Night images

[Olya]

I have the Kodak DX7440 and i'm not satisfied with my night images. I use the night mode, but my shots look mostly blurred or dark. Do you know how i can improve my night photos? Thanks.

[coldrain]

Do you use a tripod?
And what kind of night shots do you take?

[bluevellet]

Like the man above asked, do you have a tripod?

If not, try to have a firmer, more stable grip on the camera (leaning against something, using the viewfinder, putting your elbows on a flat surface).

You could also learn to use the self-timer, either by putting the camera on something (if you do not have a tripod) and just holding the camera and waiting for the timer to do its trick. You'd be surprised to find how clearer some photos get when you don't press the shutter button when taking a photo.

Using the burst mode with a camera with no image stabiliser is a good habit to have. Yeah, you can not use the flash and many Kodak cameras tend to be slow in burst mode, but it increases the odds you'll get a shot right by taking a fast series of photos. A few will likely still be bad, but all you need is to have one that turns out right.

And I can't remember what type of manual controls the DX7440 have, but using longer exposures and exposure compensation could do the trick. It's possible the DX7440 allows you to quickly change exposure compensation settings by conveniently pressing left or right on the camera's little joystick (right before a shot), like many recent Kodak cameras, but I can't be sure.

Reading the manual would probably help too...

Try out these things and I'm pretty sure it will some kind of a difference. Just give us an update.

[Olya]

Bluevellet, it is a very detailed explanation, thanks a lot. I've never considered buying a tripod, just because i didn't think it may help. I will try.

I'm also planning to buy an external flash, which as far as know may help me to reduce red eye.

[TheInstaller]

I have been playing around with night shots as well. I use a tripod with my Z612, and use the manual mode. Some shots I force flash, and others I leave it off.

Here are a couple I did last night.

f5.0, s 16sec, ISO 200, fl 35mm forced flash
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q54/theinstaller72/Night%20Shots/100_0229.jpg

f2.8, s 10sec, ISO 200, fl 35mm, no flash
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q54/theinstaller72/Night%20Shots/100_0223.jpg

f3.2, s 1/2, ISO 200, fl 70mm, forced flash
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q54/theinstaller72/Night%20Shots/100_0213.jpg

[TheInstaller]

Here are a couple shots I took tonight of the trees and night sky.

First one is done with manual settings.
Flash used: Yes (manual)
Focal length: 5.8mm (35mm equivalent: 35mm)
Exposure time: 16.000 s
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO equiv.: 200
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: center weight
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Auto bracketing

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q54/theinstaller72/Night%20Shots/100_0235.jpg

This one was done using shutter priority.
Flash used: No
Focal length: 5.8mm (35mm equivalent: 35mm)
Exposure time: 16.000 s
Aperture: f/3.6
ISO equiv.: 200
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: center weight
Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)
Exposure Mode: Auto bracketing
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q54/theinstaller72/Night%20Shots/100_0233.jpg