EOS 90D Tips for nighttime train photography

[Ramsden]

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)

[jrhoffman75]

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@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)

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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. 

[justadude]

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.

[deebatman316]

Even my old EOS 40D behaves the same way. 

[Ramsden]

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

[Ramsden]

Hi again 

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

Ramsden

[jrhoffman75]

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@Ramsden wrote:

Hi again 

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

Ramsden

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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.

[Ramsden]

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