Taking night pictures with high ISO? no flash?

[manaheim]

To OP: What are you trying to take pictures of?

The short answer, as many people have stated, is: yes, higher ISO will enable you to take pictures in "darker" places...

But ... how dark? And what are you trying to take pictures of?

Generally night photography is all about low ISO, a tripod and a long exposure. But there are cases where that may not be practical. Can you elaborate on what your scenario is?

 

[skieur]

Would you care to elaborate about that? Given the definition of ISO film speed ratings, I struggle to grasp the concept of ISO rating for the human eye (this a genuine question. I am not trying to say you're wrong but I don't get it).

Popular Photography August 2008 did an article on the Photographer's Guide to the Eye relating scientific research to photography. That was one of the interesting findings in the article. I can confirm it in practice in that I have taken photos in the dark and only found what was in the shot after I displayed it on my computer.

skieur

 

[Josh66]

I don't use high ISOs much for night photography, ISO 100 & tripod for that.
I use high ISO mostly for family snapshots in the house. My lights aren't very bright, I usually have to go up to 800 or 1600 to get hand holdable shutter speds at f/2 - f/3.2. If I need more DOF than that I have to use flash (assuming a moving subject).

 

[skieur]

if i were in a busy resturant for example, with the cooking taking place in sight and i wanted to freeze action, assuming there is some internal lighting would shutter priority be the best option with a little exp comp added in?

1/125 of a second at f. 2.8 and ISO 400 to 800 would certainly handle it.

skieur

 

[skieur]

I don't use high ISOs much for night photography, ISO 100 & tripod for that.
I use high ISO mostly for family snapshots in the house. My lights aren't very bright, I usually have to go up to 800 or 1600 to get hand holdable shutter speds at f/2 - f/3.2. If I need more DOF than that I have to use flash (assuming a moving subject).

Have you tried keeping your polarizing on when using flash? I have found that it tones down the harsh effect of flash.

skieur

 

[Josh66]

Have you tried keeping your polarizing on when using flash? I have found that it tones down the harsh effect of flash.

skieur

No, I don't think I've ever tried that. I'll have to experiment around with it.

 

[Steph]

He means relative to the eye. That if there was such thing as ISO on the eye it would be around 800.

Example: A camera set at ISO 800 and your eye will see about the same amount of light. I think that's what he meant.

Popular Photography August 2008 did an article on the Photographer's Guide to the Eye relating scientific research to photography. That was one of the interesting findings in the article. I can confirm it in practice in that I have taken photos in the dark and only found what was in the shot after I displayed it on my computer.

skieur

Sorry guys but it still does not make sense to me given the ISO definition of film speed rating.

 

[skieur]

Sorry guys but it still does not make sense to me given the ISO definition of film speed rating.

To put it another way, ASA (ISO) film speed is the sensitivity of the film to light. So a certain level of light/darkness in a scene would require an ISO of 800 at f. 3.5 at a focal length of 22mm in order to expose and record an image with appropriate brightness shot by a camera. (Our eyes by the way are capable of f. 3.5 wide open with a focal length of about 22mm with a field of view of almost 180 degrees. There is a field called Pupilmetrics which creates scientific tests in this area. Computer modelling of the human eye is also part of the process.

It is then easy to test a person to see what he/she sees of a scene lit to these levels of light/darkness.

skieur

 

[Josh66]

There was an article in Popular Photography a few months ago that talked about how the human eye works. Pretty interesting stuff. Seems to me that a Lens Baby most closely replicates the human eye. When you focus on something (with your eyes, not the camera), only the central 2-3 degrees are in sharp focus.

 

[skieur]

There was an article in Popular Photography a few months ago that talked about how the human eye works. Pretty interesting stuff. Seems to me that a Lens Baby most closely replicates the human eye. When you focus on something (with your eyes, not the camera), only the central 2-3 degrees are in sharp focus.

That is correct. We are talking about the same article. :thumbup:

skieur