Your best setting to redo this picture?

[voffla]

 

30 mm sigma f5 iso 3200 1/20 w tripod. Still to blurry as you can see.

Whats your best advice if you would have handled the camera?

 

 

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[addicted2light]

I would've kept the Iso at around 400/800 or so (just to register the ambient light) and bounced a flash on the wall behind me (the one behind the photographer; not on the ceiling because you don't want your subjects to show a severe case of raccoon eyes...). For a perfect results one could even gel the flash with a 1/2 CTO (an orange gel, to warm the color temperature of the flashlight).

 

When the light is this low putting the camera on a tripod will not help with human subjects (they move even if they try to be still because they breathe etc.).

[Lucille]

If you shoot at 1/20 sec, nobody better be moving as this will give motion blur. I believe you needed flash or some other light source hitting the family. To get them all I would probably shot at f8 and maybe 1/125 sec.

 

Need flash and or more light.

 

 

I don't think its that bad a image, you captured a family memory in spite of whatever flaws are in the image.

[maximum]

i agree with lucille, the image is not that bad if you put into consideration that there wasn't much light and no flash used.

i would go for a faster shutter speed and try a wider aperture (no DOF issue as long as the christmas tree isn't blurred) and step back (if possible) so there is more visible from the people at both sides.

the only thing that disturbes me is the misalignment. using a tripod you should've levelled the camera.

[voffla]

Thanks guys, i recently raised the auto iso to 3200, as max. But then the pictures gets to noisy. I am now about to buy a more light sensitive lens, the 35 mm f1.8 Sony to find out if thats going to help me with the indoor pics. That will probably get the shooting up to atleast 1/40, hopefully with lower use of ISO. I hate using the flash,( sorry ) . One question though, when using face rec, do all faces have to be targeted with square green focus on their face, is that even possible? Or should i not use face rec when there are so many people in the pic?

 

 

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[Lucille]

The problem with this many people in the image and how they are positioned, you need a small aperture giving you more depth of field to get them all in focus. Since this is the case you lose light hiting the sensor, the only way to compensate is higher ISO's, flash, or fixed external led lights. Somehow you must provide more light and a faster lens isn't the answer because in the above image you would have to close the aperture for more depth of field. A faster prime is always a great idea and will work for a single portrait, maybe another person or two, but not for a whole family setting as a wideopen fast prime will leave somebody out of focus.

[addicted2light]

Thanks guys, i recently raised the auto iso to 3200, as max. But then the pictures gets to noisy. I am now about to buy a more light sensitive lens, the 35 mm f1.8 Sony to find out if thats going to help me with the indoor pics. That will probably get the shooting up to atleast 1/40, hopefully with lower use of ISO. I hate using the flash,( sorry ) . One question though, when using face rec, do all faces have to be targeted with square green focus on their face, is that even possible? Or should i not use face rec when there are so many people in the pic?

 

 

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A faster lens will not help with a shot like this, because to have all the people in focus you will need to stop down to at least f/5.6 or f/8 anyway (depending on how far/close you are to your subjects and the lens used).

 

I'm not fond of flash either, but in such lighting conditions it is often the only practical solution.

[addicted2light]

The problem with this many people in the image and how they are positioned, you need a small aperture giving you more depth of field to get them all in focus. Since this is the case you lose light hiting the sensor, the only way to compensate is higher ISO's, flash, or fixed external led lights. Somehow you must provide more light and a faster lens isn't the answer because in the above image you would have to close the aperture for more depth of field. A faster prime is always a great idea and will work for a single portrait, maybe another person or two, but not for a whole family setting as a wideopen fast prime will leave somebody out of focus.

 

...or I could simply have read what Lucille posted before instead of repeating the exact same thing

[Guest all8]

The depth of field might be OK at f5, I would have used 1/60 or 1/125 shutter speed, but then you need more light. Benefit of a flash is you can use a faster shutter speed, lower ISO and smaller aperture, bouncing it of the ceiling or some kind of defuser would help keep the light soft - which is nice in the image.

 

 

Or light some more candles     

[Lucille]

Another option would have been to simply avoid the large group photo. Instead take single images in better light or where you only have to worry about 1 or 2 faces in focus. This is what I did at a family Christmass dinner/party.

 

I walked around the room capturing memories of individuals, and the lighting was terrible. Here are a few images:

 

 

Sony A7S, 55mm Zeiss f/2.8, ISO12800, 1/160sec.

 

 

 

 

 

Sony A7S, 55 Zeiss f/2, ISO3200, 1/160sec.

 

 

 

 

 

Sony A7S, 55mm Zeiss f/2.2, ISO12800, 1/160sec.

[christer]

30 mm sigma f5 iso 3200 1/20 w tripod. Still to blurry as you can see.

Whats your best advice if you would have handled the camera?

 

 

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don't focus on the julgran and don't expose for the room with the julgran.

[voffla]

don't focus on the julgran and don't expose for the room with the julgran.

Well i didnt, i used the face focus. But only two were targeted though. But do you mean that the camera also focused the julgran room?

 

 

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[ptortora]

Shooting the group image with a wider aperture isn't going to help much so buying a faster lens may not be the answer here.  Due to the depth of field that is needed to keep all subjects in focus, you really need to shoot at as high an f stop as possible (e.g. 4.0 - 8.0).  I know that's difficult in low light so I also suggest that bringing in some additional lighting via a bounced flash, LED lighting, etc. may make the most difference.  

[steve of stonehenge]

The only time I use bare flash is in High Speed Sync trying to overpower the sun.  Otherwise I use a diffuser like this:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/407175-REG/Sto_Fen_OM_EW_OM_EW_Omni_Bounce_for_Canon.html

 

Then I point the flash straight at the ceiling.  I am on fill flash only with ISO set to auto (up to ISO 3200).  The light from the flash is spread all over the room making much softer shadows.

 

This is a $10 (US) item.  It does not get much cheaper or easier than this light modifier.

[addicted2light]

BTW, when the light is horrible (and the artificial lights inside an house usually are) you can get away with much better looking pictures converting them to b/w. Just check the examples posted by Lucille above.

 

As a side bonus, if you seriously cannot add more light a b/w picture will be able to take way more post processing (bumping the exposure, lifting shadows, lighting faces etc.) than a color one without looking fake.

[voffla]

Hi guys, just want to say that i went through all the settings again in the camera. I found out that the dro, long exposure nr and high iso nr was OFF, all these turned on helped in overall taking low light pictures with much better quality and lower noise. And with my new 35/1.8 oss i am starting to be really happy. There is also the scenary anti blur function that takes a couple of pictures and combines it when light is bad. Happy new year!

 

 

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[mikegee]

 

30 mm sigma f5 iso 3200 1/20 w tripod. Still to blurry as you can see.

Whats your best advice if you would have handled the camera?

 

 

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on camera flash with small flashbender with 3000K jell on flash, camera set to f/5.6 1/125 ISO 800 white balance on camera set to 3000K. IMHO everything will come into balance as far as white balance goes. In posted image as is the lights are way to hot and white balance is all over the map.

[voffla]

Didnt know you could adjust the white balance... Good advice!0 to try next time!

 

 

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