Best digital camera settings for nighttime photos About This Page:

[mickeyfans]

We are looking forward to our 4-night stay at AKL just over a month from now. We are always looking to get great nighttime photographs of MK, EPCOT, and Disney-MGM, with varying degrees of success. For those who have taken successful nighttime photos, we are just wondering what settings have worked. <font color="blue"> </font>

[joyful1nh]

I have had varying degrees of success. The best photos I have taken were using a tripod with the flash off and using the remote shutter release on my camera. Next to best were with the camera sitting on something (like a rail or trash can) and the flash off. I have some decent ones with the flash just cranked way down -- but the automatic setting on my camera just doesn't work good for nighttime photos.

[WillCAD]

Yeah, what Joy said!

Go to Best Buy and look for a pocket-size tripod. Using the techniques Joy described, and a pocket-size tripod, I've taken dozens of wonderful long-exposure night shots of Spaceship Earth:

and the Plaza de los Amigos:

the Castle:

and a few other things:

[RyanC]

I'm a little lazier than most so I don't carry around a tripod. For me personally with my camera I've found I get the best results with the flash off, leaving everything else on automatic, and sitting the camera on something stationary. Of course I'm sure anyone with any real photography experience is cringing, but hey it works for me

[wdwlovers]

[ QUOTE ]
For me personally with my camera I've found I get the best results with the flash off, leaving everything else on automatic, and sitting the camera on something stationary.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is what I do too and it works for me!

[Colexis Mom]

I just got back, and found the best nighttime pictures came when I had the flash off. I also have a special fireworks setting (scene) on my camera (Nikon Coolpix 4300), but found just leaving it in auto mode and turning the flash off gave better pictures than the fireworks setting.

[DaveH]

The best pics I have gotten is flash off. I have done mini tripod on things like trash cans, I have used full tri pods, I have also just put the camera on something steady and all worked fine. The other thing I do is my camerea has a delay of either 2 seconds or 10 seconds before taking a pic. I have used these very sucessfully with all of the above. That way no shutter cable, plus my camera does not take these cables. Anything extremely steady and if the auto focus can work will work fine. If you have a delay for shutter is best, less chance of you moving the camera when the picture is taken. Yes you can move the camerea on a tripod or otherthing pushing down the shutter. Good luck and have fun trying to take night time photos. The night photos I have posted on threads on this board were taken on a tripod I got at WalMart.

[mattjs]

Pedco makes a great little mini tripod. The Ultrapod I &amp; the Ultrapod mini work great, and they're small enough to fit in even a waist pack. Has an attached velcro strap too which is perfect for strapping it to a railing, etc. when there's nowhere to set it down.



So right about using a shutter delay too Dave. Just pushing the button'll give you blur if you're using a slow shutter speed. Even on a tripod, or with the camera on a table or trash can.



For something like fireworks, if you don't have manual control over exposure, you might find you'll be better off in the cameras "landscape mode", rather than it's "night mode". Landscape will probly have a focus setting to infinity so at least you don't have to worry about focusing at all.



I know you can get that Ultra "mini" for $15 through Lensmateonline (scroll down).

[statelady01]

I found my experience similar to Marnie's- the fireworks setting was not only cost me more time, but just having the flash off yielded pictures that were quite good and I was pleased with.

[Marv]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm a little lazier than most so I don't carry around a tripod. For me personally with my camera I've found I get the best results with the flash off, leaving everything else on automatic, and sitting the camera on something stationary. Of course I'm sure anyone with any real photography experience is cringing, but hey it works for me

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Me, too!



Here's a picture and for a novice, I think this is pretty good! In fact, I didn't have my camera sitting on anything. I was just holding it.



Wishes picture

[mattjs]

Shutter speed could be the problem your getting with that auto firework setting. It might be doing a few things.



Probly sets focus to infinity (that way the camera doesn't have to hunt for something to focus on, and you get both nearer and farther bursts clear). Sets a smaller aperture (how wide the shutter opens) so it can use a slower shutter speed without collecting too much light from the fireworks. And uses a slower shutter speed which is the key to those trailing, hanging, drooping, exploding kinda pics.



The catch with the slower shutter though is that any movement of the camera, or even say the trash can/fence it's sitting on will blur the image on ya. For me, at longer exposures (like a second or more), even just pressing the shutter button when the camera's sitting on a table or a tripod will do it.



Check the manual on that firework setting, and if it talks about shutter speeds any slower than say 1/60th of a second, you're gettin into the range where it's tough to handhold a steady shot. Depending on how steady you are (and I'm not very ) at some slower speeds (like in the 1/40th to 1/2 second range) you can try handholding it resting on a railing or something. If it's a full second or more though, it's pretty much a hands off operation or it'll deffinitely blur. Need a mini tripod, or a a table or something to sit the camera on. And then use the automatic shutter delay or a remote if the camera has one.



Rule of thumb for flash at night is check the maximum flash range in the manual. Anytime you're shooting something farther away than the maximum flash distance, you deffinitely want it off. Otherwise you're only gonna get what falls in the flash range. Everything beyond it'll be dark.



New York Institute of Photography has a couple of cool fireworks tip pages here. Can't wait to try and get some Wishes pics this trip!

[mattjs]

By the way, anybodoy with a digital, Amazon has a pretty good deal going on Sandisk 512MB CF cards.



$59 (price includes a $20 mail in rebate). With free shipping, I'd say that's the cheapest I've ever seen 512MB cards anywhere. Rebate purchase deadline runs out in a couple days though.





Edit: Rebate offer ended. Worth checking that Sandisk link every now and then though. This is the second time Amazon has run that offer in the last 3 or 4 months. Wouldn't be surprised if they ran it again in the not too distant future.

[dejavu]

Wow Michelle, that is an awesome picture!

[mickeyfans]

Mattjs: Special thanks for the links to the New York Institute of Photography tips and the Amazon rebate special!!!

All: We look forward to trying out the various suggestions in 3 1/2 weeks.

[Irene]

<font color="blue"> Thanks for the tips. I'm going to have to try again. </font>