Low lightings shot

[edwinywh]

Hi guys,dun mind help me solve my problem pls.


During night shots or low lightings pics taking,I am unable to focus on my subject.I tried spot and centerweighted metering but to no avail.


Case study 1:
Went out with my friends on a Saturday night to Bishan park to play with lanterns and stuf.So,brought my camera along and wanted to take some pics of them.However as I press halfway of the shutter release for the camera to focus,it did not focus on the subjects at all. :sweat:

I set sensitivity to ISO 200,center weighted metering,manual exposure.Even tried using aperture and shutter priority.Range around 2 or 3 m only.


Case study 2:
At airport.Night time also.So available light is the lightings from the viewing gallery itself.The windows onwards are all very dark.
Subject is halfway facing the windows ; subject's back is to the lights..in front is dark.

Same thing,used center weighted and stuff but unable to achieve focus on the subject.


NEED HELP!! :sweat:

 

[floppy-eared]

try manual focus instead?

 

[patch17]

hi edwin.

hmmm... looks like you're confusing metering modes and programme modes with focusing. Actually, they have nothing to do with focusing. So setting your cam to centre weighted or spot metering, aperture or shutter priority won't make your camera focus on the subject.

I'm assuming you're using an AF camera, it is quite normal for low light to give a bit of problems with the camera's AF. The camera's "eye" is unable to pick up clearly defined detail due to the dimly lit subject so it tends to "hunt" in and out of focus.

One way around this is to switch to manual focus. our tranditional eyes can pick up better detail than the mechanical ones. It does help a lot if you have a bright and clean viewfinder. if you're still having problems focusing, suggest you estimate or measure off distance and set it on your lens, or you can use the hyperfocal distance method. But if your lens doesn't have any distance scales (as is with most new lenses nowadays) you're shafted! ;p

but don't fret, get someone to shine a light on your subject so that your AF can focus properly, use the AF lock, switch off the light, then shoot.

 

[edwinywh]

thanks guys!
I have some ideas now...
Thanks for the tips.




Yeah,I'm using a digital cam.
Next time i try to use the distance method and see if it works or not.Since,I do not carry a torch light with me when I'm out.

 

[showtime]

During night shots or low lightings pics taking,I am unable to focus on my subject.I tried spot and centerweighted metering but to no avail.

just FYI, the metering modes are for obtaining the correct exposure. it has totally nothing to do with the autofocus mechanism

that is why adjusting them did not help you with the af.
great that you have found solutions

 

[PhooQ]

hi, what is the white balance you normaly use for low lights? my shots turned tad yellowish. :cry:

 

[edwinywh]

I just set the white balance to AUTO. Hee...

 

[Newman]

No need to bring torchlight lah. Try focusing on a hard edge i.e somewhere on the subject where there is a clear distinct edge/border eg. an obvious stripe on the shirt. AF works better with a hard edge.

 

[ace2001]

ask her to talk out her hp, on it, put infront of her, you focus on the hp, half press, ask her keep hp , shoot.
does need a few tries esp when she pretty far from you. But at least works(Well at least for me when i tried a CP57 last time)
cheers =p

 

[excess]

Hey which digital cameras can focus n shoot in pitch darkness? I know 7hi can. Sony 707?

 

[Kira]

Another method is to get your subject well lighted what whatever avaliable light you have... for example, position your subject such that the light source is behind you.... That'll mostly solve your focusing problem....

 

[kex]

another way is to use hyperfocal.
for a 35mm lens, shoot at F11, turn ur focusing ring to 2metres(6ft)
everything from 2m to infinity will be of acceptable focus with the range at 2m being the sharpest.be sure to use a flash powerful enuff.

 

[wacko]

another way is to use hyperfocal.
for a 35mm lens, shoot at F11, turn ur focusing ring to 2metres(6ft)
everything from 2m to infinity will be of acceptable focus with the range at 2m being the sharpest.be sure to use a flash powerful enuff.

while this is useful if he's using a DSLR, somehow i doubt that...

anyhow to excess' question, the Sony DSC-V1 is arguably the best consumer night focusing DC around right now.

 

[edwinywh]

Haha,thats right..I'm just a beginner shooter with a Coolpix 5400 only.
I know how to manually adjust the distance now though.
The suggestion of using the hp is interesting...Will try it out if got chance..