Possible Challenge

[jonathon94]

Hello everyone, if anyone on here don't know (which I'm sure is many), I am a high school senior. I have a School Prom coming up and it will be my last chance and my girlfriend really wants to go but seeing as how she would be a guest (she just moved) it depends on me going so I'm not sure yet. If I go I want to take pictures and submit them to the yearbook club. I am wondering how I would capture shots such as this. I own the Canon T3 (plus a Canon Powershot A490 P&S) the limit of this camera is up to iso 3200 (6400 with a good bit of noise), 1/4000th of a second shutter speed, and my lens(kit ) has an aperture range from 3.3-5.6. I imagine shooting in iso 3200, shutter speed of 1/250th of a second and the 3.3 aperture but I wonder if that will still be good enough to get a photo in a decent exposure. I imagine lowering my shutter speed could help exposure wise but it would put more blur into the photo. I also would like to try to get away without using flash.


On a side note, for any recent graduates or anyone who has went to a prom is it worth going? Our ticket costs $65, to pay for my Girlfriend, it will cost $30, I will have to pay for Dinner, I also figure somewhere there will be other costs. Before I spend so much money that could be used for so much more (I've never been a fan of dances) is it worth going? 10+ years from now do you think I will regret not going?

 

[o hey tyler]

I can tell you right now, at f/3.5, ISO 3200 @ 1/250s your photos are going to be severely underexposed. I don't even need to see the lighting conditions to know that your setting will have to be MUCH MORE lax than that. Like, 1/30s @ f/3.5, 18mm ISO 6400 (if you can).

In all honesty, you're not going to get any usable photos for the yearbook without some kind of supplementary lighting. With the kit lens on your camera, you might as well be in a bear cave devoid of all light. That's basically how your camera will "see" the dance area... Except I don't expect there to be bears at your dance. (Who knows though, it's high school)

If you can procure a 50mm f/1.8 (or better yet, f/1.4) prior to the dance, you will be in a much better position to get usable shots. If you can't, I'd suggest leaving your camera at home... Just have fun at the dance. You don't need to be grinding up on chicks to have a good time. Just hang with your buds and drink soda pop and listen to that Swedish Techno version of Cotteneye Joe. You know they'll play it.

 

[jonathon94]

I can tell you right now, at f/3.5, ISO 3200 @ 1/250s your photos are going to be severely underexposed. I don't even need to see the lighting conditions to know that your setting will have to be MUCH MORE lax than that. Like, 1/30s @ f/3.5, 18mm ISO 6400 (if you can).

In all honesty, you're not going to get any usable photos for the yearbook without some kind of supplementary lighting. With the kit lens on your camera, you might as well be in a bear cave devoid of all light. That's basically how your camera will "see" the dance area... Except I don't expect there to be bears at your dance. (Who knows though, it's high school)

If you can procure a 50mm f/1.8 (or better yet, f/1.4) prior to the dance, you will be in a much better position to get usable shots. If you can't, I'd suggest leaving your camera at home... Just have fun at the dance. You don't need to be grinding up on chicks to have a good time. Just hang with your buds and drink soda pop and listen to that Swedish Techno version of Cotteneye Joe. You know they'll play it.

I tried to simulate this just now by turning off all lights in my room except for two computer monitors and Shooting at my proffered settings just gets me noisy crap. In order to get something usable flash HAS to be used. This Sucks

 

[o hey tyler]

I can tell you right now, at f/3.5, ISO 3200 @ 1/250s your photos are going to be severely underexposed. I don't even need to see the lighting conditions to know that your setting will have to be MUCH MORE lax than that. Like, 1/30s @ f/3.5, 18mm ISO 6400 (if you can).

In all honesty, you're not going to get any usable photos for the yearbook without some kind of supplementary lighting. With the kit lens on your camera, you might as well be in a bear cave devoid of all light. That's basically how your camera will "see" the dance area... Except I don't expect there to be bears at your dance. (Who knows though, it's high school)

If you can procure a 50mm f/1.8 (or better yet, f/1.4) prior to the dance, you will be in a much better position to get usable shots. If you can't, I'd suggest leaving your camera at home... Just have fun at the dance. You don't need to be grinding up on chicks to have a good time. Just hang with your buds and drink soda pop and listen to that Swedish Techno version of Cotteneye Joe. You know they'll play it.

I tried to simulate this just now by turning off all lights in my room except for two computer monitors and Shooting at my proffered settings just gets me noisy crap. In order to get something usable flash HAS to be used. This Sucks

That's the kit lens for you, dude. Especially on an APS-C body, the noise is going to be ridiculous due to the pixel density and the amount of underexposure you'll have to put up with.

On the bright side, a 50mm f/1.8 can be had for less than 100 bones... Might be something to give a shot. Or you could always look into a speedlight. That's option numero dos.

 

[jonathon94]

I can tell you right now, at f/3.5, ISO 3200 @ 1/250s your photos are going to be severely underexposed. I don't even need to see the lighting conditions to know that your setting will have to be MUCH MORE lax than that. Like, 1/30s @ f/3.5, 18mm ISO 6400 (if you can).

In all honesty, you're not going to get any usable photos for the yearbook without some kind of supplementary lighting. With the kit lens on your camera, you might as well be in a bear cave devoid of all light. That's basically how your camera will "see" the dance area... Except I don't expect there to be bears at your dance. (Who knows though, it's high school)

If you can procure a 50mm f/1.8 (or better yet, f/1.4) prior to the dance, you will be in a much better position to get usable shots. If you can't, I'd suggest leaving your camera at home... Just have fun at the dance. You don't need to be grinding up on chicks to have a good time. Just hang with your buds and drink soda pop and listen to that Swedish Techno version of Cotteneye Joe. You know they'll play it.

I tried to simulate this just now by turning off all lights in my room except for two computer monitors and Shooting at my proffered settings just gets me noisy crap. In order to get something usable flash HAS to be used. This Sucks

That's the kit lens for you, dude. Especially on an APS-C body, the noise is going to be ridiculous due to the pixel density and the amount of underexposure you'll have to put up with.

On the bright side, a 50mm f/1.8 can be had for less than 100 bones... Might be something to give a shot. Or you could always look into a speedlight. That's option numero dos.

How much benefit would the f/1.8 be? I've seen it on amazon and that looks good but for this purpose, can it produce usable images? As for the flash as usable as it is, I don't want to annoy everyone with it and at the very least get in trouble with the principle lol.

 

[o hey tyler]

I tried to simulate this just now by turning off all lights in my room except for two computer monitors and Shooting at my proffered settings just gets me noisy crap. In order to get something usable flash HAS to be used. This Sucks

That's the kit lens for you, dude. Especially on an APS-C body, the noise is going to be ridiculous due to the pixel density and the amount of underexposure you'll have to put up with.

On the bright side, a 50mm f/1.8 can be had for less than 100 bones... Might be something to give a shot. Or you could always look into a speedlight. That's option numero dos.

How much benefit would the f/1.8 be? I've seen it on amazon and that looks good but for this purpose, can it produce usable images? As for the flash as usable as it is, I don't want to annoy everyone with it and at the very least get in trouble with the principle lol.

Well, the f/1.8 will give you an additional TWO stops of light coming in through the lens. So, that would be like having your kit lens at f/3.5 and changing the ISO from 100, to 400 in terms of exposure increase. That's a pretty big gain in that situation. Granted, you'll have to maintain a 1/60s shutter speed at a minimum to compensate for camera shake, but that alone shouldn't nullify the gains you'd get from shooting the nifty 50.

 

[jonathon94]

How bad do you believe blur would be at 1/60th? I do not have the experience to know for sure and I know for a fact that I can't get a couple of people in my room to dance after I turn the lights out lol

 

[o hey tyler]

How bad do you believe blur would be at 1/60th? I do not have the experience to know for sure and I know for a fact that I can't get a couple of people in my room to dance after I turn the lights out lol

With people dancing, the blur will probably be noticeable. But, if you can set your flash exposure compensation to -2/3 or so, a quick burst of flash will light them up and freeze the motion... and it won't look ridiculous in your exposure. I'd probably use ISO400 if you use your popup flash with the FEC turned down.

 

[jonathon94]

How bad do you believe blur would be at 1/60th? I do not have the experience to know for sure and I know for a fact that I can't get a couple of people in my room to dance after I turn the lights out lol

With people dancing, the blur will probably be noticeable. But, if you can set your flash exposure compensation to -2/3 or so, a quick burst of flash will light them up and freeze the motion... and it won't look ridiculous in your exposure. I'd probably use ISO400 if you use your popup flash with the FEC turned down.

Alright thank you



-Please ignore typos I'm currently on my phone-