El Jefe wrote:.

Hoping for some clarification here... thanks in advance!.

As I understand it, without using a ND filter, there are 3 ways toadjust the perceived amount of light allowed to a camera's sensor:.

1) ISO setting - only adjusts the camera's sensitivity, not theactual amount of light2) Shutter speed - shorter time = less light3) Aperture - smaller opening = less light.

So, given a situation where I wanted a long exposure shot (for asmooth water effect, or whatever), in a well-lit area, and had nofilters, I should:.

1) Use the lowest ISO setting possible (I almost always use 100anyway).

This is correct....

2) Make the aperture as small as possible (highest f-stop possible).

This is also correct... Using the smallest aperture will result in breaking the diffraction limit which can reduce image quality. Try to limit your aperture to F/16..

3) Lengthen the shutter speed to allow the proper amount of light in..

Yes, but setting an aperture of e.g. F/16 and setting the shutterspeed yourself, could result in a underexposed or overexposed image. Use Aperture-Priority and let the camera desicde which shutterspeed to use..

Is this right? Also, I believe this will give an even wider depthof field but would there be any other effects, such as highernoise levels?.

The noise level shouldn't rise because you use a low ISO. The DOF will be larger due to the small aperture. But try it with a ND filter. It allows to be more in control regarding shutterspeed and aperture..

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You can also overexpose a little to get a longer shutter time..

Or maybe it is better to say you can use a longer shutter time, and it will end up over exposed. Watch for blown highlights if you do that though. If you don't blow the highlights, you shouldn't have any problem pulling the exposure back in post processing..

Also, don't be afraid to push the f-stop to the max if it can buy you some valuable time. You may find the affect of the increased shutter speed more desirable than affect of the defraction limitation...

... and select the maximum amount of time that the camera suggest. In other words keep pushing the time allowance longer until the "F/" rating starts to flash and back it off two time intervals to help reduce over exposure..

Also, wait for a dunny that is more overcast or for a time where it is early or later in the day (having less available day light to help)..

Don't forget your tripod and use mirror lock up or cable/remote shutter release to reduce camera shake. Good luck..

ZalllonFUN: http://flickr.com/photos/zalllon/page2/.

'If you knew you wouldn't fail, what would you try?' - someone..

Thanks for everyone's replies... my apologies for not responding sooner, I was without internet over the weekend..

As a follow-up question, what filters would you all recommend for a beginner? From what I've read, a (circular?) polarizer and ND filter seem to be basic equipment, with the addition of a UV filter basically for lens protection. Any recommendations on brands, models? I'm shooting for basic, cost-effective equipment here. Thanks!.

Incidentally, the prices on all these accessories really add up... I figure by now I've spent more on accessories than I have on the camera itself (I guess that's not too tough, since my S6*00 was surprisingly inexpensive)..

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Similar to the original question, I recently took photos of waterfalls on a very sunny day and was trying to get a nice flowing water effect. Used a filter, ISO 100, AV setting F 16-22 and a tripod. I was very surprised to see that my photos were all too blue. Any photos taken on automatic were ISO 400 and the proper color. Any suggestions as to what happened?..

Some thoughts-.

Too blue. your awb was not reading the light correctly..

-why are you shooting at f16-22? you are past the limit for diffraction distorsion. limit your fstop to f11.0. max sharpness for most lenses is considered to be 2 stops closed from wideopen or f8.0. personally I do not worry about, I just use f8.0 for max sharpness..

A good neutral density filter to get is a 3stop one...

If you shoot in RAW, you can adjust the white balance in post processing pretty easily..

Usually when your entire photo has a colored cast over it that looks unnatural, it is because it is set to the wrong white balance...

GaryDeM wrote:.

Some thoughts-.

Too blue. your awb was not reading the light correctly.-why are you shooting at f16-22? you are past the limit fordiffraction distorsion. limit your fstop to f11.0. max sharpnessfor most lenses is considered to be 2 stops closed from wideopen orf8.0. personally I do not worry about, I just use f8.0 for maxsharpness..

A good neutral density filter to get is a 3stop one..

A three-stop ND filter is a good starting point, but if you're like me, and end up stacking a lens at f/38, a three-stop ND, an IR filter (acts as a six-stop filter, but means you're working in IR), a circular polarizer (1.5 stops), and a 1.5x teleconverter (1 stop), and still complain about exposures being too short, it's probably worth spending the money for a 6-stop or 10-stop ND filter...

That is the formula for longest shutter length - low ISO; high f-stop..

As for side effects, you should have a long depth-of-field, but your image might be a little soft as the resolving power of the lens is reduced at higher f-stops. Depending on the scene, the longer shutter speed may produce a more desirable effect than any mild softness from a high f-stop. You might not even notice the softness unless you compared it with an f/8 shot side by side. It isn't a real extreme side effect..

As for noise, it will be fine. However, a high f-stop does make dust on your sensor more visible in the picture...

ZalllonFUN: http://flickr.com/photos/zalllon/page2/.

'If you knew you wouldn't fail, what would you try?' - someone..

Check your manual about changing your WB. If your camera can change the WB, then you'll probably have some built in presets (not sure what kind of camera you have). If you don't use RAW at all or are only able to shoot in JPEG on your camera, then play with the WB settings in some test shots first before going after the image you really want..

Good luck..

ZalllonFUN: http://flickr.com/photos/zalllon/page2/.

'If you knew you wouldn't fail, what would you try?' - someone..

This is exactly what I do too! and of course the basics as tripod, and a remote shutter release is quite vital. In some cases especially in a forest to capture waterfalls, if enough shade is around, you can get really slow shutter speeds. I have shot in certain cases with f/29 et al to get the really low shutter speed, and although people talk a lot about diffraction, I find it quite acceptable. At such low apertures, the DOF is very high and almost every part of the picture is sharp and in focus. I prefer a sharp image, so I am quite pleased with the same. Getting the smooth waterfall might be quite worth suffering a some diffraction...