Ambient lighting -- the latest in a series of newby questions
 

My Minolta camera permits me to turn off the flash, and adjust EV
upwards or downwards. What is the best means of taking photos in a
large meeting room? The camera wants to slow shutter speed to
compensate for the relatively low light, and this means that the
slightest motion will cause a blur. Should I lower the EV, and
compensate by editing the histogram curve? Any methods that have
worked for you?

Re: Ambient lighting -- the latest in a series of newby questions
 

On 25 Feb 2004 07:14:15 -0800, in rec.photo.digital
BarryGoldwater@ausi.com (Barry Goldwater) wrote:

>My Minolta camera permits me to turn off the flash, and adjust EV
>upwards or downwards. What is the best means of taking photos in a
>large meeting room? The camera wants to slow shutter speed to
>compensate for the relatively low light, and this means that the
>slightest motion will cause a blur. Should I lower the EV, and
>compensate by editing the histogram curve? Any methods that have
>worked for you?

EV is not going to help blur as all this is going to do is set a
slower shutter speed. Can you increase the ISO?
__________________________________________________ ______
Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 (EGRuf@cox.net)
http://members.cox.net/egruf
See images taken with my CP-990 and 5700 at
http://members.cox.net/egruf-digicam

Re: Ambient lighting -- the latest in a series of newby questions
 

<Barry Goldwater> wrote:
> My Minolta camera permits me to turn off the flash, and adjust EV
> upwards or downwards. What is the best means of taking photos in a
> large meeting room? The camera wants to slow shutter speed to
> compensate for the relatively low light, and this means that the
> slightest motion will cause a blur. Should I lower the EV, and
> compensate by editing the histogram curve? Any methods that have
> worked for you?

I've had fairly good results with my Toshiba doing the following with my
camera:
- set the camera to manual mode: 1/30 s, F2.8
- set the ISO to 400
- set the contrast to "soft"

For most flourescent lit meeting room, I find that this gives me 1 stop
under-exposed (my camera displays this) and this can easily be corrected
afterwards and the image still looks good. Beyond that and the colours go
bad and it gets grainy by the time I've corrected for the contrast.
Actually it looks a lot like Ektachrome pushed to 800.

Note I've found that the digital camera behaves a lot more like real film
than I expected. I've "pushed" the "film" as far as ISO 3200 and it
basically looks a lot like Ektachrome 400 pushed that far (grainy and high
contrast).
--
Dominic Richens | dominic@alumni.uottawa.ca
"If you're not *outraged*, you're not paying attention!"

Re: Ambient lighting -- the latest in a series of newby questions
 

The essential accessory for dim lighting is the tripod. Tripods are as
cheap as 25-30 bucks, or you can go super collapsible and lightweight
carbon fiber for more money. I believe the tripod is the most essential
camera accessory there is. It should even be used in normal lighting
unless there is a reason not to.

Barry Goldwater wrote:
>
> My Minolta camera permits me to turn off the flash, and adjust EV
> upwards or downwards. What is the best means of taking photos in a
> large meeting room? The camera wants to slow shutter speed to
> compensate for the relatively low light, and this means that the
> slightest motion will cause a blur. Should I lower the EV, and
> compensate by editing the histogram curve? Any methods that have
> worked for you?

--
Don Stauffer in Minnesota
stauffer@usfamily.net
webpage- http://www.usfamily.net/web/stauffer

Re: Ambient lighting -- the latest in a series of newby questions
 

In message <403E061C.78A44CBD@usfamily.net>,
Don Stauffer <stauffer@usfamily.net> wrote:

>Tripods are as
>cheap as 25-30 bucks

The best thing about $25 tripods is that when you actually buy a real
tripod, the $25 one makes a decent light stand.
--

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
John P Sheehy <JPS@no.komm>
><<> <>>< <>>< ><<> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>><

Re: Ambient lighting -- the latest in a series of newby questions
 

JPS@no.komm wrote:
> In message <403E061C.78A44CBD@usfamily.net>,
> Don Stauffer <stauffer@usfamily.net> wrote:
>
>> Tripods are as
>> cheap as 25-30 bucks
>
> The best thing about $25 tripods is that when you actually buy a real
> tripod, the $25 one makes a decent light stand.

It depends on the light, I guess... I would never put anything
expensive and reaaaaaaally hot on a $25 tripod... An auxiliary
slave flash maybe... ;-)

Re: Ambient lighting -- the latest in a series of newby questions
 

In message <otx%b.17606$7f2.16651@newssvr29.news.prodigy.com> ,
"Paolo Pizzi" <paolopizziNOSPAM@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>JPS@no.komm wrote:
>> In message <403E061C.78A44CBD@usfamily.net>,
>> Don Stauffer <stauffer@usfamily.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Tripods are as
>>> cheap as 25-30 bucks
>>
>> The best thing about $25 tripods is that when you actually buy a real
>> tripod, the $25 one makes a decent light stand.
>
>It depends on the light, I guess... I would never put anything
>expensive and reaaaaaaally hot on a $25 tripod... An auxiliary
>slave flash maybe... ;-)

But if the tripod vibrates, the picture will blur. :)
--

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
John P Sheehy <JPS@no.komm>
><<> <>>< <>>< ><<> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>><