Cameras That Take a Good Picture in Artificial Light
When the sun is unavailable, it is up to photographers to use artificial light to their best advantage. Artificial light is any light that does not come directly from the sun. Most artificial light comes from light bulbs, street lights and fluorescents and is usually low in brightness. Shooting pictures in artificial light can be a challenge, though several camera features can help a photographer's performance in less than ideal lighting situations.
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Cameras with High ISO
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Cameras with a high ISO range enable photographers to take quality photos in low light. High ISO settings make camera sensors more light sensitive, lessening the need for long shutter speeds. This feature is particularly useful when shooting in various types of artificial light. Lamps, overhead lights and street lights all tend to have less than sufficient brightness for lower ISO settings. Before high ISO, photography was limited in low light, forcing photographers to mount their cameras on tripods and use long shutter speeds, often resulting in blurry pictures. While most digital cameras have a maximum ISO of 1600, the best cameras for artificial light are middle-grade or advanced SLR models that have ISO ranges up to 6400 and even 12,800.
Cameras with Fast Lenses
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When fast lenses are attached to SLR cameras, they perform well in low light. Fast lenses have maximum apertures of f2.8 or wider. The smaller the f-number, the wider the aperture gets. The aperture is comparable to the pupil of the eye in that the wider it is, the more light it lets in. Having a wide aperture in artificial light is helpful in the same way that a high ISO setting is helpful, as the camera requires less time to capture a small amount of light. Fast lenses come in many focal lengths. The lens's maximum aperture will be listed on its barrel. The most common maximum aperture is f2.8, but as prices on lenses increase, maximum aperture settings can get as wide as f1.0.
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Lenses with Image Stabilization
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Image stabilization is another beneficial feature for photographers who shoot in artificial light. Many SLR lenses as well as point-and-shoot cameras have image stabilization, a feature that compensates for involuntary hand movements. The feature saves two to three stops, making low--light shooting easier. Lenses with image stabilization are more expensive than their predecessors, but they are rapidly gaining popularity and are highly esteemed by many professionals, according to the Digital photography school.
Other Considerations
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A few other in-camera features should not be ignored when shooting in artificial light. White balance is a setting that most camera owners leave in auto mode, but learning to use it manually will grant shooters more creative control. White balance allows the camera to neutralize any light that may have an exaggerated color. For example, tungsten lights have a warm hue that some shooters may find unflattering. The tungsten white balance setting's job, in this scenario, is to cool off this hue so that the light looks white. More advanced SLRs have the ability to acutely adapt to lighting situations based on the Kelvin color temperature scale, giving photographers more options. The raw file format supplements custom white balance settings even more. Raw files allow more options and post--processing, including custom white balance adjustment. Users can also adjust exposure as well as lighten shadows and dark and blown out highlights in raw files. In shoddy lighting situations these features can help to correct mistakes afterward.
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References
- The Digital SLR Guide: Digital SLR and Image Noise
- Digital Photography School: ISO Settings in Digital Photography
- Digital Photography School: Image Stabilization on Tripods
- Digital Photography School: RAW vs. JPEG
- Digital Photography School: Introduction to White Balance
- Digital Photography School: What Is a Fast Lens?
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
