Night time photography

[methshin]

Ok, I'm sure this doesn't need to be asked on the show, but figured it would be the best spot to dump it.

What type of camera do you recommend for night time photography? I don't want to break the bank by buying this thing, but would be interested in taking night shots, the stars, to be specific.

I really don't know a lot about cameras, so go easy on the tech jargon if you're gonna detail the cameras features.

Thanks

 

[pixelsmith]

it doesnt really matter what kind of camera. you just need one that gives you a very long exposure time. ie: 30 seconds or more. you will need a sturdy tripod as well.

 

[methshin]

it doesnt really matter what kind of camera. you just need one that gives you a very long exposure time. ie: 30 seconds or more. you will need a sturdy tripod as well.

Does digital or analog matter? I really don't know a lot about photography at all, do you need a special type of flash? Does it help if it is a SLR?

 

[pixelsmith]

Does digital or analog matter? I really don't know a lot about photography at all, do you need a special type of flash? Does it help if it is a SLR?

no
no, do not use flash.
no

 

[Anders]

NIKON D100 or D70.
Also, shoot with a tripod, ISO 100 to reduce noise, white balance on auto. You could also try diffusing the flash with a rubber band and toilet paper. There are telescopes on the market that actually are made for star shots but I'd be pulling stuff outta my ass if I said I knew anything about using one.

 

[pixelsmith]

he said he wanted to shoot stars. thats why i said do not use flash.

 

[atomic_annie]

You also should consider purchasing a film camera (that allows for long exposure) instead of a digital one.

The reason why I am suggesting this is because if you ARE fortunate enough to have a UFO sighting, those negatives of those photo's that you captured of that UFO with a film camera will help to back up the legitimacy of those photo's.

Because..... rest assured, sceptics of such phenomenons will inevitably accuse you of photoshopping in that UFO into those photo's regardless that it's very evident that there is no indication of any such tampering done to them in any way, shape or form.

And even though there's no guarantee on this, if there is a negative available for each photo, such types will be less apt to attack you because of those negatives. But not always. Some of them will then go on to accuse you of tampering with the negatives too and should this be the case.....
it means that it is time for you to track down one of the pilot's of that UFO you saw and kindly ask him if he would be willing to show up with you at a press conference about those photo's you captured of his craft.

PS -- Granted, even though you've also got the pilot with you, there will still be those sceptics who will still think your photo's are fake -- but that's when you can suggest to the UFO pilot that "extreme sceptics" make excellent abduction candidates for extreme psychological experiments, physiological examinations and this includes sperm extractions too!

 

[Schuyler]

If you are taking nighttime photographs a flash is going to do zilch for you. What are you flashing? The stars? Think about it. A flash is designed to light up your target. When you see people take flash photographs at ball games or concerts, LAUGH HYSTERICALLY. It's an ignorant thing to do. In most cameras, having the flash on sets the camera to 1/60th of a second exposure. It overrides anything else. Paradoxically, then, a flash ensures a dark photograph because light from a distant object doesn't have enough time to make an impression on the film (or CCD in the case of digital)--not that you could take a pic in the dark anyway without a tripod to steady it.

An SLR means you see directly through the lens instead of through a separate view finder. 'Nicer' more verstaile cameras are SLRs where you can also change the lenses. For example, you can change to a 28mm 'wide angle' lens to capture more space (more sky) or to a 500mm lens to bring distant obects closer. Zoom lenses, such as a '70mm to 150mm' tend to be 'slower' than fixed lenses of a given size, so there is a tradeoff involved.

Cheaper 'point & shoot' cameras have a separate view finder and you can't change the lens. Most all of them are some sort of 'zoom' lens. Nikon 'Coolpix' cameras are in this category. I have a Coolpix 5700.

Obviously, this can get very complex, and you asked that we not go there--so, tripod is essential. Go from there. I'm in the market for a digital SLR myself, looking around.

(FYI I carry an old style Canon A-1 with a manual 70-150mm zoom and ASA 800 film in my vehicle at all times--just in case an 'object of interest' should hover close by. I figure the fast film will compensate somewhat for the slow lens.)

 

[methshin]

thanks for all the tips yall, very helpful. My main reason for this is that I want to photograph and document constellations for my own personal records.

I already have a tripod for my digital camera, but my camera is coolpix S9, I haven't tried taking pictures of stars with it, but I doubt its capabilities.

 

[Schuyler]

I already have a tripod for my digital camera, but my camera is coolpix S9, I haven't tried taking pictures of stars with it, but I doubt its capabilities.

Yup. I agree. That's about the cheapest Coolpix there is, not on the market any longer. I think the shelf life of a Coolpix is about 6 months before they change models!

Why not try it out and report back? I'd be interested in your results. Thanks.

 

[skunkape]

I'm no pro, but I can tell you my Minolta Z1 sucks big time for taking shots at night. It makes everything in the sky look like a UFO.
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[brado]

I have taken pretty good night pictures of starry skies by doing the following:
-Sturdy tripod
-Lens is set to manual (on auto-focus, dslr cameras) and open to infinity
-Use timer so there is no camera shake from releasing the shutter
-Set exposure time from 20 - 40 seconds

I have done this with Canon 10D, 20D, 50D and Sony F707.
If you set the exposure for too short a time, you do not get enough light from the stars. If you set it too long, you start to get trails from the moving stars. I found it quite fun to vary the times and see the results. I recommend digital as you can see your results immediately and adjust your settings. You can also take a ton of pics at different settings and save best ones.

One other thing. I shoot the sky in jpegs not raw. For some reason the RAW come out really bright and undefined. I haven't figured out why that happens.

If you are going to shoot ufos, use a giant laser!

Have fun!
B

 

[methshin]

Thanks all, I'll get back to y'all when I've got some results.

Brado, my ufo shooting has never been an issue. Death Rays be me speciality.