BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Questions

BetterPhoto Member		Best setting for night picture I am completely new to photography and have recently bought a canon rebel 2000 as I love taking pictures but the thing, I am having trouble trying to understand the manual instruction. I want to know how the shutter speed relates to the aperture. In my camera, there is a function of TV (time value) which I set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture. I am taking a trip to Paris and would love to take some night scenes of Paris and few night pics with cars along the side. So, what is the best setting and how could it be done. Thanks To love this question, log in above September 10, 2001

Jeff S. Kennedy		Lesley, I may be way off base here but rather than worrying what "setting" to put your camera on so it can make the decisions for you, might I suggest you go out and buy a book on basic photography and exposure. It's really not that difficult and it will open a whole new world for you photographically. To love this comment, log in above September 10, 2001

John A. Lind		Lesley, I agree with Jeff. Doing night photography on city streets is going to take a little knowledge about exposure and how to control it more on your Rebel 2000. Having done some downtown night "street shooting" it's not that simple. Bright lights from street lamps or traffic signals in the foreground can confuse auto-exposure systems and you must watch for these. In the mode you've mentioned you must also keep track of what your camera is going to use for an exposure and over-ride it with some "common sense" about when it's being fooled. Some tips and guidelines: (a) Use ISO 400 film for night street shooting in a city like Paris. (b) Get one or both of the following: - Kodak Pocket Photoguide (Pub. No. AR-21) - Black Cat Extended Range Exposure Guide Kodak's publication has an available light exposure estimating wheel for a huge range of film speeds that includes night scenes and descriptions of them. The second is a marvelous exposure wheel similar to Kodak's that also has an extensive description list for estimating exposure. Even if you use the "TV" mode, get an idea from one of the two guides beforehand of what the camera should want to do under the given conditions. If it varies much from that, look for something fooling the exposure system and sieze complete manual control if you have to. There will be a little variation from the guides, but there shouldn't be a huge amount. (c) Rule of Thumb for Hand Held Shutter Speeds: Shutter speed no slower than 1/[lens focal length]. For a 50mm lens this means no slower than 1/60th second (although I push it to 1/30th occasionally if I'm well braced). For an 80mm lens keep it no slower than 1/60th second. (d) Get a roll of ISO 400 film (the dirt cheap no-name stuff) and practice some night in a busy downtown area lit by street lights, traffic lights and store signs. See if this is fast enough. If you have real problems, bump the speed up to ISO 800, although I recommend staying with ISO 400 if possible. (e) As a beginner, use standard "daylight" color negative (print) film. Manmade lights are not daylight balanced, but the print processor should be able to compensate for most, if not all of the imbalance in making the prints from the negatives. You may still end up with some color cast. I don't recommend trying to use filters or expensive, professional tungsten balanced films. Modern man-made street lights are not tungsten. Night street shooting encounters a myriad of different light source types (neon to sodium vapor to fluorescent, each of which is quite different). Color correction filters are dark (more than defeats the gain made by higher film speed). Tungsten films are best used under very controlled lighting conditions with all of it from the same type of tungsten filament incandescent lamps. -- John To love this comment, log in above September 11, 2001

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