topic Re: Night photography in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS 90D Tips for nighttime train photography

Ramsden — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 14:27:30 GMT

Hello again

I'm still working to get some good night shots of trains going over a viaduct at night.

EOS 90D kit lens 18- 135 and a new Sigma 18 - 35 Art. Trying to work in M and cant get the camera to click - but if I swap to hand held night mode - it clicks away.

So I transfer the settings from Hand held to M and it still struggles to open its shutter. Typical setting ISO 128000 f2.8 1/160. Auto focus working like mad.

Whats going on/wrong? Help please

Ramsden (formerly Twiddler)

Re: Night photography

jrhoffman75 — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 22:15:34 GMT

@Ramsden wrote:

Hello again

I'm still working to get some good night shots of trains going over a viaduct at night.

EOS 90D kit lens 18- 135 and a new Sigma 18 - 35 Art. Trying to work in M and cant get the camera to click - but if I swap to hand held night mode - it clicks away.

So I transfer the settings from Hand held to M and it still struggles to open its shutter. Typical setting ISO 128000 f2.8 1/160. Auto focus working like mad.

Whats going on/wrong? Help please

Ramsden (formerly Twiddler)

Try switching to manual focus and focus using Live View.

Just my guess, but perhaps in the night scene mode the camera is programmed to just set the focus to hyperfocal distance based on the f/stop since it is anticipating insufficient light for AF.

Re: Night photography

justadude — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 22:44:16 GMT

You hit the nail on the head, John. My 80D behaved the same way. I typically do a manual focus at night anyway, but when the 80D was new, I had to try everything out and found the same results.

Re: Night photography

deebatman316 — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 22:58:22 GMT

Even my old EOS 40D behaves the same way.

Re: Night photography

Ramsden — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 07:22:05 GMT

Thanks for your quick responses. That makes sense. Also in Understanding Variation, he recommends using a tripod at night to provide that extra stability.

I'll give a go this week - weather permitting (Uk)!

Thanks agai

Ramsden

Re: Night photography

Ramsden — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 09:38:38 GMT

Hi again

Should I be looking at different filters? At the moment I have a K&F UV , mainly for protection.

Ramsden

Re: Night photography

jrhoffman75 — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:54:45 GMT

@Ramsden wrote:

Hi again

Should I be looking at different filters? At the moment I have a K&F UV , mainly for protection.

Ramsden

Filters are not required for night photography. Filters can sometimes adversely affect things because of back reflections. I suggest to start without using a filter. If you have a lens hood use it. I would also definitely be using a tripod.

Re: Night photography

Ramsden — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:01:52 GMT

Thanks John - that sounds like good advice. I just need the wind and rain to die down!

Re: EOS 90D Tips for nighttime train photography

normadel — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:09:04 GMT

Ramsden.....

The hand-held night mode deals with exposure. Not focusing. The camera still needs a minimum amount of light to autofocus. If it can't focus, it should be giving you an indication in the viewfinder, and the shutter will not work. Look at your User Guide page 35 to see where it is.

You have to manual-focus if light is insufficient for AF to work.

Re: EOS 90D Tips for nighttime train photography

Ramsden — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 07:21:31 GMT

Thanks for that advice . I'll look at P35 and add it to my trials, hopefully tonight. I'll let you know how it get on.

Thanks again

Ramsden

Re: EOS 90D Tips for nighttime train photography

Waddizzle — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 13:35:16 GMT

Yes, remove the filter. Use a tripod and Av mode. Dial in an ISO setting. Don’t use ISO Auto in Av or Tv modes. If you want to change the resulting exposure, use exposure compensation.

Re: EOS 90D Tips for nighttime train photography

Ramsden — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:27:25 GMT

Thanks for all your feedback guys. You've moved me on a mile with this in and it was so frustrating pressing the shutter button and nothing happens.

I'll post my results in a couple of weeks.

Ramsde

Re: EOS 90D Tips for nighttime train photography

Waddizzle — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:46:00 GMT

Dial in ISO 100. Use the 2-second shutter delay timer.

Re: EOS 90D Tips for nighttime train photography

Ron888 — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:31:01 GMT

That would be great🙂
I'd never really heard of night train photography before so did a quick search online.Very interesting