Can I please ask one more fireworks ?

[scrappinmom]

Hi all - I have poured over all of your answers for getting great fireworks shots. We'll be watching Wishes in just 10 days. Can someone please tell me in very simple terms....exactly how/what to set my Canon Digi Rebel xti on for pictures? I will bring my mini-tripod & know where I want to stand. But past that I'm clueless. I don't know if I'll have time to get a shutter release cord/bulb...can I still get some good shots?

 

[handicap18]

Get a remote shutter release. It will make a difference.

As for settings:
I would start with Manual Priority. ISO 100 or 200, f/8 or f/10 and start with 2 seconds. Check the display, if it isn't long enough adjust accordingly. I've found about 5 seconds to be good. Try to time it when you hear the loud "PUUFF" (the actual launching of the fireworks) this will usually entail you getting the streaks followed by the large colorful bursts. Focus on the Castle first, then switch the lens and camera body to manual focus so they camera wont try to refocus each time you release the shutter.

 

[ukcatfan]

Without a cable release, you will need to use the 2 sec delay IMO. That will make it tough to predict the best time to press the shutter, but better than nothing. Another thing you could do is to set a very long shutter and cover the lens with a black sheet of paper while you do not want it being exposed.

Tell us where you plan to take the pics and possibly someone has used that spot and can tell the exact settings that worked. I think most agree that at least a 2 sec. shutter is needed. Also, most agree that your lowest ISO should be used. The aperture seems to be what varies from person to person, but I do not think I have seen anyone suggest wider than f/8. I believe that if you go with longer shutters or are closer to the action, then you should be more in the f/11-f/16 range. Much of this has to do with focal length and what lens you are using. I would not suggest the same settings for a kit compared to a nifty fifty for example.

Kevin

 

[scrappinmom]

Thank you I guess I"m going to try to see if I can get a shutter release in the next day or two. We leave on Wednesday night.

I'll be just in front of Casey's corner - it's our favorite place to watch the parade.

my lens is a sigma 28-300

 

[photo_chick]

You can actually successfully shoot fireworks with the Rebel XT on (gasp) auto! I left my DH with the camera when I had to go do something at JUly 4th. I switched it to the nifty green square (the only way I let him shoot) and closed the flash. He managed to get some good shots, not as good as mine but pretty good none the less.

I guess what I am saying is if for whatever reason you are totally clueless when you get there... there is no shame in letting the camera decide what to do for a shot or two. Or in my DH's case all! While you spent good money to have the choice to set things how you want, you also spent money for the parts of the camera that decide the best shot at the time.

I do also recommend a cable release though. If nothing else it will stop you from bouncing the camera when you take the shot like you probably would without it.

 

[ukcatfan]

If you cannot find a cable locally in time, for about $15 dollars in supplies from Radio Shack, you can make one. Groucho is our board's expert at the process if you are interested in this.

Kevin

 

[Groucho]

Yup, making one is easy. The downside is that if you're sloppy with a soldering iron (as I am), you may have to do repairs. On the last day, my ground wire started to come loose a little - it worked fine when I fiddled a little (most of the Wishes photos I took were taken with it)... I finally got around to opening it up and noticed that the ground inside the plug wasn't soldered well enough. I redid it and hopefully it'll last forever now. The cable works for both Pentax and Canon DSLRs - Nikons have some oddball connector that's not as easy to make a homemade shutter release for.

Oh, and the cost in parts is closer to $4 or $5 than $15 - all you need is a 3/16" mini-headphone plug and two pushbutton switches. You can grab an on/off switch if you want, too - good for something like astrophotography where you'll want the shutter open for longer than you want to hold down a button. I used a spare telephone cable for the wiring.

As for mode - I vote for Bulb mode. (Or manual mode with Bulb as the shutter speed - whatever it takes to get your camera set that way.) F8, maybe F11. Auto focus on the castle then switch to manual focus, so it won't attempt to focus on the fireworks themselves. If you're shooting Illuminations, you'll probably want to hand-focus at the beginning, or focus on one of the center islands.