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10/11/2006 11:20:45 AM · #1 |
I shoot mainly children. They run - fast! In order to keep a high shutter speed I find that I need a high iso and then sometimes that doesn't even work. I shoot usually with an open aperature f3.5-5.6 on a 24-44mm lense. I need my ss to be ideally over 1/200 sec with children but find that I can barely get it over 1/80 sec. Sometimes my iso is 1000! My images are grainy to say the least even with neatimage they tend to have some artifact. My images also, are not crisp - something I believe is only going to happen with a faster shutter speed. Indoors, my problems are much worse. I just order a set of strobe lights so when I decide to do studio work, hopefully that will solve my problems but...outdoors, I'm stuck. It's pretty cloudy here in Vermont so I'm not sure if it's my camera that is having a problem, or operator error - or no error at all...that this is what everyone struggles with. Any help at all would be very insightful. Thanks in advance.
Louisa |
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10/11/2006 11:30:23 AM · #2 |
You should have a shutter priority setting - yes? Have you tried setting the SS to your desired speed and letting the aperture and ISO go on auto? Just to see what happens? At F3.5 it's hard to imagine needing ISO 1000 at the shutter speeds you mention.
It is daylight outside when you're taking these right? That's mostly a joke. :) |
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10/11/2006 11:44:36 AM · #3 |
| a flash can help if they are close enough to you. not the onboard flash b ut one that goes in the hot shoe. |
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10/11/2006 11:47:58 AM · #4 |
Well, Oly cameras are kinda noisy to begin with.
Also, you need a faster lens. Try a 50 mm f/2.
Shooting Iso 400 on a cloudy day you should be able to get 1/400 of a sec on f16, and on f8, you should get 1/800 sec.
On iso 200 you should get 1/200 of a sec on f/16 and 1/400 of a sec on f8.
If you shoot at 5.6 or wider you should have no problem getting 1/800 of a sec on a cloudy day at iso 200.
remember sunny 16?
Somethin just seems weird about what you have said, but I would either a - start using fill flash or b - get a 2.8 or faster lens for indoor stuff.
You should have no problem indoors when you are shooting with strobes...their duration is faster than 1/500 most of a time anyways, and that's all the light that is getting to the camera so you most likely won't have blur with those. Just keep the ambient light low and sync as fast as your camera goes. |
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10/11/2006 12:28:13 PM · #5 |
You're not using a polarizer or ND, right?
Try setting manual ISO to like 400 or so, and use Aperture priority to as wide as you can, with decent lighting you should be able to handhold and stop motion just fine... even overcast days are usually pretty good. I usually stop down for landscapes and to handhold, shoot in the 100th-200th/sec range. When it's overcast I'm usually at least at f/5.6 or 8, at ISO 100. |
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10/11/2006 04:15:11 PM · #6 |
glad2badad - I have done shutter priority, I didn't know that it could tell the iso what to do though. Each time I've tried it, my pictures come out too dark. Yes, daylight, ha ha!
Elvis L - trying to steer away from flash, I'm sure I don't need it during the daytime, right?
petrakka - my next wish after my strobes is a 50mm 2.0!! They are expensive and out of my budget right now. I have never heard anyone talk numbers before with iso's vs shutter and aperature but what you said sounds like it should be that way. That's why I'm not sure why I'm having so much trouble. After I got the olympus I learned that they were a little noisy, but geez - I'd say they are a lot noisy. Can you think of anything that I am doing that would cause such terrible numbers? I haven't called Oly but do you think my camera is defective? I hate to think that because it's a pretty new camera to me and I'm sure its operator error. But if there is something wrong all this time and it's not my fault, I'll kick myself for not calling before.
ManMan2k - no polarize or ND. Even with iso 400 I get quite a lot of noise. Yesterday it was overcast and I was shooting at iso 640 with ss of 1/80 at about f5.6. Very frustrating. |
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10/11/2006 04:38:49 PM · #7 |
Are you sure you weren't shooting in aperture priority and have a large f-stop like 18 or 22? This would slow your shutter way down. Make sure your auto ISO is turned off so that you can control and it should help you. Also flash can be useful during the day as a fill especially during the day when there are harsh noon shadows. Maybe go to the local camera store and show them how it is performing so somebody can look at it and see if it is a function you have set. What does it do when you point it at the sky? Does the shutter speed get very high? Hope some of this helps.
joe
Message edited by author 2006-10-11 20:40:04. |
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10/13/2006 08:04:11 PM · #8 |
| that's weird. your metering is messed up or maybe your lens is defective....cuz that exists sure isn't getting to your camera with numbers like that. |
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10/13/2006 08:56:29 PM · #9 |
I shoot large birds on grisly Winter days and in thick fog. Herons are slow enough flying, and I know I get by with a ss of 1/800, 1/640 to capture soaring. Eagles fly sharp at 1/1000 - 1/1200. Of course, I don't use a 24-44mm leans either, but a telephoto and, if I can't help it, one with a 1.4x behind it, o my.
Wide open, my aperture should be f/4.something, roughly the same as yours, ISO 200-400. I don't throw a flash either (not a great effect in fog, btw). All I can do to help things is to hunt the light and anticipate the action with a mind for available light and contrast. You can make out contrast better when there's little light.
Do I get my shots? Well, mostly I don't, but I get some. Whenever there's a lot of action, I shoot on TV (ss priority). I control what I can, and leave the rest to god and the camera.
Assuming your camera is not at fault, my advice would be to prepare and anticipate everything, not only the timing and direction of action but also the light and contrast there. There is not much more anyone can do.
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10/13/2006 09:15:37 PM · #10 |
DO you have exposure compensation on your camera? Is it set to 0?
If it's set to -2 or so that'll screw things up royally, underexposing everything by 2 stops.
Got manual mode? Got a meter in the camera? what's it say?
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10/13/2006 10:02:57 PM · #11 |
I have the E300 and have the same issues.
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10/13/2006 10:15:32 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by glassy16:
glad2badad - I have done shutter priority, I didn't know that it could tell the iso what to do though. |
I'm sure its the same with your camera but speaking for just mine the shutter priority DOES NOT change the ISO automatically. That is something I have to set manually.
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10/14/2006 08:32:59 AM · #13 |
thanks guys for all your responses.
Prof Fate - that was one of the first things that I checked, wouldn't it have been great if that was the problem, good trouble shooting though. When I shoot manual, it's the same thing. To get correct exposure I have to fiddle with my iso if I want to get high ss. Actually they are not high, at this point I'm calling high 1/125 sec.
Tlemetry - interesting. Thanks for posting. Maybe it's just an Olympus thing. I guess I'll have to deal with it until I can afford another camera, not that I'm at that point yet. I've generally been very happy with this one.
Zeuszen - gosh, I wish I had those numbers! I have a feeling that it's my lense. It's part of the lense kit. I have not heard good things about them. That's the next thing on my ever growing wish list!
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