Firework looks best with something like f11 and 2 or 3 seconds exposure and ISO 100 or ISO 200. This definitely needs a tripod.
Absolutely agree.......Usually, 1 to 4 seconds is good depending on what you're trying to do with the photo. Anything shorter and you may not get the full effect or the full bloom of the fireworks and anything longer you may just end up with a washed out image. Fireworks are large bright distant light sources that "bloom" over the course of several seconds. To capture the the full effect of the firework's burst it is necessary to use a longer exposure and mid range aperture.
f/11 is way too small an aperture for a G10. I don't have one so I haven't looked it up (in a test report etc.), but I suspect that with the G10 diffraction effects begin to set in at around f/4 or perhaps even lower, which reduces resolution; once you have diffraction, stopping down more continues to reduce resolution even further, so f/11 on a G10 would be a big mistake. Besides, at larger apertures you can tune the ISO down to something lower, to minimize sensor noise. Again, look up some test reports or ask other G10 owners about this. Most lenses have a sweet spot aperture for optimum sharpness.
Set the focus to infinity (manual mode) if you are in a hurry and the fireworks will be in focus. If you want more of the foreground in focus, set your G10 to the hyperfocal distance for whatever aperture you are using - at f/3.2 it is 14.7 feet, but even at a focus setting of 20 feet things will be in focus from about 10 feet to infinity.
Regarding shutter speeds, it is a matter of personal taste and skill, but I suggest that the OP at least try a few shot sequences with the camera in continuous shooting mode and the shutter speed at around 1/20th or 1/30th sec. You may catch some "lucky" shots this way, or at least be able layer 2 or 3 shots in a composite, and IMO the results are much closer to what one sees in a fireworks display; I find the longer exposures (i.e. 1 to 5 seconds) to be unnatural looking, although it does trace the path followed for most of the fireworks burst.
I posted some photos further up in the post to demonstrate this technique:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=32284344
Most of all, try to enjoy the fireworks - practice your setup ahead of time if you can, to take some of the pressure off the shoot.
-Dennis.
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-Dennis W.
Austin, Texas
