Taking photos at night or in dim situations


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raptor1988

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Jul 19, 2006
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hi everyone. just want some advice regarding photo taking at night or in dim conditions.

right now i'm using a PnS. Kodak Easyshare C875. went to the NDP CR last sat and i realised that as soon as it got dark/dim after 7 like that, the photos all become easily blurred. even when using night mode, also very bad most of the pics come out blurred.

apart from using a tripod, is there anyway i can 'master' taking pics at night with minimal shaking? my cam has no optical stabilizer.

some shots i took:








pls comment. thanks. :D
 

there is a certain element of aptitude.

and some people know with understanding under which circumstances would they accept that it is not within their handheld ability that they have to do something else. breathing, handhold and support techniques can be applied and is a long story. google nikonians.org for an article on that.

handheld with high ISO and even with stabiliser of bright lighted night is at the borderline of handshake, some managed with handheld, some dun. dim lighted night is out of question. you managed to catch it becos of fair light and wide angle.
 

hi everyone. just want some advice regarding photo taking at night or in dim conditions.

right now i'm using a PnS. Kodak Easyshare C875. went to the NDP CR last sat and i realised that as soon as it got dark/dim after 7 like that, the photos all become easily blurred. even when using night mode, also very bad most of the pics come out blurred.

apart from using a tripod, is there anyway i can 'master' taking pics at night with minimal shaking? my cam has no optical stabilizer.

pls comment. thanks. :D

i understand your frustration. i suspect most nightmode shots cannot capture moving subjects without blurring because of the low lighting and low shutter speed. you can check the info of the photo for the camera settings used in nightmode.

as for hands shaking, i believe there is a limit to what you can do about it, cause even if you think you are not shaking, the slight vibrations can show up at low shutter speeds. use a tripod if you have one. but even then, there is still a good chance your shots might still be blurred for the moving subjects due to your low shutter speeds.

i suspect those who do night time shots of moving subjects have fast lens - those with very large apertures. f/1.5 or better ? either that or use the manual setting and increase your iso settings to ensure you can use a higher shutter speed setting (preferably 1/60 or faster) at the expense of grainier shots. i am not sure if flash can help for shots of that distance, but there is no harm trying.

i have checked on the specifications of your cam - you can try iso 800. not sure if you have a manual mode where you can adjust your shutter speed and other settings manually, or a shutter-priority mode. failing that, you can try sports mode - which should supports high shutter speed, though i am not sure if the exposure is sufficient for the photos to turn up visible. but i suspect your camera may not be affected as much by video capture, so you may want to try taking videos instead, haha. another suggestion is to try to get closer to the field where the lighting is better if you can manage it.

good luck !
 

for shots like above where flash is out of the question,

using pns, you will need a tripod (prevent handshake) with high iso camera (for moving subjects) for better results...

if using slr, you have another option to use a faster lens :)
 

Get a small tripod. The advantage of P&S cameras is that they can get away with much smaller tripods. Little tabletop tripods can be placed on a wall, or or some other support.

Beanbags also work.. yes, that kind - cloth with foam pellets or equivalent in it. Rest the camera on the beanbag, set the self timer to 2 seconds (so you can take your hands off before you shake it) and let the camera take the shot.

Lastly, brace your arms, body, against anything available. Rest your arms on a railing while holding the camera to minimize shake.

None of these will beat a good tripod, but if it's the difference between getting the photo (while the tripod is at home) and getting a blurry shot, it might just give you a chance :)
 

Interesting.

The shutter speed and aperture settings are identical for all shots. The ISO is the same also.

OK one is 1/10 whilst the others are 1/8.... but close enough :dunno:

Although a tripod is most definately needed, I would try P mode and change the metering setting.

Just a thought :)
 

at times you'd usually not have the Tripod with you.
You can try to hunt for flat objects which you can use to place your camera on, to simulate a tripod. Turn on the timer and let it capture. This way u minimise shake as well.
 

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