Documentary, low light... 20mm 1.8 AF?

[J A Mortram]

Hi,

any tips for shooting in low natural light (Indoors etc... without lightbulbs on!)

I'd like to keep my ISO as low as possible, shoot wide open and retain a high shutter speed for sharpness... I'm using a D200... any advice for what lens to use?... I like nice, wide, cinematic lens framing, full frame so I was thinking a 20mm 1.8 AF (Second hand hehe!)

Any advice warmly appreciated : D

Cheers,

Jim

[deci]

Canon person here........ so don't know nuffink about Nikon lenses, or cameras........... I shoot 'au naturel' whenever possible with my fave lens a Canon 50mm f1.2, but have had some success with a borrowed Sigma 30mm f1.4 and that seems wide enough (too wide really for my tastes) on my 1.6 crop camera.

Only 'tip' really is for best results try a south facing room with net curtains up, to soften the shadows.

1.8, I don't find particularly fast. I also have the 85 1.8 and 50 1.8 and find I need to bump ISO if the light levels are starting to dip.

[J A Mortram]

Thanks for the views : )

[miketoll]

Sounds like you need a good tripod above all else and some form of remote release like a cable release.

[J A Mortram]

Ahhhh I have thought of that... but I shoot during conversations, informally so a tripod is a bit of an intrusion to the mood... : ) ...if you take a look at my gallery, you'll see the kind of shots I am hoping to improve : D

Cheers,

Jim

[deci]

Now I recognise you after looking at your gallery That Sigma 30mm 'should' be wide enough for your type of shot, only just though. And the 1.4 max f stop 'should' be plenty for these. In fact, any wider and I'd be concerned about distortion.
You will need to watch the DOF at these distances though if you want to use it wide open (Feel like I'm teaching granny to suck eggs here), but I think that you'll be able to stop the lens down a bit and still keep the recomended 1/Focal Length shutter speed. I've had reasonably sharp images, handheld down at 1/30 sec.

[J A Mortram]

Thanks a lot Deci... really appreciate your help : )

[Don Hoey]

Hi Jim,

Not sure if anyone made a 20mm in f1.8. The A/F in f2.8 is pretty pricy new and that would be reflected in used prices. f1.8 would have a killer price tag by anyone making that. There is very little focus ring movement on that lens between 5 ft and infinity so although I know you struggle a bit with manual focussing there was an AIs therefore manual focus Nikkor 20mm f2.8 in Norfolk Cameras on Friday. Commission sale but a really good price. Way better than I think you will be able to find an A/F version for. In fact if I did not already have the f3.5 version I would have bought it.

I suggest you take your camera in and ask Mark if you can give it a try if it is still there.

Don

[J A Mortram]

The one I found was this Don...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sigma-20mm-f-1...3%3A1|294%3A50

...I have really BIG troubles focusing with a manual... ohhhhh hehe!... no doubt the answer will turn up... maybe a magnifying eye piece?... ooh!... have fun with the big ol' Braun monster!!! : )

[Lee]

no experience with Nikon, but do alot of low light shots ,50mm F1.8 at between iso 400-800 and can reasonable handhold to 1/10 of a second,but seeing your gallery i would expect that you would get away with more than that without killing the sharpness.

Enjoy...