Need some tips on low light shooting

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Migroo

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Chris
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Guys

I'm sure some of you will have some pointers.

I often find I want to take some pictures inside when I have spare time, which is often night time. I was taking some pictures of the cat last night trying to get tack sharp photos.

None of my lenses seem to be able to get the AF right with low light. Unfortunately the subject is often my black cat and I notice the fact he is black makes the focussing even harder.

I was using my Sigma 18-50 F2.8 and also my Canon 50mm F1.8. The Sigma seemed to do better with AF. The nifty fifty just wouldn't do it.

I ought to mention that I tried it with and without my Metz flashgun.

I had some good results going manually, but this is very difficult with a moving pet!

How do you guys do it?
 
you have to show us a picture (complete with exif or a list of settings) that went wrong then we can tell you how to shoot next time... no use telling you how we do it.. we havent got the same conditions as you:)
 
Black cats are a particular pain to focus on, I don't think it's your equipment. Some things that I have tried with some success:

1) Use the centre focus point (as it likely the most accurate) and focus on an area of contrast. The eyes are your best bet here.

2) Use a torch to light up your subject for focusing and then lock the focus. This works if you or the cat don't subsequently move or the cat attacks your torch.

3) Maunal focus - As you've said, you've probably picked out one of the toughest subjects to focus on. A cameras A system relies on contrast and a black cat in a dark room offers very little contrast. I have loads more shots of our grey cat than our black one just because he's so much easier to photograph in low light. Sometimes you just have to accept you're asking too much and use manual focus and hope for the best.

By the way, does your Metz flash gun have a focussing light? May be worth using it to help you out though our cats tend to close their eyes as soon as you shine any sort of light on them. I tend to bounce the flash off a wall or the ceiling as it seems to bother them less.
 
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Centre point focus on a higher contrast area and recompose, but watch out at wafer thin depth of fields, as you can move out of the plane of focus easily. Alternately keep going at manual focus, it really does become much quicker with time, and learn to trust your eyes doing it, they're usually right!
 
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