Help!!! Low light help....

[Deerhunter61]

First I want to thank everyone who helped me the last time I posted a thread about blurry photos. With everyones help I have been able to figure out how to take decent photos as long as there is enough light.

BUT that now is the issue...LOW light. I am taking photos early in the morning and late in the evening and doing so at distances of around 150 yards. So I have found that because of the SLOW shutter speed, deer movement and my inability to keep the camera still I am getting VERY blurry photos. I know that a tripod would help etc but because the deer are moving targets it is basically impossible for me to do this.

I am using a Canon Rebel XSi with a efs 55-250mm lens with image stabilization.

The setting I am currently using, Flash Off, allows me to take photos without the flash so I do not alert the deer and as long as there is adequate light I am getting some decent photos with this setting. There is a setting, Sports, that increases the shutter speed but when I use that setting it automatically uses the flash and at the time of day I am shooting it would spook the deer and that would be that. I was wondering if any of you know how to turn the flash off on this camera or in the flash off mode increase the shutter speed?

Thanks,

[HotHolly]

As long as you have some light, you should be able to bump your ISO higher. A tripod will help. I understand you wanting to move around though. Maybe try a monopod instead? It can be moved quickly.

You can shoot on Shutter speed priority and put it at 1/whatever your shooting at. Generally speaking that ratio works well to keep the image sharp. eg - shooting at 50mm needs 1/50 ss to be sharp. It a general idea that should help you out.

I thought I would be too dopey to learn how to use my camera on manual. Im a painter, not a technical person. If I could learn it, anyone can. Mike (hubby) teaches a class to beginner photogs via the city, and he had a little handout that he gives them. It tells about the basic camera settings and technical stuff. Its real simple to understand. If you want it, PM and ask for it.

[ngoduyviet]

Get a flash beam attachment...can't remember the exact name.

From 150yard, that's pretty far to be able to shoot with your 580ex at full power unless you bump your ISO way high like Holly said, then you'll lose some details if you have the need to blow up your pictures.

[Patti Edens]

The fastest shutter speed you will get without using flash is...

Put camera in AV mode (aperture priority) (You could use shutter or manual too, but this is just as good for this exercise)

Put the aperture on the widest open one that your lens has (ie: the smallest number, like f4.5 or f5.6 NOT f22)

Set the ISO to the highest number your camera will do - 1600, 3200 or H, whichever is the highest.

Make sure your meter is centered, aim your camera at the deer, half press the shutter and look at the shutter speed that the camera is giving you. That is the most you can get. Do Not underexpose. You can get a faster shutter speed but with high ISO, the noise will be totally unacceptable. It might be totally unacceptable at this setting which is why you need to back it off asap as below. But don't back off the ISO until your shutter speed is at least 1/focal length to stop your motion and at least 1/200 to stop gentle motion of the deer. If they are running around, you'll just have to wait until it gets light.

Note: You might have to manually focus if your lens starts hunting for focus. Turn off Autofocus and focus as best you can manually. Turn AF back on when it gets lighter outside.

The photo will be noisy and you will need something like Noise Ninja to process it and even then you will lose some detail.

As it gets lighter outside, back your ISO off so that you will have less noise and when you get it down to one that your camera performs well at, then start closing down your aperture so you can get a little more depth of field if you want it (ie: go from 4.5 to 5.6 to 8.0...) If you want nice blurry backgrounds though, don't change this much - just enough to get the whole critter in focus and give you a little margin for error and get in the "sweet spot" of your lens.

Go just the opposite when it starts getting dark in the evening.

Practice this in your backyard with a kid or dog moving around slowly early in the morning. You will get a feel for just how dark it can be and still get decent photos with your current setup.

Hope this makes sense...

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Other things to do: Get a long lens that has a widest aperture at f2.8 to buy more speed - Lots of $$$ though.

I think Viet is talking about a Better Beamer for your flash if you decide to use flash. Google it. I have one and it works great for wildlife, but some critters don't like flash at all while some will tolerate it.

[J Eddington]

You need to consider that you are NEVER going to get what you want...as long as you are shooting the XSI. I shot Rebels for 4 years and my husband finally made me give it up. IT just won't perform well in low light conditions. If I went above ISO400 the noise was unacceptble. Use your flash with a better beamer and you have a chance. But usually only one cause the deer take off. BUT I would rather have one good than 6 blurry or with alot of noise.

[humminboid]

Deerhunter:

I feel your pain! But, first and foremost, it is all about light! If there isn't enough, you might as well leave the camera and lens in the case until enough light can be arranged to create a good image. Photography is literally Writing with Light!

It is like those many poor souls at events. You see them flashing away from all over the grandstands, not understanding that if there is an image to be had, it will be provided by the event lights, and not the little pissant on board flash.(Good for up to ahhhhh...6 feet!) Even the expen$ive add-on flashes won't cut it at long distances, and 150 yards is 'waaay too long! Or, maybe you have one of those big anti aircraft searchlights you see at events!

As was suggested, a little basic knowledge of your camera and exposure will pay great dividends. A camera is only a convenient place to store the imaging stuff, and display those WOW factor lenses we are all so fond of. (Lens envy?) It takes a photog to create an image...the camera is just the tool.

1. Be sure there is enough light!

2. Get closer. 150 yards? That's a faaaar piece, even with a rifle, and we are talking cameras here. If you can't take a head and shoulders protrait of your subject at 15 feet, get closer, dear. Or is it get closer to the deer? 150 yards is not good! The deer's image will be the size of an ant. Landscape, with small black dots!

Turn the image stabilization off, and use a good tripod! Flimsy is better than nothing, but sturdy is better.

3. READ! Your camera manual is a good place to start. Take a class. Read a book. Very basic, to start. When you begin to understand the relationship of sensitivity (ISO), shutter speed, and aperture, which can be learned in about 1/2 hour, and understood in about twice that, then you will be on your way taking photos, instead of trying to make your camera do something it was never designed to do. We have all been there.

Patti KNOWS which end of the camera to pour the electrons in!

4. You have BEAUTIFUL equipment! (Envy is such an UGLY emotion!) Forget new cameras, lenses, or mi$cellaneou$ attachment$. THIS problem can't be solved by throwing money at it!

Today's cameras are better than most of us will ever be! Take advantage of that. Learn to use what you have, and practice, evaluate, figure out why something did not work, practice some more, and finally, in a surprisingly short time, you will be taking pixes you are proud of. Guaranteed!

TRUST me, I know these things, having spent a great deal of my time in graduate school teaching these principles. THEN get out there and take some pictures!

All the best.

[toverman]

The comments about the Digital Rebels are correct, even new ones just can't handle noise (although I used to have luck with ISO 800 with the original DigiRebel, but that was for newspaper work and the dot gain was handled by the printing process). Your lens also isn't the best for low light, but before you buy anything get to know your XSi as best as possible.

Get out of auto mode, use TV (to set the shutter speed as high as you can and still get a good exposure) or AV mode (open your lens to the smallest number/biggest aperture). In either of those modes, the flash will not fire by itself. Once you've exhausted your equipment and want to try something new, maybe look into a used 20D or 30D (seen lots of these at great prices), buy a better lens (max aperture at least f/2.8, like a 70-200) and fire away.

[Patti Edens]

I agree with most of the comments here, but I guess one of the things nobody asked is what you want the photos for. If you want a National Geographic wall-hanger, well then I agree that you probably won't achieve that with your current camera and lens and especially not at 150 yards, no matter what you do.

However, I used to deer hunt quite a bit and wanted to document the deer in the area I was hunting mainly for comparison from year to year. I used to push my dRebel (the original one that first came out) to 800 ISO and get shots that were perfectly okay for my needs.

This shot was taken with my dRebel and the 100-400 IS lens at 400mm with IS on, no tripod, f6.3 (wide open), 1/160th second, ISO 400, No flash. About 20 to 25% was cropped away leaving about 75 to 80% of the original photo. I didn't use any noise reduction program in post processing. I don't think I even had any back then.



It can be done. It just depends on what you want. If you just want to document the deer and watch them mature over the years, then IMHO your Rebel and lens will work just fine. You do however have to find out what the limits are.

[toverman]

Patti has some good points, proving that the lens makes a big difference. The 100-400 f/4.5-f/5.6 L IS is in quite another league (and price range) than the 55-200.

[venchka]

Get closer. Best way to get good wildlife photos.

[humminboid]

Patti: GREAT shot!

[L Stegall]

A lens you might consider (if you are considering lenses) is the Canon 200 f/2.8 L. It is a prime lens, very sharp and one of the best bargains for L lenses out there. It's much lighter and easier to carry around than the 70-200 zoom and it sounds like you would be using the maximum focal length for the most part anyway. Granted, it's not going to get you as close as the 100-400 zoom will, but it's significantly less expensive. It also makes a wonderful portrait lens, assuming you have the space between you and your subject to use it.

I'd also second using a tripod and/or monopod.

Good luck!

[venchka]

The 400/5.6 falls in the same category and twice the focal length.

Then get closer.

[L Stegall]

Are you shooting these deer on your property? Is there any way to build some sort of "blind" where you could get closer and keep the deer from bolting? Even something as simple as stringing some camo tarps or something so that you can be closer and get your camera mounted on a tripod or monopod. That would probably really make a big difference as well.