Shutter Speed For Lightning Video Help

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ezra Kamer
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Ezra Kamer

What would be a good shutter speed to get lightning video? I am going to shoot the Arizona monsoons at the end of the month.
 
Really depends on the nature of the lightning. I usually have mine between 15-30 seconds. If you have alot of close, vivid strokes, keep it lower or you'll run the chance of overexposing the shot. Also, I found keeping my aperture between 5.6-8 usually works the best. (slower for far away shots, faster for in close work) If your camera has the capability for a remote trigger, you can set it on bulb and use the remote to control how long your exposure is.

Edit: Didn't realize you said video till I read Jim's post. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning...whew Dunno about video. I just take stills.
 
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It's not a "this setting will work for you" environment. Monsoons are something I have yet to do, but from the elements I've read, you mostly want to try to keep the apeture open, but obviously not blow out the image. You probably really want to aim more for the time of day, sunset/twilight time being the best, and go for storms that produced the multi-stroke type of lightning. You are going to have to just spend lots of time with it.

Are you shooting with a Z1U by chance? Those are pretty good with lightning and are one of the last pro level CCD cameras around (although discountinued).
 
I am shooting with a Canon XHA1s

It's not a "this setting will work for you" environment. Monsoons are something I have yet to do, but from the elements I've read, you mostly want to try to keep the apeture open, but obviously not blow out the image. You probably really want to aim more for the time of day, sunset/twilight time being the best, and go for storms that produced the multi-stroke type of lightning. You are going to have to just spend lots of time with it.

Are you shooting with a Z1U by chance? Those are pretty good with lightning and are one of the last pro level CCD cameras around (although discountinued).
 
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