Camera question....need help please. About This Page:

[disneyprincess]

I have Nikon camera. I'm going to be inside taking pictures tonight at a play. Now my camera has a setting on it titled "museum" which is for (according to the book) taking flash pictures inside where a flash shouldn't be used. Every time I have used this feature my pictures come out blurry. What am I doing wrong? Any help is appreciated and any tips you might have for taking some pictures in a setting like this is helpful too!

TIA!

[materstater]

It has a slower shutter release on that feature so unless you have a tripod or steady hand it'll come out blurry. If your wanting to take pics of things behind glass using a flash just aim down instead of straight on and the flash won't reflect as bad. I have a Nikon too and it's kinda trial and error to figure out which feature works best for you! Hope that helps.

[disneyprincess]

Ok, what about a situation like a play. You really shouldn't use flash but I want pics of my daughter. Should I just use the zoom and no flash? I guess that would be the best way to go.
I don't have a tripod and as for a steady hand.....well not happening here!

[LizardCop]

First, I moved this thread from the garage to here, it'll get better exposure and this is where the "photogs" hang out.

Now, to the question.

When you select museum mode, it turns the flash off. So, to get a properly exposed picture, the shutter speed is greatly reduced. This means that instead of the camera opening the shutter for 1/125 or 1/60 of a second, it might be opening the shutter for 1/2 to 2 seconds. Hand holding at these speeds will produce blurring.

Being that you will be at a play, the only suggestion I have is to use the highest shutter speed you can. You didn't indicate which Nikon camera you have, but it should allow you to set the ISO to 800 and possible 1600. Photos taken at these high ISO's won't be as crystal clear and sharp (usually referred to as "grainy") as ones taken at lower ISO's, but you will still get a usable picture without a flash. Even at these higher ISO settings, you still may not get usable pictures if you are a good distance from the stage and the stage is darker...

Even with this higher ISO setting, remember to set the aperture to it's widest setting (lowest number) and to brace/steady the camera to reduce camera shake when you gently press the shutter button.

and enjoy the show!!!

[disneyprincess]

Thanks Bill for the advice, and moving the post. I will post some pics when I get them, between tonight and tomorrow night. The play by the way is Annie! My DD has several parts.

[vince730]

Good Luck!

I find that unless I am in direct sunlight I can not get a good picture without the flash on our Nikon Coolpix

[Tonichelle]

even with point and shoots you still have to understand how a camera works... it can't do ALL of the work for you, just most.

[Bastos]

Check to see if you have a separate setting on the camera for photographing kids, or photographing items in motion (sometimes indicated by a diagonal running person). If you can set up both, then the camera will know that your subject may shake, and work to compensate