Flash FLickers at Night

[geode]

I was wondering why everytime I shoot in dark places with my oly e-510 the flash flickers for a span of time. This is driving me nuts everytime because I cannot capture what I intend to during band concerts. However when I deactivate the flash, the photo becomes too dark. Do you know how to fix this?

[GEli]

This is done by your flash to assist your camera in focussing. There may be an option to turn it off in your settings, and you may be able to disable it by switching to manual focus. This is the intended function, though, and not a problem - rather, a misunderstanding on your part on how AF works.

[geode]

thanks geli..im still a newbie. I also have a problem with capturing concerts at night. I wonder how other people take crisp photos at night without getting their pictures blurred like in concerts. any tips?

[djc1026]

The onboard flash of most DSLR are not that effective beyond a couple of meters and for whatever reason, several DSLRs from different manufacturers I'm aware of use a strobing of the onboard flash for focus assist, rather than adding an additional focus assist lamp. Most people who do a lot of flash photography, purchase a dedicated flash like the FL-36 or FL -58 or the Metz 48 and 58, all of which are fully TTL compatible. These flashes also come with a red focus assist light and have a higher effective range.

[geode]

thank you for this.. just another question... do you know how to take pictures in low light (without flash) without blur? I have been trying to capture some in concerts but all of them have blurs. Do you think it is with the lens? What lens should I buy to get good night photos?

I hope I dont have too many questions

[Digidave]

Originally Posted by geode

thank you for this.. just another question... do you know how to take pictures in low light (without flash) without blur? I have been trying to capture some in concerts but all of them have blurs. Do you think it is with the lens? What lens should I buy to get good night photos?

I hope I dont have too many questions

You need a lens with a large aperture(smaller number). Something with at least a f/2.8. That allows more light into your camera in a shorter period of time(Faster shutter speed). Lenses like that are usually very expensive.

[Liz Caldwell]

Concerts are difficult to shoot. I also started in concerts. What I found worked best was a combo of long exposure and flash, since the stage lighting is often not enough. You'll want to put the camera on manual focus, as they've already stated, and I recommend an external flash, but on-board works too. Set your aperture to it's widest (5.6 or a smaller number), the shutter speed will vary depending on the stage lighting, but for example I'll say 1/20th of a second. The flash will go off when you hit the shutter, which will freeze the action, then the camera will continue to soak up the available light for the rest of the exposure. This will result in a frozen subject with a bit of blur around them, to suggest movement.

[photofun]

Also, don't forget to increase you ISO. Increasing your ISO will make a big difference in low light situations but it will add noise to your picture, which will become more noticable with each increase. You'll have to try a few shots at each ISO setting to see what you would find acceptable. Good luck and have fun at the concerts!

[geode]

Thanks everyone!