G3 + Fireworks = Great Shots

[Deckyon]

Here are some examples from a fireworks show that went on this past weekend. Thunder Over Louisville is the opening ceremonies for the Kentucky Derby events. It started as a small display, eventually encompassing two simultaneous displays, costing millions of dollars, shutting down all major freeways in the downtown area and drawing more than 800,000 people from all over the country and world. It is one of the largest annual fireworks displays in the world. Anyway, enough of the intro:

Full Album - 40 images: Thunder Over Louisville - 2004





The setup was the same for all the shots, except I varried the shutter speed from 1 to 5 to 10 seconds.
Canon G3
Tripod
Canon Wide Angle adapter
Aperture: f/8.0
Manual Focus to infinity.

[stoneylonesome]

Beautiful shots; I'm amazed that this was the G3 just makes me more glad I have one...

[mookiemeister]

Those shots are great. Is the ISO setting to AUTO?

[kb244]

Originally Posted by mookiemeister

Those shots are great. Is the ISO setting to AUTO?

With fireworks you want to avoid automatic ISO. because at night, its more than likely going to use ISO 400 on auto, rather than at ISO 50/100 which I feel works best. With the G3 doing my own firework shots, I made sure to set full manual mode. I doubt he used automatic ISO. When I did these shots below ( Granted there not as colorful as the above photographer's ) I basically used settings of of around 7 to 8 f/stop on the aperture, with shutter speed primarily 3 to 4 seconds ( 15 seconds if you want to capture those streaming shots ), On a tripod with a timer usally once I see the stream heading up.

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/2336824/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/2336816/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/2336811/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/2336804/
(you may have to look at the full view)

[Deckyon]

I used ISO 50. I hate auto ISO.

[Ballen Photo]

Brad, Impressive fireworks shots from a G3.
........Bruce

[pradeep1]

Originally Posted by kb244

With fireworks you want to avoid automatic ISO. because at night, its more than likely going to use ISO 400 on auto,

My G3 has never switched out of ISO 50 on any shot taken with auto. Is it just my camera? I wish it was smart enough sometime to switch over to ISO 400 on night shots, but it doesn't.

[kb244]

Originally Posted by pradeep1

My G3 has never switched out of ISO 50 on any shot taken with auto. Is it just my camera? I wish it was smart enough sometime to switch over to ISO 400 on night shots, but it doesn't.

I'm the opposite, on the G3, with a tripod, I would avoid doing ISO 400 at all cost , its way too noisy/grainy and you get more occurance of hot pixels too. Pretty much anything higher than 50 is noisy on the G3, but it all depends on acheiving the acceptable level of quality.

[mookiemeister]

Originally Posted by pradeep1

My G3 has never switched out of ISO 50 on any shot taken with auto. Is it just my camera? I wish it was smart enough sometime to switch over to ISO 400 on night shots, but it doesn't.

When I set my ISO to auto, I also notice that it doesn't use some of the higher ISO settings. I wish I know how the AUTO ISO work.

[Be_there]

I'm sure I read in the G3 manual that Auto ISO 'adjusts the ISO automatically between ISO 50 and ISO 100' which would explain why it never chooses ISO 400.

[kb244]

Originally Posted by Be_there

I'm sure I read in the G3 manual that Auto ISO 'adjusts the ISO automatically between ISO 50 and ISO 100' which would explain why it never chooses ISO 400.

Actually No where in the manual does it ever define that auto only uses 50-100.

The Manual : http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/...f/G3_CUG_E.pdf

[Deckyon]

Thanks all for your comments. This was my first real try at capturing fireworks. Next yearI am going to use my teleconverter instead of my wide angle lens. That way I can "focus" on just one display rather than trying to capture both. Oh well, live and learn and reshoot!!!

[kb244]

Originally Posted by Deckyon

Thanks all for your comments. This was my first real try at capturing fireworks. Next yearI am going to use my teleconverter instead of my wide angle lens. That way I can "focus" on just one display rather than trying to capture both. Oh well, live and learn and reshoot!!!

That sounds almost like an oxymoron. I'll explain why.

When you are shooting at night, its already difficult for the camera to gather light. Most cameras need at least F/5.6 to auto-focus, of course focusing is usally done while the aperture is wide open, in the case of the G3, would be F/2.8, be careful what teleconvetor you use, The stops of light could be 2 or more, if the maxium aperture becomes greater than f/5.6 ( not what it shows on you camera, but if you do the math you can figure it out ) , the camera will have a hard time focusing with the teleconvertor on top of the low light. When shooting fireworks specifically its best to set manual focus to infinity.

[Deckyon]

I did focus to infinity. I used almost the same settings as when I have my camera hooked up to my telescope. I also have used my teleconverter to get moon photos and other shots.

[Ballen Photo]

Originally Posted by Deckyon

I did focus to infinity. I used almost the same settings as when I have my camera hooked up to my telescope. I also have used my teleconverter to get moon photos and other shots.

By the looks of your photos, I'd say those settings worked.
.........Bruce