Long Exposure Question..I am lost!!

Long Exposure is kicking my butt. Can someone help me. Every time I take a picture with the filter it goes on for over 2 mins and I just end up stopping it. What am I doing wrong? What do I need to watch for? Thanks!!!

Here is my test shot (no filter)

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/SqBf​AQ

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/T1uN​2v

Heya,

Test shot is 1/320s for time.

You then applied a 10 stop filter.

So your new exposure time should be approximately 4 seconds or so. Not 20 seconds (over 2 stops of over-exposure). That's why you have a white wash out of over-exposure. If you set Bulb, you'd need an intervalometer to program in the time. If you just used manual and not bulb, you'd need to dial in the appropxiate exposure time, up to 30 seconds. After 30 seconds you need an intervalometer. But at this exposure time, you can do it without it.

There's no magic to it, exposure is exposure. You took away 10 stops of light with your filter. Just add 10 stops back, in exposure time. There shouldn't be any guess work. Count 10 stops. That's your new value.

Very best,

Marty hit the nail on the head.

Once you are comfortable with calculating proper exposure it would be wise to dial in the exposure for your filter as well. Many manufacturers produce 10 stops filters but they vary, even within the same manufacturer. Advertised 10 stop filters can be 1 or more stops on either side of the 10.

MalVeauX wrote in post #18302673
Heya,

Test shot is 1/320s for time.

You then applied a 10 stop filter.

So your new exposure time should be approximately 4 seconds or so. Not 20 seconds (over 2 stops of over-exposure). That's why you have a white wash out of over-exposure. If you set Bulb, you'd need an intervalometer to program in the time. If you just used manual and not bulb, you'd need to dial in the appropxiate exposure time, up to 30 seconds. After 30 seconds you need an intervalometer. But at this exposure time, you can do it without it.

There's no magic to it, exposure is exposure. You took away 10 stops of light with your filter. Just add 10 stops back, in exposure time. There shouldn't be any guess work. Count 10 stops. That's your new value.

Very best,

So here is my blonde questions . So do I stop it myself? I mean I hit the tigger and I wait, there is a timer on my screen. Do I hit the trigger again at 4 secs? Reason I ask that dumb question is because the picture i took below i hit the trigger and the camera stopped taking the pic after 20 sec.

Yes, you will stop it yourself. Ideally, you can set the exposure time by setting your shutter speed to 4 seconds in Manual mode. Since your exposure is less than 30 seconds you don't have to be in Bulb mode.

mamaof2 wrote in post #18302676
So here is my blonde questions . So do I stop it myself? I mean I hit the tigger and I wait, there is a timer on my screen. Do I hit the trigger again at 4 secs? Reason I ask that dumb question is because the picture i took below i hit the trigger and the camera stopped taking the pic after 20 sec.

Heya,

Nope. In manual mode, you set shutter speed. Turn the dial to the time you want. The time is in fractions of a second and then whole seconds. So if you were at 1/320 of a second, you turn the dial until you get to 4 seconds (it will just say 4), and you're set. Then use a 10 second timer, set it and let it do its exposure for 4 seconds.

If you set it to bulb and hold down the exposure button, you will shake it and add blur, so just set the time in manual (not bulb). If its beyond 30 seconds of time, use an intervalometer to do that.

Very best,

mamaof2 wrote in post #18302666
Long Exposure is kicking my butt. Can someone help me. Every time I take a picture with the filter it goes on for over 2 mins and I just end up stopping it. What am I doing wrong? What do I need to watch for? Thanks!!!

Here is my test shot (no filter)

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/SqBf​AQ Test Shot by Jessi mamaoftwo, on Flickr

10 stop filter (this is the only pic that turned out (turned out meaning not just a blob of light)...others went on for over 2 mins and I just stopped the pic).

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/T1uN​2v LE shot by Jessi mamaoftwo, on Flickr

If you had left the camera in AUTO instead of changing to MANUAL the second image would have been properly exposed.

You guys helped me a ton!! Thank you so much! Stay tuned I might be back ha!

MalVeauX is correct regarding the exposure. If you use a smart phone, there are apps you can install to quickly get the correct exposure. I use Longtime Exposure Calculator. It's nothing fancy, but it's free.

I'm curious why your ISO is set at 400. If the camera is mounted on a tripod, why not use ISO 100? At ISO 100 your exposure would be approximately 15 seconds with a 10 stop filter for the example you posted.

john crossley wrote in post #18302690
If you had left the camera in AUTO instead of changing to MANUAL the second image would have been properly exposed.

Unlikely with a 10 stop filter in place. While it can potentially simulate exposure enough to get close, odds are, it will not be properly exposed as that greatly depends on the meter mode and how its configured and the conditions at the moment (shooting a largely bright scene of white top water reflections, think about it).

Very best,

davinci953 wrote in post #18302696
MalVeauX is correct regarding the exposure. If you use a smart phone, there are apps you can install to quickly get the correct exposure. I use Longtime Exposure Calculator. It's nothing fancy, but it's free.

I'm curious why your ISO is set at 400. If the camera is mounted on a tripod, why not use ISO 100? At ISO 100 your exposure would be approximately 15 seconds with a 10 stop filter for the example you posted.

I will check out the smart phone app!

ha who knows why I had it set like that..I will make sure I change that next time I go out. Thanks for letting me know!

Jessi, Lee Filters has an app for calculating exposure times. It's free too.

Exposure App

MalVeauX wrote in post #18302697
Unlikely with a 10 stop filter in place. While it can potentially simulate exposure enough to get close, odds are, it will not be properly exposed as that greatly depends on the meter mode and how its configured and the conditions at the moment (shooting a largely bright scene of white top water reflections, think about it).

Very best,

Which also will apply to the scene without the filter, think about it.

Each stop doubles the exposure dose needed. So a 10 stop filter will increase exposure time 2^10 or 1024-fold.

Easiest way for me with 10-stop filter was to print out a small table showing normal exposures and their 10-stop equivalent and glue it to the inside lid of my camera bag. Quicker than using an app even if I carried a smartphone around (which I don't).