How Far Can You PUSH the Canon R6 in Lowlight?!

[@Augnos]

I live for photographing low-light events! The dark rooms are an absolute mood. Thanks for sharing

[@lawrencekeeney4317]

This is amazing what you did in this lighting. I am an 86 year old photographer and never ran into a problem shoot like this one. By the way, I shoot with the R6 also.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@conawayjb]

In no flash allowed situations i use a hot shoe mounted LED light panel color temperature matched to the lights in the room to keep the ambiance the same, works great and gets the iso down considerably, I’m surprised your cameraman didn’t suggest it

[@Augnos]

That would totally kill the ambiance and be super distracting.

[@rovleculina8237]

Katelyn, you should definitely try DXO pure RAW or Topaz Denoise, you'll be amazed how you can clean up the high ISO noise and retain all the crisp details. As a wildlife photographer I'm forced to use high ISO all the time and couldn't recommend DXO or Topaz enough.

[@cathyfraser6524]

Topaz is amazing!

[@jgates]

I agree! Topaz Denoise works miracles sometimes. I'd love to see Katelyn do a video with these same images running Topaz on them.

[@Morglopedia]

@@jgates me too. I feel like my results with Topaz are so up and down. I'd love to watch someone I trust help us know how to use it!

[@Slipsch]

Exactly my thought when I watched this video.

[@TonyGrant.]

I think I'm going to take a look at these programs.

[@derbagger22]

Yep! I did a casual shoot last year for friends in late fall and they couldn't get together until late in the day. Some of my favorite shots to date were from that day and I was over 20,000 ISO on my R6!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@mikeandrew7889]

Fair play Katelyn. You’re a good sport for sharing this experience with us. I do quite a lot of low light, no flash allowed events and it’s pretty soul destroying especially when you first load the images into Lightroom. Thank god for the R6 because my R was so bad at super high ISO.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for sharing!

[@joshuagharis9017]

Yes, I love my eos r, but above 6400 iso, no bueno

[@JaredHoyman]

As a R6 shooter and soon to be R6 Mark II shooter I am impressed. I'm an architectural photographer that thinks 800 iso is high, but I can have slow shutter where you don't have the luxury as a wedding photographer. I wont fee bad upping my ISO in dark buildings anymore. Thanks Katelyn!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@candicecaulfield9386]

I am so incredibly glad I’ve found your page on this. I shoot in the dark ALL the time. On a 90D and have been painstakingly researching the best upgrade to my geriatric potato canon atm

[@matteotorre2023]

Thank you Katelyn ! I ve got a Canon R6 few weeks ago, I was trying to get the best from my prime lenses and camera settings…well your video is so helpful! It is so clear in the instructions and experiences! Thank you again: I found someone to follow!

[@KatelynJames]

You are so welcome!

[@Skux720]

It's surprising what you can get away with! I shoot in theatres and regularly deliver shots at 25600 ISO and no one has ever said anything about noise haha. Clients aren't pixel peeping like we do, they only care that the photos look good overall.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@Gabson9]

11:40 For stand still portraits in these kind of conditions without external lightning you can also try lower shutter speed with lower ISO, something like 1/40th speed and 1 stop ISO down, and shoot between 5 to 10 continuous frames. During brakes choosing the sharpest ones without motion blur and deleting the blurry ones. You`ll get slightly better and slightly less grainy images. R6 has stabilized sensor and you`ll get better results in low light at slow shutter speeds. Yeah it adds up additional work, but in the end what does counts is the photos to be good. Also if noise reduction goes too artifical looking, you can add up back a little bit of artifical grain for unified look without the low-light noise.

[@cll2409]

Loved this! I’m always very nervous about bumping up the ISO because of grain but after watching this, I’ll definitely raise it on my R6 when I need to! You’re the best! Hope you’re feeling well!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching Cheryl!

[@CFLDumpsters]

Remarkable! The mirrorless capabilities are crazy! Imagine these shots on old DLSR, they would be so grainy and muddy with little ability to recover. Amazing.

[@SpawningFish]

Hope you enjoyed your Chicago trip. I can't count how many of my wedding receptions didn't allow a flash over these past two years since going FT. Black Hole Venues, aka light-sucking events, are a blast to push the limits of your gear while totally freaking out inside! Always tell my couples what they will be getting; it STILL freaks me out! Great video and well done Katelyn!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks Dan!

[@betterpixs]

I can't remember the last time I used a flash at a wedding. The R6 really kicks the quality I used to have on my old 6Ds.

[@KenyattaDavisPhotography]

Perfect timing on me seeing this video. I have a wedding this weekend at The Athletic Club of Columbus this weekend (look it up). It is so dark in there with tones of wood. I have an R6 and I also have an 85 1.4. We are allowed to use flash but with all the wood and dark finishings I rather use my camera sensor as much as possible.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@guylabehring2032]

I have the EOSR and have bumped iso higher but not that high. This makes me more comfortable in trying to in low light situations!! I will definitely not me scared to bump higher next time I’m faced with low light situations! Thank you!!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@alenajarquin6670]

I so appreciate this video! A few weeks ago I had a wedding that was suppose to start at 5 but started at 630 and I didn't use a flash and I had to bump up my ISO on my R6 and the images came out fine.... Definitely not my favorite but was so glad I had my R6

[@KatelynJames]

That is awesome!

[@pault.1821]

I shot in these kind of conditions my first wedding and it was super hard but I learned a ton from it. However, in the moment of bumping up my ISO up so high I was quite scared.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@TimFurman123]

This is hugely helpful. I'm going into a very dark venue next week and I'm still struggling with making off-camera flash work nicely for me in near-darkness. I'm not going to worry so much now. Also, I would have crashed this reception just to say hi if I had known you were just down the street. You're so helpful!

[@KatelynJames]

Glad it was helpful!

[@swistedfilms]

That reminds me of the time I went to Dennys and demanded they cook my breakfast with a pack of matches. I got thrown out but the look on their faces was priceless! It's a great prank to hire someone who literally paints with light and then deny them any light!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@craigpiferphotography]

It's definitely a testament to where the technology has gotten to. I recently took a lot of photos of a group event indoor with mixed lighting. It wasn't nearly as dark as what you had, but I used auto ISO and got several at 12,800 on the R5. Definitely useable, but not ideal due to noise. I could have used flash, but they were more for fun than anything else, so I chose to do it this way.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@insanityminds]

It’s really nice to see such a pro have to deal with so much grain lol made me feel so much better

[@melb9612]

lol me too!

[@KatelynJames]

Happens to the best of us!

[@1NATURELOVERJ]

Who'd a thunk it. I cringe when I have to shoot a wedding in a church and push my R6's ISO way up to....2500. LOL. Very helpful video.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@matthewthomas6064]

I just jumped from Nikon to the R6 and your videos are definitely helping me with being okay with my decision 😂😅

[@janiscollette1737]

Thank you for this! It's so good to know that even photographers as good as you have the same challenges as the rest of us! lol. I will say, Topaz DeNoise I life saver and can actually cut the noise just a little more than the Lightroom without looking really wonky.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@adhi_atma]

you need to try DXO photolab or DXO pure RAW to clean up the noise. its just handle the noise very well while still retain great amount of detail.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@40JoCharles]

I feel your pain, we have a lot of very dark old churches and barns here in the UK which is really tough on wedding photography. I’m ok with some noise on black and white but I really struggle with it on colour. Well done you. 🙂

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@margotdaley6683]

Love my R6 RAWS! The edit takes then next level, but honestly some could be delivered!

[@wanneske1969]

About sharpness : you are so right ! Most of the wedding pics (definitely the ones at the party) won't be printed out in a huge format. People want pictures as a memory, not to win prizes or to pixelpeep. Most people that aren't photographers don't care about sharpness. Most pics will end up as a 300 k file on Facebook , Instagram etc or in a small book where the are 10 x 15 cm or something. It's all about capturing the moment, the emotion and memories.

[@DaKeezl]

Agreed. I printed pics of my own wedding on canvas. The lack of image quality gets compensated by viewing distance and the grainy canvas. So why bother? Still looks amazing and my wife and I don't pixel peep. 😊

[@betterpixs]

Great video. I love my R6 and R6ii. Shooting a good exposure is critical lile you stated.

[@Drummer95186]

Thank you for sharing this! I shot a low light event with my r6 using the 85mm F2, im always afraid to go passed 1600 iso. Thank you for showing that it's okay to go higher

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@michaeljacobs8449]

Thank you.

[@KatelynJames]

You're welcome!

[@plaidsheepcreative]

As a sports photographer, I LOVE that I can push the R6 like this. I haven't encountered light this bad but I have had competitions in poorly lit gyms that made me push all the way to 25,600 ISO in order to keep my shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action. Honestly my R6 performs as well as my R3 at high ISO for 1/3rd of the price.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for sharing

[@lifeofvenus9074]

Just upgraded from a rebel t7i to an r6 (got it in the mail today so haven't fully tested it yet). On my t7i, I would get extreme grain that'd I would struggle to fix in lightroom if I pushed iso over 1600. I was curious how well the r6 does in low light so I'm super excited I found your video.

[@emilianomarquez1629]

I always bring a continuos LED light source. I've been deep in that situation waaay back on the days of the 5DMKII.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@j3157]

Thanks for this report! I am shooting sports and have been experiencing lots of noise with all my cameras at anything over ISO 6400. Even the 1DX has been producing a lot of noise. My 5Dmkiii with 35mm 1.4 L lens had unbelievable noise at 3200 and 6400 iso. I’ve set my goal for getting rid of most of my cameras (5Dmkii, 5Dmkiii, 7Dmkii, 1Dmkiv, and 1DX) to get into a R6 or R6ii.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@FrankPietersen]

Thanks for sharing, Why don't you use masking for sharpening. It helps a lot to prevent the noise to be sharpened and thus more visible.

[@TherconJair]

From my own experience and testing I can only confirm: always bump up the ISO to proper exposure, it is much much cleaner than keeping ISO low and bumping exposure in post. From my understanding: if ISO is pushed it's done by on-sensor circuitry and doesn't amplify the sensor noise. If exposure is bumped in post the noise gets amplified.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@LilShaqi]

I have found your channel and am now invested

[@KatelynJames]

Great, thank you!!

[@a73210]

This is a wonderful video! I easily go upto 2500 ISO in my events with my flash on. Pictures look great plus batteries don’t die that often.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@kylehessling2679]

I shot a wedding like this and thankfully had a 50mm f.95 on hand. No autofocus, but it is hard to trust AF in something so dark anyways, so I decided to try it. Turned out to be one of my best shoots ever, and I never shot above 12800 iso! Lens was super soft in the corners so I had to center frame everything. I also had to make sure group shots had everyone in the exact same focus point, which was difficult to be sure!

[@paulrbruce]

I really enjoy your channel. Sometimes my R6 doesn't like me. 😀 . I actually took some pictures at a wedding at night with high ISO and some of them came out ok.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jannikr9327]

Situations like these is why i always bring my 35 1.4 and 85 1.4 beside the 28-70

[@KatelynJames]

Totally!!

[@britirock7]

Omg I legit just had to do this last weekend at a show I did. Like you I was a little surprised that they came out as good as they could’ve lol

[@KatelynJames]

That's awesome!

[@wastedtalentusa]

I absolutely love the results. Just by curiosity, why wasn't flash allowed?

[@SpawningFish]

It interferes with the "venue's ambiance" and creates distractions in a space designed to look and feel a particular way has been the responses I've gotten in the past. I stopped asking after the 3rd or 4th event.

[@wastedtalentusa]

@@SpawningFish if that's the rule, ok then. But, an event with 10 people that wanted photos of it, and they still think that a flash would be a distraction. Eyes rolling.

[@SpawningFish]

@@wastedtalentusa It always works out. It's really ALL about a couple's experience. Learning that is one of the hardest things for many aspiring photographers. To be successful, we need to take good pictures, and I love learning from people like KJ. At the end of the day, what matters most is what the couples want, and delivering that is what propels us forward, so I'm happy to oblige :0) 108 weddings in 26 months has thought me that it's the one thing that matters above all else. Given the basics of course.

[@KatelynJames]

It was off a hotel lobby, I think that may have been why

[@aussiebatler]

@@wastedtalentusa I know right, I've never ever had this, except one at a church

[@mikevalencia1318]

love this! just did my first couples/engagement session with my r6. 😬. was really confident with shooting in low light compared to my now shelved M50 hehe.

[@sjphoto9167]

You are beautifully lit in your video!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks 😅

[@sjphoto9167]

@@KatelynJames Sorry it just .... squirrel haha you ARE magic ma'am!

[@lorendizg6403]

Wow those look great, I’m always concerned about bumping up iso more than 3200

[@KatelynJames]

You and me both!

[@Highviewsport1]

Katelyn, I am curious. Is this one of the reason why you use the R6 and not the R5? Can you tell me why you dont use the R5? Love your work. Bryan

[@KatelynJames]

There is a whole video about it... Ill try to find it

[@brianode11]

Love my R6!!

[@KatelynJames]

It's the best!

[@martymar74]

I love candid shoots

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@yolandarios4655]

Thank you so much for this video, I recently shot a school chorus show and was thinking how in the world am I going to edit these. Same situation, no flash allowed .I did have stage light though so I was able to produce some great shots.

[@Lynettelucasphotography]

I understand how hard that is. My son and I shot our second wedding ever in a very dark, church that was painted black , no plug ins for lighting, with a bright glowing screen that made people look crazy colors and a very dark venue. Somehow we got through that.

[@bahaatamer1245]

I pushed my R6 (bought it mid-September) to 12,800 ISO in both photos and videos (SOOC video though, no post editing). In photos, DxO Pure RAW 2 took good care of cleaning up the results, and in videos there was NOT A SINGLE GRAIN to be seen, I was honestly shocked!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@sonicvboom]

Was the R6 capable of detecting the eye near pitch black scenario? Also, did you use internal beam to assist your shoot (AI focus)?

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@samlauersdorfphoto]

Can we get an answer to this question?

[@wanneske1969]

Just bought a new R6, 2000 € with Canon cashback and a batterygrip for free. I do weddings and concerts as well, I guess Iso 12.500 is the highest Iso I will use it on, which is still a lot more than on my 5DIII's, which I found grainy above Iso 3200.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@Pete-S]

Excellent video and guidance, thank you so much.

[@charlesquinn767]

Been there, done that. I agree with everything you say!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@bentravis99]

This is such a great video, thank you!

[@michaelmcdonald3345]

Wow! 40K ISO Insane. But that's why I got the R6! I recently did an indoor shoot at a hospital for a group of 50 drs and nurses. Where I was told to shoot had terrible lighting and on a level surface. So now I'm shooting on a ladder, handheld 1/200sec, f/4.5, 24mm. Ugh. Long story short, I keep the Exposure about 1 stop under so as not to go too high on the ISO (about 1,000). In LrC I was able to mask the people and bring up the Exposure. Came out better than I expected and client was happy!

[@pacocreates]

This is great. You did a great job for the conditions you had to work with. I currently have a 6D MII, and it's beautiful in great lighting. But shooting sports/action shots indoors is tough, and I have to shoot at 20000 ISO at 1/1600. Thank goodness for the new Denoise feature in Lightroom, it's a game changer, but I also don't like to go above 50 with it because it does start to look weird. I'm looking to buy the R6 (R5 if there's a mega sale), to help me with my indoor sports. I wish I had the money for the R3, but I don't think that's in the budget this year.

[@carolynvines2027]

Thanks for sharing! I guess, sometimes, we just have to accept the noise.

[@KatelynJames]

In situations like this, I'll take noise over blurry images every time!

[@stephenjane8193]

Very good thanks

[@Morglopedia]

BLESS YOU for dropping this video today!!!!! I'm shooting a micro wedding in this room in 2 weeks and I'm PANICKED. They are allowing me to use flash during the 15 min ceremony (in front of the fireplace!) and not at all else. I'm truly not sure how much flash will help me with all the dark mahogany and nowhere to bounce flash. I'll be watching this on repeat all week!! If you have any tips on how you'd set up flash for the ceremony I'm all ears but this is going to save my life!

[@TonyGrant.]

Wow! That looks like a real interesting location. I tend to push my gear to the limit so I'd love to shoot there! I also get good results with minimal lighting gear when needed. I hope you don't mind if I butt in? This location has its challenges but, judging from what I can see in the video, it has so many possibilities. But, first thing - go there beforehand and do some test shots! Take a friend to model for you (get them to sit in all the nicely lit spots - see below). Then go home and edit them so you can see what you can get. Talk to the management about adding a subtle bounced light or two (see below). Dark surfaces will still bounce light but you will need to crank up the ISO more than usual with bounce flash. It will probably be more directional than usual but still soft. Be careful if the wood is glossy as there may be hard reflections bounced onto your subject. It may be better to bounce lights rather than flashes - ask management. If possible, for the ceremony, put the flash/s on a stand and bounce off a wall near the ceremony. It's hard to tell from the video but if there is a suitably placed wall to the side but if there is you'll get some very nice soft side lighting. If not there seems to be a wall panel opposite the fireplace and above the columns which might work. You will need to adjust the colour temp in post or edit them in B&W. After the ceremony, if allowed, I'd be bouncing an LED light off the wall or ceiling down the dark end for the duration (i did see some lightly painted panels in the video but even dark wood will work) - It won't need to be too bright - you just need a boost down that end. Ask em they might let you set one up. It's in management's best interests to have usable light in their location to showcase it. But just enough to fill the dark without affecting the ambience too much. Another thing you can do is some very nice portraits by those table lamps - that soft glow is so photogenic. A bit like at 2:08 but not full lenght and much closer to both the lamp/s and subject (get the people close to the lamp so the light is strong and soft). That lamp, table and chair behind them looks real nice for single portraits. I bet there's lots of little spots like that in there. Get small groups (3 or 4 max) to huddle around them to make some real intimate portraits and group shots - get in close, fill the frame! They might even let you move some lamps around so you can set up a little ambient light studio around a sofa or lounge chair. At functions I often invite people into a space with nice light to photograph them. At one very dimly lit venue I go to, shooting from behind the bar is the best location - the bar fridges provide the light! I ask the staff if I can come behind the bar and ask the subjects to order a drink and pose. From this angle I get very nice light on them as they lean on the bar, sip their drinks, smile and laugh - they are very relaxed and the light is soft and flattering (it's fluorescent so colour temp needs to be adjusted in edit) . From this angle the background is fantastic with the crowd and the lights - it adds context, colour and even a bit of excitement. I do this several time during a function at this location. The thing is, I bring them to this spot and set them up for the shot, its not candid, its set up, posed. A row of full height bar fridges are often good as a light source because they are wide and well lit cast a nice soft glow toward patrons at the bar - like a massive softbox. The bars in this dark venue don't look to well lit but I bet there are some really nice spots in that venue lit by lamps that you can drag people to for a very short and intimate portrait/group session. Do you have any f1.2, f1.4 or f1.8 lenses? You'd really need em here. For set up shots where no one is moving, if you're careful you can shoot at some pretty low shutter speeds and still get great results - just hold the button down shoot plenty so you can choose the sharpest in edit. Sorry - a bit of a rant! I hope it's not condescending - I don't know your experience/skill level - if so, my apologies. Hope it helps. Good luck!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@Morglopedia]

​@@TonyGrant. are you my guardian angel?? This is REALLY fun to read through and has my gears turning about how I can use this venue to be more creative and really showcase the unique features rather than run from it. Yes, I've got fast prime lenses, and I appreciate your thoughts about bouncing flash on wood. I've ordered some soft boxes to try to use with my speed lights but honestly they are bulky, I'm afraid they will still look too much like direct light, and I'm not experienced with them. If bounce flash will work I'd much prefer it for the ceremony. I'm not allowed any test shots with flash until the day of the wedding, hour before the ceremony, so my goal is to go in with 2-3 scenarios for the ceremony and just see which one works best! I am SO concerned about their reception which is in this little nook Katelyn was shooting in but without ANY window light because it's an evening event in November. I will definitely be looking to move some lamps or group people close to them for the non-candid shots...that's a great idea. I'm considering bringing in continuous light (which they say I can do) but the bride and groom also really love this place for the atmosphere and I'm afraid that even a soft continuous light might feel really invasive. But your fridge idea made me realize I don't have to light the whole space, maybe I could just bring in an LED to one small area? Lots of food for thought. I really appreciate your rant and it wasn't at all condescending, and if you have any more thoughts please leave them!

[@TonyGrant.]

@@Morglopedia Haha! OK, you won't be able to shut me up now! :D (Apologies to Katelyn ;) I'm pleased that you like and enjoyed what I've written. That really does look like a fantastic location from a quality of light point of view if not a quantity of light point of view. I expect you will find many little nooks and crannies and oasis of light to work with. A micro wedding might really suit the intimate style of portraits you'll probably end up taking there. The thing about the table lamps is they're sort of similar to candlelight in a way. To get some ideas of how to use them, have a look at some photos online which are illuminated by candlelight and you may get similar but with even softer light. Google 'candle light portraits'. Although, unlike candle light portraits, you probably shouldn't (for them most part) get the light source in the shot. Are you saying they won't let you go in there beforehand even when there's no function on to test flashes or whatever? Will they let you go in beforehand without flashes? This is all a bit weird and they are shooting themselves in the foot in so far as social media presence goes. But if you have an hour beforehand you will at least be able to work out whether or not bounce flash/lamp will work. Your main issue maybe positioning the flash to get a good bounce while not being in the way. You should certainly take your soft boxes and use them if you have to but see if you can get the bounced light to work. The bounced light will probably create softer, broader and more even illumination. Although, as I said above, you will have to adjust the colour balance if bouncing off the wood. I often find the best way to do this in camera raw is to get the white balance tool and just click on black white or neutral grey in the shot to get you in the ballpark. What diameter are the softboxes? The rule of thumb with assessing/controlling soft quality of light is; the broader the source of illumination the softer the light. So a larger softbox will be softer than a smaller softbox. Bouncing illumination off an entire wall will be softer again. Also, the closer your subjects are to a soft source of illumination the softer the light falling on them will be. Also consider using a constant light source to illuminate the ceremony rather than flashes. You may be able to strike a nice balance between the fill light you're bouncing and the ambient light, albeit still at a high ISO. If you do take a continuous light there are two things I think you should consider doing. The first one is to bounce the light high off the wall or ceiling. The next is to make sure that it is dimmable so that you don't flood out the ambience with this light. If you set it up right you should be able to strike a balance between the ambient light and the bounced light. Although in Katelyn's video the fireplace didn't look illuminated at all - so maybe just flood that sucker with nice soft light! If you end up going with direct softboxes you can still strike a balance between the flash and ambient light. If you measure the light to determine the ambient exposure you can then just underexpose it by a stop or less and adjust your flashes up so they just fill but don't overpower the ambient light. You can try this at home in your lounge room or where ever when it's dark. If you want a full explanation of it I'm happy to start another rant! Speaking of rants, I have posted another rant above (or is it below?) in here about shooting a party with similarly appalling lighting conditions. You may find some of it relevant. I'm very keen to see what you come up with. Do you have an Instagram? Mine is Instagram.com/tonygrantpix Cheers!

[@leenewton2931]

I've been really impressed with low light on my r6 as well! I noticed in your settings you don't do a lot of masking on your sharpening. What's your take on that? Since learning about it recently I've added to every workflow. It can really help cut through some of the noise in low light shots by being surgical about what gets sharpened.

[@OneFocusPhotos]

So helpful! I never shot over 2000 iso before because I was so scared!! I'll easily at least go to 10k now and maybe 15k lol.

[@KatelynJames]

Haha yes!!

[@pennynichols8643]

Apology if you shared, what lens was used? Do you find the lens chosen can affect what you can and cannot do? I have the R6, not a professional. Thank you for sharing, it was very helpful!

[@KatelynJames]

The 28-70 2.0 and 85 1.2

[@Highviewsport1]

Thanks for the great video. Be interested to see you make another video putting the images through something like Topaz Denoise or Skylums Luminar Neo Noise reduction to see if they help reduce the noise but amazing results all things considered. Great video

[@KatelynJames]

Great suggestion!

[@coyoteself]

I like the graininess of the noise in the R6 and other newer cameras, compared to the ugly blotchy noise in some older DSLR's. Plus the grainy noise is easier to manage compared to the larger blotchy noise of some of my older DSLR's

[@TonyGrant.]

In Adobe RAW, if you turn up the 'Colour Noise Reduction' you can eliminate the blotchiness.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@fakkerdakker]

Fantastic research and happy accidents! I was wondering though...why didn't you use the 50mm 1.2? The 85mm seemed to be a bit tight. I'm thinking that the 50mm @ 1.8f would have picked up some more stray light to bring down the ISO. Your thoughts would be awesome!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@zenjitsuman]

While you couldn't use flash you could use an LED small panel RGB panel light the size of a pack of cigarettes, the output is adjustable and you don't have to crank it too much to use a lower ISO. With IBIS you can get those posed shots where people are standing still with a bit longer exposure.

[@KatelynJames]

I don't think they would have allowed LED lights... They were very strict

[@nonsolorasatura9093]

It is interesting see how good result the images despite the presence of such low light. Anyway the Canon R6 should be ISO invariant, so the only major issue of shooting at lower ISO, to raise them later on during the. postproduction, is the lower visibility of the image in camera.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@azppmd]

Some of us live in 12,500 and 25k ISO all the time shooting night time football. #FridayNightLights

[@KatelynJames]

True!

[@TherconJair]

And bonus fun with the different light temperatures between the windows and the lights. 😆

[@KatelynJames]

Haha yes! So much fun 😵‍💫

[@Biancje1]

Thanks for this very instructive and helpful video 🙏🏻 difficult/not optimal to try this out at a wedding hahaha but good to know what is possible

[@shy_1980]

Thank you! Great information!

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@davidroberts5535]

I wonder how much better the R6 mark 2 will be? Last, I’ve never shot that high but does Canons software offer any better noise reduction options than Adobe?

[@KatelynJames]

I need canon to send me one!

[@jeproks113]

Thank you for this video. I have an R6 but have been scared to crank up the ISO (I don't know why) but I just haven't. Can you do a video on on-camera speedlight with the Canon R6?

[@jlawr4427]

This is why many of us have encouraged you to shoot with AUTO ISO. It removes the worrry about getting a good, safe shot. I shoot RAW + Jpg. The other thing I have been amazed with is that the Jpg images at these settings have so much less noise! I can edit the Jpg with Adobe and often get a better image than editing RAW. The Canon proprietary algorithm in the camera and in Canon DPP software is just way better than Adobe in controlling noise. If you have them, take a look at your jpg's in Lightroom. You may be pleasantly surprised. Thanx for the video. R U getting the R6 MK II ?

[@KatelynJames]

I'm not worried about getting safe shot, I prefer to be in control. Maybe!

[@BrianHallmond]

Definitely take others advice on A.i software. Luminar and Topaz labs are great.

[@HulaHeart]

Do you think it’s worth the upgrading already owning two R6s that I just upgraded in May as a wedding photographer?

[@KatelynJames]

I am not sure yet. I don't think we are planning on upgrading

[@PabloGranadosVargas]

Try Topaz DeNoise on those images. Just try it and you will see for yourself.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@fromshadowlands]

Most excellent. I love my R6!

[@KatelynJames]

Its the best!

[@scoylephoto]

That's really impressive with how well they turned out! I knew I loved the low light abilities of the R6, but this is pretty mindblowing. Question: Having the setting in the corner of the image on the develop tab, is that a Lightroom setting you can select or is that something that you added to the youtube video?

[@KatelynJames]

Hitting i will show the info!

[@brucewarren9563]

I notice you left the "Masking" control in Lightroom at "0". I think you will find that by increasing this control will allow you to use more sharpening and or less Noise reduction. My R5 will be different, but I find a value of 60, for masking, works well and I almost never go above 20 for Noise reduction. My dumbed down way of looking at it is that masking concentrates the sharpening towards edges, where you are less likely to notice the noise introduced by sharpening.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Alienmuppet]

Yep, was going to say exactly this - with the masking at zero I *think* you are effectively sharpening the noise. Even on very low noise pictures I tend to never have masking at zero.

[@DayHunch]

I'm confused, from your settings why didn't you go down to 1.4.. Or even 1.2 you stayed at f2.0 you coulda made this easier for yourself. images still came out lovely

[@ajeromemahon7808]

I'm confused aswell, to me that's the point of having a lens like this. Although I understand when you want more than one person in focus

[@sexysilversurfer]

She did say F2 because of a safety margin with having people in focus.

[@ajeromemahon7808]

@@sexysilversurfer fair, I'm not used to using an 85 maybe the depth of field is far shallower than I imagine

[@KatelynJames]

I do wish I shot more at 1.4

[@melb9612]

I feel so much better thanks :) out of curiosity, you mentionned that we should use a prime lens in these situation but could the RF 28-70mm f.2 be another option?

[@KatelynJames]

It could be, I just didn't use it because it does let in less light, however I should have pulled the 85 down to 1.6

[@simonvail458]

But you would have lost depth of field… you were worried about that group shot with four where the lady on the right was ‘soft’. Thanks for the video. I shoot theatre so this video is very interesting. Like others I’d like to see you use Topaz Ai

[@granthaley867]

Great video Katelyn, do you turn off all in camera noise correction?

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@janiscollette1737]

Reading comments on the no flash issue....are you able to use a small lume cube light wither on the camera or on small stand that you can move around.

[@KatelynJames]

It wasn't allowed

[@emaniebo]

Rule number one. Insist on a using a flash. It’s not a wedding ceremony. It’s the wedding reception. I always explain it to my client that there’ll be flash photography and show them photos with and without using flash. If it’s ceremony and the priest or minister insist not to use flash, that’s fine. Bump your ISO. But for wedding reception? I have three speed lights triggered wirelessly.

[@harrisongould9460]

I had to watch based on thatI was in the same situation early this year. It was a charity event in downtown NYC in the largest room I have ever been in. Bouncing my flash was useless and direct strobe looked oh so 60's. I placed my camera on ISO 26,600, wide open at f2.8(I did not have my primes with me), eye focus and super burst motor-drive. I'd rip off 5-10 burst shots hoping to catch just one where their talking didn't make alien faces. Bottom line...it worked. This was before 'select subject' was part of LR Classic. Now I can select the subject and inverse the selection and tweak out a little more noise reduction on the back ground. The word I call when noise reduction is used too much is called...plastic looking. The R6 is an amazing camera...let's see how the R62 measures up.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@waynosfotos]

If you are shooting at 40,000 ISO you need to buy/have some LIGHTS! Get yourself some panotube 6 inch continuous lights and a small monopod to put it on (no flash needed). This allows you to hold it out without an assistant. Would of worked fantastic. If the client said no lights, or the venue, I would of said, i can't guarantee the product. It is crazy to think this is workable for a photographer when you can't even see. It is not about details, it is about contrast and picture quality.

[@m2rer1k]

I appreciate this video😍just what I need🤩What do you think about the new R6 mark2, will high ISO be better, worst or the same? since the comparison of how much/less MegaPixler there is in the camera?🤔 I have EOS R and R7 and I need a low light camera but I can't decide which of these R6 cameras I should choose?

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@DerikTran]

Well done. Not.Easy.PERIOD

[@TonyGrant.]

Thanks for doing this video Katelyn! I have been very curious to see how the R6 would perform under very low light conditions. There aren't too many videos on youtube where cameras are pushed to these limits. I often shoot in very low light and have to crank up the ISO and then fight with grain in editing. With my R7 (and especially with my old 7D2) I have to risk lower shutter speeds to mitigate severe grain and so try to stay at 3200 iso or below. I'm very interested to see hot the R6-2 goes under similar conditions. I was photographing my Daughter's Halloween party the other night in similarly appalling light. Many of the guests were in the backyard where there was very little light. I didn't want to use flash so I bounced a LED flood light of the house. I was using an R7 so I couldn't go to 40k ISO so I shot at 3200 mostly. Because of this I was using shutter speeds as low as 1/8th (which I have done many times - even without IS or IBIS in the past) to stay at 3200 iso. The highest shutter speed I could get outside was 1/45th. So long as people weren't too animated and I was steady I got fairly sharp shots. There was some movement in some but not unacceptably so, and some duds too. I always shoot 3 or more frames so I have some choice later. With setup group shots, for the most part, I had no trouble at all with a 50mm 1.8 on the R7. I had more trouble with grain than camera shake. I got some really nice results with just the ambient light which delighted everyone. Mind you, this was a low pressure situation in terms of the client's (my daughter's) expectations - just for social media. So I could take the risk. Having said that I have often shot at 1/8th HH with a 50mm 1.8 or an 85mm f1.4 IS. Back in the dark, dark days of film and paper I'd sometimes shoot portraits by candle light for the newspaper I was working for using an unstabilised 50mm 1.8 on a Canon T-90 with Kodak 3200 T-Max film. It's so much easier now with IBIS - now I can go below 1/8th if I'm real careful.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeffkernen1554]

My question is about autofocus in such horrible lighting. Did you have any issues with focus acquisition using your 85? I've tested the autofocus in my R3 against my R6 and the R3 is at least 3 stops better depending on quality and direction of light with a 2.8 lens. Just curious how the R6 did with a 1.2 lens.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@Snowyflake91]

Did you use servo or one shot af? And single point or eye af? 😊

[@sansin6250]

Why not use DXO Photolab 6 DeepPrime XD technology for superior noise reduction ? Their entire raw processing engine is unparalleled.

[@KatelynJames]

Thanks for watching!

[@abinadernaji]

Love your videos. One question,why did you prefer to use the 85 over the 28-70?

[@VespertiliKildem]

Dear Katelyn, I found your video because I'm looking at informations about the R6, I'm pretty positive I will buy this camera over the Lumix S5 (the autofocus on the R6 is alien-like, it's science fiction). First, I see the R6 is GREAT in low light, and second: do you have any videos on how to "save" dark pictures? What parameters to modify to save a good but dark picture? Thank you!