DSLR won't meter longer than 30 seconds exposures.

"Paul Furman" wrote in message
. net...
I've come to notice that doing night shots, my Nikon D200 won't meter
longer than 30 seconds of exposure time. I don't have a remote release and
apparently the only way to exceed 30 seconds is to hold my finger on the
shutter. Is this common behavior for camera meter systems? Maybe I missed
something in the manual?

Here's an example image where the meter read "LO" but it was close enough
to look fine, a few minutes later there wasn't even enough light to focus
and it came out underexposed:
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Francisco/Natural-Areas/Presidio&PG=3&PIC=15

I know, I need a remote, just can't decide if the expensive Nikon model is
worth it & not sure if the cheap $40 third-party remotes will give me what
I need, or an older simpler used nikon remote... I suppose an illuminated
LCD display could be handy in the dark... speaking of not reading the
manual, I still can't figure out how to backlight the top LCD on this
beast... I don't do much shooting in extreme darkness.

Have you tried the multiple exposure route? I used to do that with my F100
and film if I didn't have a cable release.

Paul Furman wrote:
Mark² wrote:
Paul Furman wrote:

I've come to notice that doing night shots, my Nikon D200 won't
meter longer than 30 seconds of exposure time. I don't have a
remote release and apparently the only way to exceed 30 seconds is
to hold my finger on the shutter. Is this common behavior for
camera meter systems? Maybe I missed something in the manual?

Here's an example image where the meter read "LO" but it was close
enough to look fine, a few minutes later there wasn't even enough
light to focus and it came out underexposed:
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Francisco/Natural-Areas/Presidio&PG=3&PIC=15

I know, I need a remote, just can't decide if the expensive Nikon
model is worth it & not sure if the cheap $40 third-party remotes
will give me what I need, or an older simpler used nikon remote... I
suppose an illuminated LCD display could be handy in the dark...
speaking of not reading the manual, I still can't figure out how to
backlight the top LCD on this beast... I don't do much shooting in
extreme darkness.

My Canon Timer remote was easily the best $135 I've spent related to
photogarphy.
Nikon likely makes a similar remote... With it, I can not only trip
the shutter (and prefocus if preferred), but I can tell it how many
frames to take...at what interval of time...and after waiting for a
time I specify-- and how long to hold the shutter open (without
having to hold it myself) up to many hours(!) if necessary--though I
would only suggest using film for such an exposure. This is great
for group shots where you are part of the group, for example,
because it means you can tell it to take 5 or 6 (or 99) shots
without having to walk back over the the the camera each time. It's
also got an illuminated LCD, which makes an awful lot of sense
considering that you'd often use it in dark settings.

Thanks, yeah that does sound useful... it seems like the Nikon unit is
about $165 but maybe I'm remembering wrongly in recoiled fear &
loathing.
Settings/controls include:
-Time until first frame
-Number of frames
-Time between each frame (interval)
-Shutter open time (up to 99 hours+)
-Start/Stop
-Shutter with half/full press
-Lock shutter switch (so you don't have to actually HOLD it down
during extremely long exposures)

I believe the third party $40 options mostly have this feature.

-Adjustment wheel
-Ilumination button

Not bad for the $135. Surely Nikon has something simlar.

About your first question... It's normal to have a 30 second limit
on even high-end SLR/DSLRs for auto, or dialed-in exposure. Beyond
that, you use "bulb" setting, which is basically holding it down, as
you said. -But of course you'd never want to actually do that by
hand. You need that remote shutter release.

It wouldn't be that hard to allow up to 9999 seconds in manual mode.
Hmph. I can understand how the meter might not be able to detect light
levels at longer than 30 seconds though.

It's cheaper than you think...and dang near identical to the Canon unit.
He http://tinyurl.com/2tp56d (B&H)
-Or if you're paranoid about tiny urls:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...lue=413124_REG

-Mark²

--
Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at:
www.pbase.com/markuson

On Feb 1, 12:43 am, "Mark²" mjmorgan(lowest even number
wrote:
Paul Furman wrote:
I've come to notice that doing night shots, my Nikon D200 won't meter
longer than 30 seconds of exposure time. I don't have a remote release
and apparently the only way to exceed 30 seconds is to hold my finger
on the shutter. Is this common behavior for camera meter systems?
Maybe I missed something in the manual?

Here's an example image where the meter read "LO" but it was close
enough to look fine, a few minutes later there wasn't even enough
light to focus and it came out underexposed:
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Fran...

I know, I need a remote, just can't decide if the expensive Nikon
model is worth it & not sure if the cheap $40 third-party remotes
will give me what I need, or an older simpler used nikon remote... I
suppose an illuminated LCD display could be handy in the dark...
speaking of not reading the manual, I still can't figure out how to
backlight the top LCD on this beast... I don't do much shooting in
extreme darkness.

My Canon Timer remote was easily the best $135 I've spent related to
photogarphy.
Nikon likely makes a similar remote... With it, I can not only trip the
shutter (and prefocus if preferred), but I can tell it how many frames to
take...at what interval of time...and after waiting for a time I specify--
and how long to hold the shutter open (without having to hold it myself) up
to many hours(!) if necessary--though I would only suggest using film for
such an exposure. This is great for group shots where you are part of the
group, for example, because it means you can tell it to take 5 or 6 (or 99)
shots without having to walk back over the the the camera each time. It's
also got an illuminated LCD, which makes an awful lot of sense considering
that you'd often use it in dark settings.

Settings/controls include:
-Time until first frame
-Number of frames
-Time between each frame (interval)

The D200 has an intervalometer built in which does exactly these
(also can take n frames, wait s seconds, repeat for m times).

-Shutter open time (up to 99 hours+)
-Start/Stop
-Shutter with half/full press
-Lock shutter switch (so you don't have to actually HOLD it down during
extremely long exposures)
-Adjustment wheel
-Ilumination button

On Feb 1, 4:14 am, "Phil, Non-Squid"
wrote:


Reciprocity failure takes over at long and short exposures for film. I've
found it to be similarly true for digital.


You found reciprocity failure with digital? That is, going from 30s to
60s does not double the intensity recorded in raw? That is extremely
strange. How did you find this?

On Feb 1, 12:15 am, Paul Furman wrote:
I've come to notice that doing night shots, my Nikon D200 won't meter
longer than 30 seconds of exposure time. I don't have a remote release
and apparently the only way to exceed 30 seconds is to hold my finger on
the shutter. Is this common behavior for camera meter systems? Maybe I
missed something in the manual?

Here's an example image where the meter read "LO" but it was close
enough to look fine, a few minutes later there wasn't even enough light
to focus and it came out underexposed:
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Fran...

I know, I need a remote, just can't decide if the expensive Nikon model
is worth it & not sure if the cheap $40 third-party remotes will give me
what I need, or an older simpler used nikon remote... I suppose an
illuminated LCD display could be handy in the dark... speaking of not
reading the manual, I still can't figure out how to backlight the top
LCD on this beast... I don't do much shooting in extreme darkness.


The meter shows "Lo" (in aperture priority, at least), or it gives an
indication but flashes (in manual) below some light level. I don't
think it's about the 30s limit at all, at higher ISOs it'll flash at
you (or say "Lo") at shorter exposures. But yes, the thing can't do
more than 30s timed exposures; most SLRs can't, but I am sure some can
and it would obviously be completely trivial to implement (eg by
entering how long the exposure should be). Given how easy it is to
implement, I infer that Nikon simply wants to sell us the remote. So I
got the "ADIDT" cheapo one. Works perfectly (except when it is plugged
in, the camera goes to sleep and you wake it up by a shutter release
half-press: it then takes a shot instead of just waking up, extremely
irritating when mirror lockup is used). It can be locked pressed (for
arbitrarily long exposures).

Of course, it is also hugely overpriced for what it is, just less so
than Nikon's remote.

wrote:
On Feb 1, 12:43 am, "Mark²" mjmorgan(lowest even number
wrote:
Paul Furman wrote:
I've come to notice that doing night shots, my Nikon D200 won't
meter longer than 30 seconds of exposure time. I don't have a
remote release and apparently the only way to exceed 30 seconds is
to hold my finger on the shutter. Is this common behavior for
camera meter systems? Maybe I missed something in the manual?

Here's an example image where the meter read "LO" but it was close
enough to look fine, a few minutes later there wasn't even enough
light to focus and it came out underexposed:
http://www.edgehill.net/1/?SC=go.php&DIR=California/Bay-Area/San-Fran...

I know, I need a remote, just can't decide if the expensive Nikon
model is worth it & not sure if the cheap $40 third-party remotes
will give me what I need, or an older simpler used nikon remote... I
suppose an illuminated LCD display could be handy in the dark...
speaking of not reading the manual, I still can't figure out how to
backlight the top LCD on this beast... I don't do much shooting in
extreme darkness.

My Canon Timer remote was easily the best $135 I've spent related to
photogarphy.
Nikon likely makes a similar remote... With it, I can not only trip
the shutter (and prefocus if preferred), but I can tell it how many
frames to take...at what interval of time...and after waiting for a
time I specify-- and how long to hold the shutter open (without
having to hold it myself) up to many hours(!) if necessary--though I
would only suggest using film for such an exposure. This is great
for group shots where you are part of the group, for example,
because it means you can tell it to take 5 or 6 (or 99) shots
without having to walk back over the the the camera each time. It's
also got an illuminated LCD, which makes an awful lot of sense
considering that you'd often use it in dark settings.

Settings/controls include:
-Time until first frame
-Number of frames
-Time between each frame (interval)

The D200 has an intervalometer built in which does exactly these
(also can take n frames, wait s seconds, repeat for m times).

Then why is Paul asking about one for his D200?


--
Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at:
www.pbase.com/markuson

On Feb 1, 7:22 am, "Mark²" mjmorgan(lowest even number
wrote:
wrote:
Settings/controls include:
-Time until first frame
-Number of frames
-Time between each frame (interval)

The D200 has an intervalometer built in which does exactly these
(also can take n frames, wait s seconds, repeat for m times).

Then why is Paul asking about one for his D200?

He's asking for a way to expose for more than 30s, as far as I can
tell; not an intervalometer.

wrote:
On Feb 1, 7:22 am, "Mark²" mjmorgan(lowest even number
wrote:
wrote:
Settings/controls include:
-Time until first frame
-Number of frames
-Time between each frame (interval)

The D200 has an intervalometer built in which does exactly these
(also can take n frames, wait s seconds, repeat for m times).

Then why is Paul asking about one for his D200?

He's asking for a way to expose for more than 30s, as far as I can
tell; not an intervalometer.

Ah. Right.
Seems rather odd that they coded for all the rest, but couldn't manage to
add long exposures...

--
Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at:
www.pbase.com/markuson

"Mark²" mjmorgan(lowest even number wrote in message
...
SNIP
Seems rather odd that they coded for all the rest, but couldn't
manage to add long exposures...

Very long exposures will suffer from things like thermal noise
building up at an exponential rate with exposure time. If the subject
allows, it is better to add several shorter exposures.

Bart

On Feb 1, 12:15 am, Paul Furman wrote:
illuminated LCD display could be handy in the dark... speaking of not
reading the manual, I still can't figure out how to backlight the top
LCD on this beast... I don't do much shooting in extreme darkness.

Forgot to say in my previous response: the on-off switch has on/off
positions and a spring-loaded third position which lights the top LCD
(it's indicated by a lamp).