Digital Camera for night shots of MK

**Mystic** · 05-24-2006, 11:54 AM

Don't know if this is where I should post this but here goes...

I'm looking to get a digital camera for my upcoming trip to the world and wanted to know if anyone had any experience with taking pictures of MK at night with a digital camera. I would love to have pictures of Main Street and Cinderella Castle at night without the hassle of trying to get high speed film through the x-ray machines at the airport.

This is the description of the camera I'm looking at:

The effective 7.2 Megapixel Super HAD CCD of the Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-W7 digital camera delivers high-quality image control and fine detail, resulting in spectacular digital images. The Super HAD CCD is powerful enough to support larger and more detailed prints while maintaining image clarity. The advanced CCD technology found inside the Cyber-shot® DSC-W7 improves the picture per pixel to capture a more realistic image.

**Lou Mongello** · 05-24-2006, 12:12 PM

I suggest contacting Tim Devine at http://timdevine-disney.blogspot.com. He's also a member here, so you can send him a PM. He takes some amazing shots and should be able to offer some advice.

**Mystic** · 05-24-2006, 12:17 PM

What's his screenname here so I can pm him?

**disneydame2004** · 05-24-2006, 01:28 PM

His screenname is timned88.

**timned88** · 05-25-2006, 10:47 PM

i figure i would post this reply in case someone else needs some help...

an image is created by the camera collecting the necessary amount of light to properly expose the scene.

it is the product of 3 variables, time (shutter speed), aperature (f number), and film speed (iso number).

there are several ways to ensure that one captures enough light to properly expose the scene. the first is through time. for some of my night shots of attractions, the castle, etc. that is the way i go. i use a compact tripod for this as the shutter speeds are WAY too slow for any camera to hand hold (~2-15 seconds).

the next way is through a larger aperature (smaller f-number). f 2.8 is one stop wider open than f4, which in turn yields twice as much light. the tradeoff is you lose one stop worth of depth of field (the amount of the photo that is in focus).

the third way is to increase the ISO (film speed). 200 is one stop faster than 100, and 400 is one stop faster than 200 and thus 4x faster than 100, etc. the tradeoff with digital is the same as with film. whereas faster film was grainer, digital become noiser.

so, it's really a 3 way equasion to get the proper exposure. as one variable increases or decreases, the other two adjust accordingly. 1 second at f4 at iso 100 is the same exposure as 1/2 second at f2.8 at iso 100. it is also the same as 1/2 second at f4 at iso 200, etc, etc.

the rule of thumb for being able to handhold a slower exposure is 1/x, where x is the focal length (milimeter). ie. 52 mm where the larger the number the more "zoomed in" you are. generally speaking, the more you zoom in, the less maximum aperature you can get and as such the shutter speed slows down.

there are three types of blurry photos...ones that just aren't focused right to begin with, ones with motion blur, and ones with camera shake.

if you are looking to get sharp handheld focused photos without problems, you might be in for a hard time unless you have super steady hands. i, an experienced photographer, do not possess this ability - there are precious few than can hand hold a camera for much more than 1/15 second without problems. (camera shake)

to get photos of spectromagic, etc. you need enough camera to be able to expose the scene with at least 1/50 - 1/60 second to be able to stop the motion enough to not get motion blur. motion blur occurs when the subject is moving faster than the shutter speed of the camera can stop.

be sure to visit my disney photo blog...
http://timdevine-disney.blogspot.com