[Bermudamatt]

Hey everyone. Lately I've been trying to take night indoor pictures without a flash and the people always seem to turn out with alittle blur. I'm using The Olympus EVOLT E-510 digital SLR with 2 image stabilizers but it doesn't seem to help at all. How can I take have clear crisp indoor night photos without a flash???

FYI, I'm taking pictures of my people.

[matthew]

Hi -- in case you're getting to this message before your introduction thread, I'm also using Olympus cameras and gear. I have the E-510 and 14-42 lens, as well as a few others... if three cameras and a half-dozen lenses counts as "a few".

The stabilizer on the E-510, like any sort of anti-shake or camera support, only stops blur from the camera's own movement. If your subject is moving, the only thing that will stop it is a faster shutter speed. How fast the shutter speed needs to be depends on what your subject's doing: body language in a conversation is much easier to freeze than a fast ballroom dance.

The two ways to get a faster shutter speed are a wider aperture (lower f/number) or a higher sensitivity (ISO setting). The E-510's excellent up to iso400, pretty good at iso800, and usable with care at iso1600. How usable iso1600 is will depend on the overall exposure (if there are a lot of shadow areas or smooth tones it tends to look bad) and how you'll use the image (prints are more forgiving, large digital files are less tolerant, and photos where facial detail is important can be even more demanding). You'll need to experiment with iso800 and iso1600 to see if either can give you a fast-enough shutter speed without creating problems with noise.

If you're using raw capture, the Noise Filter settings (camera1 menu) will have no effect, leaving you free to choose how much noise reduction to apply when you edit them on the computer. If you're capturing jpg images, try different noise filter settings (off, low, standard, high) and see if you like the results. There's a trade-off between detail and noise, though, and you can't go back to the photo and change your mind later. Experiment and see what you like. (If you aren't already, consider using raw capture, but that's a subject big enough for its own thread or two.) There's also software that can help fix noise, but sometimes the E-510 creates "banding" (lines or grids in the noise pattern) that can be very hard to get rid of.

I'm assuming that you have the two-lens kit? They're decent lenses; optically they're very nice and the focusing is reasonably fast and reliable. Unfortunately they're not very bright at f/3.5-5.6, which is a weakness for flashless indoor night photography. The only way around this is to use them at their shortest focal lengths. If you're using the 14-42 at its longest focal length, you will more than double your shutter speed -- for example, from 1/30 to 1/80 -- just by changing to the 40-150 and using it at its widest aperture.

So try using the highest ISO setting (less if possible) and the widest apertures available with your lenses. Noise reduction can help clean up the image, but it may still not be enough to completely stop your subject from blurring. If that's the case, you can make it work for you (it can add an artistic touch), accept a lower rate of 'keepers' as you take photos when the subject is moving the least, or spend money.

Spending money is something I'm really good at. Did I mention my camera and lens collections? I'd be happy to look at some of the other lens options that might suit you, but for that I'd need a better idea of what you're looking for and what sort of subjects you like. I don't know if adding a flash is an option for you, but they can be had cheaply if you don't need an Olympus model, or for a little more if you want one that meters through the camera. The flash that's built in to the camera is too weak and too ugly to be much help, but an accessory flash can be much more useful.


Again, welcome to Shuttertalk. It's nice to have another Olympus users to talk to.

[Bermudamatt]

Wow thanks for all the help!
I just got the 510 for Christmas so I'm learning to use it. Before I had a Canon compact (which wasn't very compact). I'm still learning and getting use to having all the power in taking pictures.
Right now I've only got the 14-44 mm lens because I'm kind of limited in my budget right now. I'm hoping to buy the 70-300mm lens sometime. Do you have any experience in using the 70-300mm lens? I'm looking for a good lens that I can zoom in on stuff with.
thanks again!

[matthew]

You've very welcome. The E-510's a great little camera, and does have a lot of control. I haven't ever used the 70-300, but I've heard very good things about from others who have, and it gives a lot of reach. (It's tied for the longest lens Olympus makes -- and about 1/10 the price of the 300mm f/2.8 prime.) It should be a nice match for the E-510.

[Keith Alan]

After what Matthew covered, tho only other option is more light.
Turning all interior lights on helps.
Adding additional lights, especially pointed at the ceiling to simulate bounce flash, will help.
I'm thinking the halogen lamps on poles, in corners. This gives you decent light in many parts of the room.

Then there's flash, which usually looks pretty bad from right over the lens.
Adding diffusion panels (commercial or homemade) helps a lot.
A hotshoe flash (diffused or not) or bounced off walls or the ceiling is an even better option.
Last, there's getting the flash off the camera.

[matthew]

You see, actually changing the amount of light is something I would never have thought of. I get far too wrapped up in the gear.

[NT73]

Glue or nail your subjects down, and tell them not to move under pain of death. (Just till you have taken the shot) I try to use evening light coming through a window to illuminate indoor shots if possible.

[Bermudamatt]

Thanks for all the help guys! Its improved my indoor pictures a lot.