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Here is my sort of test for low light shooting technique, which not necessary has to mean after dark.

Equipment: 105mm (x1.5 on d70) at f4, ISO 200, 1/20 second, no tripod, no monopod, just hand at one go and hand + angle finder at second go.

High resolution image (2.4 Mb), comparition chart can be found here.

http://web.aanet.com.au/krpolak/tests/krpolak_lowlight_shooting.jpg

Conclustion: using angle finder gives better support and as an output we can have higher change to get sharper image. In six images series, with finder, I got one sharp image and one at least acceptable for the conditions. Please not that this shutter speed is at least 3 stops below common aproach.

I still work on this technique, but it looks to me quite promising. If anybody has similar experience or any question I will be happy to hear from you.

Regards,

K.Polak

krystian

you put a lot of time and effort in this experiment
but i don't get it

are you saying at 100mm your using a shutter speed of 1/20 and getting sharp results with using a right angled viewfinder? how does using such a device improve stability?
I would be shooting at 1/100 with that lens to get a stable image

wendellt wrote:krystian

you put a lot of time and effort in this experiment
but i don't get it

are you saying at 100mm your using a shutter speed of 1/20 and getting sharp results with using a right angled viewfinder? how does using such a device improve stability?
I would be shooting at 1/100 with that lens to get a stable image

By looking down, rather than out, you're holding the camera in different position and manner, probably closer in towards your body, and thus you're imposing some extra bracing on the camera.

This is one extra reason why a waist-level finder with a magnifier on a MF (or even serious pro 35mm SLR) camera can be quite advantageous.

As an exercise, just point your camera down at your feet and sneek off a few images. See how much lower a shutter speed than you might expect to realise you can achieve.

Remember to keep your elbows in, btw.

For a different exercise, try shooting somhing in a lowlight situation, some distance away, but in shooting ...

- lean your whole body against something solid ...
- Elbows in (again, and as always) ...
- take a deep breath before shooting, hold your breath while making your exposure, and only release it after the exposure has been completed.

Holding your breath applies to the looking down exercise too.

Finally, your technique for pressing the shutter release is vitally important here as well. Do not "press" it per se; squeeze it very gently, smoothly, prgressively.

Hand-holding at 1/15 is a commonplace occurrence around these parts - and wth VR, 1/2 sec is now doable, and with the correct techique, most people should be able to accomplish this.

Point of this excerise is to get sharp image with low light and:

1. Having the lowest iso, here 200
2. Apperture about 2.8-4
3. And lens about 100mm

And sometime, with this restrictions to have roughly properly exposed image one must go with low shuter speed. And it could be good still have not blured images.

I would be shooting at 1/100 with that lens to get a stable image

You could shoot with 1/100, that is right. But then you coudl loose 2 EV. You can post postprocess that, that is right. But the you have higher noise ratio. Might not matter, but might do.

With this excerise I want squeeze everyting what is possible regarding to image quality.

are you saying at 100mm your using a shutter speed of 1/20 and getting sharp results with using a right angled viewfinder? how does using such a device improve stability?

Angle finder force you to look from up. As a conceques you need to keep your camera on chest level. And then there is only one step to lean a camera on chest. This works like natural monopod. Also with left hand you dont handle camera. You camera almost lays on hand. Less shaking, less accidental moves. Also I tried it sitting on the ground. Result are even better since camera sits on my knees. And knee level sometimes provides interesting perspective.

I still work on that.


Regards,

K.Polak

Gstark,

- take a deep breath before shooting, hold your breath while making your exposure, and only release it after the exposure has been completed.

Acutally I find that is better to release breath and hold. Once your lungs are full of air they easier transmit heart beat, which might be distracting. I recon the worst are short vibration rather then longer, but slower moves. This depends on shutter speed of cource.

Regards,

K.Pola

Gary thanks for the valuable tips, it just goes to show you i have skipped many basics. The bit about keeping your elbows in is right on the mark, it really helps. Krystian I get the excercise now, you must be practicing for your jazz concert photographic commission.

You are exactly right Wendellt

Regards,

K.Polak

Next excercise. This time I change my position. Camera fully sits on my left plalm and left elbow has support on my body. Right hand is used to stabilize camera horizontally and to release the shutter.

Result is not perfect, but it looks to be better and more consistent.

I set lighting in similar fashions as to be expected, so setting on camera are 105mm at 2.8, ISO 400, 1/30 shutter speed.

Test chart can be found here (4Mb):

http://web.aanet.com.au/krpolak/tests/krpolak_lowlight_shooting_02.jpg

Regards,

K.Polak