Night time action shot

[dwarrick]

Hey Guys

I just got my camera, a canon rebel xt 350D. Ive been playing with it in the day time taking still shot and action ones and its oning great. I have been mostly using the pre-set image options like portriat, and sports for now to get the hang of things. I tried to take the camera out at night to take some biking shots, but my problem is that when I put it on the night shot option the lighting is great but the shutter speed is way to low, but when I put it on sports it is too dark to see anything. When it is one these preset modes I don't think I can change things like the shutter speed, so I cant get a good picture. What kind of setting do I need when I go out at night?

 

[LaFoto]

Hi dwarrick, welcome to ThePhotoForum and congrats to your new camera.

At night, there is little light. In order to let that little light reach your sensor in enough quantities, the shutter has to be open for a long time. Your nighttime programme "knows" that and acts accordingly.

You can take influence yourself and thus gain more control over your exposure, though, by setting your camera manually.

When you put the little dial on M, you can adjust the aperture by pushing the little button next to your info-screen that has Av next to it and then adjusting the aperture by moving the vertical dial (large part disappears in the camera) right below the shutter release. I hope you can find it.

Once you have set your aperture, you can then set your time by no longer pushing that Av button but by making use of that vertical dial again.

But - you need a FIRM support for your camera for ANY kind of night photography, unless you are in or bring along sufficient light yourself (flood lights in a stadium can brighten the night as if it were day, for example, but who carries around stadium floodlights wherever they go, hm?)

 

[dwarrick]

thanks LaFoto

I tried doing that in parts of the house with less light and it seems to work much better.

sometimes it will only let me bring the shutter speed and aperture to a certain rate. Is this because the camera knows that the photo will not work at any higher speeds?

 

[LaFoto]

That depends on what your lens is on. At full zoom it won't let you go to the widest open aperture. A zoomed-in picture requires more light, so with the kit lens at 55mm you can only open up to f5.6, while you can open up to f.3.5 at 18mm.

 

[taracor]

What LaFoto said is exactly right. This is why fast lenses (lenses that open the widest) can get so expensive.

(and who DOESN'T carry around stadium floodlights?)

 

[RedDevilUK]

and who DOESN'T carry around stadium floodlights?

erm.. me

i did try, but couldnt fit it in my camera bag!!