We just shot some very low light club footage at a concert with a 60D. Most of the footage was shot between 2.2 and 2.8 around 800ISO and it turned out very clean. That said, you will really be babysitting focus at that aperture. I can upload some sample footage if you care to see it.
Filming with a 7d in a nightclub - advice needed please
- Thread starter Angelis
- Start date
I shot material in a bar last week. Didn't push it beyond 800ISO (with my 550D) as the noise was becoming too much. 800 was borderline acceptable.
Samuel H
Major Contributor
after some recent ISO tests I've recently seen on the web, I think noise is not determined by ISO as much as by available light: ISO 3200 is perfectly clean if there's enough light to shoot ISO 400, it's the fact that you actually need a higher ISO (because there's very little light) which creates the noise
Simon Shasha
Well-known member
Hi guys,
I shoot A LOT of night-clubs and concerts on my 60D. Here is a teaser of some of my work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDjRtaVOlS0
My main two work horse lenses are my Sigma 30mm f1.4, and my Sigma 20mm f1.8. ISO 1250 is fine. Even ISO 2500 is okay - I use the latter if need be, otherwise I will not go over ISO 1250.
I shoot A LOT of night-clubs and concerts on my 60D. Here is a teaser of some of my work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDjRtaVOlS0
My main two work horse lenses are my Sigma 30mm f1.4, and my Sigma 20mm f1.8. ISO 1250 is fine. Even ISO 2500 is okay - I use the latter if need be, otherwise I will not go over ISO 1250.
mrchirster
Well-known member
iso 1250 is totally fine i agree!my main two lenses are 50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.4
Samuel H
Major Contributor
Let me revisit this a couple of years later...
I just shot this:
http://vimeo.com/89865249
Lots of lessons learnt:
* As I anticipated, when shooting at a club, you're aiming for low-key, so it's fine if there's no much light.
* If you can talk to the management, don't ask them to throw more light, ask them to throw more smoke; smoke is your best friend.
* If you bring a torch, it can look like people are dancing in their living room. I won't do it.
* Try to get your subjects backlit, it looks A LOT better than front lit. Like: A LOT.
* Flares are your friends too, let those colorful lights hit the lens (unless they are lasers! those can kill the sensor!)
I shot with a Sony NEX-5N + SpeedBooster, and with a Leitz Summilux 50mm f/1.4, on a MagicRig.
Almost entirely at ISO 1600, with tungsten WB and aperture ranging from f/1.4 to f/2.8 (equivalent to f/1.0 and f/2.0 without the SpeedBooster).
The image is basically straight off the camera, except: I had to apply some curves to DARKEN all the shots! After seeing the clips in the PC, I think I could easily have shot this at ISO 800 and f/2.0-2.8 (equivalent to f/1.4-2.0 without the speedbooster). I had to shoot the stage at ISO 200.
So, get a fast lens, and you're done. On an APS-C camera, that would probably be a 35mm f/1.4, I'd go for the sigma or the samyang. No need for super-high ISO.
I just shot this:
http://vimeo.com/89865249
Lots of lessons learnt:
* As I anticipated, when shooting at a club, you're aiming for low-key, so it's fine if there's no much light.
* If you can talk to the management, don't ask them to throw more light, ask them to throw more smoke; smoke is your best friend.
* If you bring a torch, it can look like people are dancing in their living room. I won't do it.
* Try to get your subjects backlit, it looks A LOT better than front lit. Like: A LOT.
* Flares are your friends too, let those colorful lights hit the lens (unless they are lasers! those can kill the sensor!)
I shot with a Sony NEX-5N + SpeedBooster, and with a Leitz Summilux 50mm f/1.4, on a MagicRig.
Almost entirely at ISO 1600, with tungsten WB and aperture ranging from f/1.4 to f/2.8 (equivalent to f/1.0 and f/2.0 without the SpeedBooster).
The image is basically straight off the camera, except: I had to apply some curves to DARKEN all the shots! After seeing the clips in the PC, I think I could easily have shot this at ISO 800 and f/2.0-2.8 (equivalent to f/1.4-2.0 without the speedbooster). I had to shoot the stage at ISO 200.
So, get a fast lens, and you're done. On an APS-C camera, that would probably be a 35mm f/1.4, I'd go for the sigma or the samyang. No need for super-high ISO.