I need help on shutter speed!

[chameleon20]

Hihi,

I am really a noob in photography and have been trying out my new toy - D40 recently.
Tried to take night shots but all the photos appeared blurry...I chose P mode & using ISO 1600 recommended for those without tripod but the end results are blur too.
I tried S mode, ISO 200 & f5 and it turned out better but not perfect.
Can someone teach me how to create sharp & nice night photography?

Also, I have a very stupid qns...How do I adjust on my D40 to change the shutter speed?
Don't see any button to adjust shutter speed...:what:

Thanks in advance!

 

[attap seed]

i dun know anything abt D40, but nite photography is one of my favourite.

a tripod is really critical for scenary.

really, u can get away w hi ISO, large aperture... ...but its the really slow shutter that makes the shot.

so, i'd advise u invest in a good tripod if u havent got one.

 

[racoon31e]

Basically for "sharp & nice" night photography, you need a tripod.

To adjust your shutter speed, turn the knob on the top of the camera to "S". After which just spin the dial near your right thumb.

 

[chameleon20]

Thanks for your replies..

But I still have some queries.
Does it mean without tripod, the photos definitely will not be sharp?

hi racoon31e, I tried to turn the right dial, I saw the numbers changing (eg. 2.5 to 4 to 5 to 8...) and this number is besides the f5.0 aperture...Is this the shutter speed? Sorry for asking such qns...

 

[LenzLaw]

Read your manual man, it really helps

And yes, just for the most most basic intro to photography for complete novices,
Faster shutter speed -> less blur, image darker
Lower aperture number -> Image brighter, but usually less sharper
Higher ISO -> Image brighter but lower quality (more grainy)

For more detail, you can always refer to the wikipedia

 

[deklan]

this is the basic,
fast shutter, less light enters in, picture is darker. but it wld't pick up hand shakes.
bigger aperture (smaller F/ number) would result in, more light entering, brighter picture, but less depth of field.
so if u want more light, as u are in a dark place is have a slower shutter, and if possible(shld you not need too much depth of field) a larger aperture.
so a tripod now, would be the tool you need.

regarding ur D40, i havent handled that before. but if its not one of the scrolls dials on the right side of the cam, i you got to browse thru ur viewfinder to adjust it.

 

[HTCahHTC]

Thanks for your replies..

But I still have some queries.
Does it mean without tripod, the photos definitely will not be sharp?

hi racoon31e, I tried to turn the right dial, I saw the numbers changing (eg. 2.5 to 4 to 5 to 8...) and this number is besides the f5.0 aperture...Is this the shutter speed? Sorry for asking such qns...

yes, night photography is useless without a tripod.

since i come across, i guess i'll answer on behalf of racoon31e? yes, those numbers are shutter speeds. and those you just input are in seconds (2.5s, 4s and so on...) it's like... you can't hold your camera without moving at all for 2.5 secs right? it's totally impossible, unless you invest in a tripod. if possible, don't bump your iso up to more than 400 for night photography (some will say 800, it depends). if not, noise will definitely be a problem. and also try to set your aperture to around f/16 or higher (my higher means higher f number. like f/22), so as to keep the background sharp too (not really good in explaining. sorry) short and sweet, focus to infinite.

 

[Dream Merchant]

A very good and easy to understand article on shutter speed and stuff...

http://photodoto.com/understanding-exposure-shutter-speed-aperture-and-iso/

CHEERS!

 

[attap seed]

Thanks for your replies..

But I still have some queries.
Does it mean without tripod, the photos definitely will not be sharp?

hi racoon31e, I tried to turn the right dial, I saw the numbers changing (eg. 2.5 to 4 to 5 to 8...) and this number is besides the f5.0 aperture...Is this the shutter speed? Sorry for asking such qns...

its perfectly ok to ask.

tripod is important, cus for night scene, ppl normally wan a long exposure, to create certain effects, eg, light trails of vehicles.

the rule of thumb for hand holding is X/sec for X focal length.

eg, 1/125 sec for 100mm. 1/30 sec for 28mm.

reason being, longer focal length, "exaggerates" handshake.

 

[Rashkae]

I would suggest 3 things:

1. use a tripod.

2. Use ISO 100.

3. Read your manual.

 

[Kit]

Night scenes without a sturdy tripod = waste of time.

 

[Kit]

its perfectly ok to ask.

tripod is important, cus for night scene, ppl normally wan a long exposure, to create certain effects, eg, light trails of vehicles.

the rule of thumb for hand holding is X/sec for X focal length.

eg, 1/125 sec for 100mm. 1/30 sec for 28mm.

reason being, longer focal length, "exaggerates" handshake.

Longer exposures are not only used to create certain effects. Technically, the low lighting conditions will yield exposure speed which is impossible to handhold (if you want to do it right), the rule of thumb for handholding is not relevant anymore. Hence the need for sturdy support is necessary.

 

[chameleon20]

Hihi, me again with questions on shutter speed.

As I am using Nikon D40, the screen does not display the shutter speed according to 1/15s, 1/30s etc based on the tutorials online.
Can someone advise if I want to choose eg. 1/15s in D40, what shutter speed is displayed on the LCD?
And if I wanna take dreamy waters on sea, rivers etc, what is the best shutter speed to use on D40?
Sorry to ask these qns as I am still a noob till now... =S

 

[J-Chan]

only the resciprocals are displayed, ie 1/30s is displayed as 30, for 30secs its 30"..

for flowing waters depending on how fast the rate of the water is, abt 1 or 2 secs would do.. but you'll need to use ND filters to cut down the amount of light coming into the cam..

 

[chameleon20]

Thanks, J-Chan, got it now!
I have a filter to protect my lens from being scratched, not sure is it the filter u r referring?

 

[Rashkae]

Thanks, J-Chan, got it now!
I have a filter to protect my lens from being scratched, not sure is it the filter u r referring?

No. Google for "types of filters" or just "what is an ND filter"

 

[chameleon20]

Ok thanks!

 

[Octarine]

Since you are not yet familiar with the very basics I suggest you stick to simple daylight photography. No point venturing into a specialized field without at least basics understanding of the basic parameters. Read your manual and the sticky guides here. Plenty of information. Keep it simple at the beginning.

 

[exofo]

if taking night scene, it ok to set the shutter a slower speed , more light...however, if taking pictures . cannot make it use a flash.. unless it is still . correct me if i wrong.. i dun like to take night picture. still trying practising hard with flash..

How to acheive day light effect in the night? if it is not brighly lit?

 

[dennisc]

Shutter speed at night? I use full manual for portraits, aperture or P or S mode just wouldn't cut it in places like clarke quay, etc using ambient light + high ISO/stropist.

But there's really no right way for the perfect night photography, I know some cam mags suggests f2.8 1sec as well. But its safe to shoot around f8 or smaller with long shutter for a sharper, silky look. Just experiment, to each their own preferance.