Help need help on purchasing camera for night shots

[wisbucky]

I currently have a Sony Cybershot T200. The camera takes great day time shots but at night it just isnt made for low light. Can anyone recommend a camera that would take great shots like of the parade, castle, etc. I dont want some huge bulky camera as I will refuse to take it. Anyone have any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Think tripod

 

[KarenAylwood]

If you just want an easy point and shoot that will take pics that are pretty good in low light, then I'd recommend the Canon SD series. I have the SD800 and my mom has the SD1200. She was really happy with her night shots from this past trip. Of course they didn't compare to mine.. but I was walking around with a couple thousand dollars worth of photography equipment (incl a tripod)

For the average person interested in capturing moments on vacation that isn't interested in a dSLR or bringing a tripod... I'd recommend the Canon SD series. Found it works great in indoors, low light and nighttime.

 

[wisbucky]

Im looking at the Sony DSC-HX1. Anyone have any input on this camera?

 

[KarenAylwood]

None on that one specifically but I had the Sony DSC-H5 before I got my dSLR and it was a great camera- gave very high quality shots.

 

[wisbucky]

None on that one specifically but I had the Sony DSC-H5 before I got my dSLR and it was a great camera- gave very high quality shots.

Did it work well in low light conditions such as parades or taking photos of the castle?

 

[Frantasmic]

This topic has been discussed in numerous threads lately. If you want low-light pictures like some people here can and do achieve, it really isn't possible due to the sensor size of a point and shoot.

Several recent point and shoot makers have attempted to make these cameras better in low light. Fuji has one that uses 3 sensors to get a picture. Canon recently released the S90 that does raw, has F2.0 aperture and some other cool innovations that should help. But, these are pretty new cameras and don't have a lot of people using them to review them as of yet.

Newer cameras will probably do better than an older camera, but the sensors on most of them just aren't really made for low-light photography that is more than just decent. It's physics.

Search for low-light or dark rides in this forum.

 

[wisbucky]

This topic has been discussed in numerous threads lately. If you want low-light pictures like some people here can and do achieve, it really isn't possible due to the sensor size of a point and shoot.

Several recent point and shoot makers have attempted to make these cameras better in low light. Fuji has one that uses 3 sensors to get a picture. Canon recently released the S90 that does raw, has F2.0 aperture and some other cool innovations that should help. But, these are pretty new cameras and don't have a lot of people using them to review them as of yet.

Newer cameras will probably do better than an older camera, but the sensors on most of them just aren't really made for low-light photography that is more than just decent. It's physics.

Search for low-light or dark rides in this forum.

Thanks much with that in mind what if I purchaser a DSLR camera what should I look for.

 

[pjacobi]

Even if you had the proper equipment, low-light photography almost always requires that the camera to be operated in manual mode. If you are not prepared to learn some new photography skill, you will be disappointed.

Make sure you next camera can be operated in full manual mode and learn how to use it. Practice, practice, practice.

Otherwise, put the camera down, sit back and just enjoy the ride.


-Paul

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Im looking at the Sony DSC-HX1. Anyone have any input on this camera?

The Sony HX1 has a function that will take multiple shots and combine together in camera to reduce noise for low light/high ISO shots but I do not have the camera to know how well it actually works.

Even with DSLR's the best option for getting pictures of the castle and anything that is static is going to be a tripod. You'd probably be able to get some quite decent photos with your current camera and a tripod but that won't help with parades. When you're talking about the night parade and indoor rides then it will be a camera that allows higher ISO and a lens with a large aperture.

 

[wisbucky]

The Sony HX1 has a function that will take multiple shots and combine together in camera to reduce noise for low light/high ISO shots but I do not have the camera to know how well it actually works.

Even with DSLR's the best option for getting pictures of the castle and anything that is static is going to be a tripod. You'd probably be able to get some quite decent photos with your current camera and a tripod but that won't help with parades. When you're talking about the night parade and indoor rides then it will be a camera that allows higher ISO and a lens with a large aperture.

The current camera I have has an ISO of 3200 but the aperture is obvioulsy little and I am sure that is the problem. It is irritating as all get out. My parade pictures are all very dark if I use a flash.

 

[Golf4food]

are all very dark if I use a flash.

That's part of the problem, right there. Good night shots are almost always no flash. Your camera cannot properly expose subjects in the distance if you are blinding it with worthless light in the foreground where you have no subject. People snapping away with their p&s flashes at the castle standing in the hub just make me laugh - your flash is good for maybe ten feet and you are 100 feet away from the castle! If you aren't taking a night photo of a person or other object near you the flash is useless and causes more problems than it solves. If you are very close you can maybe get a decent flash shot of a parade, but only if you have a powerful flash and decent camera. Most p&s flashes are too weak and the camera sensors are not good enough in low light either. And most cameras will want to use a fast shutter speed if the flash is on (which is why your shots come out so dark - the shutter isn't open long enough to "see" anything beyond a few feet away).

Photos require light. In low light situations the camera needs to manufacture light: flash, longer shutter speed, higher ISO, wider apeture. Most p&s cannot do high ISO well (sensor too small) or wider apeture (lenses too small). Flash is, as outlined above, mostly useless. So that leaves longer shutter speed - but then you get shake which causes blur. Answer? Tripod. Even with a $10,000 pro level DSLR setup you'd still want a tripod for truly good night photos.

That said, if you get even an entry level DSLR and decent lens and use a tripod you can get good night shots around WDW. Some of the newer p&s or bridge cameras might also get close, but until and unless they get sensors as big as a dslr they will always be inferior when the sun goes down.

Nobody said photography would be easy, but it is always fun (even when aggravating).

 

[wisbucky]

That's part of the problem, right there. Good night shots are almost always no flash. Your camera cannot properly expose subjects in the distance if you are blinding it with worthless light in the foreground where you have no subject. People snapping away with their p&s flashes at the castle standing in the hub just make me laugh - your flash is good for maybe ten feet and you are 100 feet away from the castle! If you aren't taking a night photo of a person or other object near you the flash is useless and causes more problems than it solves. If you are very close you can maybe get a decent flash shot of a parade, but only if you have a powerful flash and decent camera. Most p&s flashes are too weak and the camera sensors are not good enough in low light either. And most cameras will want to use a fast shutter speed if the flash is on (which is why your shots come out so dark - the shutter isn't open long enough to "see" anything beyond a few feet away).

Photos require light. In low light situations the camera needs to manufacture light: flash, longer shutter speed, higher ISO, wider apeture. Most p&s cannot do high ISO well (sensor too small) or wider apeture (lenses too small). Flash is, as outlined above, mostly useless. So that leaves longer shutter speed - but then you get shake which causes blur. Answer? Tripod. Even with a $10,000 pro level DSLR setup you'd still want a tripod for truly good night photos.

That said, if you get even an entry level DSLR and decent lens and use a tripod you can get good night shots around WDW. Some of the newer p&s or bridge cameras might also get close, but until and unless they get sensors as big as a dslr they will always be inferior when the sun goes down.

Nobody said photography would be easy, but it is always fun (even when aggravating).

Guess I should of clarified myself more. With a flash I get bascially a picture that you can barely make anything out. Without a flash I am lucky if I can see a thing.

I was standing next to a girl who bought a $79 camera at Walmart. She was getting amazing shots. I had a $500 cybershot and I couldnt get a thing. I wanted to take my camera and throw it.

I am seriously considering a DSLR. I want the night shots of just being able to shoot something in the dark.

 

[VVFF]

Guess I should of clarified myself more. With a flash I get bascially a picture that you can barely make anything out. Without a flash I am lucky if I can see a thing.

I was standing next to a girl who bought a $79 camera at Walmart. She was getting amazing shots. I had a $500 cybershot and I couldnt get a thing. I wanted to take my camera and throw it.

I am seriously considering a DSLR. I want the night shots of just being able to shoot something in the dark.

You were judging the quality of her pictures from what you saw over her shoulder on a 2-3" LCD? Chances are they were blurry. You were using a flash at too long a distance so you got sharp pictures but hardly anything was illuminated.

Again, as others have mentioned, if you explore the manual modes of your camera you too can get blurry pictures just like your $79 wal mart girl was likely getting.

You can do better by getting a camera with a "fast" lens and decent high ISO ability but it won't make any difference if you don't know how to exploit those. Take a look at the CAnon S90 or Canon G11. But first, take a look around the 'net and learn about aperture, Shutter speed and ISO control.

A DSLR doesn't magically make every picture work. In fact, with a kit lens and left in auto mode it may blur the same parade pictures your trying to get now.

 

[wisbucky]

You were judging the quality of her pictures from what you saw over her shoulder on a 2-3" LCD? Chances are they were blurry. You were using a flash at too long a distance so you got sharp pictures but hardly anything was illuminated.

Again, as others have mentioned, if you explore the manual modes of your camera you too can get blurry pictures just like your $79 wal mart girl was likely getting.

You can do better by getting a camera with a "fast" lens and decent high ISO ability but it won't make any difference if you don't know how to exploit those. Take a look at the CAnon S90 or Canon G11. But first, take a look around the 'net and learn about aperture, Shutter speed and ISO control.

A DSLR doesn't magically make every picture work. In fact, with a kit lens and left in auto mode it may blur the same parade pictures your trying to get now.

The lady with the $79 walmart camera was next to me and she commented on how well her pictures all turn out. I have explored the camera's manual modes and in fact took it into a sonystyle store. They indicated it was not designed for low light shooting.

Therefore I am looking for a different camera.

 

[Chikabowa]

The only point and shoot camera, in my limited knowledge of the point-n-shoot category, that would do a decent job is a Canon G11 - which runs about $500.

Now... with that said... You still aren't going to get great low-light shots unless you learn how to use it correctly and have a tripod. The tripod is the #1 thing you can do to make your night shots turn out nicely.

So my suggestion would be to invest (or even borrow from the library) the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Read that so that you obtain a good grasp of photography exposure elements, get a sturdy tripod and then practice practice practice! I would even do those two things with your current camera before you invest in a new camera. If your current equipment isn't cutting it after some practice, then invest in the new camera.

And if you want the $79 wal-mart camera... get it! Who are we to tell you that the images are horrible? You saw them with your own eyes. But those people with the amazing night images have usually invested some time, practice and knowledge (not to mention a little sacrifice in terms of carrying heavy equipment and tripods!) to get those images.

Hope that helps a little!

 

[wisbucky]

The only point and shoot camera, in my limited knowledge of the point-n-shoot category, that would do a decent job is a Canon G11 - which runs about $500.

Now... with that said... You still aren't going to get great low-light shots unless you learn how to use it correctly and have a tripod. The tripod is the #1 thing you can do to make your night shots turn out nicely.

So my suggestion would be to invest (or even borrow from the library) the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Read that so that you obtain a good grasp of photography exposure elements, get a sturdy tripod and then practice practice practice! I would even do those two things with your current camera before you invest in a new camera. If your current equipment isn't cutting it after some practice, then invest in the new camera.

And if you want the $79 wal-mart camera... get it! Who are we to tell you that the images are horrible? You saw them with your own eyes. But those people with the amazing night images have usually invested some time, practice and knowledge (not to mention a little sacrifice in terms of carrying heavy equipment and tripods!) to get those images.

Hope that helps a little!

I seriously dont want the Walmart camera. LOL I love my Cybershot T200 but it just wont do the parade shots. And Sonystyle even admitted it so at least I know it wasnt me. I would really like to get a dslr and do some different type of photoseventually, but I am looking for help from those who know something about these cameras. I would like one that has auto settings as well.

 

[VVFF]

I seriously dont want the Walmart camera. LOL I love my Cybershot T200 but it just wont do the parade shots. And Sonystyle even admitted it so at least I know it wasnt me. I would really like to get a dslr and do some different type of photoseventually, but I am looking for help from those who know something about these cameras. I would like one that has auto settings as well.

If her $79 wal-mart camera was taking good pictures of the parade then it should be entirely possible with the Sony. You really need to explore the manual modes more honestly. It's entirely possible that even with a DSLR that's "designed for" low light shooting that you will end up with blurry pictures if you don't know how to handle the manual modes.

No P&S camera is really "designed for" low light shooting. The closest they come to that is the Canon S90. However, I assume by parade your talking about a nighttime parade such as spectromagic. For that, you really don't always need a camera designed for low light because the lights are actually your subject that need to be exposed.

How much are you looking to spend here?

 

[wisbucky]

$500- $900

 

[Chikabowa]

I seriously dont want the Walmart camera. LOL I love my Cybershot T200 but it just wont do the parade shots. And Sonystyle even admitted it so at least I know it wasnt me. I would really like to get a dslr and do some different type of photoseventually, but I am looking for help from those who know something about these cameras. I would like one that has auto settings as well.

Sorry - when someone writes in their original post that they don't want a large camera to lug around, it usually means that they aren't looking to go in the DSLR category since it's larger, bulkier and harder to lug around.

Here is the deal...
The Canon G11 that I rec'd is a bridge camera, meaning that you have a lot more in terms of manual controls. You can also shoot RAW with that camera giving you more in terms of control in your post processing. It is also more compact, able to fit into a pocket, and produces outstanding images. It's in the price range you just listed. It does have auto settings.

Otherwise, if you are looking to jump into the DSLR category, there is a array of cameras to choose from in the entry level models. However, you still need to educate yourself in terms of knowing what you are doing in order to make them work. In fact, you images could very well turn out WORSE than current if you don't know what you are doing. How would you feel about plunking down $1000 for worse images? And it's not the camera's fault... it is totally the person behind the camera.

Popular models include the Canon lines - XS, XSi, T1i, etc. The Nikon line includes - D40, D40x, D3000, D5000, etc. There are others in both the Olympus, Sony and Pentax brands, but since I'm not familiar with those brands, I have to leave the rec's to someone else who knows a tad more than I. Those all (mostly) fit into the budget you've put out there.

Everyone will give you the same advice though - go to the camera store and hold and feel these cameras. Some say that Canon menus and ergonomics are intuitive to them. Some say that Nikon is. It's not the camera - it's the individual that makes the difference. So hold, touch, feel, see, and play around with the menus and shooting modes. All of that should help you make a decision.

Simply put...
What you want to do is difficult. It's actually some pretty medium to advanced photography principles involved - especially when you are talking about moving objects such as a parade while sitting in the dark. There isn't a single camera out there that is going to be small, be able to shoot on auto and come up with some of the pictures you see out there. The people who get those pictures have spent a lot of time studying and understanding the fundamentals of photography and then implementing them.

I'm not saying this to discourage you in the least. In fact, I hope that it will help guide you to learn more and practice more to accomplish your goals! It just sounds from the tone of your posts that you want the camera to accomplish it all and I'm just telling you that there is a portion of this equation that is camera and a portion of the equation that is you.

Everyone on this board is EXTREMELY helpful in terms of providing information and guidance in learning how to shoot a parade in the dark. So if you want to learn - ask the questions and people will be more than happy to help.

Just understand that getting the camera is only the first step. From there, it's up to you as there won't be a point-n-shoot or DSLR that will automatically get what you are looking for in terms of image.

Hope that helps!