35mm Camera's With Bulb Effect / Long Exposure?

[elammm]

Just been down to the bridge over the motorway to do some "bulb" effect / Long Exposure pictures using my Fisheye 2 Camera, are there any other 35mm cameras that can do this? How long do you usually hold down the button to allow long exposure, I dont want the pictures to come out too bright or white.

 

[F/1.4]

Pretty much any 35mm SLR will do bulb. As for how long you hold down the shutter, well that depends on how bright it is outside.

 

[Carl V]

I would say every 35mm SLR camera has a bulb or 'B' setting allowing you to keep the shutter open for as long as required. Compact cameras on the other hand don't normally have a bulb setting as such, although some models will expose the film for several seconds.

As for how long to leave the shutter open, it's probably best to bracket your shots. In other words try taking the same shot at different exposure times and see which one turns out best. If it's a static object, such as a floodlit building, then a TTL metering system can normally cope OK. Failing that, then exposure bracketing is the sure way to guarantee a decent photograph.

 

[Les Sarile]

Just to be sure I reviewed my collection and agree with Carl that it is likely most SLR's have bulb mode.

How long do you hold it open for will of course depend on the scene lighting, film speed & reciprocity, aperture and the effect you are trying to achieve. You can estimate the exposure time using your camera's built-in meter or external meter. Or, some cameras can auto expose very long exposure settings.

In the example image below, I used the Pentax LX's aperture priority auto exposure to "correctly" meter the scene. I had no idea what duration was required to smooth the ocean waves so I "bracketed" by taking the same scene as it got darker in the evening - giving longer exposure times. I could have used ND filters to achieve that too.

Link to larger image version http://www.fototime.com/773634514E5AF6D/orig.jpg

 

[michaelbsc]

As Les said, how long is really a function of how bright it is, and what the reciprocity failure of your film is. There is no hard and fast rule.

But it is clear that you're learning the concepts. So let me encourage you to plunder in the archives and read up on exposure guides.

There are a lot of good references you can find with Google too.

But the important thing to keep in mind is that this stuff is *NOT* magic. When you're starting out some things, different for each person, seem extremely complicated. But after a while it becomes clear.

I learned it; other here learned it. You can learn it. Nobody is born knowing this stuff. And almost everyone here will gladly answer questions when you ask.

Welcome aboard. And have fun.

 

[fstop]

No hard and fast rules on low light bulb exposure time periods.

Play with it (the camera that is) have some fun. Make notes on what you do.

 

[elammm]

Thanks guys, I got 3 or 4 shots and time ranges I'd say varying between about 30 seconds to 3 minutes of the motorway using the actual Bulb setting, We'll see how the pictures come out when I get them developed, I'll post a link then their on my Blog

 

[Gerald C Koch]

If your camera is so designed you can also use a locking cable release. They have a small knob which allows you to open the shutter and then keep it open without having to keep your finger on the release.

 

[Les Sarile]

As opposed to the bulb mode where you have to hold it down for the duration, some cameras had a "T" mode that you activate the shutter and it stays on until you manually turn it back off. Definitely agree with Gerald that for bulb mode the locking cable release is a must have!