A Point and Shoot Camera Can Take Good Night Pictures: Check These Out...

[qanita92]

About a week ago I posted a thread asking if anyone can help me take good night pictures with my Kodak V1003. A lot of the posts said that a point and shoot camera isnt right for the job, but I saw these pictures on another thread that were taken with a Panasonic Lumix:

The poster said that the camera comes with a night and firework settings and that is how these pictures were taken.

My Kodak manual says:

Night Portrait


Reduces red eye of people in night scenes or low-light conditions.


Multi-Pattern Exposure Metering, Multi-Zone Focus, Red Eye flash
NOTE: A slow shutter speed is used. To avoid blur, place the camera on a flat, steady surface or use a tripod.

Night Landscape


Distant scenery at night. Flash does not fire.


Infinity Focus, Center-Weight Metering, Daylight White Balance, no flash, maximum 2-second exposure
NOTE: A slow shutter speed is used. To avoid blur, place the camera on a flat, steady surface or use a tripod.

Fireworks


Fireworks. Place the camera on a steady surface or tripod.


2-second exposure, Infinity Focus, Center-Weight Metering, Daylight White Balance, no flash

****
Here is a link to the different camera modes:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/serv...5toc.jhtml?chapsec=urg00665c2s7&pq-path=10540





Do you think that I would get results like these?

 

[abbingtonmatt]

nice shots.

 

[CEK40]

These are nice shots. Does anyone know which model Panasonic these images were taken with, and has anyone had the same results with a Canon point and shoot?

 

[Code]

Most point and shoot cameras are capable of a nice night shot of a static subject when you use a tripod, and that was well discussed in your previous thread. Fireworks also, but again, with the tripod. However you also asked about night parades/shows, and you need more than just a tripod for these, you need a large aperture and high ISO capability, and you weren't lied to when they told you a DSLR is pretty much the only option in this case.

 

[awoltoday]

These are nice shots. Does anyone know which model Panasonic these images were taken with, and has anyone had the same results with a Canon point and shoot?

From the EXIF data of the first photo:

Camera Make: Panasonic
Camera Model: DMC-FX07
Image Date: 2007:10:19 19:38:52
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 6.1mm (35mm equivalent: 37mm)
Exposure Time: 15.000 s
Aperture: f/3.1
ISO equiv: 100
White Balance: Auto
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: program (Auto)

 

[handicap18]

I think I may have mentioned it in the other thread, but any PnS camera can take very good night shots if you use a tripod. It doesn't matter what make or model.

The 2 shots you posted show in the EXIF data what their ISO and shutter speeds are. For the first one it is a 15 second shutter at ISO 100. The 2nd one is a 3.2 second shutter at ISO 100. These images were taken with a tripod or at least on top of something sturdy. There is no possible way to handhold a camera even with Image Stability and get shots like these.

Typically PnS camera's don't do well at night because of their sensor size. Compared to a frame of film a dSLR is only a little bit smaller, but on PnS camera's they are A LOT smaller.

Groucho made a great photo illustration of the difference between sizes. You can see it by clicking on this link to his album:
http://www.totalsham.com/gallery/misc/photography/Sensor+sizes.jpg.html

Many PnS camera's have the 1/2.5" sensor. The Panisonic has the 1/1.8".

So when people say they don't do well at night its mostly with the hand held stuff. PnS camera's don't have a very wide aperture because the lenses are very small and since the sensors are very small as well they tend to have noisier images (grainy). If you compare an 8MP dSLR to an 8MP PnS you have to keep in mind that on the PnS they are stuffing just as many megapixels but into a MUCH smaller area.

Something else to keep in mind. Especially with PnS camera's, is that anything under 1/60th of a second (probably closer to 1/20th if it has IS) you will get a blury image due to hand holding. I say especially with PnS camera's becuase its a LOT harder to hold a camera steady when you hold your hands out in front of you than it is to hold it tight up against your eye and look through a view finder.

I'm sure your camera will have similar results as the images you posted, but you need to have a tripod.

 

[jennwndrlnd]

I have a Panasonic FZ8 and it takes really good shots at night. The price has dropped from $378 to $115 at Wal-Mart so if you're looking for something with the simplicity of a p&s but also want to be able to play around with ISO, AP, etc...it's a great camera to start with. There are a ton of modes on it as well and I have had great shots with no tripod at night, there is a shake mode that you can set 2X.

 

[Experiment_626]

The Cinderella Castle/Wishes photo is quite nice. To my taste, the Spaceship Earth shot could have benefitted from a little less exposure -- Spaceship Earth itself is pretty badly overexposed in that one. Interesting that its reflection looks about right, though.

SSB

 

[awoltoday]

The Panisonic has the 1/1.8".

Which Panasonic would that be?

 

[ukcatfan]

The Cinderella Castle/Wishes photo is quite nice. To my taste, the Spaceship Earth shot could have benefitted from a little less exposure -- Spaceship Earth itself is pretty badly overexposed in that one. Interesting that its reflection looks about right, though.

SSB

I think I read somewhere that water reflections at night require double the exposure as the actual object. This is where HDR and/or RAW would help.

 

[jann1033]

The Cinderella Castle/Wishes photo is quite nice. To my taste, the Spaceship Earth shot could have benefitted from a little less exposure -- Spaceship Earth itself is pretty badly overexposed in that one. Interesting that its reflection looks about right, though.

SSB

ita , 1/2 the ball is blown out.
someone mentioned canon...my daughter has a canon P&s ( 640 or something like that, a few yrs old now) and she gets decent shots in low light( ie in a barn at night) but not sure how it would do for what the op originally asked about...and like has been mentioned you need a tripod or something to hold it. other daughter has a kodak, ( dz or dx something, about a 1 1/2 yrs old & had another point and shoot kodak before) and can' t get decent low light photos at all ( low light, not night ie she went to peru and couldn't use 90 % of her daylight photos from the rain forest) so i am guessing it very much depends on the camera you have as to what your photos are going to turn out like.