Low Light Photography - Tips, Opinions?

I usually rate HP5+ @ 640 for night shots around the city. Sometimes I get away with 400 too, under brighter street lights. I work with the 50/1.4 and 35/2 wide open, which should give me 1/30s to 1/8s in most situation. Still, sometimes I wished that I had loaded Neopan 1600 or TMZ, or at least pushed at a higher rating.

Some photos linked from Flickr set. :)
323514497_53f9787690.jpg363279926_89b6f84025.jpg
 
Pherdinand said:
are you supporting the camera by some other means?
Click to expand...

Yes and no. My body and camara's belt are my tripods.
Some tips:
- if you can use cable release USE it. I use short cable release for taking night pictures.
- your breath is very important. just don't breath during making long exposure
- NEVER wait a shutter, just slowly press button
another thing, DOF for MF more less that 35mm, and I have to use apperture from 4.8 to 11(sometimes)
.
for previous pics -
1st picture - 1/2 sec, using tripod or monopod impossible, because bridge has own vibration
2nd picture - 1/15sec (delta 3200)
3rd picture - 1/4 sec
.
another examples:
.
1st picture - 1/2 sec
2nd picture - 1 sec
3rd picture - 1/8 sec
.
 

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Also, I often find that medium format equipment, because of its generally heavier weight, can be "self-stabilizing," & easier to hold steady, @ least for relatively short periods of time. Using the waist-level finder can also help w/stability.

shg005 said:
Yes and no. My body and camara's belt are my tripods.
Some tips:
- if you can use cable release USE it. I use short cable release for taking night pictures.
- your breath is very important. just don't breath during making long exposure
- NEVER wait a shutter, just slowly press button
another thing, DOF for MF more less that 35mm, and I have to use apperture from 4.8 to 11(sometimes)
.
for previous pics -
1st picture - 1/2 sec, using tripod or monopod impossible, because bridge has own vibration
2nd picture - 1/15sec (delta 3200)
3rd picture - 1/4 sec
.
another examples:
.
1st picture - 1/2 sec
2nd picture - 1 sec
3rd picture - 1/8 sec
.
Click to expand...
 
Xmas said:
Even if you can hold steady at 1/8 or 1/4
Click to expand...

Can you reliably (can anyone?) hold steady at 1/8?

I can sometimes do it at 1/15, but when I need to shoot that slow I'll shoot 3-4 frames to be sure I have one that's good.

Oh, I do think a soft release helps.
 
I have a mini soft release and can get good shots at 1/4 about 67% of the time. 1/8 is almost always good. Now if I can just get all the other stuff right.......
 
Just go in an do it. Grab a high speed film or push trix or neopan and go out shooting. You can only learn by doing.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
 
I shoot 'landscapes' at night. Cable release, tripod, 100 ISO film mainly at f16 or f22. Very much need the tripod.
 
I agree, Nick. An f/1.4 lens gives great flexibility, although some of us would argue that f/1.4 lenses cost "silly money" too. An f/1.7 or 1.8 lens is often MUCH less money, but 95% as useful.

Furthermore, an f/1.4 lens looks much better at f/2.8 than an f/2.8 lens. Usually any given lens doesn't really get sharp until one stops it down 2-3 stops from wide open.

This is a great thread. Good tips on holding steady. Using a cable release on a waist-level medium format is a very good one. On a TLR with no mirror slap and a leaf shutter, with stability from the neck strap, more stability from being braced against your body, with more stability from having your body braced against a building, and less camera shake by using a cable release... That is good stuff.

While breathing and your shutter tripping technique will help, handheld shots are not going to be as sharp as they could be below 1/15s. They may look fine on the screen or printed small, but in anything enlarged, the faster shutter speeds are going to be noticeably sharper.
 
Jeremy Z said:
Furthermore, an f/1.4 lens looks much better at f/2.8 than an f/2.8 lens. Usually any given lens doesn't really get sharp until one stops it down 2-3 stops from wide open.
Click to expand...

I cannot use f/2.8 or more open for MF shooting. My favorite lens for street photo by Hassel is Zeiss Distagon 50/4. But for f/4 and distance around 2m DOF will be no more then 70sm. It's not enought for street photo. If I use Zeiss Planar 80/2.8 DOF is more shorter. I have found then optimal apperture (for most situations) for:
- Distagon 50/4 - will be 5.6 - 8
- Planar 80/2.8 - wil be 6.8 - 11

Jeremy Z said:
They may look fine on the screen or printed small, but in anything enlarged, the faster shutter speeds are going to be noticeably sharper.
Click to expand...

All pictures that I have posted to this thread can be print ut to 30x30inc or more.
 
some of us would argue that f/1.4 lenses cost "silly money" too.
Jeremy Z
----------

1969 Yashica Lynx 14 IC - 7/5; 45/f1.4 beauty (though flare-y) Niiice lens. Cost to me? $2.39 at Goodwill... (plus $40 for a CLA from a friend who is active on this forum). It also has a leaf shutter so you can hand hold at slower shutter speeds... The lens is terrific on this thing, though the camera is a bit of a beast size-wise.
 
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