How to take good night photo shoot

[blazer_workz]

just a suggestion for using with ur powershot..

1.) mount on tripod
2.) frame subject with background
3.) set to manual mode
4.) set to ISO 400 (frame with 30% dark bg), 800 (frame with 60% dark bg)
5.) set to aperture f2.8
6.) set to shutter 1/4 - 1/2
7.) set flash power to 1/3 if subject is near (~1m), 2/3 if subject is further(~2m), full power (max ~3meters)
8.) fire off trigger and review picture to fine tune (ISO or shutter speed)

Give it a try..

 

[catchlights]

ok, slow sync is when using the A or P mode, since I don't use Canon, so I'm not very sure about 350D, anyway, using M mode, you can sync how slow also can.

 

[blomqvist]

just a suggestion for using with ur powershot..

1.) mount on tripod
2.) frame subject with background
3.) set to manual mode
4.) set to ISO 400 (frame with 30% dark bg), 800 (frame with 60% dark bg)
5.) set to aperture f2.8
6.) set to shutter 1/4 - 1/2
7.) set flash power to 1/3 if subject is near (~1m), 2/3 if subject is further(~2m), full power (max ~3meters)
8.) fire off trigger and review picture to fine tune (ISO or shutter speed)

Give it a try..

Thanks for the advice.
Just one question, can i have perfect focus of background when using f/2.8 ???

 

[Redsun]

no fraid not
DOF for 2.8 is too shallow
need a bigger F stop

 

[blazer_workz]

Thanks for the advice.
Just one question, can i have perfect focus of background when using f/2.8 ???

the background blur for PnS is not so obvious as compared to a f/2.8 lens on slr..still very usable/viewable...anyway..if u want sharp sharp background might as well shoot landscape just the background alone..:think:

 

[blomqvist]

Hi Bro and Sis

I am very happy. Finally I have found the solution how to set 'rear sync flash mode' manually, not only in CANON EOS350D,....but in any DSLR camera.

1. Set the camera to M (manual)
2. Set the shutter to 1/10 or 1/8 (depends on the surrounding brightness)
3. Set the Aperture, based on 'X'
X = Gate number of flash light : Distance from the lens to the subject
eg.
- My EOS350D built-in flash light has a gate number of 12
- Let's say my distance to the subject approx is 2m
therefore .........
X= 12 : 2
X= 6
so....in this situation we should set the f-stop to 6

by doing this setting,...we can get both subject and background clear.
I will try this setting tonight.
If any of bro and sis whoever try this before, please share your experience.

 

[grantyale]

What's the complication and who said 350D has no rear sync or slow sync?

Set Custom Function 9 to 1: 2nd Curtain and you get rear-sync. Set Custom Function 3 to 0: Auto and use Av mode to achieve slow sync. In fact, rear-sync isn't necessary for night portrait. Just tell your subjects to stay still after the flash. In fact, if rear-sync is used, you'd need to tell them to hold still until the see the second flash or use FEL in advance.

 

[grantyale]

What's the complication and who said 350D has no rear sync or slow sync?

Set Custom Function 9 to 1: 2nd Curtain and you get rear-sync. Set Custom Function 3 to 0: Auto and use Av mode to achieve slow sync. In fact, rear-sync isn't necessary for night portrait. Just tell your subjects to stay still after the flash. In fact, if rear-sync is used, you'd need to tell them to hold still until the see the second flash or use FEL in advance.

 

[blomqvist]

What's the complication and who said 350D has no rear sync or slow sync?

Set Custom Function 9 to 1: 2nd Curtain and you get rear-sync. Set Custom Function 3 to 0: Auto and use Av mode to achieve slow sync. In fact, rear-sync isn't necessary for night portrait. Just tell your subjects to stay still after the flash. In fact, if rear-sync is used, you'd need to tell them to hold still until the see the second flash or use FEL in advance.

GREAT!!!:thumbsup:
ehehehe....I will try the rear and curtain settings...tonight..
Thanks bro...

 

[blazer_workz]

What's the complication and who said 350D has no rear sync or slow sync?

Set Custom Function 9 to 1: 2nd Curtain and you get rear-sync. Set Custom Function 3 to 0: Auto and use Av mode to achieve slow sync. In fact, rear-sync isn't necessary for night portrait. Just tell your subjects to stay still after the flash. In fact, if rear-sync is used, you'd need to tell them to hold still until the see the second flash or use FEL in advance.

sorry abt my mistake on saying 350D not having slow and rear sync..:embrass:

Good luck to TS..hope u have fun fine tuning the settings..

 

[blomqvist]

What's the complication and who said 350D has no rear sync or slow sync?

Set Custom Function 9 to 1: 2nd Curtain and you get rear-sync. Set Custom Function 3 to 0: Auto and use Av mode to achieve slow sync. In fact, rear-sync isn't necessary for night portrait. Just tell your subjects to stay still after the flash. In fact, if rear-sync is used, you'd need to tell them to hold still until the see the second flash or use FEL in advance.

bro....which part of the EOS350D that i can set the custom fuction 9 & 3
is that under menu ??

 

[grantyale]

It's in the menu, somewhere down the yellow tab. It reads "custom functions". Go inside and look for those.

 

[bent]

can't u just use slow sync flash?

 

[kirkchua79]

select manual on the dial
press menu button then select to the spanner,hammer and 2 sign where u will see custom functions.
then select function no. 9 for 1st or 2nd- curtain sync.

 

[peapilot]

Your issue lies not with rear-sync, that one has its use for other purposes. To get your intended effect, you need to balance foreground exposure with ambient light in the background.

With the 350d, the ETTL technology does all the calculations for you. To do that you need to shoot on AV mode, set the ISO sufficiently high with an aperature enough to get a decent speed like 1/15 or 1/20 if your subject can stand still. On AV mode the camera's flash defaults to fill flash which will brighten up your foreground object. Make sure your AF focus point is on your subject, press the * button to lock flash exposure, recompose and fire away.

If you feel the flash is too strong or too weak compared to the background you can set it in the 350d menu via flash ev compensation.

Alternatively, there is a "portrait" and a "night scene" mode if I'm not wrong on the mode selection dial and this defaults the camera to program for fill-flash and should also be able to do the job quick and easy.

The camera manual explains pretty clearly the different functions on the camera and what they do and is a particularly good read if you're starting out like me. I learnt a lot from it. I suggest you try it too.

 

[bent]

to take nice, sharp night scenery without people, is it better to use large aperture (small f number) or small aperture (large f number)?

 

[blomqvist]

to take nice, sharp night scenery without people, is it better to use large aperture (small f number) or small aperture (large f number)?

Thanks bro....
night scene without subject is very nice and sharp.
But if you have subject come into the picture, you are facing challenging job.
I have to admit that, until now (1 year) i still can not get good picture at night with subject.

 

[blomqvist]

To do that you need to shoot on AV mode, set the ISO sufficiently high with an aperature enough to get a decent speed like 1/15 or 1/20 if your subject can stand still. On AV mode the camera's flash defaults to fill flash which will brighten up your foreground object. Make sure your AF focus point is on your subject, press the * button to lock flash exposure, recompose and fire away.

Thanks for the advice bro.
To get 1/15 or 1/20 of shutter, my exposure value is f/1.8
at f/1.8 I cannot get the background in focus due to shallow DOF.

 

[blazer_workz]

Thanks for the advice bro.
To get 1/15 or 1/20 of shutter, my exposure value is f/1.8
at f/1.8 I cannot get the background in focus due to shallow DOF.

an idea struck me this morning to overcome ur problem..
use manual focus and focus to hyperfocal distance..maybe will work..this way u can use a big size aperture like f1.8 and still able to get everything in focus..

 

[Draccoyap]

an idea struck me this morning to overcome ur problem..
use manual focus and focus to hyperfocal distance..maybe will work..this way u can use a big size aperture like f1.8 and still able to get everything in focus..

that will probably work if the background is close to your subject. If it is too far out, you still need high F value (small aperture) to gain deeper DOF, so that you subject and background are in focus. Of course, you will need to choose higher ISO and slower shutter speed. instead of 1/15 for your shutter, try around 1 second, which i believe your subject can still stand quite still, though slight movement shadow (it is not out of focus) may still exist.