settings question

[korzmom]

Got a canon rebel t3 and still having a hard time figuring out exp and aperature settings,just want some good firework pics and a decent haunted mansion indoor pic,and fantasmic. Any help is appreciated. How about some quivk hints I leave in 2 days.

 

[hakepb]

Got a canon rebel t3 and still having a hard time figuring out exp and aperature settings,just want some good firework pics and a decent haunted mansion indoor pic,and fantasmic. Any help is appreciated. How about some quivk hints I leave in 2 days.

Fireworks, you need a tripod (or at least a table or trash can to hold your camera steady) then you set focus on the castle or infinity, them you set your aperature at f/11 , ISO then you start taking 4-6 second exposures,

Dark rides...that's the territory that needs big aperature and faster shutter speeds and high ISO
Unless you have a fast lens (f/1.8) I'd probably flip between Sports mode and Auto and see what works best, then ride again.

Fantasmic, unless you have a great f/2.8 zoom lens, is concentrate on getting a close seat so you can at least do a good job framing pics, and, again see what sports mode does well or not.

 

[AmyB2006]

Agree with pp. You need tripod for fireworks. Longer shutter speeds than a quick snapshot.

What kind of lens do you have on that camera?

 

[photo_chick]

Got a canon rebel t3 and still having a hard time figuring out exp and aperature settings,just want some good firework pics and a decent haunted mansion indoor pic,and fantasmic. Any help is appreciated. How about some quivk hints I leave in 2 days.

No one can really tell you specific settings, you just have to learn the technical side. Your manual has some good information, as does the book Understanding Exposure. You have time to get a very basic understanding of what shutter speed, aperture and ISO do as well as how they affect the image. Don't expect miracles though. Dark ride shooting at Disney is some of the most technically challenging shooting around. Most of the really great dark ride shots you see on this board are the result of years of learning and many trips to the park.


While fireworks do take a tripod and can use just about any lens, you do need a faster lens than your standard 18-55 kit lens for indoor shots. Something like the Canon 50mm f/1.8 or Sigma's 30mm f/1.4 will help you in those areas.

 

[SkaGoat]

Got a canon rebel t3 and still having a hard time figuring out exp and aperature settings,just want some good firework pics and a decent haunted mansion indoor pic,and fantasmic. Any help is appreciated. How about some quivk hints I leave in 2 days.

If you go to Tom Bricker's blog, he has lots of info on how to get great fireworks photos, a tripod is a must, remote shutter, and ND filter also help a lot.

 

[ThurlFan]

In the dark rides, you may want to switch to manual focus. The autofocus will often hunt for too long to decide how to set itself and by the time your camera takes the picture, what you originally pointed at is either too close to fit in the frame or out of the frame entirely. And probably not even focused correctly after all that.

Agree with above comments also.

Also note that if you try using the Auto setting on a dark ride your camera WILL use the flash and annoy other guests

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, if you only have the lens that came with the camera, then I'd probably just put it away on HM and enjoy the ride!

When you get home, read Understanding Exposure to lay the groundwork for getting the most out of your camera down the road.

 

[boBQuincy]

If you want great fireworks photos then a tripod (or some camera support) is a must. If you are ok with "good" fireworks photos then maybe handheld is an option.
This first one was 1/15 s, f/2.8, ISO 400:

This one was 1/80 s, f/2.8, ISO 400. Both were taken in Av mode, I let the camera figure the exposure if it can do a good job with the lighting.

It all depends on what your level of "good enough" is.

 

[highlander]

Wow! Amazing shots. I especially like the second one.

Just wondering how many people bumped into your tripod while they weren't paying attention?

 

[boBQuincy]

Wow! Amazing shots. I especially like the second one.

Just wondering how many people bumped into your tripod while they weren't paying attention?

None! . One photo was handheld, one was with a 3 ounce monopod (which probably was not necessary). Others have made some great fireworks photographs with a tripod, I am trying to see how far we can go with what a less dedicated photographer might bring while finding a spot at the last minute.

 

[Frantasmic]

I am trying to see how far we can go with what a less dedicated photographer might bring while finding a spot at the last minute.

A salute to your dedication to compensating for American disingenuity!

 

[hakepb]

Even with ideal setup, fireworks require some luck (because they don't stay still in the sky)

It is possible to luck out and get an occasional nice shot without planning. With some pixy dust, I lucked into this shot:
(Hand holding my little PnS camera down, against the railing in Liberty Square)
Its a 2 second exposure, and looking closely the fireworks are a little "squirrelly" which wouldn't happen with a good tripod and remote trigger). But considering that the family just made me mad, insisting on leaving an OK spot in the busy hub...

But, there were many, many more misses than hits trying to shoot this.

 

[boBQuincy]

A salute to your dedication to compensating for American disingenuity!

At least the monopod is an ingenious design!

Reading this post and others like it I see "I want good fireworks photos" ... but between the lines I see "but I don't want to carry a tripod, stake out my spot an hour early, and defend it with kung-fu". To the OP, please correct me if this is not the case but I think I understand because most of the time I don't want to go to all that effort either.

Then there's the ND filter and the 15 minute long single exposure and "oops, forgot focus, try again tomorrow". Many of us on this board don't mind carrying a lot of equipment and go to WDW fairly often but many people are off to another park tomorrow, won't be back for years, and only have this one chance to get some photos. This is my focus (pun intended) for testing ideas of how to get good fireworks photos without a tripod.

I hope it helps someone who is just looking for an easy way to get some memorable photos. Btw, I used auto focus and semi-auto exposure too.

 

[photo_chick]

At least the monopod is an ingenious design!

Reading this post and others like it I see "I want good fireworks photos" ... but between the lines I see "but I don't want to carry a tripod, stake out my spot an hour early, and defend it with kung-fu". To the OP, please correct me if this is not the case but I think I understand because most of the time I don't want to go to all that effort either.

Then there's the ND filter and the 15 minute long single exposure and "oops, forgot focus, try again tomorrow". Many of us on this board don't mind carrying a lot of equipment and go to WDW fairly often but many people are off to another park tomorrow, won't be back for years, and only have this one chance to get some photos. This is my focus (pun intended) for testing ideas of how to get good fireworks photos without a tripod.

I hope it helps someone who is just looking for an easy way to get some memorable photos. Btw, I used auto focus and semi-auto exposure too.

I don't want to carry a tripod or stake out a spot hours ahead of time. Nor do I want the frustration of people standing in my way after i've been at said spot for hours, since I'm not quite 5' and elementary schoolers are taller than me. I also don't want to have to learn the timing of Wishes to get that perfect shot. Which is why I enjoy the work of others when it comes to the actual fireworks at WDW and just get shots of my kids enjoying the show.

 

[dmc6469]

Following

 

[DSLRuser]

No trippod for me. I am the king of finding a trash can, light post, or any other static thing and using what ever popcorn box or soda bottle i can find, I will turn that into a tri pod. With that, I like to hang back and get my vantage from farther away.

I want to enjoy the show too, so I set my camera up as follows.

FX 50mm lens, or fx 35mm depending on location

ISO = 100
aperture = 8.00 ish
shutter speed = 2.0 seconds
manually set focus

Turn camera to time delay of 10 seconds, and set to take 30 shots in a row with 10 second delay between.

press the shutter, and enjoy the show.

Of those 30 shots, I usually get some decent keepers. it is all just a matter of timing and a little luck.