134 Better Available Light Digital Photography
Some camera bodies have image stabilization built into them,
eliminating the need for the technology to be included in each
lens. This keeps the price of lenses down and allows every lens
made for that camera to in essence be an IS lens by default.Michael Staver uses the Pentax K100D with image stabilization built into the camera’s body. The camera’s
compact size makes it easy to carry around, yet still obtain good photographs in any situation. This image
was taken from a small boat off the island of Oahu on a whale-watching excursion. Despite the boat’s rocking
motion, this dolphin and water droplets are quite sharp. © 2007 Michael Staver.
Canon, Nikon, and other manufacturers would like all of us to
own 300 mm and 400 mm f/2.8 lenses. They would even love
to have each of us own a 600 mm f/4 lens. Ayeah, right! The
good news is that you do not have to spend all of your beer
money on fast lenses. You can get acceptable photographs in low
light without f/2.8 and faster lenses. Remember, you can boost
the ISO on the camera, use camera supports, and use a few of
the following tricks of the trade to succeed.
Make sure all of the lights in the facility where you are working
are turned on and turned up all the way. Many light fi xtures are
controlled by rheostats and not simply by on/off switches. Turn
them up. Sometimes these switches are hidden behind drapes or
panels, so don’t be afraid to ask for a building engineer or light-
ing technician who can help. Don’t be afraid to snoop around a
bit yourself. If possible, re-aim and adjust any lights that you