Best DSLR for Low Light photography ?

NeilMc

NeilMc

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I have two real interests in photography, Live Music and steam trains, but peculiarly only at night, not really fussed about shooting them during the day.

I think it comes from seeing my fathers pictures of old Blues men taken at Newcastle City Hall in the 60's and a book on Winston Link he has.


Anyway, my Canon 450d really struggles with autofocus at times and I need to upgrade my kit so want to buy something that will really suit my chosen genres.

My initial thought was move to full frame with a Canon 5d MkII, then I thought of the 7d may be better suited to moving subjects.....

But anyone got any recommendations, thoughts on the dilemma I face.
 
The Nikon D700 and the D3/3s,are very good in this area.

The New Canon 5DmkIII has just come out if you wish to keep with Canon,but its early days yet,the same with the Nikon D800,to give a full view on their low light performace.

The 5DmkII,from what people say is not great on autofocus.

:)
 
Thanks for the feedback Simon

Been looking at the D700's on the net and they are only a 12mp full frame, that seems like 5d MkI spec but for 5D MkII money.

Be interesting to hear what other Music photographers in particular use.
 
NeilMc said:
Thanks for the feedback Simon

Been looking at the D700's on the net and they are only a 12mp full frame, that seems like 5d MkI spec but for 5D MkII money.

Be interesting to hear what other Music photographers in particular use.
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MP means nothing. The D700 is a sublime tool (as is the D300 which shares the same crazy good AF system from the high end D3 range).
 
NeilMc said:
Thanks for the feedback Simon

Been looking at the D700's on the net and they are only a 12mp full frame, that seems like 5d MkI spec but for 5D MkII money.

Be interesting to hear what other Music photographers in particular use.
Click to expand...

Sertiously, dont get hung up on mega pixels, ive had images printed on the back of Buses and one 16ft wide by 8ft tall in a sporting arena and those were with a 12mp Nikon D3S, check out the latest Eddie Stobard wagons, 40ft trailers adormed with 16mp images from Canon 1dMKIV
 
D3S handles low light really well, I've been very impressed with mine - went to Tyntesfield House over the holiday weekend and took some pics inside the house where all the window blinds were down and lighting was very low, e.g. a bookcase with residual light from the side of the blind ...

ISO 3200
1/200
f2.8
24mm



Low-light library by photogramps, on Flickr
 
Thing is what lens do you have to go with your 450d ? if you move to nikon you will need fresh glass as well.
Canon 7D ive used in low light and its been fantastic, hand held at night and at gigs with little light and no flash
 
+1 for the D700, excellent in low light and I shot at ISO3200 quite often and printing 12in x 18in prints. 12MP is plenty, especially if you like having lots of layers open in Photoshop and do not want to wait for things to happen.
 
What lenses do you have? A lens with a wider aperture, say f2.8 or better, will help when the camera is trying to focus in low light, even if you don't use the lens at the widest apertures. Generally the central focus points are the better focus points to use in difficult light too. And don't forget on something static at night it may be possible to shine a light on where you want to focus. ;)

And Liveview can also help with low light focusing enabling you to magnify the scene and focus manually if needed.

Saying that, most of the newer camera have better Auto Focus (it rarely gets worse ;)) and are better at higher ISO's.

If your night photos are of static subjects, then most cameras will give very good images if kept at their lowest ISO.

Live music is where you may have to raise the ISO though. Depends on the venues you shoot at. The Auto Focus may be tested too, but like I said earlier wider aperture lenses help with AF because there is more light for the AF to work with.

From what I have heard the Achilles Heal of the 5D and 5DII was the Auto Focus. The 7D is supposed to have very good 19 point AF, below that is pretty much OK but they are all pretty similar having stuck with the same 9 point AF for a few generations. :shrug: The top of their range has always had very good AF. But you do pay for it. ;)

Nikon's have always been very good at AF, but especially from the mid range D7000 39 point AF upwards. I've never felt the AF on my D300S was lacking anything, and was debatabley the best AF system till the release of the D4 and D800, being the same 51 AF point technology as the D700, D3/D3S and D3X. It also has the benefit of the AF points covering more of the frame because it is on an APS-C camera and the smaller sensor.

The newer tech doesn't make my AF any worse now that those cameras have appeared though. ;)
 
In answer to a few peoples questions I have the obligatory 50mm F1.8 and an additional 35mm F2 for the smaller venues aswell as kit lenses.

My original goal was to end up with either a 5d MkII or a 7d and a 24-70mm F2.8 L class lens for every day stuff and a 35mm F1.4 L class lens for gig stuff as well as making use of my existing 50mm where possible

All the venues I shoot in are small and lighting isnt the greatest and the steam stuff I shoot is at night and mainly lit by station lighting and nothing else.

I was originally asking about Canon kit, but as I am at a cross roads and about to spend a few grand this is the time, if there is ever a time, for a re-think. and I've been surprised at the amount of people who've said Nikon....
 
as said by others on here dont get hung up on mps,
heres a couple of samples.
full size images
5dmk2
E5D2INBI00100.jpg

crop
E5D2INBI00100c-1.jpg


d700
D700INBI00100.jpg

crop upscaled to match 5dmk2 crop.
D700INBI00100c.jpg


and one from my d300 12mps
SJB_7537.jpg

crop
SJB_7537crop.jpg
 
NeilMc said:
Been looking at the D700's on the net and they are only a 12mp full frame, that seems like 5d MkI spec but for 5D MkII money.
Click to expand...

:lol:

So totally wrong!

Most music photogs I know use the D3s now, but did use either the D3 or D700. I use the D700.

Its meagre 12MP only lets me print big enough to cover pretty much any size you could ever possiby need or want.

If you really want MP, get the D800.
 
NeilMc said:
Been looking at the D700's on the net and they are only a 12mp full frame, that seems like 5d MkI spec but for 5D MkII money
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How is it anywhere near 5d1 spec? Apart from the 12mp figure the two cameras are miles apart in Spec.
 
Even though its time is passing the D700 will be looked back on as a very special camera. Every design sequence hits high and low points but every so often there is a sweet spot. We will all look back at the D700 as a very particular point. A combination of cost, speed, low light, high res, file size and ergonomics will ensure it live on. Across a wide range of aspects, I don't think it can be beaten as a camera. I've not enjoyed another camera as much since an F2A.
 
NeilMc said:
Thanks for the feedback Simon

Been looking at the D700's on the net and they are only a 12mp full frame, that seems like 5d MkI spec but for 5D MkII money.

Be interesting to hear what other Music photographers in particular use.
Click to expand...

If low light shooting is going to be a main use of the camera then the D700's AF system will cope much better than the 5DmkII's.

I was deciding between those 2 models a couple of months ago, and ended up going for the D700, and I have no regrets. The 5DMkII is a fantastic camera, but for what you are intending to shoot I personally think that the D700 will serve you better.

And as others have said, don't get hung up on MP. Image quality is much more important than MP count.
 
GeordieStew said:
I don't have any children. Fortunately. What's the going price on old people?A grandmother maybe.
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At the rate you are going you will need to sell 2 or 3 Stew...:thumbs:
 
only a 12mp full frame PMSL

D700 has the best low light high iso of the older consumer full frame cameras.

I used to use a 40D which was fine up to iso 1600, my 5D2 was acceptable upto ISO 6400 but it all depends on how big you want to present your images.

personally I'd not use any of the current crop cameras for low light high ISO shots particularly the 7D which is pretty nasty.


how much cash do you want to spend

NeilMc said:
Thanks for the feedback Simon

Been looking at the D700's on the net and they are only a 12mp full frame, that seems like 5d MkI spec but for 5D MkII money.

Be interesting to hear what other Music photographers in particular use.
Click to expand...
 
So Nikon Lovers..... with the advent of the 800 and the Canon 5d MkIII are we predicting a price drop on the 700's ? Or just a discontinuing ?
 
V
NeilMc said:
So Nikon Lovers..... with the advent of the 800 and the Canon 5d MkIII are we predicting a price drop on the 700's ? Or just a discontinuing ?
Click to expand...


In my opinion neither in the short term as the D700 has such a following and the D800 as of yet is a untested....
 
POAH said:
only a 12mp full frame PMSL

D700 has the best low light high iso of the older consumer full frame cameras.

I used to use a 40D which was fine up to iso 1600, my 5D2 was acceptable upto ISO 6400 but it all depends on how big you want to present your images.

personally I'd not use any of the current crop cameras for low light high ISO shots particularly the 7D which is pretty nasty.


how much cash do you want to spend
Click to expand...


My 450d doesnt go any higher than 1600ISO and I dont really envisage wanting to go much higher than that, my main issue is around focus and the speed of autofocus achieving lock in low light.

Cash, well interest free credit is a wonderful thing.... but I'm not a pro so there is no point in spending 3 and 4 grand on a pro-body... just so I can boast on forums that what my kit bag contains.
 
NeilMc said:
So Nikon Lovers..... with the advent of the 800 and the Canon 5d MkIII are we predicting a price drop on the 700's ? Or just a discontinuing ?
Click to expand...

Neither, Nikon have stated that the D700 will remain in production for the forseeable future and, now that they've discovered the "error" in the pricing of the D800, there's no real need for them to drop that of the older camera....
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Neither, Nikon have stated that the D700 will remain in production for the forseeable future and, now that they've discovered the "error" in the pricing of the D800, there's no real need for them to drop that of the older camera....
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That good to hear,maybe a baby D4 in the future :)
 
simonblue said:
That good to hear,maybe a baby D4 in the future :)
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I doubt it, they'll (hopefully) have learned their lesson from the whole D3/D700 debacle, however sticking the now-redundant D3s sensor into the D700 body wound allow Nikon to keep selling that as a "new" model for at least another 2 years at virtually no extra cost to them....
 
Flash In The Pan said:
I doubt it, they'll (hopefully) have learned their lesson from the whole D3/D700 debacle, however sticking the now-redundant D3s sensor into the D700 body wound allow Nikon to keep selling that as a "new" model for at least another 2 years at virtually no extra cost to them....
Click to expand...

D700X?... I'd buy that!
 
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