Low light DSLR

[Guest]

I'm looking for an excellent low light DSLR.

 

Low light capability over image quality as it will only really be used at night.

 

Something which will be able to take a shot like this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dicky100/21127634212/  (Can't attach image to post as it's on Flickr)

 

My budget is around £500 ($775.97 USD)

 

Thanks

[ZetZet]

That shot has like 30 seconds or more exposure, you could do that with a webcam if it had exposure setting.

Nvm, those lights looked like cars going by, guess they are not.

 

 

I would say D5200 with a low aperture lens like 35mm 1.8g/50mm 1.8 would do for you.

 

[Guest]

That shot has like 30 seconds or more exposure, you could do that with a webcam if it had exposure setting.

What does that mean though haha? I'll do a bit more research but cameras confuse me!

[ALwin]

I'm looking for an excellent low light DSLR.

 

Low light capability over image quality as it will only really be used at night.

 

Something which will be able to take a shot like this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dicky100/21127634212/  (Can't attach image to post as it's on Flickr)

 

My budget is around £500 ($775.97 USD)

 

Thanks

 

Almost any DSLR, mirrorless, compact camera can achieve this shot with the right settings and knowhow.

 

And while a webcam may be able to take long exposure shots, the quality will be very very very low.

[ZetZet]

What does that mean though haha? I'll do a bit more research but cameras confuse me!

Exposure is how long the shutter is open to gather light. In daylight it's open very short, like 1/200 of a second. In night time shots you make it open longer, 1s or more so everything becomes blurred, but you get more light reach your sensor.

 

Example of long exposure shot

[ALwin]

You will need 3 items to achieve this type of image.

 

1. Camera + lens
2. Tripod for stability
3. Remote shutter release (can be wired or wireless, and it can have a timer in it or you can manually hold the button down)

An example of the kit you need:

• Canon SL1 camera body (obviously you will need a battery and memory card)
• Canon 24mm f/2.8 STM lens, because the SL1 is a cropped sensor camera I wouldn't go with any lens longer than 30mm focal length.
• Canon RS-60E3 remote shutter control
• Benro tripod with ball head, make sure to get a good one and not something cheap and flimsy

Or if you want Nikon

• D3200 body
• Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 lens  (edit: Sigma should have a Canon version of this lens too, so if you prefer a wide angle zoom lens like this over the Canon 24mm prime you can get one)
• Nikon MC-DC2 remote
• Same tripod as I mentioned above.

Or let me know if you prefer other camera brands.

 

Here are some guides to long exposure photography:

https://photographylife.com/long-exposure-photography-tips

http://www.exposureguide.com/long-exposure-photography-tips.htm

 

Disclaimer: the gear examples above are just examples of what a beginner may need.  They are aimed towards people with a low budget, not for experienced togs who know how to choose the right tools.

[Guest]

Exposure is how long the shutter is open to gather light. In daylight it's open very short, like 1/200 of a second. In night time shots you make it open longer, 1s or more so everything becomes blurred, but you get more light reach your sensor.

 

Example of long exposure shot

Ah I recognise the long light's of the car, I've seen this type of image before but never really understood how it was achieved. Thanks for explaining haha!

 

 

https://photographylife.com/long-exposure-photography-tips

http://www.exposureguide.com/long-exposure-photography-tips.htm

Thanks for the help I really appreciate it, ill give this a read!

[ALwin]

Ah I recognise the long light's of the car, I've seen this type of image before but never really understood how it was achieved. Thanks for explaining haha!

 

Thanks for the help I really appreciate it, ill give this a read!

 

That type if image is achieved by keeping the shutter open longer.  The longer you keep a shutter open the more light the sensor (or film if you shoot film) receives, however because the shutter is open for a long duration any movement in the scene will be captured as a blur.  Note: in photography, any shutter speed slower than 1/100th of a second can be considered slow shutter speeds.  For the type of image you want to achieve you need to experiment with different shutter speeds.  Digital cameras have internal shutter speeds as fast as 1/4000th to 1/8000th of a second and can internally be set to slow exposure up to 30 seconds long.  If you want any exposure slower than 30 seconds you need to set the camera to Bulb mode and hold the shutter release button on the camera down manually, use a remote control or use a remote with a timer to keep the shutter open.

[Guest]

That type if image is achieved by keeping the shutter open longer.  The longer you keep a shutter open the more light the sensor (or film if you shoot film) receives, however because the shutter is open for a long duration any movement in the scene will be captured as a blur.  Note: in photography, any shutter speed slower than 1/100th of a second can be considered slow shutter speeds.  For the type of image you want to achieve you need to experiment with different shutter speeds.  Digital cameras have internal shutter speeds as fast as 1/4000th to 1/8000th of a second and can internally be set to slow exposure up to 30 seconds long.  If you want any exposure slower than 30 seconds you need to set the camera to Bulb mode and hold the shutter release button on the camera down manually, use a remote control or use a remote with a timer to keep the shutter open.

Thank you this is really helpful!

[Williamchan87]

My guess is the Flickr image is at around 4secs. a D3200 + say a 35mm F/1.8 + a decent tripod + a shutter release cable would be a decent choice if you want some landscape at that heights. remeber to set on 2 sec delay before taking a picture to lower camera shake. Shoot at a low iso @100 or 200, shutter speed 1-30secs, aperture say 11-16 no flash