if you want good shots, shoot the dress rehearsal, not the actual performance, if the dance school will let you. Shoot raw, its impossible to pick white balance when the lights are changing colour all the time, it also gives you leeway with the exposure.

[twitch]

Where auto modes fail badly is when what is going on around your subject is changing in brightness, but your subject isn’t. This could be due to zooming and so changing the scene, or background/foreground changing which impacts light being reflected back to the camera.

M mode is a winner when the light on your subject is fairly constant but other elements aren’t.

We just need to assess the situation and decide which we are facing, because to choose the wrong one means lost shots and a nightmare PP workflow. I'm finding more and more situations suit manual mode where previously I was using TAv or Av.

[selar]

M mode is a winner when the light on your subject is fairly constant

Rarely ever stays constant.

when what is going on around your subject is changing in brightness, but your subject isn’t

As I said before, the colours and brightness on your subject are always changing due to those great big stagelights. And you largely ignore whats going on around your subject, metering wise, by linking AE with AF point.

[ICTUS TACTUS]

Finally, if you want good shots, shoot the dress rehearsal, not the actual performance, if the dance school will let you.

Exactly.

And if they do allow it, you'll be able to re-shoot or even sit back and enjoy the actual recital itself, though I think it's in poor taste to take photos during an actual performance unless you're being paid by the school or company... but that last bit is from someone with persnickety audience expectations.

[twitch]

Rarely ever stays constant.

As I said before, the colours and brightness on your subject are always changing due to those great big stagelights. And you largely ignore whats going on around your subject, metering wise, by linking AE with AF point.

Cool, whatever works. Linking AE to AF point works only for multisegment metering though, if that is what you use then it makes sense.

[Troy Gallagher]

I have had good luck with indoor drama pictures using spot metering and AE lock before recomposing. I have very rarely shoot over iso 800 with K20 and sigma 50-150.

[Lowell Goudge]

When my daughter was growing up I shot a ton of dance and stage performances of hers. I started with my *istD, and shot using a sigma 70-200F2.8 and usually shot in either Tv mode or manual with ISO 3200 set. I also used Spot metering, because many times the backgrounds are simply black and any form of average or interpretive metering is lost with a spot lit figure on black.

I have used every body I have owned since, moving from the *istD to K10D to K7D and now K5D.

The K7D to some extent and the K5D certainly allow a completely different approach. With the K10D especially i was tied to ISO 1600 and shooting wide open, and the shots, while acceptable (consider the year taken) they were grainy/noisy as hell. (but again, still better than film) I had to be careful of motion blur, or more often than not, used motion blur to show the dance. The K7 is much better and can go to 3200 easily, I have tried 6400 but it is just too grainy, The K5 is a completely different animal. I shoot in many situations presently using Tav mode and Auto ISO with the top end of the auto ISO mode at 6400.

this allows you to use other than an F2.8 or faster lens and do a lot of other things, but still, use SPOT metering

[gebco]

Dance is not sport, you dont need high shutter speeds. Okay there are some forms of dance that are fast moving, but they end up being a gymnastic performance rather than a dance performance If you have seen some practice runs of the dance beforehand, which is not difficult when its a family member dancing, you can actually pick the moments when the dancers are almost standing still momentarily holding a pose. Shooting wide open is not a good idea either, you need a bit of depth of field as well to ensure atleast all of your subject is in focus.

Actually I like to catch the movement. It gives more dramatic photos.

[gebco]

Exactly.

And if they do allow it, you'll be able to re-shoot or even sit back and enjoy the actual recital itself, though I think it's in poor taste to take photos during an actual performance unless you're being paid by the school or company... but that last bit is from someone with persnickety audience expectations.

This is not high level stuff, and my DSLR without flash is MUCH less intrusive than the point and shoot flashes going off constantly.
Any time there is a culture or expectation of no photos, I adhere.

[conniety]

I'm usually about 10 rows back from the stage, although in the upcoming one I think we are row 5. I also have my Tamron 17-50 2.8 if needed.

[gebco]

Here are a couple from the most recent dance recital. Both are cropped.

Lighting was all over the place, so there were quick ISO adjustments. I shot anywhere from ISO 1600-6400.

This first one is ISO 3200 1/800 f2.8. I realize the shutter speed didn't need to be so high with a resultant lower ISO, but I had no time to adjust as my kids were often in back to back dances.



<

This next one is ISO 3200 1/400 f2.8

[Allison]

I think you did a great job! The colors look great.

[gebco]

I think you did a great job! The colors look great.

Thanks Allison, I appreciate your feedback.