Taking pictures in the dark

_bethany

I tried to take pictures while in the dark using my 50mm f/1.8 and my T2i does alot of continuous flashing and seems to have a hard time focusing. Most times it won't even let me take the shot because it can't focus. The flash sign will pop up saying "busy" I tried shooting in night portrait, AV and even auto. Same issue, everytime. Help?

Moose

Howdy @_bethany - As you've already experienced, cameras have a difficult time focusing in the dark. They need something with contrast (dark to light) to grab on to. In situations where focus can't lock, you'll need to flip the AF/MF switch on your lens to MF and focus on the subject or scene manually.

As for the "busy" flash message...the flash has to "recycle" each time you take a shot. This time can vary between 2 to 6 seconds, depending on the amount of power you have left in your battery. Hope that all makes sense. Happy shooting! :)