[dpouldar90210]

i just got a nikon d40 and one of the main issues that i hope to solve using this camera is grainy pictures taken at car shows indoors in dim light. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE THIS GRAIN (DIGITAL NOISE)??? i generally shoot at an iso of 200.. what can i do to reduce noise??? (possibly by changing other settings such as aperture and exposure; and how should i change those settings to result in the best/well lit/ and clear image as possible with NO NOISE/GRAIN)??????

im open to any tips (using the factory flash on manual mode)

[DougLikesBMW]

I am a noob to this stuff, but I will try and help.

You need to increase the shutter speed, and/or bump up the ISO, and also select the correct Whitebalance.

Also, make sure you practice with these settings before you go. I try and take like 20 different captures of something with different settings, to see which turns out best. It seems that is a good way to learn how the different variables affect the image.

[Big Windy]

Originally Posted by dpouldar90210

i just got a nikon d40 and one of the main issues that i hope to solve using this camera is grainy pictures taken at car shows indoors in dim light. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE THIS GRAIN (DIGITAL NOISE)??? i generally shoot at an iso of 200.. what can i do to reduce noise??? (possibly by changing other settings such as aperture and exposure; and how should i change those settings to result in the best/well lit/ and clear image as possible with NO NOISE/GRAIN)??????

im open to any tips (using the factory flash on manual mode)

try program exposure instead of manual mode. bumping the ISO up is going to increase noise, but you should be able to go higher than 200. you are using a tripod, right?

[bmwturbopower]

Originally Posted by Big Windy

try program exposure instead of manual mode. bumping the ISO up is going to increase noise, but you should be able to go higher than 200. you are using a tripod, right?

very true. The higher the ISO the grainier the pictures are going to be. Use a tripod and play with the exposures like windy said.

[dpouldar90210]

i want to avoid noise at all costs

[dpouldar90210]

an im not using a tripod. i just want to know how to get great pics in dim light (indoor car shows) with NO GRAIN.

[.:bHd:.]

the short answer is you cant. That is why great photography takes a lot of trial and error with lights. You cant just stand there with your camera and expect a great shot to come out. If you want to eliminate noise in your shots then get a flash with a diffuser on it. The most important part of photography is not your lens, or the type of camera you have.. its the lighting!

[dpouldar90210]

im not really trying to get amazing/artistic shots.. i jst dnt want any grain/noise in my shots when im at car shows in dim light.

[ontopofm]

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[Tommiexboi]

get a nifty fifty lens... works best with dim lighting.... cost about 100~125 bucks

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by Laszlo

First, all digital cameras will produce noise in shadows. Unlike film. Shooting in dim light will produce what you're getting - but since your D40 should have Active D-lighting, that should help bring out the shadows/reduce noise. You can also reduce noise in Capture NX - which should have come with your camera.

ISO 200 is default for Nikons and should remain there... changing your ISO above 200 will only create more noise - when shooting in tricky lighting situations. But you can experiment with ISO 400 - that'll bring out the shadows more, but cause more "grain" vs. noise. These two things can get confusing.

Have you tried taking flash photos of the interior? Or do you own an external flash? If you own an external flash, you might be able to place the flash with a diffuser somewhere else in the car (like bouncing off the ceiling) and then experiment. Or if you do have a MR, open it - place the flash above facing into the cabin (diffused) - and then shoot.

But yeah, keep in mind that digital cameras in dim light will produce noise, even the most expensive. Film will just look underexposed, but show no noise since it's a different medium... but it will be impossible to pull details out of the shadows.

One more tip, doing digital darkroom with NEF images is best in Capture NX... then transfer to PS for sizing and light tweaks. Nikon files work best this way... but if you're shooting jpg, then either NX or PS will work. But RAW, you will get amazing results using NX only.

Hope this helps.

+1 (for a change, hahaha)

[OC Guy]

flash
increase iso
lengthen shutter speed
tripod or gorilla pod if u dont want to carry something bulky
adjust fstop
etc

[!Xoible]

^^^ doesnt increasing shutter speed make the shot more blurry if there's a tad bit of light?

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by ///Mantis

^^^ doesnt increasing shutter speed make the shot more blurry if there's a tad bit of light?

depends on fstop. adjusting the aperature larger will make the lens allow in more light.

[jhv]

Originally Posted by OC 335i

tripod or gorilla pod if u dont want to carry something bulky

[Gig103]

HAHA jh_valley!

[vachss]

There are several things that can be done to mitigate noise in digital images.

First: Do not underexpose. Shadow areas pulled back from the dark in post processing will show excessive noise even at low ISO. Try overexposing 1/2 stop or so. Check your histogram to make sure you're not blowing your whites out when you do this.

To some extent you can choose which part of your sensor's dynamic range you want to use - expose to the right of the histogram and you'll avoid noise but may lose some highlights. Expose to the left and you'll retain all your highlights but have noisy ugly shadows. If you are shooting from a tripod you can get the best of both worlds by exposure bracketting and combining to form a HDR image in post.

Second: Apart from these in-camera strategies there is some very effective noise reduction software available today. I personally like Neat Image or Noise Ninja, but there are lots of packages that work quite well. Don't go hog wild with noise filtering or you'll start to lose image detail, but you can do quite a lot toward suppressing image noise once you get comfortable with one of these programs.

best of luck

[d3l0n]

(i'm still intermediate user) I have a canon rebel xti. night photography has been a challenge and I have gotten way better. From my experience I can say this. When shooting people, DEFINITELY GET A FLASH. When shooting people 400-800ISO (the max ISO) should be used. When shooting still life photography ISO 100-400 and nothing mroe. The lower the ISO the slower the shutter and exposure. Lighting is everything in photography. So, for night, or low light situations... a lens that can handle such is great. The lower the f stop the better. I have a 2.8 lens that has doen the trick. Saturday night I shot around the city and it captured the street as I see it with no orange-y coloring and less grain. If you are trying to capture movement and need a faster shutter speed then bump up the ISO, but the lower the ISO the lesser the grain.

[TWiTCHY]

If you're going to be at an autoshow where it's crowded, I'd recommend NOT to bring a tripod. Instead, try a monopod. It's basically a one legged...leg and it sticks to your camera the same way a tripod would, but a lot less bulkier and it's easy to maneuver around without people snickering at you.

If you learn your stance with the monopod, you can take great photos in dim light with a fast enough shutter speed where you can reduce the ISO and get less grainy pictures.

[dpouldar90210]

at around iso 200.. considering you know the lighting situation that these indoor cars shows what shutter speed do u suggest shooting at??

ALSO i generally leave my aperture open at these ties because it lets the most light in... is this a good decision???

[TWiTCHY]

I'm no professional yet, but I think having the aperture all the way open is the best. Pick up a monopod somewhere for like $20-$30 and you should be fine. As for the shutter speed, think of it this way: It's better to have a grainy picture than a blurry one.

So try putting your ISO at the highest and shoot away.

[dpouldar90210]

thats strange because ive been told to leave the iso low as often as possible ???