Here are 10 steps you can take to get good night shot photos

1) You will need a steady tripod.
2) Of course you need darkness ;-) Although night shots no more than an hour after sunset are usually the best because the sky has a nice dark blue color.
3) Set the ISO 100 so that you have the least amount of noise.
4) Use the indoor or incandescent white balance preset, it tend to give the best color rendition. Auto can also work on occasion.
5) Set the focus to infinity if the scene is right for that.
6) Set the exposure. You can let the camera handle this by using Scene mode set to twilight, or you can use manual mode.
7) Manual mode may lead to sharper pictures. For a cityscape try F4 and 8 seconds should give you good results. For a darker scene use a longer exposure (10 seconds all the way up to 30 seconds). If the photo still comes out too dark, then try a higher ISO (200 or 400).
8) Use the self timer to take the exposure so the camera is as steady as possible.
9) There is usually no need to use the flash, unless you want to light up something nearby.
10) Experiment! It is the best way to learn what to do , and what not to do.

This photo is a combination of different exposures but all taken at F4. It gives you an idea of what is possible with even a digital camera at night.
http://shay.ws/graphics/DSC06090-500.jpg





--
Shay

My Sony F707 Gallery: http://www.shaystephens.com/portfolio.asp