High Shutter Speed Indoors

[NikonD80Shooter]

How do I get my camera to increase shutter speeds when taking still pictures indoors under normal fluorescent lighting? Should I crank up my ISO so I can increase shutter speeds or should I use VR lenses at low shutter speeds?
I took a couple of photos the other day in the office and I notice that most of my photos were blurry. I was using a Nikon 18-135mm lens with no VR and noticed at ISO 400, all my shots had a shutter speed of 1/20, 1/30, 1/15 sec., which came out blurry.

 

[musicaleCA]

What subjects are you shooting? What focal length are you shooting at?

 

[bigtwinky]

If you want a faster shutter speed, you need more light

- Open the aperture more. I believe your lens is a 3.5-5.6 or so, which means that at 18mm the widest is can go is 3.5 while at 135mm, the widest is 5.6. So if you are shooting in the office at 135mm, then you are not that wide. Look into a new lens that allows for a wider aperture at the long end or a prime lens. This is why the 2.8 zooms are more expensive as they allow 2.8 throughout the range. Look into the 50mm f/1.8, a great wide aperture lens and fairly cheap

- Up the ISO higher. This is where you have the issue of the higher your ISO, the more potential noise in the image. Its a trade off for ability to shoot in low light

- Use a flash. Your camera's flash, hotshoe flash, strobes,....

- Turn on more lights. Desks lights can add more light to a scene. Opening shades on windows as well can help.

This is one of the reasons why pros who shoot events have expensive gear. A camera that can go to ISO 3200 and still be clean and a lens that shoots f/1.4 or a zoom at f/2.8

 

[NikonD80Shooter]

Thanks BigTwinky for the info. I do have a 50mm f1.8 and I think next time I will use that. I also have a SB 800 flash but did not walk with it.

 

[NikonD80Shooter]

MusicalCA, I was shooting people in the office.

 

[creisinger]

MusicalCA, I was shooting people in the office.

Watch out for cops...

With just florescent lighting in the office, the matter of illuminating the subject properly from the front or side is another issue.

As for using additional lights, I think you're going to make matters worse mixing incandescent light with the fluorescent ceiling lights.

And for heaven's sake - use a tripod. VR is not going to save you there. Forget 1/20 handheld with VR - no way. Even at 1/80 with VR you won't get it sharp if shot by hand.

Use a tripod, open your aperture to the max and crank up the ISO at 1/60 if it HAS to be that slow and use remote shutter release or the timer. Tell your models to hold still for the shot. Good luck trying...

 

[musicaleCA]

Er...I can get acceptably sharp images at 1/20 with IS, or flash.

Use the 50/1.8, and open up to around 2.0. That'll give you more room to finagle your shutter speed and ISO to be more acceptable. If you use the flash, you really need to gel it for the fluorescents, most likely green.

 

[creisinger]

Er...I can get acceptably sharp images at 1/20 with IS, or flash...

Please post one of those acceptably sharp images.

Maybe we have a different interpretation of "sharp".

 

[decado]

The best way to do this really is to buy a prime lens with a very wide aperture, 1.x is pretty good for low light situations such as that.

Edit: Just read that you have a 50mm 1.8, use that for sure, or even get a lens with an even wider aperture.

 

[musicaleCA]

Er...I can get acceptably sharp images at 1/20 with IS, or flash...

Please post one of those acceptably sharp images.

Maybe we have a different interpretation of "sharp".

Meh. Okay. These two are from the first time I used flash indoors to light my subjects. Both shot using a Canon 450D, 580EXII, and 50/1.4 (so effectively 80mm, no IS):

ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/20

ISO 400, f/2.2, 1/30

 

[UUilliam]

Stick to the rule Maximum focal length = your shutter speed

meaning since your using an 18-135mm
EVEN IF YOU USE 18MM you want your shutter to be atleast 1/150
that is a safe area for hand held images.
also tripods help!!

it is possible to get good sharp handheld images at 1/20 but you need a fairly still hand or good technique

 

[musicaleCA]

Stick to the rule Maximum focal length = your shutter speed

meaning since your using an 18-135mm
EVEN IF YOU USE 18MM you want your shutter to be atleast 1/150
that is a safe area for hand held images.

Whaaaaaa? No. Just no. The rule of thumb is 1/focal-length dictates your shutter speed, but that's the focal length you're shooting at, not the maximum focal length of your lens.

Besides, I think I just pretty clearly illustrated that it's perfectly possible to get a sharp image at FAR slower shutter speeds than that rule of thumb would seem to dictate, with the use of flash.

 

[creisinger]

Stick to the rule Maximum focal length = your shutter speed

meaning since your using an 18-135mm
EVEN IF YOU USE 18MM you want your shutter to be atleast 1/150
that is a safe area for hand held images.

Whaaaaaa? No. Just no. The rule of thumb is 1/focal-length dictates your shutter speed, but that's the focal length you're shooting at, not the maximum focal length of your lens.

Besides, I think I just pretty clearly illustrated that it's perfectly possible to get a sharp image at FAR slower shutter speeds than that rule of thumb would seem to dictate, with the use of flash.

I'm sorry for not mentioning that only a 100% crop actually shows how sharp it is.

The images look good at the resized demensions you posted here.

And, rules are there to be broken...

 

[bigtwinky]

I've also been told that a rule of thumb is 1/max focal lenght to determine max shutter speed. So if shooting an 18-135, that would be 1/150 whether you are at 18 or 135 of course not using any flash. This is a general rule for people who are newer to photography.

I've even read (I think on this forum) that the rule should extend to 1/max focal lenght x sensor size, to factor in APS-C sensors. So an 18-135 would be more like 1/250 on my XSI but 1/150 on a FF.

Again, all without flash. Adding anything else into the equation changes the variables.

 

[bigtwinky]

Stick to the rule Maximum focal length = your shutter speed

meaning since your using an 18-135mm
EVEN IF YOU USE 18MM you want your shutter to be atleast 1/150
that is a safe area for hand held images.

Whaaaaaa? No. Just no. The rule of thumb is 1/focal-length dictates your shutter speed, but that's the focal length you're shooting at, not the maximum focal length of your lens.

Besides, I think I just pretty clearly illustrated that it's perfectly possible to get a sharp image at FAR slower shutter speeds than that rule of thumb would seem to dictate, with the use of flash.

I'm sorry for not mentioning that only a 100% crop actually shows how sharp it is.

The images look good at the resized demensions you posted here.

And, rules are there to be broken...

He also said acceptably sharp, not award winning sharp. If you pixel peep, yes, you will see how sharp it is. But acceptably sharp, to me, does not require pixel peeping.