Help required regarding shutter speed

[gitte]

My camera does not have an option to change the shutter speed, it is a Canon IXUS 180 and apart from that it takes fab photo's. Does anyone have any hints as to how I can get a similar outcome from my camera by any other means. I would love to be able to get photo's of the bats that fly by my house every night.

 

[astroNikon]

Check if there's a MODE, such as Sport Mode or something that uses a higher shutter speed.
but bats flying at night, in the dark usually require a camera that has a high ISO in order to keep Shutter speed high, OR added artificial light (such as the flash). So using Sport mode in an automatic camera at night isn't going to render much (but you'll have to test with the flash is best). and using it at night is going to use a long shutter speed, which won't stop motion if no flash is used.

 

[gitte]

Thank you. I will check it out and let you know if I have something like a sport mode.

 

[AKUK]

Looking at the Canon website I couldn't see any ability to control the shutter speed specifically, as there doesn't appear to be the normal (A,S,P,M) options.

"Modes
Smart Auto (32 scenes detected), P, Portrait, FaceSelf-Timer, Low Light (5.0 MP), Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Fireworks, Long Shutter"

As astroNikon points out, a high shutter speed wouldn't be able to be deployed at night anyway. The faster the shutter, the less light is let into the camera, so you'd require a sky-high ISO to counteract that, which would mean an incredibly noisy image. To freeze the moving bat, you'd have to be at 1/2000 sec at least (your camera's max). Essentially you'd end up with a black screen. Add to that fact you're trying to focus on a rapid, erratically moving target. The AF system is highly unlikely to lock onto a black critter at night.

If by some miracle the camera did actually land focus, you would need a flash to freeze the action. It would act as your shutter speed and expose the image correctly. Personally, I wouldn't hold out much hope of successfully being able to photograph one. Even with something like a Canon 5D MKIII and a f/1.2 aperture lens and a speedlite, it would still be a major challenge to nail a keeper of a bat in flight.

I seem to remember seeing a highly sophisticated, automated set up being used to do just that many moons ago. A tripod mounted, pre-focused camera was positioned next to a bat's known flight path. Flashes were deployed to act as the shutter and light source for the image. The camera was triggered when the bat either broke an optical relay, or the sound of it's wings were detected. I forget which. So yeah, good luck with your IXUS lol.

 

[petrochemist]

For bats in flight flash is going to be needed. If your Canon IXUS 180 doesn't support semi manual modes I suspect the flash won't be up to the job either, but an optical slave set to fire an old off camera flash should supplement it adequately.
My experience is that bats in flight are quite challenging targets. I've managed a few but they've needed far too much cropping for the images to be worth exhibiting.

 

[gitte]

Thank you for all the advice, I will persevere

 

[dennybeall]

Check your manual and see if you can force the flash to fire without the camera being in focus. Set focus for the distance to where the bats fly and shoot flash shots as they fly by. Shoot and shoot and shoot and then see if you got anything...