Need HELP stopping motion at night

[rickp1]

Having issues stopping motion at night parties.
What I noticed is that if using a flash I can increase my shutter speed past the point that the camera starts flashing the shutter speed number (telling me its a underexposed image). If I don't I have to use really high ISO numbers, and I'm trying to avoid that.

So is it ok to ignore the blinking shutter speed when using a flash.
All I'm trying to do is freeze motion so I can get good shots in low light or at night.

BTW, I shoot a Canon 5D MkII with a Speedlight 580 and I shoot it in manual most of the time.


Thanks

R.

[wulf]

How do the photos look? That is a better way to judge the results than if the camera think they may come out underexposed.

Also, can you be more specific about the shutter speed where the shutter speed number starts flashing? There may be a maximum sync speed for the flash and, faster than that, there is a chance that it will fire too early or late to be effective.

Wulf

[MrJones]

try taking photos at a lower shutter speed, something along the 1/30.
don't worry about the blur - your object will freeze due to the flash on your camera.
to get some ambient light in, use a high ISO, open aperture and low shutter speed.

also, if you can post a sample so we can see the problem - that would be great.

[RichardTaylor]

Shooting above the maximum flash synch speed may result in uneven or poor exposure, unless you use high speed synch.

You should not have to shoot at very high shutter speeds to freeze the motion. The flash duration <1.2ms should freeze a lot of the motion.

Increasing the ISO basically only increases the range of the flash.

Try shooting in P mode and see how you go.

See this re synch speed
http://neilvn.com/tangents/2008/12/13/max-it-out/

See these notes about shooting in different modes with Casnon cameras.
http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-f...html#confusion

[rickp1]

Thanks for the reply guys.

I tired the wide open lens, low shutter speeds. I still get motion blur which I'm trying to avoid. I know upping my ISO will help but I'm trying to avoid that as much as possible. I know a flash will help freeze motion but not in this case.

As far as ISO goes, I had a professor tell me that I can use a low ISO if using a flash, which i've tried. I also understand that the higher the ISO the more distance I'll get out of my flash so to speak.

Just to clarify, all I'm trying to freeze are people at a party, not an airplane taking of or a racing motorcycle at night.

Wulf,
I don't remember what the exact number was but it was in the area of 1/30 or 1/60.
The images look fine. Typical low light flash images.
So it's ok to ignore the blinking number?

Also, I know it's situation dependent and it depends on what one is trying to achieve, but what's the highest acceptable ISO used when shooting with a flash?
Maybe a better question might be what's the best way to freeze motion using a flash at night?

R.

[rickp1]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

Shooting above the maximum flash synch speed may result in uneven or poor exposure, unless you use high speed synch.

You should not have to shoot at very high shutter speeds to freeze the motion. The flash duration <1.2ms should freeze a lot of the motion.

Increasing the ISO basically only increases the range of the flash.

Try shooting in P mode and see how you go.

See this re synch speed
http://neilvn.com/tangents/2008/12/13/max-it-out/

Richard,
It's funny you mentioned shooting in P mode. I let my girlfriend use my camera last night at a party but I set it up in CA mode for her and no flash. Not exactly how I was shooting but it gave me the opportunity to look at some numbers it was using.
After a few pictures I looked at the setting the camera used and I noticed it was using really high ISO's numbers like 6400 and 3200.
I don't do a lot of people shooting at night so those high ISO numbers were a bit surprising to me.

R.

[RichardTaylor]

I meant P mode with the flash attached & on..

Wide open and low shutter means the camera will have a good chance capturing the pic with available light, if there is enough of it present. Not good if the subjects are moving and you don't want to show it.

See this tute (on this site)
Slow Sync Flash

As far as ISO goes I don't have any problem using ISO 400 on a 5D
It is really no different than shooting with available light. Although the light from on camera direct flash can be very harsh.

The best way. If you don't know here the action is going to Multiple off camera flash - like for basketball..
See actionfoto's post in this thread.
Flickr: Discussing Indoor gym flash in SPORTS ACTION

Personally, and I don't do a lot of it, especially for action.
Bounced flash if possible, to try and soften the light. P to allow me to shot RAW and select my ISO.

Only once I have used flash to stop action.
And that was for butterflies (some in flight) in amongst some leaves (terrible lighting). Camera was in M
It's a good example of flash freezing a subject
.

Notice how the flying butterflies wing is frozen even though I was shooting at 1/250 (max synch speed)
That is the result of the very short flash duration.

Camera Canon EOS 40D
Exposure 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture f/14.0
Focal Length 200 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash On, Fired

[rickp1]

Richard,
I'm not sure I'm following you.
THe reason I was shooting wide open was so I can get as much shutter speed as possible. In your image you shot it at 1/250 with the flash. I'm nowhere near that shutter speed in my shots. If i was I don't think I would have the issue. Now I can force the camera to that shutter speed, but then the shutter setting starts to blink. In theory the camera is telling me the shot will be underexposed.

I think, and anyone, correct me if I'm wrong, it's doing it because its not taking the flash into consideration when metering.

Let me ask you something, am I not setting something right in the flash to maximize sync?

R.

[RichardTaylor]

Give me an hour or so I and I will post some pics to illustrate what I am taking about.

[rickp1]

Great, and thanks for taking the time.

And BTW, I made a big mistake in my description of what was flashing. It's not the shutter speed setting that's flashing but the exposure level indicator arrow.
Seer what happens when one is an idiot and doesn't really pay attention to details. I'm glad you guys knew what I was talking about though. LOL!!!

R.