S Priority and night shots?

orangelover

New member
Is it possible to take actions shots (trick or treating) in the evening? Last time I tried to shoot in S-priority mode in the evening the shots were black unless I used flash. TIA! :)
 

Dave_W

The Dude
The easiest way to get the best results for nighttime shots w/o a flash is to put your camera on A and set your lens to it's largest aperture (smallest number) then set your camera's ISO to auto with the minimum shutter speed set at the lowest you think you can hold the camera steady at. In general a moving object requires around 1/60 sec, as you go slower the smear effect kicks and in grows with each step lower. That said, I like to use 1/60 to 1/80 and then be sure to shoot in bursts of 2 or 3, that way you minimize camera shake and your 2nd and 3rd image will be the sharpest.
 

wysiwyg

Senior Member
Your lens however may not allow your camera to select an aperture below f4.5 and if you are using your zoom - it may only go down to f5.6 - not very good for evening shots ! My suggestion would be to invest in nice little 50 mm prime lens f1.8 - and get in as close to the action as you can :) enjoy
 

Dave_W

The Dude
Yes, I agree with wysiwyg, a fast lens would be handy if you're looking to get night shots without using a flash. You can buy one of the finest lenses Nikkor makes for around $200 - the 50mm f/1.8G lens. It's sharp as a knife and crazy cheap. The other possibility is the 35mm f/1.8G DX lens that is also around $200. There's very similar and either one would suit your needs very well.

As for your question, yes, I meant A for aperture mode. You will need to use A mode to open your lens to its widest setting. You can test out your current lens tonight and see how well it performs and then decide whether or not to get a faster lens.
 
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