Results 1 to 9 of 9

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

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    250

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

    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 (:

  2. #2
    Senior Member megatop412's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Philadelphia(south Jersey, actually)
    Posts
    3,283
    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.
    Last edited by megatop412; 2012-10-17 at 08:43 PM.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    250
    Thanks,what about the Cannon Eos though?
    Quote Originally Posted by megatop412 View Post
    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.

  4. #4
    Senior Member megatop412's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Philadelphia(south Jersey, actually)
    Posts
    3,283
    Quote Originally Posted by Just_Lucas View Post
    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)

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    250
    ah thanks (:,I hear cannons are good at night Although...Im not really sure But thanks for the help
    Quote Originally Posted by megatop412 View Post
    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)

  6. #6
    Senior Member gonzalu's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    The Bronx, New York
    Posts
    6,028
    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
    Manny Gonzalez
    Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
    BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS

  7. #7
    Program Coordinator
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Washington
    Posts
    2,077
    No real difference between Canon & Nikon...though I've heard Nikon is a bit better in high ISO.

  8. #8
    Senior Member gonzalu's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    The Bronx, New York
    Posts
    6,028
    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.
    Manny Gonzalez
    Thrust Images | General Photography | R.I.P. Matt Molnar 1979-2013
    BRING BACK THE KJFK/KLGA OBSERVATION DECKS

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    250
    oh..,Okay thanks (:

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •