Focusing in dark enviroments

[Eventer]

I've recently been hired to do night club photography for a couple of hours every friday and saturday. The photos are just for publicity and only go up on facebook. 80% of the photos come out good but sometimes my camera just wont focus in the darkish environment. Im just not what to do about it. change up settings or what? I'm at a loss. Im currently have to get like 2 of every photo just to be sure it didnt come out ****.
im using a f3.5-5.6 18-105mm lens on a D7000 with flash etc.

Example of one that worked... (They are originals, I dont edit much at all as there is so many - at most just a crop)

1/60 f3.5 ISO 800 (Was also on Aperture priority for this one - usually on manual but doesnt make a massive difference)

And one that didnt so much

1/30 f3.5 ISO800

 

[gsgary]

Not the best lens for this sort of thing has your external flash got focus assist

 

[Eventer]

Isnt it?? Damn the Guy in the photography shop assured me it would be the one to use :/ i suppose I cant really afford a super expensive one anyway - So u think its jjst the lens?
Im not sure on the focus assist, Ill have a look tomorrow, I have a feeling it doesn't though

 

[gsgary]

Isnt it?? Damn the Guy in the photography shop assured me it would be the one to use :/ i suppose I cant really afford a super expensive one anyway - So u think its jjst the lens?
Im not sure on the focus assist, Ill have a look tomorrow, I have a feeling it doesn't though

If i was doing it i would have my 24-70f2.8L and 50f1.4 with me,but i wouldnt give up my Friday and Saturday night out

 

[Eventer]

I have a 50mm 1.8 but its a bit too close up for a jam packed night club :/ ive used it once and it was no good
I imagine as 24-70f2.8 would set me back a bit lol

 

[jaomul]

You could light up your subjects a little with a soft light torch to help your camera focus. Obviously you turn it off then before you hit the shutter.

 

[Eventer]

Ooh my camera has the little light assist thing on the body? (not the flash though - but i will check) will that help at all?

 

[SCraig]

Use manual focus.

 

[gsgary]

Get pissed and dance the night away

 

[Mach0]

What flash do you use? Your lens is just fine. I do club photography on the weekend and I use an sb800. The 1/60s shutter speed is too fast. You might want to lower it. Don't worry about the iso. Once you resize the image to websize most of it you won't notice. I use AF-S for the autofocus assist light on the flash. As you may notice- you need to have a wide lens for the crammed situations. Just remember to correct it in post.


Here is an example

F 3.5
ISO 800
1/15s

Flash on manual mode with a stoffen cap. The club I do has the walls painted black and high ceilings.

 

[Big Mike]

Ooh my camera has the little light assist thing on the body? (not the flash though - but i will check) will that help at all?

That's what it's for. Note that you very likely have to be in One Shot / AF-S for the AF assist light to work.

Most accessory flashes have a red window on the front, that is where their AF assist light is. It's much better than the one built into the camera.

 

[Eventer]

Okay ive been doing a bit of playing around and reading about how to get the AF light assist on the flash to work - i found this in the manual "Under the low light condition, in the dark place, AF assist light will automatically emit the beam and illuminate the subject, so that the camera can easily focus the subject in darkness. The beam is however not shown in the picture." It wont work on normall mode? It goes on in intervals in the SD and SF modes... im just a bit confused with the flash, ive never had issues with i in basic settings lol

 

[Eventer]

I cant seem to get either AF light assist to work (the small one on camera and the red on on the flash) im so confused... Says its ON in the settings too :/

 

[Eventer]

I put everything COMPLETELY on auto and it worked - Im tempted to just keep everysingle thing in auto tonight when i work :/ its the only way i can seem to geth the light assist on the flash to work