What is the best camera for...?

Question

What is the best camera for taking pictures indoor and taking closeups without a flash that's too bright? I try to take closeups for myspace but the camera I use always makes my face really pale and you can't see where my nose is!

Answer 1

The reason you see this is because a flash is a harsh light and most camera have its flash positioned too close to the lens, only enhancing the effect.

The best solution there is obviously is a professional camera with a studio light set but I'm sure you don't want to get into this.

The most reasonable solution is to get an advanced point and shoot camera that have a hot shoe to attach an external flash like the Canon Powershot G9, and use an external flash. Some of the external flash can be tilted so you can bounce the light off the ceiling/wall which is very effective to soften the light. Or, in a less likely situation you might also want to buy a diffuser such as Lightsphere.

As an alternative, I would suggest you to take your self portraits outdoor with your current camera - preferrably during a sunlight under the shade. This will eliminate the needs of using flash (if the situation allows) and you won't have to face that dreaded flash effect again.

I hope this helps!

Answer 2

To answer the question directly, the best camera, or technically the best lens, for taking this kind of picture is a fixed focus large aperture lens (f/1.4 or f/1.2). These have huge openings that let in a massive amount of light which means that shutter speeds can be kept to a minimum even in low light conditions. They are fantastic fun to use and allow for amazing pictures that capture moods without the exact problems you explain above. No flash = no intrusion so the pictures are very natural and 'candid'. But, they're very expensive.

If you're using a P&S camera (normal pocket size camera known as a 'point and shoot') I would do the following...

1. Turn the flash off.
2. Consult your manual and see if you can increase the ISO setting. This increases the cameras sensitivity to light allowing for better results in low light at the cost of a little more picture noise (grainy look...can be nice sometimes).
3. Think in advance about setting up the shot and place the camera on a stable surface (tripod if you have one).
4. Finally use the timer to allow you to position yourself beforehand.

Oh, remember that with closeups, you may need to set your camera to 'macro' mode (usually denoted by a flower symbol) to enable it to autofocus at close distances.

Hope this helps. TDCat.

Answer 3

I usually turn the flash off to solve that problem. Then turn on as much lighting as you can. The ISO adjustments talked about are great, but most of these cameras have "scene" modes that have the camera preset for the conditions.. The scenes are things like Portrait, night, snow, fireworks, sunset... Pick one that is for low light, (it may automatically turn the flash on, so make sure you turn it back off) and then place the camera on a solid surface (or tripod) and use the self timer. It may take a few tries, put you should be able to get a decent pic.

Answer 4

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