Night photography - exposure

[rayonline_nz]

Hi all, I have started questioning myself now.

I am mostly a slide film shooter and I like night photography. In the past with typical night cityscapes, street lights etc .. my go to magic recipe has been ISO 100, F8, 10 seconds. Going longer is OK but I find the brighter areas like building illuminated logos goes a bit too bright.

Now that I am trying out colour negative film as a newbie. Portra 400, the equivalent would be ISO 400, F8, 2.5 seconds right? Add 1 stop more b/c colour negative film can retain a bit more highlight details and then add 1 more stop for reciprocity. This means ISO 400, F8, 10 seconds? I have been reading others suggesting they use ISO 400 film or something and meter as 30 seconds, is that with a smaller aperture and or is it with some really dark scenes? I also did have my Sekonic 758 light meter but the spot meter would not work with some of the foreground concrete mid-tones like off a wall / fence or the edge of a fountain at night.

Like to hear your views on this.


Cheers.

 

[Sirius Glass]

1) I have used this since 1963, for slides it has been bang on every time:

http://f-sunny.com/night-exposures-in-a-jiffy/
https://www.cppdh.org/download/jiffy-calculator-for-night-light-exposures.pdf
https://www.flickr.com/photos/46322625@N05/30151457250 <=== This one, on the back tells you how to do star trails​

2) Sign up for the Samys classes, now remote. Today I took one of their free classes on star trails. https://www.samys.com/

Enjoy!

 

[rayonline_nz]

Yes some or all Hasselblad lenses have the EV scale on the lens, not all cameras thou might need to print something out and play with a pair of scissors.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Yes some or all Hasselblad lenses have the EV scale on the lens, not all cameras thou might need to print something out and play with a pair of scissors.

The EV scales are only good for ISO 100. If your film speed is different, first set the shutter speed and f/stop, then read the EV and do all EV adjustments AFTER.

 

[Sirius Glass]

What is the guidance for maximum exposure time versus focal length to avoid star trails, i.e. no apparent star motion?

 

[markjwyatt]

I have one of the original Jiffy Night Calculators from 1964 (was my dads). It has some good guidance.

 

[Digger Odell]

What is the guidance for maximum exposure time versus focal length to avoid star trails, i.e. no apparent star motion?

The 500 rule.

SS = 500 / (CF x FL)

SS = shutter speed
CF = crop factor
FL = focal length

You may have to adjust down, as star trails may be slightly visible with this formula.

 

[Sirius Glass]

The 500 rule.

SS = 500 / (CF x FL)

SS = shutter speed
CF = crop factor
FL = focal length

You may have to adjust down, as star trails may be slightly visible with this formula.

Thank you.

 

[guangong]

I use one of several tables or calculators for night photography. Take advantage of the exhaustive labors already worked out by others, rather than try to reinvent the wheel. With shorter winter days, these tables and calculators are a gift from the gods.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

The EV scales are only good for ISO 100. If your film speed is different, first set the shutter speed and f/stop, then read the EV and do all EV adjustments AFTER.

What do you think that is?

 

[Sirius Glass]

The EV scales are only good for ISO 100. If your film speed is different, first set the shutter speed and f/stop, then read the EV and do all EV adjustments AFTER.

What do you think that is?

First of all the Night Exposure Scale states that the EV is for ISO 100. Secondly Hasselblad and other cameras are designed with the assumption that the ISO is 100. Therefore when I use my Pentax Digital Spot Meter at ISO 400, I take the EV from the meter and put that EV on the Zone Scale, and use the f/stop and shutter speed indicated on the spot meter to set the Hasselblad. Then on the Hasselblad I use the EV now shown to make any adjustments for filters. If I do not do this exactly this way, the exposure is off.

 

[tballphoto]

my outdated method was to use the camera meter on my Ftb. It worked, got decent images of the moon and some of the clouds around it. but if i used black and white film, id just get the moon on a black surface.

 

[Kilgallb]

No pitch forks please.

I use an old DSLR set to ASA 6400 and find an exposure and work back to film speed (100) then add the reciprocity factor.

 

[foc]

No pitch forks please.

I use an old DSLR set to ASA 6400 and find an exposure and work back to film speed (100) then add the reciprocity factor.

Digital alchemy?