Need Suggestion on filter(s)

Jtorrespr1

Senior member
Sep 13, 2005
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I have a canon 3ti with a 18-200mm lens I use in shooting my kids in plays and indoor events. My problem is that there are another 50-60 parents with cameras taking pictures and all their flashes, makes my pictures washed out etc.

Can i combat this with a type of filter? I know i can use software to clean it up but I feel my time would be better spent shooting with my camera not in front of a computer cleaning up photos.

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you
 

speedy2

Golden Member
Nov 30, 2008
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Yeah, pretty much nothing you can do. Funny thing is, all those flashes firing don't do anything for probably 99% of the cameras there. lol. You might get better results with a faster lens and no flash?
 

angry hampster

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2007
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www.lexaphoto.com
Yeah, pretty much nothing you can do. Funny thing is, all those flashes firing don't do anything for probably 99% of the cameras there. lol. You might get better results with a faster lens and no flash?

Yep.

An f/2.8 lens should be able to freeze action in a gym with no flash, assuming ISO1600 or 3200.

Also, shoot in manual mode.
 

JohnnyRebel

Senior member
Feb 7, 2011
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I have a canon 3ti with a 18-200mm lens I use in shooting my kids in plays and indoor events.

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you

Flash should be banned for plays (either school or community). Have the administator ban flash photography -- it shouldn't be too hard.

JR
 

corkyg

Elite Member | Peripherals
Super Moderator
Mar 4, 2000
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Flash should be banned for plays (either school or community). Have the administator ban flash photography -- it shouldn't be too hard.
JR

This! I routinely shoot such activities, as well as events in church. Flash is verboten! I always LOL when I see TV shots in a stadium where flashes are popping all over the place. They serve no purpose. Most pocket camera flashes are only effective within about 12 to 15 feet. Even a big flash is limited to about 50 feet.
 
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twistedlogic

Senior member
Feb 4, 2008
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I always LOL when I see TV shots in a stadium where flashes are popping all over the place. They serve no purpose. Most pocket camera flashes are only effective within about 12 to 15 feet.

Yeah I get a big kick out of this as well. They even import the flashes into video games.
 

RobDickinson

Senior member
Jan 6, 2011
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Its unlikely you are shooting at the same time as (many)other peoples flashes, that would be quite a coincidence.

post some example shots.
 

Gintaras

Golden Member
Dec 28, 2000
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I have a canon 3ti with a 18-200mm lens I use in shooting my kids in plays and indoor events. My problem is that there are another 50-60 parents with cameras taking pictures and all their flashes, makes my pictures washed out etc.

Can i combat this with a type of filter? I know i can use software to clean it up but I feel my time would be better spent shooting with my camera not in front of a computer cleaning up photos.

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you

Play with EV(+/-) settings, or use Star Filter - it might make photos look better:

CE172980BB4042F796C118E1C9EDCBA8.jpg
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
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Considering how short the duration is of a flash, how can other peoples' flashes be washing out your pics? How long are your exposures?
 

Knavish

Senior member
May 17, 2002
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This! I routinely shoot such activities, as well as events in church. Flash is verboten! I always LOL when I see TV shots in a stadium where flashes are popping all over the place. They serve no purpose. Most pocket camera flashes are only effective within about 12 to 15 feet. Even a big flash is limited to about 50 feet.

Too bad flashes are enabled by default. I bet most people don't even know how to turn them off.
 

RobDickinson

Senior member
Jan 6, 2011
317
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Not necessarily. Taking photos at pivotal action points means lots of other people will be doing the same. Sounds perfectly logical.

But even if you catch a few it shouldnt affect your exposure significantly I would ahve thought.

Flash time is like 1/8000th ...
 

xchangx

Golden Member
Mar 23, 2000
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I've had several shots at highschool football games where someone's flash effected my image. Usually shooting at 1/640-1/1000. You wouldn't think so, but it happens.
 

RobDickinson

Senior member
Jan 6, 2011
317
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yep but it should be a really rare occurrence, and you likely were not using flash yourself at those speeds so not metering for anything else.
 

Paladin3

Diamond Member
Mar 5, 2004
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I have shot many events with gangs of other photographers and it is very, very rare to get flash from another camera in your shot. So rare it's not even worth worrying about.

Maybe if you are shooting available light and slow shutter speeds you might pick up flashes going off from other cameras more often, but there is nothing you can do about it short of convincing them to stop using their flashes.

I'd have to see the photos in question, but I bet something else is causing the washed out results.
 
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iGas

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2009
6,240
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There are multitude of problems in this scenario.

1. Shooting at wide open aperture.
2. Crazy zoom factor (11X, hard to manufacture lens barrel with low light refraction).
3. Shooting in difficult lighting (light sources can be in front of the lens creating flares/wash out).

Best bet is to get a good telephoto lens and lens hood. Or, use a lens hood on your zoom lens to cut down flare (the deeper the lens hood the better, however you may get vignetting at the wide end).

Good luck.