Nikon D40...shooting in low light/night?

Question

I just got a brand new Nikon D40...I've pretty much figured out everything except I'm having issues shooting in low-light or at night time....

Now I know that this isn't preferred shooting unless you're using a tripod and bulb photo settings, but I'd really like to be able to shoot at night without a tripod

My friend has a canon rebel XTI and he is able to do this. He just puts the camera on "Auto" and it just has several flashes before it takes the photo so that its in focus.

I've managed to get the lighting right I just can't seem to focus at night (And I put the lens on Auto focus, just because you can't really use manual at night)

Answer 1

Hey, I Have a D40

First of all, the bulb setting isn't a setting, it's a shutter speed. It allows the shutter to stay open for as long as you make it, it opens back when you release the shutter button. You can make it fast or slow, but you should use an average shutter speed setting though. How low-light is it? Mild, Moderate, or severely dark and dim ?

Oh, and you say that your nikkor lens won't focus in  low light, that may be because the autofocus lamp ( the green light you see before it says it in focus ) doesn't think a certain thing should be focused on. It Will autofocus eventually, just keep hitting the shutter half way until it does. That happens to me too, the lens doesn't focus sometimes, in low-light or outside, perhaps it's a call-back issue..

don't use manual focus, you can just keep it on auto, it should auto focus eventually, just give it a while. Oh, you say you don't have a tripod, and it's necessary when using long exposures, even if you use H1 Iso settings. unless you have a tripod, you need to use a flash.

Answer 2

Are you trying to do a photo like this (flash on)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/little_pook...

or like this (no flash)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/little_pook...

or something like this (no flash, long exposure on a tripod)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/little_pook...

If you are going to do like the 3rd one, flash is useless. The 2nd one, is available light, but "bright" enough to hand held (flash is also useless, because it's too far away). The first one, is on auto.

Have you ever tried to manually focus a lens? Before all these automation came around, all cameras were basically manual focus (not counting the toy cameras). If it's bright enough in the viewfinder to see, then you can manually focus it.

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Yes, I see.

I have to think--I think your camera has the auto focus assist lamp (it's a white light) that comes on when it's dark so it can help the camera focuses. This light, I am not sure if it's on by default, can be disabled, or enabled via the menu.

With my camera, it doesn't even have a built in flash (almost disappointing considering it costs 7 times as yours with no lens!!!!) - so with the external flash, in the dark, the LCD (bright red) lights up and it helps with focusing. With it off, somehow the camera can still focus (like 2nd photo). I don't know how it does it, but I am thankful that it does.

Look at your manual on page 23 on the bottom. (I just downloaded it). The little white light comes on when you press the button half way - the shutter release button, that is. Does it come on? If not, you have to turn it on via the setting menu. It only works for a short distant (to about 8 or so feet?)

So try that first.