when shooting indoors in fairly low light, how do you set yout camera??

[Sean Setters]

I´m also using the XTi or 400D. I have an 580EX II flash. I have loaded a canon firmware hack to the cf-card and now have access to ISO 3200. Native ISO. I also got access to more advanced focus patterns and spot metering. It works great. You will find more info here: http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/400D if you are interested. It loads from the cf-card so it does not mess up the internal firmware.

Wow, I just loaded the chdk firmware and it's fantastic! I love the more precise ISO increments as well as the handy focus patterns. Really brings new life to that camera. I knew they were working on implementing different things on the 40D, but I never thought to check on a chdk firmware for my XTi. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[Johnny Rasmussen]

Hi jks_photo,


I think both photos are fine. Very nice colors, exposure looks spot on. My monitor are calibrated and in the first photo I can see details even in the deep shadows. You are doing well.


- Johnny

[Johnny Rasmussen]

Hi Sean,


I think new hacks will come for the 5D and 40D but that may take a while. I really like the new features that came with the hack. Will use my 400D as long as the shutter keep working.


- Johnny

[Johnny Rasmussen]

Hi Daniel,


I have been going through the reviews at dpreview, looking at the DR for most of Canon´s DSLR´s. You are right about the ISO settings above 1600, most of them drop sharply at that point. Only the 5D MII and the 7D are doing good above ISO 1600. Nikon is doing noticeably better. Even the "cheap" D5000 is doing exellent. Do you know the reason for this?


- Johnny

[Daniel Browning]

I have been going through the reviews at dpreview, looking at the DR for most of Canon´s DSLR´s.

Let me stop you right there. DPR's section on "dynamic range" is based entirely on JPEG with default settings. It has nothing to do with the actually dynamic range of the raw files or with non-default settings. It's worse than useless: it's highly wrong and misleading.


Even their "raw headroom" statements are unfactual. They're based on subjective opinions about how well the highlight guessing algorithm works in Adobe!


DPR has some good information, but some of it is very wrong, and dynamic range is one of those things.

You are right about the ISO settings above 1600, most of them drop sharply at that point. Only the 5D MII and the 7D are doing good above ISO 1600. Nikon is doing noticeably better. Even the "cheap" D5000 is doing exellent. Do you know the reason for this?

The reason is that DPR has no clue about dynamic range. They don't even know what they are measuring, let alone know what they should be measuring. Even if they started measuring it correctly, I doubt they would analyze it correctly.


DxoMark.com is not perfect, but they're a sight better than DPR when it comes to measuring noise and dynamic range.


Don't feel bad that you were misled. DPR is the most popular camera review web site in the world, so you would think that they at least get the basics right. Unfortunately that is not so.

[Johnny Rasmussen]

Daniel,


I don´t feel bad at all. DPR is not my favorite site, I prefer The Imaging Resource for technical analysis. Do you think their methods are better?

[SupraSonic]

Mannual mode or Tv with flash attached

[Daniel Browning]

I prefer The Imaging Resource for technical analysis. Do you think their methods are better?

Yes.

[BCalkins]

I usually run in manual mode, setting a relatively low aperture (maybe a half stop or so from the maximum aperture - typically f/4.5 on my 24-105). For the shutter I either keep it at 1/250th if there is little ambient, or try to lower to what I can handhold comfortably - usually 1/60s or higher for semi telephoto. Then I use a flash in the hotshoe and bounce it off of whatever I can - cupboards, ceiling, walls, doors, etc. I use the flash exposure compensation to run the exposure up and down a bit if needed. I find this works better than diffusers, unless there is nothing to bounce off of. I usually shoot at ISO200 to get a bit more from the flash without needing full power.


I rarely use a fast prime wide open without flash indoors for family shots as they move too fast. For babies that lie still I do open up the aperture, ramp up the ISO and shoot at the highest shutter speed I can manage.


This is for my typically running around after the kids type shots. For something like a wedding, etc. that is indoors it is a whole different story (tending more towards higher ISO and no flash).


One thing I often wonder is if you are better to gain a shutter speed and underexpose to get more sharpness (at the expense of noise), or likewise go up an ISO stop. What is sharper looking in a print - faster shutter and higher ISO, or lower shutter speed/lower ISO?

[Daniel Browning]

One thing I often wonder is if you are better to gain a shutter speed and underexpose to get more sharpness (at the expense of noise), or likewise go up an ISO stop. What is sharper looking in a print - faster shutter and higher ISO, or lower shutter speed/lower ISO?

I always choose fast shutter+high ISO over slow shutter+low ISO.


Unless the motion blur is an intentional part of the image, I find it more displeasing than the increase in noise. But you have to keep several things in mind. One is the final display size. If you want to make a 20x30 print or have it be sharp on a 100% crop, let's say you need need 1/500. But if it's just for a 1024x683 web image, then you can get away with 1/125 and the motion blur will still be invisible.


Another consideration is that if the motion blur is simple and consistent (e.g. camera shake in one direction) and you oversample enough, you can correct it in post processing. It's easier if you have a specular highlight that matches the motion blur you want to reverse.