Focusing in the dark for lightning shots

[Laura Duchesne]

I took some lightning photos around midnight in Kansas on May 29th... pretty nice anvil crawlers. My exposure came out okay, but I was a bit disapointed in how blurry they were. I used a tripod and cable release and it wasn't windy so the camera could not have shaken. My guess is that I didn't focus good enough. I tried to do an automatic focus with the cable release but the camera didn't allow me to take pics (which I find weird?), so I had to do manual focus... does anyone know how to focus in pitch dark and get sharper lightning images?

I'm using the Canon rebel with the kit lens. Perhaps not the best lens, but I can't afford to get a better one at the moment.

Thanks in advance for any tips and tricks....

 

[Martin Kucera]

I took some lightning photos around midnight in Kansas on May 29th... pretty nice anvil crawlers. My exposure came out okay, but I was a bit disapointed in how blurry they were. I used a tripod and cable release and it wasn't windy so the camera could not have shaken. My guess is that I didn't focus good enough. I tried to do an automatic focus with the cable release but the camera didn't allow me to take pics (which I find weird?), so I had to do manual focus... does anyone know how to focus in pitch dark and get sharper lightning images?

I'm using the Canon rebel with the kit lens. Perhaps not the best lens, but I can't afford to get a better one at the moment.

Thanks in advance for any tips and tricks....
[/b]

Laura,
the way to go about it is to set your camera and lens to manual focus and spin the focus ring on the lens to the infinity setting. Leave it like that and shoot away . The camera is unable to obtain a correct autofocus in pitch dark surroundings - that's why it does not allow you to take a picture (in autofocus mode).
Good Luck and feel free to ask more questions.

Martin Kucera
FloridaLightning.com

 

[Jeff Snyder]

What aperture (f-setting) were you using? If you were using something like f/3.2 or f/5.6, minor errors in focus distance would be amplified, relative to using a smaller aperture like f/11 (which has a higher field of depth -- though this also has implications in how "bright" or "dark" the lightning appears).

 

[Laura Duchesne]

Laura,
the way to go about it is to set your camera and lens to manual focus and spin the focus ring on the lens to the infinity setting. Leave it like that and shoot away . The camera is unable to obtain a correct autofocus in pitch dark surroundings - that's why it does not allow you to take a picture (in autofocus mode).
Good Luck and feel free to ask more questions.
[/b]

I guess that would make sense, since it was so dark it couldn't focus on anything. I noticed my lens doesn't have an infinity marker on it.... Is it because it has a focus ring? I almost feel silly asking these questions, but I guess it's the only way to learn. I never used to own a digital camera before June 2005.

What aperture (f-setting) were you using? If you were using something like f/3.2 or f/5.6, minor errors in focus distance would be amplified, relative to using a smaller aperture like f/11 (which has a higher field of depth -- though this also has implications in how "bright" or "dark" the lightning appears).
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I was using F/5.6 since it was the lowest my lens could go. Although my images on the computer say it was f/3.5... ? If I were to put it at f/11 would I have to leave the shutter open much longer to compensate to get the right exposure? Interesting, thanks for sharing that tidbit.

I have never taken lightning photos with a digital camera before, so this thing is kinda new to me.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

The lightning exposure itself has nothing to do with shutter speed. That is important to remember. If you stopped it down you'd have to expose for the scene longer if you wanted it lit up. Some closer bolts you'll have to stop down from 3.5.

As for the focus, I will often just find a street light out on the horizon. I'll set my meter/focus point to center(it's always there anyway) and grab a light out there with auto focus and then flip it back to manual and leave it. That seems to work the best for me as the infinity spot on the 17-40L is pretty wide and I think is that way because of temperature differences...I don't know. I've gotten them to be in focus quicker grabbing a street light than finding that right spot manually. And that is with the 17-40L which is pretty good to manual focus with. Many of the others I've had were a joke to manual focus with.

 

[Aaron Kennedy]

Ding Ding Ding for Mike. Focus a light on the horizon. There are few if any times you won't have one somewhere. As far as setting the focus to infinity... be careful, as the actual position for infinity changes based off temperature. That's why you can go past it some. Also, don't forget to tripod (a sturdy one if possible), and if you can... enable mirror lockup.

Close lightning... f/8-f/11 ISO 100... far lightning... usually I shoot f/5.6 or so and adjust ISO as needed.

Aaron

 

[Joe Hall]

Laura, Lightning can be moderately difficult to photograph well, I think the key is take lots of pics. I put my lens on manual (rain on the lens can throw off the auto focus)set on infinity, and use either night landscape mode (Nikon d70s) or apeture priority. Every strike is different as far as intensity, so you can't really predict exposure.I shot about 150 pictures on Sat. and ended up with two really nice shots( in my opinion, I'm still learning too...).[attachmentid=433]

And.... by the time I figured out how to post a pic you got a bunch of replies that say what I said...

 

[Brett Adair]

I'm not going to add much input into this discussion, but I would like to say that when it comes to cameras I am a dummy. I need to learn about what the f and ISO stuff means....I know that they have alot to do with aperature or shutter speed. Anyone have any helpful links?

 

[Laura Duchesne]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I actually did try Mike's suggestion, there was a tower in the distance that was blinking some light... I tried to focus off that, but even that still came out blurry. I wonder if it is the f stop I am using, then. Or it could be the fact that I am near-sighted.

What I should be doing is playing around with the camera some more, and try different modes, aperatures, etc. I just wish my area got more lightning strikes often heh.

 

[Martin Kucera]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I actually did try Mike's suggestion, there was a tower in the distance that was blinking some light... I tried to focus off that, but even that still came out blurry. I wonder if it is the f stop I am using, then. Or it could be the fact that I am near-sighted.

What I should be doing is playing around with the camera some more, and try different modes, aperatures, etc. I just wish my area got more lightning strikes often heh.
[/b]

Laura,
when you shoot some landscape shots (using similar f-stop) during daylight hours does everything seem to be sharp enough ?

Martin Kucera
FloridaLighting.com

 

[Laura Duchesne]

Laura,
when you shoot some landscape shots (using similar f-stop) during daylight hours does everything seem to be sharp enough ?
[/b]

They look okay during the daytime. There's the odd one that is a little bit fuzzy... for daytime stuff, I just used the no flash automatic mode.... it could be I either need to mess around with the f stop or get a lens that has a better depth of field. My lens is the EF 17-55 mm. Now, I will probably get in crap for shooting in automatic, lol... but I found that easiest for me to use to shoot images quickly. I seriously need to play around with manual more often.

Mike do you find the 17-40L works very well most times for you? Is it something you would recommend to others if they wanted to get a new lens? Your images do look very sharp.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Yeah it works well. Alot of people on here use it. I think it is kind of the chasers lens of choice(for canon users), though some don't seem to want it at all. One of the best parts about the lens was its performance all the way open at F4.

Here is a good reveiw/comparison between it and it's big brother the 16-35L(a $1300 lens).

About the focusing thing on the light. Did you change the metering point system off of using all the points to using just one?

 

[Martin Kucera]

They look okay during the daytime. There's the odd one that is a little bit fuzzy... for daytime stuff, I just used the no flash automatic mode.... it could be I either need to mess around with the f stop or get a lens that has a better depth of field. My lens is the EF 17-55 mm. Now, I will probably get in crap for shooting in automatic, lol... but I found that easiest for me to use to shoot images quickly. I seriously need to play around with manual more often.

Mike do you find the 17-40L works very well most times for you? Is it something you would recommend to others if they wanted to get a new lens? Your images do look very sharp.
[/b]

Laura,
it has noting to do with the lens you have. The depth of field on a lens like yours is sufficient enough
to provide sharp enough images within its apperture range whether you focus on infinity or a street light.

Could you post or provide link to one of the pictures you are talking about ?

Martin Kucera
FloridaLightning.com

 

[Laura Duchesne]

Here it is, unedited.... photobucket resized it because it was too big.

Would also like to add it was not raining where I was taking the shots. To answer Mike's question, no I didn't.

 

[Aaron Kennedy]

Defintely out of focus (OOF). AS mIke suggested, turn the focus to only the center point, then shift the camera so the center AF point is on the blikly light... make sure it snaps into focus (it should). Also, if you are near sighted... try adjusting the diopeter on the camera so you can tell what's sharp in frame.

Aaron