How do you make exposures longer than 30 seconds on a DSLR?
Asked 3/25/2012
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My Canon 60D only lets me set shutter speeds up to 30 seconds in the normal exposure settings. How can I shoot much longer exposures, such as several minutes or even an hour? Are there practical limits or accessories/features I should know about for very long exposures on a DSLR?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Yes it is possible with all DSLRs.
The 30s limit of all non-Olympus DSLRs is for timed exposures, meaning you dial in the time ahead of time and the exposure takes up to 30s (or 60s for Olympus).
All DSLRs also have a bulb mode which you press the shutter to start the exposure and let go when you are done. This can also be done with a remote control which is highly recommended to avoid shaking the camera during the exposure.
Bulb modes also have limits but manufacturers do not all publish what it is. For Olympus and Panasonic, this is known to be 30 minutes. Some cameras can take a single exposure of several hours. Regardless of the model you are always limited to the battery-life of your camera unless you use an AC-Adapter and have somewhere to plug it in.
Digitally you can simulate extremely long exposures using Exposure Stacking which basically adds up multiple exposures to make a longer one. A lot of astro photography is done that way, just make sure that your camera does not apply Dark-Frame subtraction between shots otherwise you will have gaps in your star trails. On some cameras you can disable Dark-Frame Subtraction but not on all.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Use Bulb mode. On DSLRs, the 30-second setting is usually the longest timed shutter speed; Bulb keeps the shutter open for as long as the shutter button is held, or for as long as a compatible remote/intervalometer tells it to stay open. A remote release is strongly recommended to avoid camera shake during long exposures.
Practical limits for very long exposures include:
- Battery life: this is often the main limit unless you use an AC adapter.
- Camera/sensor limits: some cameras impose Bulb limits, though manufacturers do not always publish them.
- Heat and noise: with digital cameras, very long exposures can cause the sensor to warm up and produce more noise.
For some Canon cameras, Magic Lantern can add extra Bulb timing features, including very long timed Bulb exposures, but it is third-party firmware, so read its instructions carefully before using it.
So for a Canon 60D, the usual approach is: tripod, Bulb mode, remote release or intervalometer, and enough power for the duration you need.
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