Little help with long exposure?

ergonomics · 3 Sep 2008 at 20:40

So i'm borrowing a friend's camera. It's a Canon S5 IS, DSLR as far as i'm aware. And i'd like to do some long exposure shots... only trouble is... i can't find a setting for it anywhere. I've ran through the manual multiple times to no avail.

I'm pretty new to cameras, so when it's talking about exposure compensation and AE focuses and what have you, i'm bedazzled. I'm just wanting some long exposure! Any ideas guys? Appreciated!

sid · 3 Sep 2008 at 20:46

Check if it has a bulb mode somewhere

jr1104 · 3 Sep 2008 at 21:07

This camera is not an SLR, but is what is usually called a bridge camera, in that it offers most of the options of an SLR, but without the ability to change the lens. While it doesn't have a bulb mode, you should be able to decrease the shutter speed. On the top scroll wheel change it to Tv. This allows you to alter the shutter speed, and the camera will automatically adjust everything else. You are able to increase the shutter speed up to 15 seconds, which should allow you to do some reasonably long exposures.

Hope that helps

JAMAL · 3 Sep 2008 at 21:47

If you hack it with CHDK you can have much longer exposures, do a google for CHDK.

Helium_Junkie · 3 Sep 2008 at 22:12

You need to change your shutter speed, thats what handles exposure time.

adamph · 4 Sep 2008 at 10:57

JAMAL said:
If you hack it with CHDK you can have much longer exposures, do a google for CHDK.

If it's a friends camera personally I wouldn't hack it

jr1104 · 4 Sep 2008 at 11:14

Lol^^

It depends on what kind of long exposures you want to do. If you just want some good night shots, or maybe some blurred motion, then 15 seconds should be fine. If your wanting to do star trails, you might need to look at something else then.

JAMAL · 4 Sep 2008 at 12:33

adamph said:
If it's a friends camera personally I wouldn't hack it

Its non permanent

adamph · 4 Sep 2008 at 13:22

JAMAL said:
Its non permanent

Fair enough! HACK away

jr1104 · 4 Sep 2008 at 14:05

On the subject of hacks, does anyone know if there is anything available for a nikon d40?

Thanks (sorry to hijack the thread)

EternityEight · 4 Sep 2008 at 21:47

i used to have that camera, i can confirm no bulb mode and a 15 second max without custom firmware

3dcandy · 4 Sep 2008 at 22:07

15 sec will do some ok stuff though....
my fuji has a 30 sec maximum

EsaT · 5 Sep 2008 at 14:37

ergonomics said:
I'm pretty new to cameras, so when it's talking about exposure compensation and AE focuses...

Exposure compensation: adjusting exposure (either increasing or lowering) from point what camera's automatic would use.
It's usefull in situations when brightness of target differs lot from background when automatic exposure often means either over or under exposing target.

AE = Auto Exposure, often there's so called AE/focus lock button you can use for locking exposure and/or focus basing to some target and then frame picture like you want.

jr1104 said:
but is what is usually called a bridge camera

Ultra zoom...
This is best classification:
- Automatic only Point&Prays... err Point&Shoots.
- Standard compacts
- Ultra-zooms with long tele.
- Advanced bridge/prosumer cameras with DSLR like mechanical zoom and external manual controls/direct access to aperture/shutter speed through control wheels.
Since introduction of entry level cash cows... err DSLRs last class has been practically dumbed down to previous. (except by Fuji who doesn't make cheap DSLRs)