Album 995 flash shots in complete darkness.

Sylvain

As far as I am aware, I am not doing anything special with the camera. I always use it on the Manual setting rather than the Automatic but everything else is pretty well standard. Program mode to let it do its own thing. The only thing I have changed is the setting so that it doesn't continually focus but only focuses when I press the shutter half-way.

I've just checked again to see what happens with the lights. With mine, the red light comes on and stays steady but the green light flashes rapidly. However this does not prevent me from taking the picture.

Further to this issue of focusing in pitch-black conditions, I have noticed a tiny sensor of some sort immediately below the flash light so perhaps this is the means of focusing in the dark.

Chris L

Sylvain C. said:

How can you do something like that??

I just got a 995 and it will not even fire when it is dark!! The
"no way" red right is flashing and it won't fire at all!!

You must have some kind of trick...

S.

Chris L said:

Jan

You're right, it's not just luck.

I picked up my 995 a couple of days ago (upgrading from the 990 and
previously the 950) and having seen this thread, decided to try it
for myself. Couldn't believe the results!

First of all, i went into a pitch-black room, door closed, no light
at all. Just aimed the camera in the general direction of the
bookcase on the wall and hey presto! one perfectly focused picture.
Tried it several times with different distances.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Eduardo

There was no special setup for this image. I was on holiday for two weeks in Central Australia (about 2500 km directly north-west from my home in Melbourne). Most Australians live around the coast, mainly the east coast, and it is a major trip to go to Central Australia, the equivalent of Europeans travelling to central Africa.

I was driving out to Uluru (Ayers Rock) which is about 450 km from Alice Springs. The sun sets very quickly in this part of the world -- there is no gradual fading of the light. Driving along, many insects had splattered themselves on my windscreen so it was getting difficult to see, especially as I was driving towards the setting sun. I stopped to clean the windscreen and then my travelling companion called my attention to the light on the sand dunes by the roadside. I grabbed my camera, the Nikon CP 990, and quickly took a couple of photos. Another minute and the light had gone from the dune and within a few minutes it was completely dark.

So, Eduardo, a matter of luck. Pure serendipity!

Chris L
Melbourne, Oz

eduardo said:

To Chris,
Your picture is very stunning, i like the color of the image, what
set up did you used to get this kind of image ? thanks...

Click to expand...

Well Chris, this is a mystery. I have tried both Auto and Manual mode and none of those modes will have the camera fire in the dark (I too normally use Manual mode with the continous focus disabled).

You guys must have a special 995 or there is some kind of setting that's different. By the way, were you shooting with or without the monitor? I normally have it off in Manual mode.

Sylvain.

Chris L said:

As far as I am aware, I am not doing anything special with the
camera. I always use it on the Manual setting rather than the
Automatic but everything else is pretty well standard. Program mode
to let it do its own thing. The only thing I have changed is the
setting so that it doesn't continually focus but only focuses when
I press the shutter half-way.

I've just checked again to see what happens with the lights. With
mine, the red light comes on and stays steady but the green light
flashes rapidly. However this does not prevent me from taking the
picture.

Further to this issue of focusing in pitch-black conditions, I have
noticed a tiny sensor of some sort immediately below the flash
light so perhaps this is the means of focusing in the dark.

Chris L

Sylvain C. said:

How can you do something like that??

I just got a 995 and it will not even fire when it is dark!! The
"no way" red right is flashing and it won't fire at all!!

You must have some kind of trick...

S.

Chris L said:

Jan

You're right, it's not just luck.

I picked up my 995 a couple of days ago (upgrading from the 990 and
previously the 950) and having seen this thread, decided to try it
for myself. Couldn't believe the results!

First of all, i went into a pitch-black room, door closed, no light
at all. Just aimed the camera in the general direction of the
bookcase on the wall and hey presto! one perfectly focused picture.
Tried it several times with different distances.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Sylvain C. said:

Well Chris, this is a mystery. I have tried both Auto and Manual
mode and none of those modes will have the camera fire in the dark
(I too normally use Manual mode with the continous focus disabled).

You guys must have a special 995 or there is some kind of setting
that's different. By the way, were you shooting with or without
the monitor? I normally have it off in Manual mode.

Sylvain.

Click to expand...

Total guess here, but I'll bet that you are using the camera with the monitor turned off in the dark. With the monitor off, the camera will not let you fire in any of the auto focus modes unless there is a focus lock. This is a "feature" and intentional design.
Bryan

Yes Bryan. I am using the camera with the monitor off. I'll give it a try this evening with the monitor on... Thanks.

Sylvain.

Bryan Biggers said:

Sylvain C. said:

Well Chris, this is a mystery. I have tried both Auto and Manual
mode and none of those modes will have the camera fire in the dark
(I too normally use Manual mode with the continous focus disabled).

You guys must have a special 995 or there is some kind of setting
that's different. By the way, were you shooting with or without
the monitor? I normally have it off in Manual mode.

Sylvain.

Click to expand...

Total guess here, but I'll bet that you are using the camera with
the monitor turned off in the dark. With the monitor off, the
camera will not let you fire in any of the auto focus modes unless
there is a focus lock. This is a "feature" and intentional design.
Bryan

Click to expand...

I did the test yesterday with the monitor on. It works but I can't say that focus is 100%. See actual picture here:

http://www.pbase.com/image/153942

S.

Bryan Biggers said:

Sylvain C. said:

Well Chris, this is a mystery. I have tried both Auto and Manual
mode and none of those modes will have the camera fire in the dark
(I too normally use Manual mode with the continous focus disabled).

You guys must have a special 995 or there is some kind of setting
that's different. By the way, were you shooting with or without
the monitor? I normally have it off in Manual mode.

Sylvain.

Click to expand...

Total guess here, but I'll bet that you are using the camera with
the monitor turned off in the dark. With the monitor off, the
camera will not let you fire in any of the auto focus modes unless
there is a focus lock. This is a "feature" and intentional design.
Bryan

Click to expand...

pretty darn good!!

Sylvain C. said:

http://www.pbase.com/image/153942

S.

Bryan Biggers said:

Sylvain C. said:

Well Chris, this is a mystery. I have tried both Auto and Manual
mode and none of those modes will have the camera fire in the dark
(I too normally use Manual mode with the continous focus disabled).

You guys must have a special 995 or there is some kind of setting
that's different. By the way, were you shooting with or without
the monitor? I normally have it off in Manual mode.

Sylvain.

Click to expand...

Total guess here, but I'll bet that you are using the camera with
the monitor turned off in the dark. With the monitor off, the
camera will not let you fire in any of the auto focus modes unless
there is a focus lock. This is a "feature" and intentional design.
Bryan

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Still good.

That (if i'm not mistaken) is the closest attempt I have seen (closest to the subject), try it a about 5 feet back (or a total of about 8 feet away).

Sherm

Sylvain C. said:

http://www.pbase.com/image/153942

S.

Bryan Biggers said:

Sylvain C. said:

Well Chris, this is a mystery. I have tried both Auto and Manual
mode and none of those modes will have the camera fire in the dark
(I too normally use Manual mode with the continous focus disabled).

You guys must have a special 995 or there is some kind of setting
that's different. By the way, were you shooting with or without
the monitor? I normally have it off in Manual mode.

Sylvain.

Click to expand...

Total guess here, but I'll bet that you are using the camera with
the monitor turned off in the dark. With the monitor off, the
camera will not let you fire in any of the auto focus modes unless
there is a focus lock. This is a "feature" and intentional design.
Bryan

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Sylvain,

If you get closer then 3 feet the picture get fussy.
When you get closer then 3 feet turn on your macro.

Jan

Sylvain C. said:

http://www.pbase.com/image/153942

S.

Bryan Biggers said:

Sylvain C. said:

Well Chris, this is a mystery. I have tried both Auto and Manual
mode and none of those modes will have the camera fire in the dark
(I too normally use Manual mode with the continous focus disabled).

You guys must have a special 995 or there is some kind of setting
that's different. By the way, were you shooting with or without
the monitor? I normally have it off in Manual mode.

Sylvain.

Click to expand...

Total guess here, but I'll bet that you are using the camera with
the monitor turned off in the dark. With the monitor off, the
camera will not let you fire in any of the auto focus modes unless
there is a focus lock. This is a "feature" and intentional design.
Bryan

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Yes try it in Macro and see what happens from closer than 3 feet Sylvain.. Jerry

Jan Struyf said:

If you get closer then 3 feet the picture get fussy.
When you get closer then 3 feet turn on your macro.

Jan

Sylvain C. said:

http://www.pbase.com/image/153942

S.

Bryan Biggers said:

Sylvain C. said:

Well Chris, this is a mystery. I have tried both Auto and Manual
mode and none of those modes will have the camera fire in the dark
(I too normally use Manual mode with the continous focus disabled).

You guys must have a special 995 or there is some kind of setting
that's different. By the way, were you shooting with or without
the monitor? I normally have it off in Manual mode.

Sylvain.

Click to expand...

Total guess here, but I'll bet that you are using the camera with
the monitor turned off in the dark. With the monitor off, the
camera will not let you fire in any of the auto focus modes unless
there is a focus lock. This is a "feature" and intentional design.
Bryan

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Jerry,

I have tried that with no success. Even with macro on, the picture was stil blurry.

I moved further away though, still in total darkness, and took another picture of another subject. That one worked very well; I have added it to my test pictures:

http://www.pbase.com/sylvain/test_pictures

S.

Jerry said:

Jan Struyf said:

If you get closer then 3 feet the picture get fussy.
When you get closer then 3 feet turn on your macro.

Jan

Sylvain C. said:

http://www.pbase.com/image/153942

S.

Bryan Biggers said:

Sylvain C. said:

Well Chris, this is a mystery. I have tried both Auto and Manual
mode and none of those modes will have the camera fire in the dark
(I too normally use Manual mode with the continous focus disabled).

You guys must have a special 995 or there is some kind of setting
that's different. By the way, were you shooting with or without
the monitor? I normally have it off in Manual mode.

Sylvain.

Click to expand...

Total guess here, but I'll bet that you are using the camera with
the monitor turned off in the dark. With the monitor off, the
camera will not let you fire in any of the auto focus modes unless
there is a focus lock. This is a "feature" and intentional design.
Bryan

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...