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k5mitch

k5mitch

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Best settings For night time shooting homes with X-mas lights?

Thanks...
 
Me too I have fooled around a bit, need a tripod for sure, it's getting the exposure right with the high intensity lights.
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Himm
 
I recently took a picture of my Christmas tree using my D70s with 18-70 mm kit lens. I used 25mm at 1.0s and f/5. I don't have the pic hosted or I would post it here. Sorry.

Ed
 
I remember finding this type of info somewhere, but I can't find it any more. ANYone else?

J
 
Not sure if it's relevant or not, but I was playing around with our Canon S2IS p&S Camera, and on a tripod, I took a perfect picture of our christmas tree. It was at f2.8, 6second exposure, fully wide angle. 4 and 5 second exposures looked really good too, just a bit darker. Oh, ISO was 100. At 6 seconds, each christmas light looked like a star and not a light which I really liked. I was about 6 feet away from the tree.

Hope this helps, but it may not apply because a DSLR sensor is many times the size of the Canon S2Is.

Mark
 
I was thinking of outdoor xmas lights in a dark background and bright house lights.
--
Himm
 
himm67 said:
I was thinking of outdoor xmas lights in a dark background and
bright house lights.
--
Himm
Click to expand...
yeah thats what I wanted to know...
 
First, you'll need a tripod...period...

Second, digital doesn't suffer from reciprocity failure like film does so you'll be able to better trust your meter. You're probably looking at a 5-10 second exposure. Set your camera on manual and bracket your shots based on what your meter indicates (i.e. if you're at your lowest f-stop, and the indicated exposure is 5 sec, bracket at 5, 6 and 7 sec). Check the histogram for proper exposure.

--
'Work is for people who don't know how to surf'
 
Im going to try my fireworks recipe....I use F11 with a 1-5 second shutter speed with a ISO of 100...with a tripod....Ill let you know how I make out
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Sal

Nikon D-80
Nikon 28mm 2.8
Nikon 50mm 1.4
Nikon 85mm 1.8
Nikon 35-70mm 2.8
Nikon 24-120 VR
Nikon 28-105
SB-800
 
I'm not sure there is any "magic" setting as each situation is going to have it's own variables to deal with. Here's what I've done in the past which has served as a good "learning experience".....it's not perfect but it has taught me a lot. Simply go out and put your camera on a tripod and begin shooting at perhaps 1" / f5. Then change it to F/8...then to f/11 and so on. Then change to 2" and do the same thing with the f stops. Obviously you can continue this as long as you want and then come review your results on the computer and pay attention to the exif info. Sure, it takes some time doing it this way but nothing like learning through trial and error and it's really an eye-opener to see how the various settings change your results. Plus it's a REALLY good excuse to drink lots of eggnog w/a lil extra 'nog' in it!

Cheers,
Larry
--
We are the people our parents warned us about!
 
I took these last year. Use a tripod and remote. Here are the settings.

1/2 seconds at F11



1.3 seconds at F8 (Might be a little overexposed)



Laslo
--
lv1
http://laslo.smugmug.com
Smugmug $5 discount coupon #
 
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