Nikon D300

[ShelleeK]

I am new to this, and have never posted before, so if I make a mistake...sorry. I have a Nikon D300 that I purchased to take pictures of my granddaughter, and I have had so much trouble with indoor photos being noisy. I just leave everything on automatic (I don't want to have to do anything but just take pictures quickly). The outdoor photos are great, but the indoor photos are always noisy and dark even with the flash. I traded up from the D70, and I am sorry that I did. I even went to our local photo store and couldn't get any help. Does anyone have any suggestions? My husband may shoot me if I suggest a different camera!

[esther_a]

To take photos indoors you want to have as wide an aperture as possible. You can buy lenses that give you wider aperture, you don't need a new camera! My camera one of the cheapest DSLRs around but I am happy with my indoor shots since I bought an extra lens that I will open up to f2.8. The widest aperture available on the lens that came with my camera was f5.6 (Is that half the size? I'm not sure exactly how it works.) Anyhow, at f2.8 you are letting in a lot more light. Many people have lenses that go to f1.4. So when you want to take the photo indoors, choose Aperture Priority on your camera instead of auto (it's "AV" on my dial) and select the largest available aperture. The shutterspeed will automatically adjust - just like in full auto mode.
You can look at the settings the camera chose for your photos. In Windows you right-click on the file and choose "properties" and then "details". The image properties are called "EXIF".

[Jen D]

I agree... you don't need a new camera... you just need to learn a bit more about the one you have It is daunting at first, but it can be really fun to just play. Esther had some great tips. Getting an external flash really helped my indoor shots too. Bouncing flash off the ceiling is much more flattering than your on board flash.

I would check out this tutorial... changed my life

Get Me Off of Auto Photography eBook - Digital Scrapbooking eBooks

[anke]

I have the same camera and I am not very happy with my indoor photos either. I take pictures in manual and mine tend to be on the dark side also. It may be that there just isn't that much natural light available. Get the external flash, it's a life saver! It just sits on top of your camera and like Jen said, you can turn it to face different directions, which is great. The flash on the camera itself is way too strong. Get Katrina's tutorial, it is really good and the advice on the lens was dead on also. I have a 50mm 1.4, which is (almost) the widest aperature you can find, but it's a prime lens, it won't zoom. Don't despair, you will get the hang of it!

[Amy L]

My D300 takes good indoor pictures up to an ISO of 800. I have noise reduction software that allows me to take good shots at ISO 1600. If your photos are dark, you can adjust your exposure compensation to lighten them up. I have a book on this camera that is helpful--David Busch's Nikon 300 Guide to Digital SLR Photography. Much easier to read than the manual!

[ShelleeK]

Thanks everyone. This week I have a family reunion to host, so I will be really busy; next week I will start with the book, the tutorial, experiment with the aperture.....and look into a new flash. I really appreciate all your help. I will let you know how it works out.

[cheska99]

There's also Noiseware software, which works great and very easily. And if by chance you have Photoshop CS5, you've got a noiseware reduction slider in camera raw. (And if this sounds above your head, don't worry, you've already got excellent advice from other posters here.) I know lots of people who love their D300s; you're gonna love yours too. And yes, that 50 mm 1.4 is marvelous for shooting indoors.

[HeidiKnight]

I also have the D300. For indoor photos, I recommend a 50mm lens. I had the f1.8 and now I have the f1.4. The 1.8 isn't very expensive, so that may be your best option. Upping the ISO helps too, but not as much as being able to shoot with a wider aperture. Something else that helps is a Speedlight bounced off the ceiling or a wall to avoid those harsh shadows from direct flash. Hope that helps - the new lens is a LOT less expensive than the camera and will make a big difference.