Why does my Panasonic GH4 use very slow shutter speeds with flash in iA mode indoors?
Asked 1/11/2016
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2 answers
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On my Panasonic Lumix GH4, indoor photos taken with the built-in flash in iA mode often use very slow shutter speeds such as 1/5s or 1/20s, which leads to blur. This happens with multiple lenses, including the Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 and Leica Summilux 25mm f/1.4. Without flash, these lenses work well in low light, but sometimes I need flash. Is this normal behavior in iA mode, and should I use a different shooting mode for indoor flash photography?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
3
This is working by design. In iA ("intelligent automatic") mode with flash enabled, Panasonic cameras attempt to balance ambient light with flash — dragging the shutter. And from what I've seen elsewhere, it tends to be pretty aggressive with this, resulting in shutter speeds like what you're seeing.
So, unless your subject is static or there is a lot of ambient light, don't use iA with the flash. It will probably be a lot better and more useful for fill, to smooth away harsh shadows if you are taking photos in the sunlight.
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — this is normal behavior. In iA mode with flash enabled, the GH4 is designed to balance the ambient light with the flash, so it often uses a slow shutter speed (“dragging the shutter”). That can work for static subjects or when flash is just filling shadows, but indoors it often causes blur from subject movement or camera shake.
So for indoor flash photos, iA is usually not the best choice. A mode that gives you more control will work better, such as aperture priority or another non-iA mode. If your camera allows it, set a minimum shutter speed around 1/60s or faster, up to the camera’s flash sync speed. That will reduce blur and make handheld flash shots much more reliable.
In short: the camera is behaving as designed, but for indoor flash photography you’ll likely get better results outside iA mode.
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