Camera Advice

[cookiemonster]

I'm looking to get a new camera that is great for night time shots. My current Canon, superb camera though it is, especially for the zoom, doesn't cut it for night shots.

I've been given the recommendation of Nikon Z6. It does tick all the boxes.

Does anyone here have one of them? If so, is it as good as I've been told?

Any other recommendations?

 

[Jameshow]

What format?

Compact, zoom, bridge, mirrorless system or SLR?

 

[cookiemonster]

The Nikon is mirrorless, no idea what that means.

 

[MichaelW2]

Nikon Z6 full frame mirrorless is one of better models for night photography.
DSLR design feeds image to the optical viewfinder via a mirror that flips out of the way. Mirrorless design feeds the image from the sensor to a digital screen viewfinder. Fewer moving parts, slimmer design, fewer physical design restraints. Olympus pioneered this design years ago and it is now regarded as a pro workhorse style.
You need to get a good lens with high contrast, low flare and wide aperture. Z series can be expensive but the adapter allows use of many other Nikon lenses.
Old Nikon F Noct lenses (50mm f/1.2) were extreme wide apperture and low flare for night time use and were legendary for quality and price. There is a Z series Noct as well. The normal 50/1.2 is more affordable.

 

[Baldy]

What model Canon do you have? What's wrong with the night shots you're getting with it?

 

[cookiemonster]

What model Canon do you have? What's wrong with the night shots you're getting with it?

I have a G3X. I bought it as I can put it in my rucksack and take nature pics during my bike rides. The zoom on it is just immense and the picture quality is superb. i've posted a few of those pics on CC.

However, night shots are near impossible unless I'm really missing something. My camera skills are not great but I want to improve them.

 

[wafter]

I have a G3X. I bought it as I can put it in my rucksack and take nature pics during my bike rides. The zoom on it is just immense and the picture quality is superb. i've posted a few of those pics on CC.

However, night shots are near impossible unless I'm really missing something. My camera skills are not great but I want to improve them.

What exactly is the problem though - shutter speeds too low to give sharp images? Poor image quality due to high-ISO noise?

Low light asks a lot of cameras and if you're shooting stuff that's still the standard is to use a tripod. If you're looking for gear to give decent results hand-held in low light be prepared to chuck a lot of money about as you'll be looking at full frame (all things being equal giving larger photosites which are more sensitive so need less amplificiation in low light and hence give less noise) and fast lenses (those with large apertures) which again can be eye- wateringly expensive.. image-stabilised lenses and bodies are also worth looking at, but you still need to manage your expectations.

 

[MichaelW2]

Take some test shots for comparison, of a typical night time image you want.
Try first on your normal mode, on fully auto, on any night time mode.
Also
Set your G3X to 10Mp or lower and a bit down from max ISO. Mount on tripod and use mid power zoom.

Is there any improvement ?

 

[fossyant]

Just cheat and get a top end Samsung or Apple phone !

 

[Reynard]

+1 for asking what's the exact problem you're having with your night time shots, although from your original post, it looks like you're having issues when using the zoom.

Looked up the spec of your camera, and yes, at maximum zoom, you are essentially using a "daylight" lens. At f5.6, the aperture is very small for low light work, so you WILL need a tripod. Night time photography either needs very wide aperture lenses (which you haven't got) or long exposures (which can generate good results if you know how). Sometimes both if you're working predominantly with ambient light i.e. no flash, and each has their drawbacks. High ISO is a given, but the higher you go, the grainier your shot. With film though, the grain just adds to the feel of the image.

Throwing large amounts of money at something doesn't necessarily solve the problem if you're not thinking about what you're doing and why. Same is true for just about every aspect of photography tbh.

Bridge cameras have their drawbacks once you start pushing them beyond their limits, but poor technique / poor understanding of theory tends to provide equal frustration. I'd highly recommend getting a GOOD book on photography before you start spending money on kit. Particularly film photography, as they go through the theory much better than the more modern tomes. The 35mm Handbook by Michael Freeman is excellent - they regularly pop up on the 'bay for less than a fiver.

 

[Jameshow]

If it's any consolation I have never got over the hump of understanding how to use my cameras / take decent photos!!

That's what the A is for!🤣🤣🤣

I should really have another go!!

 

[Jameshow]

+1 for asking what's the exact problem you're having with your night time shots, although from your original post, it looks like you're having issues when using the zoom.

Looked up the spec of your camera, and yes, at maximum zoom, you are essentially using a "daylight" lens. At f5.6, the aperture is very small for low light work, so you WILL need a tripod. Night time photography either needs very wide aperture lenses (which you haven't got) or long exposures (which can generate good results if you know how). Sometimes both if you're working predominantly with ambient light i.e. no flash, and each has their drawbacks. High ISO is a given, but the higher you go, the grainier your shot. With film though, the grain just adds to the feel of the image.

Throwing large amounts of money at something doesn't necessarily solve the problem if you're not thinking about what you're doing and why. Same is true for just about every aspect of photography tbh.

Bridge cameras have their drawbacks once you start pushing them beyond their limits, but poor technique / poor understanding of theory tends to provide equal frustration. I'd highly recommend getting a GOOD book on photography before you start spending money on kit. Particularly film photography, as they go through the theory much better than the more modern tomes. The 35mm Handbook by Michael Freeman is excellent - they regularly pop up on the 'bay for less than a fiver.

Any good books for digital?

I will have an f82 sadly coming my way at some point. So maybe that will catharticly spur me on.

 

[Reynard]

Any good books for digital?

I will have an f82 sadly coming my way at some point. So maybe that will catharticly spur me on.

The books on digital that I've seen recently tend to concentrate on the post processing, so really can't comment. I've been using Photoshop for the best part of twenty years, learning with the help function and later, a manual.

Really, if you're starting photography essentially from scratch, the Michael Freeman book I mentioned above is as good a starting point as any, as all the basic stuff is still the same regardless of whether you're using film or digital. Books on film photography pay closer attention to basic theory and practice, because each photo taken had a physical cost.

And with good in-camera practice, you don't need as much post-processing after, so win-win.

 

[mistyoptic]

My Sony RX10 does good night shots but not small and pocket sized. They do one which is small but not cheap (think it’s RX100). They “stack” a number of shots together to get the low light images.

These are a couple of handheld shots I took with the RX10