Tips on taking sharp indoor shots of people (with built-in flash)?

Hello,

I use a D70, and I'm often disappointed with the quality of the indoor group photos I take using the built-in flash and the included 18-70mm lens. They're rarely crisp (the focus often seems off), and the white balance is often off as well. These are generally pictures of guests at receptions (the men wearing dark suits), either couples or groups of 4-6 people (rarely more).

My daytime pictures are usually quite crisp and sharp, so I suspect there's nothing wrong with the camera, I'm just not taking the pictures properly. That or the autofocus isn't working properly in low-light (is that a common occurrence ?).

I usually set the camera on aperture priority (at f/8), focus on one of the subject's eyes, optimize the image to "portrait", set the ISO to 400, and leave white balance on automatic (I've tried setting it to incandescent light, and it made things even worse).

I leave my autofocus on dynamic area mode, and usually the metering is center-weighted (instead of 3D color matrix).

Am I missing something? Could you recommend settings that consistently get good results for indoor people shots (with the 18-70mm lens and built-in flash)?

Thank you!

Amaury

Portraits are not my strong suit, so I'll limit my inexpert advice! I believe setting the camera to "portrait" may be contributing to a slight softness in your photos, since the "norm" for portraits is to soften the edges, wrinkles, blemishes, etc. a bit. Really "sharp" is often not too flattering. Also try to use f/8 up to f/11 to get better DoF...also this range of f/stops is often at or near the "sweet spot" of many lenses.
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Hunter

I don't think I've taken but a handful of decent indoor shots with the built in flash. My success rate for good shots went up astronomically when I got the sb400 and started using bounce flash. It is literally night and day, and I'm just a beginner. I don't know that there is anything wrong with your settings, but I use mostly "P" mode, auto ISO, and set my white balance to flash.

Right. If you're happy with your results outside but not inside, then it's either a lighting issue or claustrophobia making you shaky. If it's lighting, then improving your lighting will improve your pics. Love my sb600.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/63131948@N00/

Hi,

My 2 cents,

1. Try to position the camera parallel to the people (minimize DoF acquirements).
2. Use a shorter focal length (e.g., 18mm) - the shorter the FF, the larger DoF

3. When using flash, shoot MANUAL. I'd begin with 1/60 (given you have FF no longer than 50mm)+F 5.6-9+ISO=400.

4. A more powerful external flash (SB600/800) will enable you to get better results (use bounce flash)

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Regards,

Michael Badt

Photos gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mibadt/

Get your flash off camera. Use f11 for groups. Focus on the eyes of the group in front, if two rows. Get your flash off camera.

-Scott

I use a D70, and while I have the 18-70 kit lens, I believe my sharpest images come with my 50mm/1/8, especially indoors. I have never used any of those "modes". I nearly always shoot "A" priority. With the aperture set to 1.8 and using auto ISO, I find I can get pretty sharp portraits indoors, at night, with limited light. Of course, I've got Noise Ninja, and I'm not afraid to use it.

-Raf

Hi, just my 2cents...

If you are using flash, set the white balance to "flash", this should get some pretty accurate colors.

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Chang

With built-in flash, I use TTL. As you'll find below, you can also learn to use it in manual mode and set the power level (e.g., 1/8th). I always do my best to dial-down the flash compensation so that the light isn't harsh (i.e., if I'm fairly close to the subject). I typically find myself dialing-down anywhere from (-0.7 to -1.7). If you can defuse the light with something, it'd probably make the light look even better.

And if possible, it would help to use a tripod and some sort of remote release, like the self-timer function. I tend to use the self-timer for a lot of my shots to minimize camera shake. A tripod can make all of the difference in the world, especially if you have to shoot at slower shutter speeds.

Now, I'm not recommending using on-camera flash only. That is, if you have time to set up an off camera flash, then by all means do it if you have the proper gear and if you have the time.

But if you have to shoot on the fly and you don't have time to get your off camera flash set-up, it helps to know how to get the best out of your pop-up flash. Using on-camera flash may not be the absolute best way to shoot, but it can be done. If I was forced to use off-camera flash, I probably wouldn't have been able to get any of these shots below:



I shot the photo (above), of a colleague, at work last week. The lighting wasn't all that good, and I wouldn't have been able to do any special lighting since we were working at the time. During a quick break, he had me take a "snap-shot."

Nikon D80 (handheld)
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
1/50s, f/2.8, ISO 200, at 42mm
White balance: Flash
Pop-up i-TTL-BL Flash, -3.0 Flash EV, Red Eye Redu.



Same indoor facility with marginal ambient lighting.

Nikon D300 (handheld)
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR
1/250s, f/2.8, ISO 1000, at 200mm
White balance: Preset
Pop-up Flash, 1/8 power



The model here wanted emphasis her "interior decorations" in this shot, so I used the pop-up flash to better illuminate the scene and to bring the characteristics of the decorations without over-doing it in the process.

Nikon D300 (handheld)
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
1/25s, f/4, ISO 200, at 31mm
White balance: Flash
Pop-up Flash, 1/8 power

All of the photos above are essentially out of the camera without any cropping or any retouching.

Again, I would've rather used the pop-up flash than face not getting the shots at all. I know all of the off-camera advocates are probably cringing right now, hahaha.

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Brandon

In the D80 Custom Setting Menu, scroll down to "03 Center AF area." Try setting it to "Wide zone" which will help with focusing on moving subjects and other subjects that are tough to track. It even helps me accurately lock onto portrait subjects, too.

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Brandon

I own a D70 as well, and it took me years to get the results I was after, so here's my suggestions...

• aperture of f8 is kind of high IMHO, 5.6 seems more reasonable to me
• portrait mode is good
• ISO 400 is good
• on-camera flash is never gonna look that great, but pics should at least be sharp.
• the D70 can indeed have a back-focus problem, I know this because I lived with the ailment for 3 years before I finally decided to send my cam to Nikon and Voila!..they fixed the back-focus and the cam focuses amazing now! I feel all cameras need to be checked now, and I plan to do so with my gear every few years.
• the kit lenses aren't naturally as sharp or as 'life-like' as the more expensive primes and 2.8 zooms. They seem like great lenses until you have the chance to use something better, and then you never, ever want to go back. I'd say getting a prime like the $350 35mm/f2.0 is essential if you want to see sharp.
• use a tripod;-)

You could also use more lights, umbrellas etc. Which could help your current lens do f8, but if it were me, I'd try a different lens first.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcovert

in case this isn't clear (it wasn't to me back then), the reason f8 is tough is because, even though that's the sweet spot of the lens, it needs so much light to get there. More than the built-in flash can supply really. But if you used a prime lens like the 1.8 mentioned by one poster, or a 2.8 zoom used by the other, then what happens is..the sweet spot of these lenses are a few stops down.. So say from f4-f5.6...so therefore you need way less flash power because the lens is so..er...luminescent? They let more light through,o.k.? ;-)

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcovert

what are the shutter speeds that you get with your settings, and what type of flash mode are you in? could either be a factor contributing to the lack of crispness?

Haven't read all the responses above, but you will not regret the purchase of auxiliary flash with more power and bounce capabilities. SB 800 is the ultimate, but there are a whole bunch of alternatives.

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for the tips and advice, I really appreciate it! I'm sorry about my delayed reply, I thought I'd get an email to warn me when my post received answers, but maybe it was blocked by my spam software (so tedious...).

My workplace organizes a lot of receptions and they're too cheap to hire a pro...

I'll try your tips next time, and it seems like I should really consider getting a better flash... Maybe I can deduct it as a work expense .

Thanks again!

Amaury

Couldn't the main problem be the use of the Portrait mode? After all, the OP said that he was taking pictures of groups, not individual portraits and I thought the Portrait mode was intended to reduce the DOF.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkeleher/

--The OP said he was shooting in Aperture mode, then he said he optimized for Portrait. (clip) ". . .I usually set the camera on aperture priority (at f/8), focus on one of the subject's eyes, optimize the image to "portrait", . . ." Isn't that contradictory? Isn't "portrait" one of the preset shooting modes like it is on a D80? And if it is, then he wouldn't be shooting in Aperture would he? Or is he talking about PP?
Tom



http://www.flickr.com/photos/provocative/
http://storiesontheweb.blogspot.com/

I have taken more than 2000 pictures, in side, with the SB-800 flash.

Please shoot in Manual Mode, the Camera.

Please use the flash in manual mode.

Shoot iso 200 about 10 feet and use shooting speed of 1/60.

Set the aperture to F 11+ 1/2 and start texting the results.

If you use a diffuser the result will be most better, remember that you
need to change the F-Stop according with the type of diffuser.

Good lock

With people/flash pics, I've learned to use FV lock to have open eyes. Took me a year to figure that one out. Using the SB600, bounce and diffuser does wonders.
Mark O

Hi Tom,

I was on aperture-mode priority on the dial, but I chose "portrait" in the optimization menu (PO in the "Optimize Image" menu). But I think I shouldn't have!