Best settings for indoor shooting: Any recommendations on manual settings to improve video quality in low light?
294463
Read Ray's review, AND his replies. One of the most helpful and acknowledged guys out there.... Well done Ray - you ARE the best !!
1755185
Kitchen at night should be OK. Probably won't have that sharp HD look though. In your second example just make sure your subject is not silhouetted against the window and you should be all right. The camera is quite good at coping with most shooting conditions automatically. However, in my first week of using the HF100, in a darkened restaurant, I made the mistake of not turning the on-board video light on. I had read it is not very good and eats up the battery, but I should have used it. The video came out very grainy. Across a table for two is probably the best time to use it. I didn't shoot much anyway, so it wouldn't have used much battery. Oh well, I'll try it next time.
1924986
It depends on the lighting. I have filmed indoors with decent lighting and when I upload it doesnt look hd either. Although when I am outside, the quality is very good
1103203
Thanks for the response. Have you tried recording a movie in low light?What type of Cannon are you a fan of? I'm looking for something to take good action pics at gymnastics meets and to record some movies of routines as well.
434488
Yes, I just got mine. Going to shoot some video tests this weekend with it. It has good low-light abilities.
1587963
Honestly- I sent mine back. I was not happy with the video quality in low lighting. I have the Sony DSC-HX9V & LOVE it! I'm thinking of upgrading to the HX50V. It takes great video in low lighting! I'm a big concert buff!
541866
A couple of thoughts. Generally, an ISO speed of 400 under average room light requires a shutter speed of 1/30 and lens aperture of 5.6 on a tripod. If you were to use a 500 watt halogen light, you could shoot at 1/125 shutter hand held. The metaphor is the same as if you were using film. You should always shoot with a tripod when using available light @ ISO 100 indoors whether its by candle light or bright 100 watt bulbs. Remember, the lower the light, the longer the shutter exposure (the lens can only transmit the maximum amount of light that it is designed to capture.) If you increase the the ISO (film speed) you increase the amount of graininess in the image, but you may be able to shoot handle held and likely end up with grainy not-so blurry results. Almost all blurry images are a result of camera movement or shooter jiggles (even with patience and calmness.) Good functioning autofocus works reasonably fast, so I suggest using the highest shutter speed whenever possible or shutter priority. And remember, when shooting in late overcast light outside in most instances is brighter than interior room lights and a flash should be used. Most pro-photographers use a flash inside for a reason... they can't sell blurry natural light pictures.
646123
Hello, On EXR and Auto mode I've found my images in low light to be sub par without using the flash - which then can unfortunately cause it's own set of problems. However, as I learn the camera I find adjusting the settings and really depending on the manual as a reference guide, along with youtube tutorial videos that my low and dim light photos are improving. I'm an Amateur at this stage of course but more advanced photographers would have an effortless time taking great shots in low light conditions. If you're shopping around check out the Panasonic FZ200 and the Sony DDSC-HX300 both have won tremendous accolades for low light performance. Hope this helps!
209366
I finally took a video and yes, it takes nice video. I do not know an exact light reading but the videos indoors with little light are poor quality. It needs a well lit room or sunshine for a good video.
596186
Using auto mode is no good. Tried higher ISO settings, not good either. You can see a partial here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-images/view-large-image.html/105-1173972-3968436?imageId=15137491One solution to this: always use manual mode indoor and force flash on. It seems to improves the quality of portraits significantly. Distant items could still be a problem though.
1463642
For high quality shots without the color grading learning curve, you can set the camera's dynamic range to "video". It comes with DaVinci for free though and it's well worth learning how to utilize the auto grading feature to take advantage of full range of stops. But if you're looking for something easier...set it to "video" or get the pocket camera version and set that to "video", cheaper all the way around for what you're doing.
1551375
Kitchen at night should be OK. Probably won't have that sharp HD look though.In your second example just make sure your subject is not silhouetted against the window and you should be all right. The camera is quite good at coping with most shooting conditions automatically.However, in my first week of using the HF100, in a darkened restaurant, I made the mistake of not turning the on-board video light on.I had read it is not very good and eats up the battery, but I should have used it. The video came out very grainy.Across a table for two is probably the best time to use it. I didn't shoot much anyway, so it wouldn't have used much battery.Oh well, I'll try it next time. Kitchen at night should be OK. Probably won't have that sharp HD look though.In your second example just make sure your subject is not silhouetted against the window and you should be all right. The camera is quite good at coping with most shooting conditions automatically.However, in my first week of using the HF100, in a darkened restaurant, I made the mistake of not turning the on-board video light on.I had read it is not very good and eats up the battery, but I should have used it. The video came out very grainy.Across a table for two is probably the... » Read More Kitchen at night should be OK. Probably won't have that sharp HD look though.In your second example just make sure your subject is not silhouetted against the window and you should be all right. The camera is quite good at coping with most shooting conditions automatically.However, in my first week of using the HF100, in a darkened restaurant, I made the mistake of not turning the on-board video light on.I had read it is not very good and eats up the battery, but I should have used it. The video came out very grainy.Across a table for two is probably the best time to use it. I didn't shoot much anyway, so it wouldn't have used much battery.Oh well, I'll try it next time. « Show Less
267949
No. I would not recommend this camera for indoor video. It's incredibly noisy and shadows and dark areas get crushed to pure black. When in telephoto mode, all lenses let *less* light in, so there's even less information for the camera to record. Usually, the bigger the range between wide and telephoto means less light getting in compared to mild zooms. (So a 10x would let less light in compared to 5X or 3X) This camera uses MPEG-4, and not the more advanced h.264 or AVCHD Lite. If you want to shoot video under low light conditions, consider getting a video camcorder. I have not seen *any* still camera video look great unless in complete daylight. I'll be happy to send you a video I made at the office under normal lighting and how crummy the image quality is.
1241418
You should select "smart mode" first. You may do that by turning the knob on top of the camera to the black rectangle with a white "s" in the middle. You should then see a menu on the screen for various lighting situations. Select "Low Light Shot" from the menu, and remember to hold the camera steady during the shot. In this mode, you'll hear four clicks in rapid succession, and then the camera will process the shot. I hope this has helped.
1466712
Watched and that is not exactly what I meant by low light since there were a few light sources. I meant if you are in your living room at night with a 40 watt light bulb in a lamp or even just a dimly lit area the fuzziness does occur and is grainy. Try taping something that comes from just the light coming from your television in your living room and you'll see what I mean. The lighting you had was the kind the camera is good at and I have used it like that before.
1924991
David, I have two Flip UltraHD 120 Black Video Cameras. The best quality comes with good lighting. Indoor lighting is not always ideal unless you have a lot of light. From my experience, the absolute best HD Quality Videos come from Outdoor lighting on sunny days. Even then, I've managed to pull of some spectacular night shots, and dark lighting shots (bars, restaurants, parking lots, outdoor). Zooming in will degrade the video quality, somewhat. Try to get close to your objects and avoid zooming if possible.
1302721
Avoid extra digital zoom. The brighter the light the better. In lower light try evening setting. Do what you can to hold still. I can't remember if there is a setting for stabilization method you can check.