EOS Rebel T8i previewing exposures longer than 30 seconds

[stevet1]

Let's say I want to take a long exposure in bulb mode. This exposure will take 1 minute, or 2 minutes, or 4 minutes - something that will go beyond the 30 second limit in manual mode.

Will I see what my anticipated exposure looks like on the LCD screen in Exposure Simulation before taking my shot?

Or do I just have to take the shot and review the results afterward?

If this is not the proper forum for this type of question, just let me know.

Steve Thomas

[Tiffany]

Welcome to the forum!

So that the Community can help you better, we will need to know which model camera and lens? Any other details you'd like to give will only help the Community better understand your issue.  If this is a time-sensitive matter, click HERE search our knowledge base or find additional support options HERE

Thank you.

[stevet1]

Tiffany,

Thanks.

I've been thinking about this, and I think I've found the answer to my question.

The answer is no, because, on the camera at least, there is no way to set a timer in Bulb mode, so the camera would have no way of knowing what a 2 minute exposure would look like.

I've been using an app called Camera Connect and Control installed on my tablet to address long exposure issues, and it does have a timer for Bulb Mode. You set the timer for 13 seconds, or whatever, and, after it counts down, at the end of your timer, the shutter closes automatically.

I have a T8i, and to the best of my knowledge, which is very limited, no camera has this feature in Bulb Mode.

Using the app I mentioned, I can see the affect various shutter speeds will have before I take my shot, but to date, I haven't looked at extended long exposures running into minutes. 

I think I will look into that tomorrow.

Steve Thomas

[kvbarkley]

We don't need to know the camera. There is no way to simulate bulb mode since the camera has no way of knowing how long the shutter will be open. Which is the point of bulb mode.

[stevet1]

kvbarkley,

I hope you got a chance to see my answer to Tiffany.

You see these guys who display a wonderful photo and they say, "This was a 4 minute exposure.", and I've wondered, "How could they know what a 4 minute exposure was going to look like?"

Sure, they could use an Exposure app, or do the math in their head, and know what exposure they should set, but I wondered if there was a way of telling ahead of time, how it was going turn out.

Is it just a matter of numerous trials and errors? Should the exposure have been 3 minutes and 30 seconds? Should it have been 3 minutes and 45 seconds? Should it have been 4 minutes and 10 seconds?

It would be a drag to take a 4 minute exposure, and then wait another 4 minutes for the Long Exposure Noise Reduction to do its thing, only to find out you've underexposed, or overexposed your shot. 

And if you have, how do you know how much to tweak it?

I just wondered if there was a way to look at things ahead of time.

Steve Thomas

[jrhoffman75]

For astro photography folks will frequently shoot at a very high ISO to get SS within camera range for exposure determination. Also helps to frame the image when its dark. Then use the equivalencies to compute time at the desired ISO.

[kvbarkley]

For digital we don't have to worry about reciprocity failure!

[jrhoffman75]

Agree I never said anything about reciprocity failure. 

[kvbarkley]

Sorry, I was unclear. It was more of a "You should be glad you are not shooting with film!"

[jrhoffman75]

OK. Understood.