Sovietjet From Bulgaria, joined Mar 2003, 2339 posts, RR: 14 Posted (4 years 9 months 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 4101 times:
Looking at some of these pictures I was wondering...how is it done? Usually I only shoot in the afternoon/dusk because of work/school and I tend to leave during the "blue hour" since my shots come out blurry or out of focus after that. I have tried fiddling with the settings but with little success. I'm not talking about dusk/dawn here, I'm talking about full darkness. Any tips?
Now, I know you can jack the ISO up to get rid of blurriness but doesn't that cause a lot of grain? For example this picture was done with ISO1600!! and yet it doesn't have significant grain, how?
Also in all these situations, should manual focus be used? Anyone care to share some hints/tips on these types of shots? If it helps, I am using a Canon 40D with a 100-400L lens.
Very interesting question. I have the same question. I hope someone can provide an answer here.
All my results were amazingly blurry, way too dark, grainy, noisy etc etc... No chance to get a proper sharp picture...
DABZF From Germany, joined Mar 2004, 1190 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (4 years 9 months 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 4055 times:
Now, someone correct me if I'm wrong here but for the example shots #1 and #3 and #4 I would take spot metering from the #1-flare #3-afterburn #4-moon. Everything else except the light sources in these pictures are dark, if not black (I'm on a bad/dark monitor currently). You should be able to get rather fast shutter speed by taking the reading from these points.
For #2 and #5 you need a VERY steady hand to be able to get panning shots on shutter speeds as low as 1/10 or 1/20 - I can't even dream of that with my shaky hands...
I like driving backwards in the fog cause it doesn't remind me of anything - Chris Cornell
WILCO737 From Greenland, joined Jun 2004, 8473 posts, RR: 78 Reply 3, posted (4 years 9 months 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 4051 times:
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Quoting DABZF (Reply 2): For #2 and #5 you need a VERY steady hand to be able to get panning shots on shutter speeds as low as 1/10 or 1/20 - I can't even dream of that with my shaky hands... Sad
Yeah, I wasn't very successful with such shots myself. Most are blurry
Quoting DABZF (Reply 2): Now, someone correct me if I'm wrong here but for the example shots #1 and #3 and #4 I would take spot metering from the #1-flare #3-afterburn #4-moon.
It looke like the shutter speed is pretty short, as seen in #2. The background lights are just slightly blurred because of the motion. But the aircraft is pretty sharp.
Pic #4 looks a little grainy to me (but this might be this cheap stupid laptop But I guess even here the shutter speed is pretty short and the ISO is at maybr 1600 or so?
RBayflyer From New Zealand, joined Aug 2008, 3 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (4 years 9 months 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 3966 times:
I've got a Canon EOS 350D
I battle to take propper night shots...it comes out blurry, whats the best settings, please explain in normal common steps and language please.
TimdeGroot From Netherlands, joined Apr 2002, 3674 posts, RR: 67 Reply 9, posted (4 years 9 months 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 3968 times:
Quoting RBayflyer (Reply 8): I've got a Canon EOS 350D
I battle to take propper night shots...it comes out blurry, whats the best settings, please explain in normal common steps and language please.
First step is to ask why they are blurry. Are you shooting moving aircraft at night or static. If the latter are you using a tripod?
Soon7x7 From United States of America, joined May 2006, 2799 posts, RR: 14 Reply 10, posted (4 years 9 months 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 3903 times:
For celestial type night shots (plane/moon), I've used iso 800, n/reduction,1/250sec w/ 600 mm lens and 1.4 adapter...on tripod w/ cable release., Static exteriors,2-3 minute exposures on tripod, ISO 100. Moving objects at night, ...ISO 200-800, fast lens...panning on tripod if able and much luck...
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Scotland1979 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 546 posts, RR: 13 Reply 12, posted (4 years 9 months 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 3805 times:
Quoting WILCO737 (Reply 3): Yeah, I wasn't very successful with such shots myself. Most are blurry
Me too and I am still working on it. And too bad YXU doesn't have that kind of lights at night. I will try YYZ at night however I need to know which set first before trying YYZ
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But I guess even here the shutter speed is pretty short and the ISO is at maybr 1600 or so?
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