Focusing in the dark

[kami]

Went trick or treating last night and my camera had a hard time focusing in almost total darkness. Besides having an assistant hold up a flash light for you, what else can there be done when in these circumstances?

The speedlight auto focus assist doesn't help much if more than a few feet from you.

Camera: Nikon D300s
Lens: Sigma 18-50 2.8
Flash: Nikon SB600

Iso basically was set at 1200
Flash set to TTL with GF diffuser.

 

[Overread]

If its too dark for the AF and the speedlite flash assist beam isn't helping you've got only one option - manual focusing. That is of course unless you do as you say and boost the ambient light to a level where the camera can gain a focus lock

 

[Big Mike]

You could use a flashlight, a video light or even a laser pointer...maybe even attach something to your camera or flash, so that it's always pointed where you need it.

But your flash's AF assist should still work for something more than a few feet away. It may not always work perfectly, but it's not useless.

 

[kami]

Oh, ok. Well, it's almost close to impossible to use manual focusing when you can't see much. And taking pics of toddlers also doesn't help out. I guess next year, I'll just have someone bring a flashlight along.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

Is there such a thing as a cheap/inexpensive "range finder"? Kinda like a light bean tape measure or something? I have seen a few but the price is pretty high...

 

[ghache]

Is there such a thing as a cheap/inexpensive "range finder"? Kinda like a light bean tape measure or something? I have seen a few but the price is pretty high...

I never tried it but if its really too dark too get any focus what so ever you could use Live view? i dont use live view very much but i think that it auto adjust the exposure before focusing, ill try it when get back home