I think I just haven't got it yet! I am still struggling to get the correct exposure for my pictures in dark surroundings, for example inside my apartment when I don't want to use a flash or even outside on one of those fabulous Vancouver days we had recently.
If my aperture is open to the maximum but the shutter speed selected by the camera is too slow to hand-hold the camera, is my only choice to increase ISO or is there any impact by changing the EV value (in program mode, for example)?
And I guess second part of my question, if EV is not going to change the exposure in my above example, do I only use it when there is still room in the aperture but I actually don't want to change aperture as I want a specific depth of field?
Thanks!
Petra
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5 comments:
Hi Petra,
As far as I understand, if you have your aperture wide open, and you want to use a faster shutter speed to enable you to hand-hold, your only option is to up your ISO. Using EV to select a faster shutter speed means that you will be intentionally underexposing the image. If you want a correct exposure, your options are a) increase your ISO (this really isn't such a bad thing to do) or b) use a tripod. At least, that's how I think it all works...
:-)
Sam
PS. Does anyone know if it is possible to subscribe to an RSS feed for this blog?
@Sam, try this one http://vpwintrophotoblog.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Thanks antony - that's done it.
Sam
OK, let's get this EV and low light problem resolved.
Sam is right in saying that in low light we often have to select a higher ISO if we want to maintain a fast shutter speed. A tripod is of little help as well, as it only helps you to reduce camera shake but does not help you to freeze subject movement (VR or IS lenses have the same limitations).
So far so good, but let's talk about EV. What Sam refers to is actually not called EV, but exposure compensation. EV simply stands for exposure value, i.e. a specific shutter speed and aperture.
You are right in saying that making an exposure compensation in low light may be of no help and result in an underexposed image, especially when you are already at the highest ISO and widest aperture.
When shooting in low light, the most effective 'weapon' really is a 'fast' lens, meaning a lens that is able to give you a wider maximum aperture (i.e. F1.8). This will allow you to work with a reasonable ISO while still maintaining a fast enough shutter speed.
Finally, in really dark situations, you may want to resort to using a flash (when even the fast lens does not help).
Hi Sam, Marc.
Many thanks for the good tips on this topic.
Petra
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