Dusk City Lights

5 seconds at f/8 with D70 & Nikkor 28-200 f/3.5-5.6 @ 95mm
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Francisco/2005-02-01-sunset

I set it up on a little tripod on the desk with the window open & used
Capture Control to take various exposures as the sun set. With a good
bit of light in the sky at 1/5 second (all were f/8 SIO 200) the noise
was horrible. Later as it got darker, the lights got blown out & the sky
black using around 20 seconds & the noise returned but there is a spot
just past sunset where there is enough light to enhance and everyone has
their lights turned on for lots of sparkle.

I don't know why the sweet spot for limiting noise. Brighter & darker
conditions were much worse. I tried with and without the in-camera dark
frame subtraction noise reduction and the difference was imperceptible
with 20 second exposures.

The Sub Gallery below has full size crops of three shots:
1/5 sec sunset - horrible noise
5 sec dusk - sweet
15 sec night - some noise again & blown lights

paul wrote:
5 seconds at f/8 with D70 & Nikkor 28-200 f/3.5-5.6 @ 95mm
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Francisco/2005-02-01-sunset


I set it up on a little tripod on the desk with the window open & used
Capture Control to take various exposures as the sun set. With a good
bit of light in the sky at 1/5 second (all were f/8 SIO 200) the noise
was horrible. Later as it got darker, the lights got blown out & the sky
black using around 20 seconds & the noise returned but there is a spot
just past sunset where there is enough light to enhance and everyone has
their lights turned on for lots of sparkle.

I don't know why the sweet spot for limiting noise. Brighter & darker
conditions were much worse. I tried with and without the in-camera dark
frame subtraction noise reduction and the difference was imperceptible
with 20 second exposures.

The Sub Gallery below has full size crops of three shots:
1/5 sec sunset - horrible noise
5 sec dusk - sweet
15 sec night - some noise again & blown lights


Looking more closely, the first noisy image was underexposed. I suppose
that is the real reason. I adjusted up 1.8 in the RAW exposure plugin.
The middle exposure I actually decreased the exposure by 0.7 and
increased shadows, brightness and contrast for all of them
significantly. Anyways there is definitely a period at sunset where the
lighting is more dramatic. Pure black is boring and harsh, too much sun
and the lights don't do much.

This was a very similar shot with the old Oly C3030:
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Francisco/view

Nice - there is about a 10-15 minute window at both dawn and dusk that
just seems to be magic. Your middle test captures that perfectly.

Dave

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"paul" wrote in message
...
5 seconds at f/8 with D70 & Nikkor 28-200 f/3.5-5.6 @ 95mm

http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php...San-Francisco/
2005-02-01-sunset

I set it up on a little tripod on the desk with the window open & used
Capture Control to take various exposures as the sun set. With a good
bit of light in the sky at 1/5 second (all were f/8 SIO 200) the noise
was horrible. Later as it got darker, the lights got blown out & the sky
black using around 20 seconds & the noise returned but there is a spot
just past sunset where there is enough light to enhance and everyone has
their lights turned on for lots of sparkle.

I don't know why the sweet spot for limiting noise. Brighter & darker
conditions were much worse. I tried with and without the in-camera dark
frame subtraction noise reduction and the difference was imperceptible
with 20 second exposures.

The Sub Gallery below has full size crops of three shots:
1/5 sec sunset - horrible noise
5 sec dusk - sweet
15 sec night - some noise again & blown lights

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"paul" wrote in message
...
5 seconds at f/8 with D70 & Nikkor 28-200 f/3.5-5.6 @ 95mm

http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php...San-Francisco/
2005-02-01-sunset

I set it up on a little tripod on the desk with the window open & used
Capture Control to take various exposures as the sun set. With a good
bit of light in the sky at 1/5 second (all were f/8 SIO 200) the noise
was horrible. Later as it got darker, the lights got blown out & the sky
black using around 20 seconds & the noise returned but there is a spot
just past sunset where there is enough light to enhance and everyone has
their lights turned on for lots of sparkle.

I don't know why the sweet spot for limiting noise. Brighter & darker
conditions were much worse. I tried with and without the in-camera dark
frame subtraction noise reduction and the difference was imperceptible
with 20 second exposures.

The Sub Gallery below has full size crops of three shots:
1/5 sec sunset - horrible noise
5 sec dusk - sweet
15 sec night - some noise again & blown lights

Sorry. Thanks for letting me know.

wrote:
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"paul" wrote in message
...

5 seconds at f/8 with D70 & Nikkor 28-200 f/3.5-5.6 @ 95mm


http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Francisco/2005-02-01-sunset

I set it up on a little tripod on the desk with the window open & used
Capture Control to take various exposures as the sun set. With a good
bit of light in the sky at 1/5 second (all were f/8 SIO 200) the noise
was horrible. Later as it got darker, the lights got blown out & the sky
black using around 20 seconds & the noise returned but there is a spot
just past sunset where there is enough light to enhance and everyone has
their lights turned on for lots of sparkle.

I don't know why the sweet spot for limiting noise. Brighter & darker
conditions were much worse. I tried with and without the in-camera dark
frame subtraction noise reduction and the difference was imperceptible
with 20 second exposures.

The Sub Gallery below has full size crops of three shots:
1/5 sec sunset - horrible noise
5 sec dusk - sweet
15 sec night - some noise again & blown lights

"paul" wrote:

Sorry. Thanks for letting me know.

Works fine here. Nice shot!

wrote:
Cannot find server

http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php...San-Francisco/
2005-02-01-sunset

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

"paul" wrote:

Sorry. Thanks for letting me know.

Works fine here. Nice shot!

wrote:
Cannot find server

http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php...San-Francisco/
2005-02-01-sunset

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

Nice shot! Just for laughs, I'm pretty sure the D70 has a setting in the
menu to reduce noise when using slow shutter speeds. I've never tried it.
Are these RAW images?

Sheldon


"paul" wrote in message
...
5 seconds at f/8 with D70 & Nikkor 28-200 f/3.5-5.6 @ 95mm
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Francisco/2005-02-01-sunset

I set it up on a little tripod on the desk with the window open & used
Capture Control to take various exposures as the sun set. With a good bit
of light in the sky at 1/5 second (all were f/8 SIO 200) the noise was
horrible. Later as it got darker, the lights got blown out & the sky black
using around 20 seconds & the noise returned but there is a spot just past
sunset where there is enough light to enhance and everyone has their
lights turned on for lots of sparkle.

I don't know why the sweet spot for limiting noise. Brighter & darker
conditions were much worse. I tried with and without the in-camera dark
frame subtraction noise reduction and the difference was imperceptible
with 20 second exposures.

The Sub Gallery below has full size crops of three shots:
1/5 sec sunset - horrible noise
5 sec dusk - sweet
15 sec night - some noise again & blown lights

Nice shot! Just for laughs, I'm pretty sure the D70 has a setting in the
menu to reduce noise when using slow shutter speeds. I've never tried it.
Are these RAW images?

Sheldon


"paul" wrote in message
...
5 seconds at f/8 with D70 & Nikkor 28-200 f/3.5-5.6 @ 95mm
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Francisco/2005-02-01-sunset

I set it up on a little tripod on the desk with the window open & used
Capture Control to take various exposures as the sun set. With a good bit
of light in the sky at 1/5 second (all were f/8 SIO 200) the noise was
horrible. Later as it got darker, the lights got blown out & the sky black
using around 20 seconds & the noise returned but there is a spot just past
sunset where there is enough light to enhance and everyone has their
lights turned on for lots of sparkle.

I don't know why the sweet spot for limiting noise. Brighter & darker
conditions were much worse. I tried with and without the in-camera dark
frame subtraction noise reduction and the difference was imperceptible
with 20 second exposures.

The Sub Gallery below has full size crops of three shots:
1/5 sec sunset - horrible noise
5 sec dusk - sweet
15 sec night - some noise again & blown lights