5 Low Light Photography Mistakes and Fixes

Summary

Photographer Robin Wong identifies five common mistakes that degrade image quality when shooting in low light, using the OM System OM-1 for demonstrations. These errors include using silent shutter at high ISOs, which can introduce more noise than mechanical shutter, and misinterpreting noise reduction settings as a way to combat general noise. Wong also highlights issues with aggressive auto ISO, underexposing images, and stopping down aperture or using fast shutter speeds unnecessarily, all of which can lead to increased noise and reduced image quality.

Key points

• Silent shutter can produce more noise than mechanical shutter at high ISOs.
• In OM System cameras, 'noise reduction' activates dark frame subtraction, not general noise reduction.
• Auto ISO can aggressively increase sensitivity in low light when lower ISOs are usable.
• Underexposing and stopping down aperture in low light degrade image quality and increase noise.