What camera settings or gear help freeze a fast-moving child indoors?

Asked 7/19/2013

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I’m photographing my very active 2-year-old and often get blurry shots, especially indoors or in low light. I currently use a Nikon J1. I’m wondering whether I need a different camera, such as an entry-level DSLR, or if the main issue is settings and lens/flash choice. I’d also like good video capability. What should I look for to get sharper photos of a moving child?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

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The way to capture fast moving subjects like your daughter is to use a shorter shutter speed. No big surprise there. The way to achieve a faster shutter speed, though is often misunderstood. The camera is only part of the equation. The speed of the lens is the other part.

Before you decide to buy an entirely different camera, I would encourage you to try some things with your Nikon J1 first.

  • Raise the ISO you are shooting at. In simplified terms, ISO is a number used to describe the sensitivity to light. As the ISO number is doubled, your shutter speed can be halved and still get the same exposure. So if you need 1/40 sec. at ISO 100, you can shoot at 1/80 sec. at ISO 200, 1/160 sec at ISO 400, and so on. Your Nikon J1 produces fairly good image quality up to ISO 800, and ISO 1600 is still fairly usable for small prints or web sized images.
  • Use a wider aperture. The lower f-number selected, the more light is allowed through the lens. Like ISO, a wider aperture allows you to get the same exposure with a faster shutter speed. A lens like the 1 NIKKOR 18.5mm f/1.8 will allow you to use a shutter speed much faster than the 10-30mm F3.5-5.6 VR that probably came with your camera. Setting the aperture at f/1.8 allows a shutter speed less than 1/4 as long as with an aperture of f/4.
  • Update to the latest firmware for the Nikon J1. Nikon has released a firmware update that addresses an issue regarding slower shutter speeds being selected by the camera in most automatic shooting modes. Here is a link to the current firmware.

By combining higher ISO and wider aperture, you can significantly shorten the shutter speed needed to properly expose a scene. If you are using ISO 100 and f/4 and the scene requires 1/40 sec to properly expose it, by moving to ISO 800 and f/2, the same scene can be properly exposed at less than 1/1000 sec!

For more, please see these related questions here at Photography SE:
Focus problem vs. motion blur vs. camera shake - how to tell the difference?
How to take photos of children in difficult lighting?
Prime lens or flash: which upgrade will most improve baby photos?
What lens should I buy to get better pictures of a one-year old running around a dimly-lit house?

We also have a good number of other questions here with the [children] tag.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

13y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Blur from a fast-moving child is usually more about light, settings, and lens speed than the camera body alone.

Try this with your Nikon J1 first:

  • Use a faster shutter speed: aim for at least 1/60s, and faster if possible.
  • Raise ISO to allow that faster shutter speed. Higher ISO adds noise, but it’s often worth it to freeze motion.
  • Use a wider aperture (smaller f-number) to let in more light.
  • If indoors, add light with a flash. Flash can be the most effective way to reduce blur in low light.

A different camera can help somewhat in low light, especially if it handles high ISO better, but it won’t solve motion blur by itself. Lens choice matters too: a “faster” lens lets in more light and makes higher shutter speeds easier.

So, before replacing your camera, experiment with ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and flash. If you do shop for a new camera, prioritize good high-ISO performance, compatibility with a decent flash, and access to bright lenses rather than just looking for a camera advertised as having a “fast shutter.”

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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