Good hand-held cameras for low-light???

Q. ok... so here's the thing... a few of my friends are in a band and i do most of the pictures for them when they play local shows.the places they play allow little hand-helds but not big Dslrs. so what i need is a little handheld camera that works REALLY good in low light (the one i have you cant even see the picture in the dark until after you shoot it, i'd like to see the picture BEFORE i take it on the screen), has a good amount of megapixels and a good optical zoom. i know I'm kinda picky but this is coming out of my own pocket so i need it as close to perfect as possible :)

P.S. im leaning more towards a Canon or a Nikon but if you have any other good suggestions write them down and i'll definitely consider them!!

thanks soooo much :)
yea... if you just wanna tell me about how it doesnt exist or its to expense... please dont answer... im not really worried about the expense of it, just the quality. and i KNOW they have cameras that work well in low-light so dont give me that either

please & thanks :)
i can live without the high optical zoom and megapixels but it would be nice

Answer
Photography in low-light without a flash requires a fast lens and a higher than usual ISO. Since compact digital cameras are burdened with a relatively slow lens (f3.5, 4.6) they are not suitable for hand-held low-light photography. The tiny sensor they employ is also a major handicap since their performance at higher ISO settings is rather poor, even with noise reduction programs.

The only really viable option is a DSLR with a fast lens - 50mm f1.4 or 85mm f1.4 or a zoom lens of, perhaps, 17-55mm f2.8 or the 24-70mm f2.8 or the 70-200mm f2.8 - all with a constant aperture which is needed as you zoom in or out. A DSLR also has a sensor that is as much as 15 times larger than the sensor in a compact digital camera.

Looking at my FotoSharp (http://www.fotosharp.com) Day & Night Exposure Guide, Scene # 13 shows settings for "Night club with dim lights"

ISO 1600
f1.4 @ 1/30 sec.
f2 @ 1/15 sec.
f2.8 @ 1/8 sec.

ISO 3200
f1.4 @ 1/60 sec.
f2 @ 1/30 sec.
f2.8 @ 1/15 sec.

How about Scene # 10 - "Home interiots, average light"

ISO 800
f1.4 @ 1/125 sec.
f2 @ 1/60 sec.
f2.8 @ 1/30 sec.

ISO 1600
f1.4 @ 1/250 sec.
f2 @ 1/125 sec.
f2.8 @ 1/60 sec.

As you can easily see lens speed is a major factor as is ISO.

Good luck and I hope you find a suitable camera for what you want to do.

best DSLR lens for shooting video in low light?

Malamut

I have a Canon 7D and im looking to get a good lens for shooting in low light, does anyone have any suggestions? on a budget so price is important. Thanks in advance

Answer
the best digital camera for low light is the kind that has a built-in flash.

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What is a good lens to use for a SLR camera in low light such as a wedding reception?

best camera lens for low light image

Cincinnati

Anyone know a good lens to use for low light areas such as a wedding reception and indoor? What about in shade and woods areas?

Answer
You want a lens with a wide aperture like f/2.8.

Close in, you'd want something like a 17-55mm f/2.8 lens.

Further back, a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (which is a telephoto zoom).

At a wedding reception, you can use flash usually, so another option would be to simply use a decent lens (even consumer level) and a hotshoe flash or a flash bracket with a cord and flash on the bracket. The flash will mean you don't have to shoot with the lens wide open and thus, you can use less expensive lenses.

What is the best dslr camera for low light?

ssgomezz

I am looking at refurbished, low end price dlsr cameras. I have used a pocket size Sony digital Cybershot for years and find I really need a better camera for low light. I take a lot of pictures indoors of animals (for cat and dog rescues). I have watched refurbished Canon, Nikon and Sony dslr cameras from 200$ to 400$ (their new prices were around 600$). I am stumped as to what is best for me-I don't need portability, and can work with any size hand grip. I just want a good camera for low light and some fast moving objects...and if I can use any of my current Sony cables etc, all the better.

Answer
The biggest part of DSLR cameras that are good for low light is usually the lens you have on it. Have a look at the aperture of the lens(es) you will be or looking at with the camera (usually seen as the f-stop). For low light, look at lenses around the 1.4 - 2.4 range.

The better the f-stop, the faster you will also be able to take the shot.

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