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M8 low light again


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Recently we changed all our art gallery lighting over to low power LEDs which do a great job of illuminating artworks but.......... leave the gallery somewhat darker than it used to be.

 

For the gallery's blog and email newsletter we post pictures of our opening events so they don't have to be huge. My weapon of choice for these pics has been my M8 + Nokton 35/1.2 but under the new lighting even this is being challenged so I thought there may be some wisdom that I don't know about. Sure f1.2 works but too fine a focus for what these pics should say.

 

Like ideal settings? Auto ISO? ISO in general? DNG/JPEG sizes?

 

I should add that I use Lightroom 3.2 and current Photoshop

 

Any ideas

 

Thanks in advance - Clive

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Noise becomes visible at ISO 640 on the M8.

 

If you expose to the right (without blowing critical highlights), and don't crop the images, they should be useable.

 

You'll need to work out what the exposure requirement is based on the DoF you require in the shots. If the exposure is long enough to create movement trails from the guests, you may wish to resort to a small flash such as the sf-24d.

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Thanks Gerard - That's pretty much what I'm doing at the moment, though my flash is the older SF 20 which won't give me TTL, so fixed 1/250th and so far I haven't found setting on it that just adds enough light, rather than changing the entire feel of the space by seriously darkening the backgrounds.

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Hello Clive,

let me start by seconding gerald's suggestion about getting a ttl equipped small flash, either a leica or even a metz. It is the most straight forward. A little practice and experimentation on a non-show evening would be helpful in judging a way to balance your available light exposure with a potential negative exposure compensation on the flash. Remember to first see what the camera and flash will give without playing with the compensation though. If that is satisfactory, there is no sense banging your head chasing solutions to things that aren't problems anymore :-). Further, I would advise biasing your iso/aperture/shutter speed choices toward getting a usable available light image of the background and letting the flash fill-in the main subject. I personally hate the ole' cut out dolls look in some flash photographs and try to keep the background in view in my shooting.

 

Richard in Michigan

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Thanks guys - even without completely following all of Jaap's careful instructions and remembering that there was one thing that Gerard had mentioned straight off 'expose to the right'. I'd tended to trust my eye rather than the histogram! and I think I naturally prefer darkish pictures. My quick daylight pics, no lights on at all in the gallery, so probably darker overall than the events - massive improvement, maybe 150%

 

Thanks again.

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I would be tempted to try one of those Gary Fong defusing globes used for fashion and portraiture. Some additional soft lighting is probably all that you need to stay in the sweet spot of the lens's f stops.

 

Just another thought for your consideration.

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.... My weapon of choice for these pics has been my M8 + Nokton 35/1.2 but under the new lighting even this is being challenged so I thought there may be some wisdom that I don't know about. Sure f1.2 works but too fine a focus for what these pics should say....

 

Any ideas

 

Thanks in advance - Clive

Clive, is it possible for you to use a tripod? That would be my preferred solution. Bounce flash also comes to mind, but that would fight with the natural ambience.

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Don - I've got a Gary Fong that I use occasionally with my Olympus E-3 and Metz 54 MZ - 4i, it is way out of proportion with the M8 but it would certainly be the cheapest option, all I'd have to do is buy the right SCA foot - or maybe press the E-3 into service again, though I do prefer the Leica pics a lot more.

 

David - My hunch is that I'd have to use a longer lens if I went the tripod option because it would force me to stay out of crowd. But worth a try, I've got a crom 50 and an elmarit 90.

 

Clive

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not to speak for Mr White, but I think he has indicated he is trying to document 'the opening' for newsletters and a website rather than just the exhibits. I'd suspect that includes attendees, people mingling, and an environmental portrait or two, possibly.

 

RW.

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I had assumed he wanted routine occasional progress shots. Clearly I misread the requirement. Thank you for pointing that out. More a journalistic available light shoot which is a challenge, but possible given correct exposure and PP. I still think available light best captures the atmosphere. A fast lens helps!

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Thanks again guys - Yes it is a journalistic available light - or appearing to be available light task, I do have the advantage of being able to try everything out in my own time, prior to the gallery being populated - I don't have a wireless flash but at least I can try it all out with the cables/umbrellas etc that I've currently got and if the results look promising buy wireless.

 

Thanks again Clive

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