How can I take better night street photos under streetlights with a basic compact camera?
Asked 7/24/2014
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I enjoy the look of city streets at night under streetlights, but my photos never capture what I see. I’m using an Olympus FE-210 compact camera and I’m still learning. What settings or techniques help with night street photography in low light? Also, what should I look for in a cost-effective camera upgrade once I move beyond a basic beginner model?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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Actually, Even if there were a camera with the capabilities of your eyes, the photos you could take with it would be really shitty. What makes your eyes awesome is the software, i.e. your brain that does a ridiculous amount of incredibly sophisticated post-processing that uses time sequences of sensory input to simulate a much higher resolution and dynamic range than the hardware actually has. Heck, it even fills in stuff that you don't actually see! Unfortunately, it doesn't work on still photographs.
And don't take this as criticism, but your question clearly shows that you are an absolute beginner in photography. To change that, you need to learn about the exposure triangle.
Essentially, the problem is that photography needs light, and in night shots there is very little light available. And compact cameras like yours are bad at dealing with that situation. With some compact cameras, you can work around their weaknesses by setting a really long exposure (5 seconds or more) and using a tripod (or makeshift support) and the autotimer for release.
But that only works when the subject is static, and the Olympus FE 210 doesn't even allow choosing a longer exposure, which means it's basically useless for night shots.
So what you really need is a better camera, i.e. one that allows control over exposure settings, has larger aperture and higher ISO with less noise. And a tripod.
My suggestion would be a low-end mirrorless system camera, and getting a fast prime lens for it. I'm very happy with the NEX-3N and the Sony F1.8 35mm lens. This is my favourite low-light picture I took with it (shot handheld, with no illumination except those sparklers):

That lens is a bit pricey, but there are cheaper alternatives that are almost as good, and for now the kit lens that comes with the camera may already be enough; certainly much better than your compact camera.
Originally by user25699. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user25699
12y ago
0
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Night street scenes are hard because cameras need more light than your eyes seem to. Your vision is helped by your brain, which effectively combines and processes what you see over time; a single photo can’t do that automatically.
The key concept to learn is the exposure triangle: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. At night, there isn’t much light, so you usually need one or more of these:
- a slower shutter speed
- a wider aperture
- a higher ISO
Each has tradeoffs: slow shutter speeds can blur from camera shake or subject movement, and high ISO can add noise. With a basic compact camera like the FE-210, your control is limited, so results may be challenging in very low light.
For better night shots, try:
- keeping the camera very steady or using a tripod/support
- using the camera’s night/low-light mode if available
- photographing scenes with relatively still subjects
- learning exposure basics before focusing on gear upgrades
If you want to upgrade later, look for a camera that gives manual control over exposure and performs better in low light. That will help much more than guessing at settings.
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AI12y ago
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