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Gail's Panasonic FZ18 Blog
FZ18 low light tips
The FZ18 takes outstanding photos in good light. But it's a mixed bag when shooting in low light without a flash.
Photos taken at IS0 400 may contian unsightly yellow splotching. Photos taken above ISO 400 are particularly prone to yellow splotching and serious smearing of detail.
The yellow blotching can be so bad that images are suitable only as snapshots and may not look good as prints larger than 4x6."
Available light
For inside shots using higher ISO numbers, the FZ18 does best when low light is mixed with natural light, such as in the sample photo. The room contains a mixture of artificial lighting and outside light filtering through the windows.
If there is no available light in a room, stick to lower ISO numbers. Use a camera support such as tripod or lean the camera against something sturdy. If pemitted and you are located in an acceptable range, use the flash.
Darker backgrounds
Scenes that have darker backgounds are less vulnerable to yellow splotching. There is no guarantee, however, so always take some test photos before an important event. Zoom in to preview if there is splotching. If so, consider the alternatives mentioned above.
When there are no alternatives
For many of us, getting a poor quality shot is better than none at all. If your image ends up with noise or yellow splotching, take steps to reduce them when editing [More info].