Night landscape - Using D40 + Kit lens

[Peisqo]

Hi everyone !! Im Peisqo :P Noob here and also noob in photography ... juz got my dslr about 2 weeks ago .. I've been told that this forum has this section for people to bang me on my lousy pics :0 So plan to ask help from u guys here hehe ...

I've recently took 2 night landscape pic ... with D40 and kitlens .. Mode = Nigh Portrait ( D40 doesn't have night landscape =.=" ) Tried other mode .. result was terrible .. this is my best shoot already :( and it's really bad .. Any sifu here mind to share what settings to use to take a good night landscape ? Like what shutter speed/ F / ISO / flash-exposure compensate and stuff ?

Lastly here are my pictures for your critics :)

1.
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/784/dsc0140lm8.jpg
Something is just not right .. someone tell me how to take a better pic ?

2.
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/7366/dsc0142copydp2.jpg
The colours are horrible :0 It was taken at dark ! About 10pm ... why the weird colour ? check out the grass omg =/

Lastly, hope i dun piss you guy off with such crappy pics and hope to learn something here !! Thanks :)

[ShaolinTiger]

Hi and welcome to Shutter Asia! Hope you enjoy your stay :)

As for the first one it's hard to say as I can't see the EXIF information it seems ACDSee has removed it.

The EXIF is the metadata stored in the image which shows the settings.

I can see the second image:

# Exposure Time 1 second
# Lens F-Number/F-Stop = F4.50
# ISO Speed Ratings = 1600

I would guess that you don't have a tripod?

For these kind of images it's really a must, or at least you should rest your camera on a wall/bin/fence/bag etc and use self-timer to take the picture.

Using self-timer prevents any shake when you press the shutter.

As for settings, you should try setting it to A or Aperture priority, around f/8, set it on a tripod, set self timer and off you go.

It should come out nicely.

If the colour is wrong, you need to try different white balance settings, maybe tungsten or halogen depending on the ambient light.

Good luck!

[Peisqo]

Hi and welcome to Shutter Asia! Hope you enjoy your stay :)

Oh Shutter God replies ;) Thanks for the welcome hehe

As for the first one it's hard to say as I can't see the EXIF information it seems ACDSee has removed it.

The EXIF is the metadata stored in the image which shows the settings.

Yeap i had some knowledge bout EXIF .. hmm i don't know why the 1st pic doesn't have it .. i didn;t do anything to it .. btw it's as follows:

# Exposure time = 1 sec
# F no. = 5.6
# Iso = 400

I can see the second image:

# Exposure Time 1 second
# Lens F-Number/F-Stop = F4.50
# ISO Speed Ratings = 1600

I would guess that you don't have a tripod?

Actually i do have a tripod ... it was a free one .. altho it's a full length tripod .. but kinda capalang 1 hehe .. anyways by saying that do u mean there is "shake" on the pics ? i thought it was ok with the shake :redface: Juz felt weird with the colour / settings ...


For these kind of images it's really a must, or at least you should rest your camera on a wall/bin/fence/bag etc and use self-timer to take the picture.

I used timer mode as well :redface: Looks like my pics are really bad haha

Using self-timer prevents any shake when you press the shutter.

As for settings, you should try setting it to A or Aperture priority, around f/8, set it on a tripod, set self timer and off you go.

It should come out nicely.

I've tried aperture priority mode .. it comes out SUPER DARK :rolleyes: is there any other settings i should set ? Need flash ? I'll try to find the pic tat i shoot with A ..

If the colour is wrong, you need to try different white balance settings, maybe tungsten or halogen depending on the ambient light.

I think this might be the point that i need to test out ;) thanks !!

Good luck!

My replies in blue ;)

[Peisqo]

Here's the pic i took with A priority .. super crap lolz ..
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/7774/rotationofdsc0141dq1.jpg

# Exposure time = 1/60sec
# F-no. = 18
# ISO = 1600
# Flash = On

[limgt]

Try the following:
(Aperture priority mode)
# Exposure time = determined by your D40
# F-no = F/8
# ISO = 800
# Flash = Off

(Shutter priority mode)
# Exposure time = 5 secs
# F-no = determined by your D40
# ISO = 800
# Flash = Off

Unless ambient light is too low, your D40 should be able to determined a long enough exposure time to light up your photo. I'm still learning on taking good nightshots but I guess the above settings should be able to get some good exposures.

[ShaolinTiger]

If you have a tripod you should always use ISO100 (the lowest available).

Unless the exposure goes past the maximum of 30 seconds, then try ISO200 or ISO400 if you have to.

You need to check which metering mode you are using, make sure it's on Matrix Metering.

[Peisqo]

Try the following:
(Aperture priority mode)
# Exposure time = determined by your D40
# F-no = F/8
# ISO = 800
# Flash = Off

(Shutter priority mode)
# Exposure time = 5 secs
# F-no = determined by your D40
# ISO = 800
# Flash = Off

Unless ambient light is too low, your D40 should be able to determined a long enough exposure time to light up your photo. I'm still learning on taking good nightshots but I guess the above settings should be able to get some good exposures.

ahhhhhhhh this is what i'm looking for ;) Thank you soooo much ! Will try those settings when i have the chance .

If you have a tripod you should always use ISO100 (the lowest available).

Unless the exposure goes past the maximum of 30 seconds, then try ISO200 or ISO400 if you have to.

You need to check which metering mode you are using, make sure it's on Matrix Metering.

Oh really ? I always thought low light = higher ISO ... i'll take note of the Metering as well !! Thank you so much :)

[limgt]

Oh really ? I always thought low light = higher ISO

Higher ISO will result in more noise on your picture. Lower down noise level by lowering ISO and compensate it with longer exposure for more lights which means you need a tripod.