55 Minute Exposure - DPChallenge Forums

Quantaray AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD Tele-Macro for Canon

03/03/2006 06:04:50 PM · #1

I saw a wonderful star trail photo done by someone off this site who used a 55 minute exposure. Unfortunately, no other data was given. Only that it was a 55 minute exposure using the bulb mode and tripod with remote. No F/stop or ISO mentioned. He did say that it was taken in a very remote and very dark place without any light polution at all. He also commented that you should include the north star for a circular type star effect and some type of foreground object for interest. In his shot, a simple dead tree showing trunk and a few branches. It is a very wonderful photo and no noise either. I would post the shot but I have to ask permission first out of courtesy.

In the meantime, what is the longest exposure you have used and let's see'em!! Give the details!!

Rose

03/03/2006 06:07:10 PM · #2

I know exactly what shot you are thinking of and it IS beautiful. How does one keep their shutter open for so long? I think I can do a whole 3 minutes?! Is this a camera thing? I'm dumb... I know :( But I would be so interested in trying this shot out.

Quantaray AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD Tele-Macro for Canon

03/03/2006 06:10:08 PM · #3

Originally posted by CalamitysMaster00:

If you use the bulb feature, which I have on my D50, you can let that shutter stay open as LONGGGGG as you want. When you want it closed, you click the shutter again. So that is how it is done that long, but you need that feature to your camera to do it.

Isn't that photo lovely! All I know is I wouldn't want to sit around for nearly an hour only to find the photo didn't take. I am still playing with the F/stop button. IT is sort of back-ass-wards to me. Low is really a high number and high is really a low number...LOL. I am still learning what all it does. So to find out the particulars of long exposure shots may benefit us all. Longest I have heard of is this 55 minutes. I have seen 2-3 minute shots here? Not sure. Will wait and see if anyone posts any!

Rose

Message edited by author 2006-03-03 18:13:26.

Dan_Cottle

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Olympus 12-45mm /f4.0 Pro

03/03/2006 06:12:14 PM · #4

double post

Message edited by author 2006-03-03 18:13:19.

OdysseyF22

Panasonic DC-G9

03/03/2006 06:12:27 PM · #5

I thought I read somewhere that it wasn't good for digital cameras to expose for that long, because they'd overheat the sensor, or something along those lines?
Maybe it was a special camera? Sounds really cool, though!

Dan_Cottle

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH

03/03/2006 06:12:44 PM · #6

I think this is my longest one, whith the shutter open for close to 2 hours, at f14 i think and iso 100, although this area where I took it had a lot of light polution.

Mephisto

Nikon Coolpix A

03/03/2006 06:14:15 PM · #7

55 minutes?! i'm amazed!
during that long exposing time i would get the fear to fall asleep and then someone could stole my camera equipment...;P
could you post the pic, i would be really interested to see it?

Quantaray AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD Tele-Macro for Canon

03/03/2006 06:14:18 PM · #8

That is WITH light polution? WELL then, who cares? It's gorgeous!!!!! Great job!!

Rose

UNCLEBRO

Canon EOS-30D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

03/03/2006 06:14:31 PM · #9

a remote control is very helpful too.

this one I kept open for a whopping 30 seconds!!!

Quantaray AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD Tele-Macro for Canon

03/03/2006 06:15:17 PM · #10

Originally posted by Mephisto:

Yeah, I am going to go ask permission now, and then I have to leave for T-Ball with my son. But I will be back later. If I have the permission by then, I will post the photo.

Rose

KiwiShotz

Panasonic DMC-FZ20

Panasonic DMW-LTZ10 1.5x Teleconverter

03/03/2006 06:15:48 PM · #11

Can someone post the thhumb to the image we're talking about, I'd like to see it.

I know that if you do long astronomic exposures and you want a star to stay in position, you have to have a tracking motor on your tripod. As I understand it, anything ove 1 minute causes the sars to appear as streaks. The higher the magnification of your lens/telescope the worse the effect is.

If I remember what we were told at a seminar correctly, a 1000mm lens requires 1/100th at the very least to stop star motion.

Brett

03/03/2006 06:18:21 PM · #12

I'm on the search to post the thumbnail (permission I am sure is courteous but so is traffic and compliments to your image!)

Meanwhile, I am super jealous. This bulb feature... where do I find it on my camera? Do I have it? Meh. :(

03/03/2006 06:20:56 PM · #13

This is the one I'm thinking about....

So awesome and well done. The focus was on the north star... :) I love it.

Quantaray AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD Tele-Macro for Canon

03/03/2006 06:22:51 PM · #14

Originally posted by CalamitysMaster00:

Kiwi, the photo isn't at this site. It is at a site that has right click protect on the photos. No thumbnails. I have asked for the URL to their gallery, or for it to be emailed to me, but it looks similar to the one posted. It is just that the other one has a brownish sky verses purple/blue and it has a tree for the foreground object.

The BULB feature, Calam is something I had to read my camera had. However, it was found also by bringing my shutter speed down as far as possible until it actually said the word "bulb" on it. You can try adjusting your shutter speed as far down as possible and check?

Rose

Quantaray AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD Tele-Macro for Canon

03/03/2006 06:24:07 PM · #15

Originally posted by CalamitysMaster00:

This is the one I'm thinking about....

So awesome and well done. The focus was on the north star... :) I love it.

No, thats not the same one, but it is similar in color. SO COOL! I love that! I am going to have to get a remote now! LOL...

I'm off till later! Carry on, as I would love to see more shots anyone has??

Rose

Message edited by author 2006-03-03 18:25:47.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

03/03/2006 06:25:25 PM · #16

hmmmm, thanks so much. As soon as I get home, I'm on it!

JRalston

Canon EOS-20D

03/03/2006 06:26:01 PM · #17

Here is another, 60min exp.

Azrifel

Nikon Coolpix P340

03/03/2006 06:30:35 PM · #18

Originally posted by Rose8699:

Longest I have heard of is this 55 minutes. I have seen 2-3 minute shots here? Not sure. Will wait and see if anyone posts any!

Longest I have heard of is close to 10 hours, you get an almost full circular star trail that way. It was done on film.
The problem with digital is that the battery runs out of juice with such long exposures, unless you hook it up to an external feed.

Get your camera of dark frame substraction noise reduction, because those will double the exposure time = battery problems or a very long time before you can power the camera off.

hanneke

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/03/2006 06:32:19 PM · #19

This (click) is a photo (not mine) with an exposure of a whole night...

got it from this site (BE).

Canon EF 16-35 mm/ f/2,8 , 28 mm

pffff... love it!

wavelength

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

03/03/2006 06:35:34 PM · #20

I saw something in Outdoor Photographer that was a 10 hour bulb mode exposure of the moon reflected on a still lake. It was freaking awesome. I think it was a medium format at f35 and some nd filters...

ButterflySis

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/03/2006 06:42:23 PM · #21

Originally posted by wavelength:

I remember that one too. It was cool!

hanneke

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

03/03/2006 06:44:15 PM · #22

Originally posted by ButterflySis:

Originally posted by wavelength:
I saw something in Outdoor Photographer that was a 10 hour bulb mode exposure of the moon reflected on a still lake. It was freaking awesome. I think it was a medium format at f35 and some nd filters...

I remember that one too. It was cool!

link? :D

ButterflySis

Canon EOS-50D