Simple Night Photography Camera Settings (Handheld)

[@helencogan2187]

Fast primes make a huge difference! I also check the histogram often, not trusting the metering.. Great topic as always.THANK YOU!

[@TLM823]

Totally agree with how well an 1.4 will perform in lower light! Thanks for all you do!

[@pattyconnelly8823]

Thank you for making such helpful videos. Great content creator. 👍🏻

[@CatAvGuy]

On an ISO invariant sensor, so long as there's no important highlights at risk of being irrecoverably overexposed (light sources and clear reflections of them are supposed to be so don't worry about them) there's not really any hazard to exposing without any compensation dialed in as even if the camera tends to overexpose at night. As long as you've lost no critical highlights, you've claimed more potential shadow detail and even if pumping ISO a little was required to get you there, you offset it if you decide you want a moodier photo with darker shadows again (even better than a wash for noise performance if you had shutter speed/aperture latitude to spare to get there instead) by lowering exposure in post. This gives you the luxury of choice in post, between a more or less exposed photo (or with tonal ranges independently adjusted) while requiring less effort to fiddle with settings while shooting. If I do still use exposure compensation, I raise it more often than not so long as I have room remaining for critical highlights, since ETTR is good practice whenever tenable and I also think my favored Fuji recipes work best a bit overexposed on average if I intend to share jpegs in addition to raws.

[@ImagesbyAsh]

THE best video on how to shoot at night. Thanks for taking the time and explaining everything in detail. Some definite light bulb moments for me, especially when shooting in manual mode. Thanks, Roman 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@ajblitzstein7628]

You are one of most consistent KZbinrs! I always appreciate your advice.

[@salty_commuter819]

Love your videos!! They help a lot getting things right. But....maybe a weird question..why shoot at aperture priority when you always use it at it's widest? You'll get the same effect/aperture when shooting in shutter priority because in low light the camera will probably use the widest aperture anyhow and you still get to control the shutterspeed.

[@Vaidanis.]

The frustrating part about shooting Fuji is that when you shoot with auto ISO and minimum ss, when you reach maximum ISO, the camera will override the minnimum shutterspeed if it feels the exposure is not right. So the "minimum ss" part doesnt work as well as in other brands (I also shoot Sony). Thanks for the video Roman! Been enjoyning the blog lately, nice for breaks from work! Keep it up!

[@XXX-vy6xv]

Why don't you simply set an even higher "max ISO"? There are no downsides!? Camera will not use this very high ISO unless it's a necessity and when that's the case (extremely low light) it will raise the ISO and keep shutter speed within limit! What am I missing here? Seems obvious without downsides. I'm having an issue with autoISO as well, maybe I'll write it down on another seperate message to see if anyone can help. Την καλησπέρα μου 😊

[@Vaidanis.]

@@XXX-vy6xv because sometimes I need to get an underexposed image without having to change the exposure dial..

[@photorox]

Just use M mode with auto iso and with manual ss, it will stay where you set it. It’s like Aperture but you pick the ss . That’s how I shoot.

[@Vaidanis.]

@@photorox there's no M mode in Fuji😅 it's so much easier on my Sony..

[@MichielHeijmans]

@@Vaidanis.Of course there is. Like A and S it depends on what you set.

[@robertgrenader858]

I shoot a lot of Theater events where I am in a relatively dark room with, in most cases, crappy amateur lighting. When I had an XT-4, I would only use the Fuji 56mm or the Viltrox 85mm, as nothing else but a fast prime would do. Thankfully, I am shooting with an XT-5 and found that in a large auditorium with decent lighting, I could use the Fuji 55-200 at f/4.8, ISO 3200, 1/120th and get incredibly useful images with balanced exposure. Gear does make a difference.

[@innercityunit2112]

Yep, fast prime essential for night photography...Price can make your eyes water, but as a fellow Fuji shooter, I can highly recommend the Viltrox 27mm f1.2 Pro lens (40mm ff equiv.) X-mount..IMO, it's a great lens all round and comes in at a very affordable price for what you get. Costs around the £410...A little large and weighty, but no big deal, and very well made.

[@SourPlanet]

Well, except the myriad of situations where simply opening up the aperture is not the answer. Depth of field matters.

[@innercityunit2112]

@@SourPlanet It's all about trade-offs and compromise right?...So if you want more depth of field (handheld), stop down and bump up iso accordingly..It might introduce a little more noise, but usually I find no big deal, and a little grain, especially in night street-shots, often adds to the overall atmosphere of the shot. I've found shooting with Fujifilm cameras at iso 6400, is usually very acceptable (negligible noise, really), but it's all subjective at the end of the day... It's just that having an f1.2 for example, mitigates much of the potential problems of slow shutter/very high iso, associated with slower lenses, in handheld night scenarios...There are always workarounds, and it's always a balancing act.

[@washingtonradio]

Great point about having fast lenses for night and low light photography.

[@petertrahan9785]

Be careful underexposing. If you underexpose too much and then try to brighten in post you will reveal more noise. If you shoot with your histogram to the right, as long as you don't clip the highlights, you can always safely darken the image in post to get the low light exposure you want. The latter method should produce better results with less risk of getting the exposure wrong in camera. It is better to be a bit to bright than a bit too dark in camera because adjusting brightness up in post will reveal more noise while adjusting brightness down will not. Another way of thinking about it is that you are capturing more data in camera this way. It is better to have more data than you need than it is to not have enough. So a good approach is to expose to the right and adjust in post.

[@jurepog]

Loved the video, thank you! What I found when shooting aperture priority is that both my x100v and xe4 will constantly push iso to max before lowering my shutter speed to anything near my minimum value. That's why I just shoot manual all the time at night. I really wish the auto settings were a bit better on fujifilm.

[@fajamman265]

Men, oh men, I just LOVE how you capture moments. Just how you make abstract photography alive again. If you were to tell someone tips on this type of photography, what would it be? I'd love to get your opinion on this matter to grow my photography just as you.❤

[@J0ss717]

Kudos to you for having your "interview" camera raised to the correct level - your eyes is in the middle of the frame. 99% gets this wrong! :)

[@TruckingEvans]

Bro you videos are so informative for us newbies.

[@BlancGivre]

Thanks Roman. Once again, great tips. Much appreciated. Happy Holidays! 🎅

[@jpadicecoffee9812]

Another good video. I always use a tripod at night and use my Fuji with XF18 1.4 lens for astrophotography which is mainly my type of night time shots now . If it rains at night, I love getting out to downtown to try to take the similar images you've shown with the XF35 1.4 .

[@johncameron6853]

Wonderful explanation of night photography Roman, thank you very much for this. 👍😎

[@oscararrieta326]

Thanks, I definitly going to buy prime lens.

[@laurelb8372]

Very helpful tips thank you.

[@findphotography]

Really like the art you create. Keep up the good work 📷

[@ItsTheBigHorse]

Thanks Roman, another great video. All the best to you and your family for this festive period

[@robgroc7661]

Very very useful information, thank you, Roman.

[@SJMPhotography]

Another great video! Any chance of a London street photography location guide in the future?

[@fcandidobarros]

I just got the fuji xs20 and I am so happy to follow your channel

[@spencegoddard8456]

Brilliant, thank you, helped a lot

[@wilfs1196]

Thanks Roman. Tech made simple & informative.

[@hoyinwong]

Great video Roman. Clear explanations along with the on-screen text you included helped me to really understand everything. Very instructive, you are an excellent teacher. I am off to shoot with my Pentax K-5 and a Cosina 55m f1.2 lens.

[@TriggerFingerKev]

Where was this video last night? Lol. I literally went out last night to take some photos while it was raining to use the puddles as mirrors/reflections of the Christmas lights. I think that I have a cold now but well worth it. I fumbled around with my XT1 for a while but was able to get some nice photos. I did use your other video about night photography as a guide so big thanks sir! Love your content!

[@reverton77]

Roman.. My camera can't setting max and min. My canon 77d. Last time I setted my camera auto ISO, I was very disappointed because the ISO was very high. What do you recommend? Use manual mode? I watch all your videos, thank you for sharing

[@darksideemt]

Great advice all around sir. I was using my Sigma 18-50 2.8 on this last trip to London. While I did ok and did get some good night time images, I really felt like when it was over I needed a FF camera if I want to do the night street photography well. I definitely followed a lot of these tips you gave in this video (based on previous watched videos from you and Sam) and it helped a lot but still had more blurry images then I wanted or thought I had looking at the back of the camera.

[@snapsbyfox]

Yeah this is where gear really does matter. I would say try an f1.2 / f1.4 prime first before considering ff.

[@snapsbyfox]

Yeah this is where gear really does matter. I would say try an f1.2 / f1.4 prime first before considering ff.

[@exclusivelymatt]

As someone who moved from APSC to FF, it really was a game changer for night photography. You can pick up a FF body like the S5ii with some 1.8's for pretty cheap at the moment, at least in the US. Not to mention the ISO range for getting clean shots is really impressive nowadays on FF, I regularly shoot up to 12800 with acceptable noise levels.

[@prithvim7]

​@@exclusivelymatt how much in comparison you can go on crop? Atleast 6400?

[@darksideemt]

@@snapsbyfox thank you sir. That's what I'm looking doing and maybe just upgrade to the 6700 for the better tracking and autofocus but then don't need all new lenses to boot

[@caw25sha]

0:42 A couple of weeks ago I shot what was by my standards a quite good bit of street photography of a man coming out of Dean Street Express. I assumed it was a coffee shop or something (as in espresso) but then found out it's actually a clinic for a rather embarrassing type of disease. As the man is identifiable I'll never be able to show the photo 😊😮😢

[@snapsbyfox]

Haha sounds like soho

[@massimobernardoni8741]

Very nice and very practical video! I really liked the B/N shade you used. Is it the Across or the Monochromatic? Best wishes for good work for all projects in 2024!

[@juliette-mansour]

Shooting manual all the way! Zone focusing... a little challenging for us with poorer eyesight. However, I hadn't thought of 1000 ISO. I had auto ISO 1600 and up. I will give 1000 a go and see how that works. FYI, using the 33mm 1.4 on either the XH2S or the X-T30II. Thanks Roman.

[@justincooper1328]

Great video Roman as always off to bank next week for some street photography so this will come in useful 😉

[@chillimocha]

Fantastic information. Thanks for this video

[@magnificentdruig7101]

Hi Roman, thank you for your sharing. May I ask will the "noise reduction" setting help to solve the noise come with high iso? If yes, would you mind to explain should I go with -4 / +4 for the best resolution for night photography? Much appreciated 💐

[@keith537]

Super informative, thanks!

[@petermcginty3636]

Thank you Roman, very helpful and very timely. It is summer in Australia and I am going to try some night photography with an anamorphic lens. Thanks for the tips. 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤

[@shy-guy5544]

Very interesting and informative video. Do you generally recommend matrix metering at night? Thanks

[@rogertebb1997]

Great video, thanks.

[@ttown1376]

What film simulations are you using for those colorful nighttime shots

[@yellowklayman]

how do you set min shutter on fuji xt cameras?

[@DmitryEljuseev]

A bit weird that it was not mentioned, but a 30$ mini tripod from Amazon can improve night photos much better than any other camera settings :) And it is definitely cheaper than any F1.2 lens. Modern sensors are great compared to what were 10 years ago, but on ISO 3000 and higher the noise reduction is still killing all small details, at least on APS-C.

[@innercityunit2112]

But the video does say "Handheld"

[@kellog89]

And if you have a moving subject, the tripod won't help

[@ianforber]

Are you using the tripod placed on the ground or another stable object such as a wall? Another option is to use it to brace the camera against your chest - breathe out and take the shot before you breathe back in.

[@DmitryEljuseev]

@@ianforberTrue, it's a good option indeed.

[@josephlai1078]

Awesome video Roman. I am also a Fujifilm user with an X-T4. I have a question regarding telemetry setting for night time/low light. Do you use spot telemetry or average telemetry setting? Or is there a difference you'd recommend using either setting? Cheers.

[@videobyredjade]

Thank you

[@GwynOable]

Any tips on what metering mode gives most latitude at night? I tried to go spot, but with a small square which I favour for manual focus (using a very economical and surprisingly not utter pants manual 0.95 lens), it's extremely hit or miss, so now I typically go for "all" frame metering with thinking being that it will even out better for when there are super bright (annoyingly common everywhere) LED lights that often fool the camera to underexpose massively. Thoughts?

[@innercityunit2112]

How about spot metering linked with single point focus?, using a small focus area. So that wherever you are focused, you are specifically metering for that tiny little area. I think it's just 2% of the entire scene, if I remember correctly. Meter around the scene using this method, until you get the exposure you want and then lock this using the cameras auto exposure lock (AEL). You can now recompose the scene and refocus on what you want, with the exposure locked to the value you set/want. Use exposure comp as required. It sounds a bit of a muddle, but it's really quite quick and intuitive after a little practice. Using this method gives plenty of latitude and allows you to quickly expose either way and get creative with your shots. It puts you more in control and it's the way I like to go...Might be worth a try if you never used this method?..Just remember single point focus and spot, must be linked for this to work.

[@kenjonesstudio]

Brilliant 👏

[@MykeHawke-r9r]

Thank yu

[@pollonpollonate9021]

I kinda imagine you go into that wardrobe behind you at the end of your videos

[@Rumplestiltskin7]

I personally never use manual ISO, unless i'm doing landscapes. I find myself fiddling toomuch with camera settings and i end up losing lots of opportunities.

[@maxinejones6245]

I haven't found min/max shutter speed option on my Canon 250D. Only option is for a max ISO.

[@robmcd]

Why can’t Fuji have highlight metering

[@youphototube]

Hey Roman, I don't understand why you guys shoot in apperture priority. You have much more control if you shoot in manual with auto ISO i.e. choose your shutter sperd and aperture and let the ISO do its own thing. I use this technique form wildlife birds in flight to street. I am an OM-1, Ricoh GR3x and Nikon Z full frame shooter. I am sure this will work for Fuji. Aperture priority is just loss of control of speed. That is not what you want. Set your ISO free and conquer creativity.

[@thumpr2good]

On my Z7ii, I lock in 1/125 and aperture at wide open. I set an ISO range from 64-16000 and let it choose. I use EV to tweak lighting. Quality went way up.

[@youphototube]

Again there is a better way. For street photography I am happy with ISO up to 20,000. This was absolutely good on my Z7 and now my Z8. If shooting from the hip my speed is usually 1/500 to 1/000+ and I like to vary the aperture depending on the scene. So, to keep control of your photography shoot manual with auto ISO. I don't limit the upper end of the ISO I just keep an eye on it. This is also the way wildlife is shot by pro photographers. It is also the way I shoot birds in flight with the 600mm PF. Aperture priority is too restrictive and would not be used for fast subjects eg sport, wildlife or street.

[@baobo67]

Informative vid thanks but, why ''1 over 100'' NOT ''100th''?

[@jonasjonasson15]

Why are you choosing Minimum ISO 500 instead of Base ISO of the camera in Auto ISO?? I always set minimum ISO to base, minimum SS to 1/60 - 1/125 and maximum ISO to 6400 preferably.

[@ronp4529]

There is no point to setting your minimum auto iso to 500 or 1000. Leave it at base and worry about the maximum iso and your minimum shutter speed.

[@krio.]

Why set the minimum auto ISO value higher than the native ISO at all? The auto ISO setting has a minimum shutter speed setting anyway.

[@jonasjonasson15]

This confuses me as well, and as Roman takes such good photos I need to know what I'm missing here

[@krio.]

@@jonasjonasson15 unfortunately he has yet to address this bad advice of his, to avoid misleading his subscribers into using this wrong ISO setting

[@sgpork]

Anyone is like me. Love going out taking photos love the process but after got home. So lazy to open the computer and post process or select the images. Lol.

[@houghwhite411]

That's why I use fuji and plop the jpeg in lightroom to refine

[@sgpork]

@@houghwhite411 yea. But still its a process that needs time to connect to ur pc… load.. transfer all the images into pc. Then choose the photo and delete the rest. Then may or may not do some post process. Some photo might need longer time to pp depends on individual.. man. All these so much time consuming. Haha. But i guess they are just part of the whole journey. From taking photo to the final photo.

[@houghwhite411]

@@sgpork agree with difficulty in choosing photos

[@charlieheb]

Yes. When I get home from a shoot I look at my photos on the back of the camera screen. I let my photos "marinate" for a week or two.... and then when I finally upload them to my computer I see them in a different "light" so to speak. I end up liking them and am not so critical of myself and my photos.

[@YouNeedMyVoice]

If you want to shoot during night, stop with this auto settings non sense and use manual mode. To all people that are using auto settings but are not quite pleased with the results: All the energy and time invested in videos to convince yourself that auto settings are good, if half that time was invested in mastering manual mode, your photos would be at least 50% better. You have a mirrorles camera, not a phone, please learn to control it.

[@ronp4529]

I control the camera within the parameters that I set with auto iso and minimum shutter speed and choose my aperture based on the depth of field I'm after. It's faster this way, and saves precious moments that I would otherwise spend congratulating myself on being a "real manual photographer"... I save manual mode for astro when there's more time between exposures to bask in my own pretentiousness.

[@XXX-vy6xv]

Nice helpful video as usual. Would like to adress an issue I'm having with autoISO, not sure if it's my fault or..Fuji's. So thought this is a perfect topic to write it down and if anyone could help it'd be really appreciated. So, lets say I use these autoISO settings :1/100sec and 200-3200 iso range (or whatever high iso number). So, say I'm in a situation where while shooting with this setting the light is plenty enough. I would assume that the camera would choose the lowest-iso-possible in order to get a cleaner image and compensate by using a longer shutter, within my set limit of course. If I were using a similar autoISO setting on my Pentax cam it would pick 1/100sec shutter speed and say iso 400. What often happens when I use these settings on my fuji xt3 though is that the camera chooses a even faster shutter speed (say 1/800sec) for no obvious reason and in order to get the exposure correct it then raises ISO to 3200. So, noisy image for no apparent reason when it could've just used a slower Shutter speed instead. Am I doing something wrong? Is there somwthing I don't get? Or is it just a quirk and that's the way Fuji works? I never use autoISO on Fuji and the reason is this...noisy images for no reason.

[@bennieferinga9609]

If you use auto-ISO, just monitor it , and set the shutter speed and aperture accordingly. A little more work, but it's working.

[@ritterkeks]

First remark, but important to verify: with autoISO enabled, while composing the current ISO will go up to max, but when you actually take that shot the camera will reduce to what is actually necessary. So do not be alarmed when ISO is going way up above what you expect just look at the actual ISO value on the pictures you took. Second remark: Fuji is incredibly bad at informing users about the cross-relationships between the various settings, i.e. how one feature being active overrides another or changes the behavior alltogether. Shoutout to @pal2tech who is an incredible resource on all things photography and Fujifilm cameras in particular! So if your autoISO still chooses unusually high values, also check if you have either set the dynamic range enhancement to something high like DR400 or alternatively if you have dynamic range priority mode enabled/set to auto. This will push the ISO values up way higher than normally needed, just to get that increase in dynamic range, but at the cost of details getting lost in noise.