Spotting at Night with a Nikon D 70 or Cannon Eos Rebel

[Just_Lucas]

Hello everyone,i was just wondering if anyone can give me any Tips on Spotting with a Nikon D 70/Cannon Eos rebel at night there not the best night cameras but They aren't bad...Just wondering What iso i should keep on and should i put it on night scenery with the flash?thanks for your help If you respond (:

[megatop412]

Lucas- night spotting is pretty much restricted to static aircraft as most cameras are unable to take any kind of sharp shot of a plane in the air in darkness. See the recent thread about the Yemenia 747SP to see what I mean.

So...if you can get yourself into a position where you have a clear view of a plane on the ground at night, set up your tripod(you have a tripod, right), set the camera to base ISO(200 on the D70), set yourself to P mode(you can progress to S, then M as you get the hang of how to juggle the exposure around), no flash is needed, and start shooting. Get in the general ballpark to where it looks sort of OK, then make your adjustments to make it better. Optimally you would use a cable release to fire the shutter but if not, use the camera's self-timer. If you don't have a tripod you at least need a surface for the camera to rest on, you cannot handhold for most night shots. Yes you can turn up the ISO but like I said earlier you don't want to go above ISO800 on the D70. Even at ISO800, your shutter speeds will still be too long to get a sharp shot unless you're on a tripod or have the steady hands of a surgeon.

Some of the folks here have excellent panning skills and can follow a moving airplane precisely enough to get a sharp picture even at night. That ain't me though.

A final note: yes some people use flash for night shots, but those are usually shots where you have permission to be close to an airplane and can use remote flashes or strobes on stands to paint the plane and get an interesting exposure. I don't think that's what you meant about using flash- your onboard flash won't cut it.

[Just_Lucas]

Thanks,what about the Cannon Eos though?
Lucas- night spotting is pretty much restricted to static aircraft as most cameras are unable to take any kind of sharp shot of a plane in the air in darkness. See the recent thread about the Yemenia 747SP to see what I mean.

So...if you can get yourself into a position where you have a clear view of a plane on the ground at night, set up your tripod(you have a tripod, right), set the camera to base ISO(200 on the D70), set yourself to P mode(you can progress to S, then M as you get the hang of how to juggle the exposure around), no flash is needed, and start shooting. Get in the general ballpark to where it looks sort of OK, then make your adjustments to make it better. Optimally you would use a cable release to fire the shutter but if not, use the camera's self-timer. If you don't have a tripod you at least need a surface for the camera to rest on, you cannot handhold for most night shots. Yes you can turn up the ISO but like I said earlier you don't want to go above ISO800 on the D70. Even at ISO800, your shutter speeds will still be too long to get a sharp shot unless you're on a tripod or have the steady hands of a surgeon.

Some of the folks here have excellent panning skills and can follow a moving airplane precisely enough to get a sharp picture even at night. That ain't me though.

A final note: yes some people use flash for night shots, but those are usually shots where you have permission to be close to an airplane and can use remote flashes or strobes on stands to paint the plane and get an interesting exposure. I don't think that's what you meant about using flash- your onboard flash won't cut it.

[megatop412]

Thanks,what about the Cannon Eos though?

Sorry man I only have the Nikon- the majority here are Canon shooters so maybe they can chime in(although I think the general principles can still be followed)

[Just_Lucas]

ah thanks (:,I hear cannons are good at night Although...Im not really sure But thanks for the help
Sorry man I only have the Nikon- the majority here are Canon shooters so maybe they can chime in(although I think the general principles can still be followed)

[gonzalu]

Cannons have been used at night by Pirates for ages... These days, they are mostly only used for demonstration purposes at night. During the day, they are dormant :tongue:

[jerslice]

No real difference between Canon & Nikon...though I've heard Nikon is a bit better in high ISO.

[gonzalu]

Currently the king of high ISO performance up to ISO 12800 is the older Nikon D3S ... and above that it is a close call between the Nikon D4 and the Canon 5D Mk III but the Nikon edges it out in objective and subjective testing. The Canon 1DX has not been widely tested yet to compare.

Those are NOT MY pinions but based on extensive public opinion and formal quality testing by various groups.

[Just_Lucas]

oh..,Okay thanks (: