Crushnrushn wrote:.

I like taking night shots, and havefound that for the most part only SLR's have a shutter time of up to30 seconds ( I would like to have higher if possible )..

The Panasonic FZ50 sha exposure settings up to 60 seconds. I am not aware of any that go longer..

Joel Orlinsky.

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I am also thinking of getting a DSLR for night shots coz it seems DSLRs are better in controlling noise ? I have the Canon G7, the noise is pretty obvious from 400 and up. Maybe the G9 will be better..

From the brochure Olympus E410 & E510 have an optional remote cable for use up to 8mins. The Nikon D80 has that too, but I don't know how long it can hold...

Digikurage wrote:.

I am also thinking of getting a DSLR for night shots coz it seemsDSLRs are better in controlling noise ? I have the Canon G7, thenoise is pretty obvious from 400 and up. Maybe the G9 will be better.From the brochure Olympus E410 & E510 have an optional remote cablefor use up to 8mins. The Nikon D80 has that too, but I don't know howlong it can hold..

The Canon Xti / D400 (and most other DSLR's I think) will allow you to keep the shutter open as long as the battery will last in bulb mode. Even DSLR's can have obvious noise problems for exposures of half an hour or more.___JS..

Raising the ISO setting always increases the noise levels, but the larger sensors of dSLRs have better signal to noise ratios and some can produce good images up to ISO 1600. For night shots you are better using lower ISOs and longer exposures..

Longer exposures do also lead to more noise, there are several reasons for this, including the sensor getting warmer the longer it is on. However, one of the main causes of noise is the slight difference in the sensitivity of individual photosites this is exaggerated by prolonged exposure times. Luckily there is a cure for this, it is called the dark frame subtraction..

Many cameras have a setting that automatically creates and subtracts a dark frame for exposures over a certain length. On the Canon 5D, for example, custom function 2 sets automatic dark frame noise reduction for exposures greater than one second..

Dark frame reduction is also easy to do manually. After taking you shot you simply take another shot with the lens cap on, for the same length of time and at the same ISO setting. Then in your photo editing software, subtract the dark frame from the original frame..

DSLRs certainly do a better job of longer exposures than P&S type cameras. Here is a night shot with a Canon 5D at ISO 100 and an exposure time of 20 seconds without dark frame noise reduction..

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Brian A...

The D80 would be terrific, BUT you should check out the price drop of D200. Anyway I am sure you will like the D80 the most, especially with nice lens. You can take a more versatile 18-135mm lens and some primes. If you feel like spending get the 18-70 with 70-300mm that is remarkable.Recommendation -D80.

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Using a camera with decent high ISO performance also allows you to shoot night scenes with shorter exposure times. Here is a shot with the Fuji F31fd at ISO 1600 for 1/10 s, handheld (no tripod with me at the time). There is some noise, and a dSLR would have produced a better image than the P&S, but I find it acceptable..

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Brian A...

Crushnrushn wrote:.

Currently I have a Canon SD750 and have taken some great shots withit. I would like to get more into hobby photography, instead of justtaking pics of friends and vacations. I am a college student and donthave a ton of cash, but wouldnt mind spending around $1000 - $1500 ona new camera and accesories..

I'd take a very close look at the pentax K10D in this case!.

I like taking night shots, and havefound that for the most part only SLR's have a shutter time of up to30 seconds ( I would like to have higher if possible ). I also liketo take panorama shots, and would like to get something with a wideangle lens. I have been looking at the Canon Digital Rebel XT(XTI),Nikon D80,.

Any of these cameras plus the pentax K10D would please you! for long exposures (and macro) mirror-lock-up is desireable. the nikon D80 doesn't have this feature (D200 has). even the kit lenses are probably wide enough (18 mm -> 28 mm in 35mm terms), the ultra-wide sigma 10-20 (20-20 in 35mm terms) is also well respected..

I also looked at the upcoming Canon G9, which looks likeit has some very nice potential and a great price, but doesnt havesome of the features that Im looking for. I would appreciate anyreccomendations for cameras with lenses and any other accesories thatwould be helpful..

Thanks, Shan.

Http://sternbild.zenfolio.com (gallery)http://schaffnerlos.blogspot.com (Vienna - image & text blog - in German)..