Sigma 30mm f1.4 -- shooting in near dark

[leebase]

Loving this lens. Our church rented out a theatre to see the Chronicles of Narnia. I took my 20D and Sigma 30mm f1.4 just to put it through it's paces.

http://leebase.smugmug.com/photos/47809964-M.jpg

Talk about shooting at the extremes. The theatre was dark -- this photo is at ISO3200, f1.4 and 1/13 hand held, adjusted a half stop in post processing with RawShooter.

The biggest trouble I had was focusing. There just wasn't enough light, it was pretty much hit and miss, with plenty of misses. Couldn't even manually focus because I couldn't tell if I had focus right or not.

http://leebase.smugmug.com/photos/47810061-M.jpg

I got 1/30 shutter speed on this shot, still at ISO3200 and f1.4

Next time I'll try using the 580ex flash for focus assist. Didn't want to use flash in the theatre, and this was more for fun than anything seriousl. Still, that f1.4 comes in handy.

Gallery: http://leebase.smugmug.com/gallery/1030921

http://leebase.smugmug.com/photos/47813282-M.jpg
Back at the church, ISO400 f2.0 1/100. The 30mm is a nice range on a 1.6x cropped dslr....gives the "normal" fov like 50mm does on a regular 35mm full frame camera.

This lens has me shooting available light again, something I had gotten away from as I've learned how to handle my flash better. I still think it's nice to have flash for fill, if nothing else, but there are times when it's not appropriate to be setting off a flash.

http://leebase.smugmug.com/photos/47907986-M.jpg

Shot a baptism the next morning, ISO3200 f2.0, 1/320. It's so much easire to shoot available light for color balance as a flash usually introduces mixed lighting. The WhiBal card comes in very handy. I didn't know the baptism was coming...and I happened to have my camera with me. Responded, grabbed the shots, then took my WhiBal shot when it was all over which made getting the colors right a matter of click, copy, done.

Gallery: http://leebase.smugmug.com/gallery/1032889

Lee

[Andy]

Ya gotta love ISO 3200 on the 20D. :nod
That lens looks like the real deal!

[leebase]

Ya gotta love ISO 3200 on the 20D. :nod
That lens looks like the real deal!I'm sure the 20D was completely warped the expectations of folks like me who came into photography in the digital age -- and have no idea what ISO3200 film looked like.

The lens is fantastic. You've had me drooling after the Canon 35mm f1.4 L but I just don't have "L money" at this point.

Lee

[ken]

I'm sure the 20D was completely warped the expectations of folks like me who came into photography in the digital age -- and have no idea what ISO3200 film looked like.

The lens is fantastic. You've had me drooling after the Canon 35mm f1.4 L but I just don't have "L money" at this point.

LeeI just got my 20D and only have the Canon 17-85mm f4 lens. The few pictures I have taken at 3200 have significantly more noise than what you show here. :dunno Does the lens have that much to do with noise? :scratch Some of my iso1600 have more noise that this.

Does this mean my 20D has a problem?

[leebase]

I just got my 20D and only have the Canon 17-85mm f4 lens. The few pictures I have taken at 3200 have significantly more noise than what you show here. :dunno Does the lens have that much to do with noise? :scratch Some of my iso1600 have more noise that this.

Does this mean my 20D has a problem?There are several things that affect noise. If you underexpose, and then adjust exposure in post processing, you will increase noise.

These were shot in RAW, and I used RawShooter to convert them, and I cranked up the color noise reduction and a touch of luminous noise.

Lee