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Thread ID: 55212	2005-03-05 08:50:00	Digital camera recommendations for indoors	marko (7039)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
330955	2005-03-05 08:50:00	Hi I have a fairly new and pretty nice Pentax Optio555 - 5.0Mp with 5x optical zoom (digital zoom disabled). I'm basically a point-and-shoot photographer, although I do use more advanced settings a bit. The camera takes great shots in all situations except indoor auditorium-type settings when flash is required. Eg. kids performing on a school stage. At normal zoom it's fine. However whenever I zoom - because I'm usually in the audience well away from the stage - the default speed and exposure settings for the flash are just not right - the photo ends up being so dark it's useless. That's even on relatively wide zooms, let alone on full optical zoom (which is pretty awesome on this unit). I have resorted to taking un-zoomed photos at full resolution and then manually editing them on my PC as a fall-back. While I understand the basics of speed, exposure, etc, this camera has so many options (everything is customisable) I am a bit lost. I am sure I could tweak things to let in enough light on zoomed flash but I haven't been able to find the right settings. Whenever I've played around, I get enough light but the exposure is so long that hand camera movement makes the photo a blurred mess! Any suggestions on settings would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Mark	marko (7039)
330956	2005-03-05 09:25:00	I am sure others will come up with some brilliant suggestion based on iso settings and white balance and other photographic jargon but I believe the main problem is your reach (as in optical zoom) is greater than the range of your flash. Either get closer to the action or contact the SAS for some flashbangs, these would provide the needed illumination but would of course blind everyone in the vicinity and perforate their eardrums :D	the highlander (245)
330957	2005-03-05 09:45:00	Highlander is correct. If you check the camera specs, it says that using auto ASA, the flash range is only 10ft at full zoom, and 17ft at wide angle. If you cant get closer to the subject, possibly using a higher ASA such as 200 or 400 may help, maybe not. Another idea would be to improve the underexposed images using PC software. Billy T asked about this in a recent post. Several image editing progs were suggested. Billy found Picassa good for this purpose.	Bazza (407)
330958	2005-03-05 10:09:00	The only way to get better pics is to get closer & not use too much zoom. Changing the ISO & the flash to the highest will help. Forget relying on software to fix underexposed photos. Don't be afraid to move in. It's either that or get a pro camera & pro hammerhead flash - which is silly of course. I have used these & still overexposed the photos (bracketing deliberately) & sitting from the audience.	quarry (252)
330959	2005-03-05 10:59:00	Push up the ISO, open the aperture - low F number and hopefully the shutter speed can be a bit faster. Use Aperture Priority Mode (if you have it) and choose the lowest f number, turn the ISO to the max if need be. If you are in the audience the flash may not be a good thing sometimes because you may not want the crowd to be lighted up with the flash, the stage may be a bit too far away in terms of the flash reaching that .... The flash sometimes can look fake too unless your doing a gentle fill flash to the shadows (which you arn't). If your camera has RAW format try that, the software may allow you to overexpose easily by draggin a scroll bar. So if your photo was too dark the software may allow you to overexpose (brighten it up) by a few settings. A bit easier than doing all the complicated (traditional) photo edit work. You can use any zoom you want for composition. To reduce handshake you can use less zoom which may help, the effects are less magnified. Another thing you can do is if the photo's are too dark on the auto modes. You can pop it into manual mode if you got that. ISO max, lowest f number and choose a random shutter speed, and adjust accordinly with the LCD screen. If too dark lengthen it, if too bright decrease the shutter speed. If you don't have manual mode, then try to use your exposure compensation feature and use a "+ve" number that you are overexposing. The auto mode, the meter may be fooled somehow with your compositions thus giving you dark pictures.	Nomad (952)
330960	2005-03-05 11:27:00	Thanks for the suggestions, folks. The camera has plenty of manual mode settings so I'll give them a try using your starters. Thanks! Mark	marko (7039)
330961	2005-03-05 20:39:00	I am no photography expert by a long shot but was very pleased with the pics and movies taken at a rather dark indoor show the other night on my Canon Digital IXUS V3 camera . What I did was disable the flash as it is pretty useless unless the subject is within 3 metres of it, then I cranked up the ISO setting to 200 (ISO settings of 400 produce rather grainy pics on my camera) and increased the shutter speed . Considering the very poor lighting conditions and limited manual controls on this camera it did far better than I expected it to . Your camera should do a lot better with a bit of experimentation . :)	FoxyMX (5)
330962	2005-03-05 22:27:00	if you are shooting 8 bit formats like JPG, not sure about TIF but RAW is 16 bit. Anyway with 8 bit there is a great software to reduce grains from high ISOs raved on the photog forums and its free! www.neatimage.com u can profile your cam too so its more or less automated. There is a fee version for 16 bit files and one that works as a PS plugin. But the free one works by itself. On their homepage they may have a profile to be downloaded for ur cam so u dont need to profile it urself. Chances they may had been proper profilled using palettes charts etc.. which many pple including myself may had just used a white piece of paper when we did it ourselve. Article how to use (www.luminous-landscape.com)	Nomad (952)
330963	2005-03-06 09:58:00	The only way to get better pics is to get closer & not use too much zoom . Changing the ISO & the flash to the highest will help . Forget relying on software to fix underexposed photos . Don't be afraid to move in . It's either that or get a pro camera & pro hammerhead flash - which is silly of course . I have used these & still overexposed the photos (bracketing deliberately) & sitting from the audience . Was that really helpfull? Marko told us he understood the basics of exposure . If he could get closer, he would . If he could afford a pro camera & flash, maybe he would . But he has a problem taking these pics with his Optio555 camera . It doesn't have a hotshoe for an external flash . "Forget software for correcting underexposed pics . " Have you ever tried it? Possibly suggestions from others here would be more helpfull .	Bazza (407)
330964	2005-03-06 11:50:00	I can understand the troubles with the camera. I had a quick look at the specs at dpreview.com. Its only got ISO 400 and a aperture f/2.8 - 4.6 depending on your zoom you are using. The best way is if somewhere you can rest and support the cam, tripod or monopod as options but not always v practical or not everyone wants one. Software can be helpful too. ISO 400 with a max shutter of 2,000. Its great for everyday photos and sports, cars etc.. In my experience indoors just at home with lights turned on, I need to use ISO 1600 with f/1.8 (I have a f/1.8 lens), just to achieve a suitable shutter speed around 1/160 speed. Since your zooming, your prob can only using f/4.6 you've only got 1/20 (as in my room right now). You dont have ISO 1600 but 400, so your speed goes even lower to 1/5 speed. Stage work may be darker than my room so shutter can be even longer... If you zoomed out (wider) you may be able to use f/2.8 which would give you a quicker shutter speed but not much. At most 1/5 goes to 1/20, stage work maybe darker than my room so yeah .. not good news. You dont have RAW support which would of gave you 2 stops back (with software).. Tell us how it goes .... PS: For interest. Even with working pro's standards dark photog is hard going. Yeah you could pump the external flash up. Yeah you can have multiple external flashes wirelessly (like one near the stage) to light it up. Most pple are not so fortunate. So, you prob get use a lens like f/1.4 f/1.2 if you are close of f/2.0 f/2.8 with some zoom and you wack up the ISO to 6400. If you got RAW essentially you can shoot up to 25600 (6400x2x2), prob have serious color issues thou but you do gain speed.	Nomad (952)
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