What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (Full Version)

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Toppingfrmbottom -> What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/1/2011 11:55:34 PM)

I want it to have 10 megapixles, a good zoom maybe up to 32 times, auto face detect, or that motion blur fixer thingie, where it automatically reduces blur,And have really fast reaction times between pics?




MadAxeman -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 1:31:53 AM)

http://www.reviewcentre.com/consumer_reviews10.html




Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 1:39:50 AM)

Ty.




Kirata -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 2:43:43 AM)


Unfortunately you're facing tradeoffs, none of which will thrill you...

Your camera's Auto-ISO option will crank the ISO setting way up in low light, producing crappy images, and noise suppression algorithms create unpleasant artifacts. If you set the ISO at a level at which you know your camera can return good images, then you'll be faced with a very slow shutter. Any movement in the field of view, or of the camera, and the photo will be blurry. Pick your poison.

The inescapable bottom line is that really good low-light performance requires a very large sensor and a very fast lense, by which I mean to say a very large bank account. If you have one, go here:

Hasselblad

K.




Aileen1968 -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 4:27:21 AM)

I'm assuming you're looking at standard point and shoots.
I doubt you'll be able to get any kind of pic from that kind of camera unless you use the flash.
And even then, zoomed in you won't get a great shot in low light.
If you go with a better quality dslr camera look for one that can bump up the iso really high with the minimum of noise.
And factor in your lenses which help tremendously. The lower the f stop, the lower the light needed.
All of that stuff costs a lot of money though.




LaTigresse -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 4:44:56 AM)

What the lovely Aileen said.

LaT.......who is a lot broker, but the happy owner of a new camera body and a few new lenses. All of which were much needed and can take much better photos in the light I prefer to shoot in.

And if the weather ever turns crappy, I might get all the photos I've been taking...... sorted, edited, and posted somewhere.




Termyn8or -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 4:49:13 AM)

"The inescapable bottom line is that really good low-light performance requires a very large sensor and a very fast lense, by which I mean to say a very large bank account. If you have one, go here: "

I assume by lense you mean shutter.

I'm not an expert but I have read things. I heard years ago someone came out with a special fluid coupled lens that allowed two paralell plates to respond to the inertia and compensate for camera movement. This was of course to ease the demands on the sensitivity/speed issue somewhat.

But then that solution might be even more expensive than getting more sensitivity/speed.

Ten megapixels, what is that about 4,000 X 3,000 ? That's pretty damn high quality, I mean blow it up to sofa size almost. Then you get into memory size, and if you use compression, actually processing speed since she did mention fast shootability.

You are seriously right about the bank account. One last thing, ten megapixels is NOT double the resolution of five megapixels. It's really about 42% better.

T^T




Kirata -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 4:50:57 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Termyn8or

I assume by lense you mean shutter.

I mean lense.

K.




Aileen1968 -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 4:55:20 AM)

10 megapixel is actually small now a days. You can get cameras in the 20 range and up.
He meant lens not shutter Termy. A fast lens is one with a low f stop. Example....my favorite favorite favorite lens is my 50mm f 1.4
It is great, sharp, fast, no flash required. I played around with that lens at the last wedding I shot during downtime during dinner.
I was able to get shots of people in the low light reception with no flash, that lens, the iso bumped way up and the lens opened all the way.
You'll get a really short depth of field because of the 1.4, but it makes for great candid shots. You have to shoot in manual mode to get all the components to work how you want them.




LaTigresse -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 4:58:21 AM)

A really good lens is worth it's weight in...silver maybe.

I've invested heavily in glass this last year, upgrading beyond the average kit lenses. It was required. The only unfortunate part of that was that my old camera body wasn't allowing the lenses to function the way they were intended. So after a lot of research and agonising, I upgraded that also.




Aileen1968 -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 5:03:28 AM)

What did you wind up getting? And what glass? I'm gonna start saving for an 85mm 1.4.
I've been really interested in prime lenses lately.




Aileen1968 -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 5:06:22 AM)

I've become a huge fan of this guy. He shoots weddings completely flash free and with only about three prime lenses.
I find his pics to be amazing.




Termyn8or -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 5:18:21 AM)

Really.

Well then I misunderstand something here. Speed has to do with the sensor.

Whatever, I'll read up on it if I get the chance. But whatever it is, I do know it's a tradeoff. Having it all costs.

So nobody heard of those funky fluid coupled lenses ?

Anyway, I am sort of interested in the subject because I will be looking soon. I don't need super duper high quality, but I would like to be able to shoot a decent five or ten minute video. It would also be nice if it fit in my pocket. Who knows I might pick up a case of police brutality or something, maybe something even better.

I wonder if you can even buy film anymore. I was almost surprised the other day at the drugstore. I almost never go to the drugstore but believe it or not I was looking for a loaf of rye bread. I mean I went to four places and they were all out. The drugstore didn't have any either but on the shelves what did I see ? Blank cassette tapes ! That was tripped out bacause I don't even use CDs anymore, or DVDs. What's next, 8-track tapes ? Reel to reel, or wire for recording. Wax cylinders !

Damn things have changed fast. Last real camera I had you had to set the shutter speed, aperature and focus manually. I have no idea what happened to that thing.

Well now I'm so old that I am going off on the ice to die. Give me a bearskin and a big knife.

T^T




GreedyTop -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 5:22:13 AM)

Aileen.. what amazing shots by Jeff!! Thanks for that link!




LaTigresse -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 5:23:30 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Aileen1968

What did you wind up getting? And what glass? I'm gonna start saving for an 85mm 1.4.
I've been really interested in prime lenses lately.


I began researching low light photography and realized that I needed some different lenses. I was lucky to get a used like new 70-200 f4L for about half price. It's not the fastest of it's sort but does better than I expected. I shoot almost everything at the motocross track with it and the only place it dies is at night, when my hands don't move as fast as the bikes.

Then I bit the bullet and got my fav all around lens that has probably spent the most time on the new body but was the lens that inspired the need for the new body. A 24-70 f2.8L. The old 20D just couldn't handle it at all.

I had also got the least expensive 50mm, f1.8 just to see if I liked the range. Based upon what I had read, there wasn't enough difference in the 1.8 and 1.4 to warrant the money but if I love the 50mm, go big with the 1.2.

And last but not least, because I wasn't in love with the range of the 50mm I wanted to try the 85mm that I had read a lot of good things about. I didn't have 2 grand to toss at it so I got the 1.8 which has gotten a ton of fab reviews. Many feel like it should be an L lens. I really REALLY prefer the range of that, just a bit further back than the 50mm and for a non L lens, it rocks. One day I am going to jump on the 1.2L because I think I will use that more than the 50mm 1.2L.

The body I got is the 5D Mark II. I am glad I skipped over the 7D and got this. It does everything I want without the price of a new car.

I love the link for the wedding guy. I've not done any wedding stuff. To be honest I don't know enough about it and that causes me to be terrified of it. I don't have the lighting that most use and......well yeah, I am terrified of fucking it up!




Termyn8or -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 5:26:34 AM)

"He meant lens not shutter Termy."

I put you on my list of people to ask if I ever get into this. We apparently have three now :-)

The only thing I can figure right now is that the bigger lens allows you to speed up the shutter. How the numbers work, I just don't know.

But now I have a question. Are these digital cameras at all compatible with all the expensive lenses people bought for their old 35 mm SLRs etc. ? Or are they all scrap and we have to start all over ?

T^T




LaTigresse -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 5:43:26 AM)

Start over.

At this point, I don't even have much use for a kit lens. I would rather just buy the body and pick my own lenses. Which I have done.

When I bought the 20D, it was a kit with several lenses. It was a great introductory package and taught me a lot. It even made me some money. But at this point it just doesn't have what I need.




TahoeSadist -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 6:32:32 AM)

Aileen and LaTigresse and others have covered things well. I would ask these questions though:
When you say "low light" what do you mean?
Do you have a maximum budget in mind?
Also, what are you shooting photos of?

With the parameters you gave, assuming on my part you're looking at point & shoot type cameras, you're kind of on a unicorn hunt. That said, it does depend on what I asked above, as well as the outcome you're seeking. If you're shooting still things in your low light, and aren't looking for maximum photo quality to say, print and enlarge, then you may be able to find a P&S camera to suit you, look for one that gives you the highest ISO you can find. If you want to shoot flogging action shots in a dim dungeon, without using a flash, and getting close up shots from a bit of a distance, and have sharp, clean 8x10's made, you're in a much more expensive neighborhood, one of high end DSLR cameras $2600 and up.

Other things to note, digital camera sensors are at their worst collecting data at the dark end of the spectrum, using the "digital zoom" feature on cameras tends to be less than useless from an image quality standpoint, you'll be better to limit yourself to the optical zoom, and choose a camera accordingly.

TS




TahoeSadist -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 6:41:32 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Termyn8or

"He meant lens not shutter Termy."

I put you on my list of people to ask if I ever get into this. We apparently have three now :-)

The only thing I can figure right now is that the bigger lens allows you to speed up the shutter. How the numbers work, I just don't know.

But now I have a question. Are these digital cameras at all compatible with all the expensive lenses people bought for their old 35 mm SLRs etc. ? Or are they all scrap and we have to start all over ?

T^T


The numbers game is simple, Termy: the lower the F stop number, the larger the opening to let in light. The more light you have, the faster the shutter speed you can use if you. Thus a "fast" lens will have a smaller numbered F-stop than a "slow" one. Tradeoffs abound of course, with depth of field, weight, cost, and zoom lens or fixed, etc.

As to your other question, it depends. Some lenses transfer right over, for instance if you have a Cannon EOS film camera you can use the lens on the EOS digitals (some minor issues may occur) and there are adapters made to use the older FDs on newer cameras. I am a Canon guy so I'm most familiar with them, but I'd assume in the Nikon world similar things are true.

TS




GreedyTop -> RE: What digital cameras do extremely well in low light (11/2/2011 7:10:11 AM)

ooh yay! I may pick your brain sometimes, TS.. I have an EOS20D that I am learning to use... (btw, where the hell can I get a battery for it?? the Canon site doesnt list the 20, dammit...)




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