Aperature & F-Stop for Osbourne Lights?

[GB]

Can anyone tell me an ideal Aperature and F-Stop to use when putting my SLR in Manual to photograph the Osbourne Lights. I would like to try photographing the lights on a manual setting with tripod.

My night pictures of lights just never turn out good when using a flash.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Gina

 

[Rajah]

I don't know what type of camera you have or what kind of film you'd be using, but assuming a 400 ISO and that it would react similarly to my Coolpix 990 digital, I'd try 1/15th second with aperature around 2.5 - 3.5, or the lowest you can go. That's what I used to get Small World pictures at Disneyland a couple of weeks ago, and the Small World Mall is similar to the Osborne Lights.

If you have a light meter, try those settings and see what the light meter says. You might need to go one step lower than 1/15th (as in, 1/8th or whatever your camera's next shutter setting is) for some of the dimmer areas. Watch your light meter and it should tell you how to go.

Or, you could try going to shutter priority and setting to 1/15th and let the camera figure out the aperature.

I've just found that with my pictures (again, digital, and I'm not sure how that would compare to film sensitivity) that 1/15th is typically the "magic number" for Christmas lights.

 

[GB]

Rajah,

Thank you so much for your response. I have a Minolta 7XI SLR with a Tamron 82mm lense. Its range is 28 to 105 (1 : 2.8). I also have an 18mm lense for wide angle - Which I mostly use for underwater photography - but may use this to try and capture some lights. I will be using 400 ASA Film.

If 1/15 seems to be the magic number than thats what I'll go with. I do some using shutter priority (I was already thinking I could do that, but didn't know really what speed to pick), and some completely manual.

Thanks again form taking the time to answer my question.

Gina

 

[Rajah]

Sure thing -- good luck!! I hope they turn out for you.

Again -- pay attention to your camera's light meter. It should tell you whether you're too fast or too slow.