I hate using flash

[noozgardner]

Hey guys, I take photos of birthday parties and I find it really hard to get the right setting for indoor shots, I hate using my flash, and I seem to get alot of noise,even though I have my camera on auto ISO, I also normally shoot in Aperature, at F5 or F8 I will show you a photo I took yesterday and please someone give me some advice on what thebest setting is. I have a Nikon D80 thank you heaps

[EXILER]

you should invest in a sb-600... it works wonders...but as far as settings... you can bump up the iso just a little bit and shoot at a large aperture.. that way you allow a lot more light in to the sensor... all you can do is experiment...

just out of curiosity what lens are you using? because some lenses work better in a low light environment then others...

[noozgardner]

Hey Exiler, thanks, what is a SB-600??

[zomie]

I found a bounce flash is the best of all. You can also get a diffuser. What flash unit do you have? The built in one never cuts the cheese.

Flash isn't your enemy :P...although if you don't like using it, I would suggest a decent low fstop portrait lens. I am not sure you need your fstop so high. Often I keep it in doors around 2.5ish.

I took this with a bounce in low lighting:

Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 400

It looks like I had similar lighting as yourself.

[EXILER]

Originally Posted by noozgardner

Hey Exiler, thanks, what is a SB-600??

a sb- 600 is a type of bounce flash... it has a swivel head so you can bounce light of different surfaces. for example if you were indoors you can bounce the flash off the ceiling... it allows for the room to be lit with out the light from the flash washing out ur subject...

here is a picture of the sb-600



im still learning too but here is an example of a shot i took... this room was dim and i used the flash without aiming it directly in my sons face...

[noozgardner]

Originally Posted by EXILER

you should invest in a sb-600... it works wonders...but as far as settings... you can bump up the iso just a little bit and shoot at a large aperture.. that way you allow a lot more light in to the sensor... all you can do is experiment...

just out of curiosity what lens are you using? because some lenses work better in a low light environment then others...

THis pic was iso 1600 and on F5.3, my lens is a nikon lense 18-135!! cheers

[noozgardner]

Originally Posted by EXILER

a sb- 600 is a type of bounce flash... it has a swivel head so you can bounce light of different surfaces. for example if you were indoors you can bounce the flash off the ceiling... it allows for the room to be lit with out the light from the flash washing out ur subject...

here is a picture of the sb-600



im still learning too but here is an example of a shot i took... this room was dim and i used the flash without aiming it directly in my sons face...

Thanks, umm, i do have one!!! I just left it at home, wasnt put back in its rightful place.. Im a dufus..., am I supposed to have my camera setting on i-ttl? when I use my speedlight, and if I dont have it (like yesterday), do I put my setting on manual or i-ttl for my pop up flash? thanks matey

[noozgardner]

Originally Posted by EXILER

a sb- 600 is a type of bounce flash... it has a swivel head so you can bounce light of different surfaces. for example if you were indoors you can bounce the flash off the ceiling... it allows for the room to be lit with out the light from the flash washing out ur subject...

here is a picture of the sb-600



im still learning too but here is an example of a shot i took... this room was dim and i used the flash without aiming it directly in my sons face...

PS: He is a cutey....

[noozgardner]

Originally Posted by zomie

I found a bounce flash is the best of all. You can also get a diffuser. What flash unit do you have? The built in one never cuts the cheese.

Flash isn't your enemy :P...although if you don't like using it, I would suggest a decent low fstop portrait lens. I am not sure you need your fstop so high. Often I keep it in doors around 2.5ish.

I took this with a bounce in low lighting:

Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 400

It looks like I had similar lighting as yourself.

I do have an sb 600, i just did not have it yesterday.. How did you get your fstop so low, i think my camera only goes to f3.5.

[zomie]

Originally Posted by noozgardner

I do have an sb 600, i just did not have it yesterday.. How did you get your fstop so low, i think my camera only goes to f3.5.

It is a portrait lens canon 50mm 1.8 nifty fifty...I am sure nikon has a similar:
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-50mm-Nik...3836844&sr=8-1

These lens are ideal in low light as they require less light in general to make the shot. You should look into the investment.