[robgski]

1. No, if you put the camera on relatively flat surface, put the beanbag down first, then the camera.

4. Hit up your local used camera stores, I paid about $50 for a used Pentax-A SMC F1.8
.
5. Good luck, and don't be afraid to experiment.

[soycory]

lots of used manual lenses on ebay. Doesn't have to be a "Pentax" brand lens. just make sure it has the Pentax bayonet mount and consult online lens reviews to see if it is worth your time.

[Hexism]

lots of used manual lenses on ebay. Doesn't have to be a "Pentax" brand lens. just make sure it has the Pentax bayonet mount and consult online lens reviews to see if it is worth your time.

Is it a good buy at $15?

I am not quite sure how to operate a manual lens.

This video seems to be easy.

You Tube

You Tube

[clackers]

With a tripod, even the kit lens will be fine.


You trade off shutter time for ISO and aperture, which can stay optimized for quality - ISO 100 and f8.


This is eight seconds:

[robgski]

Good night scenic shooting requires low ISO's, long exposures, a stable shooting platform, and patience. As the photo above shoes, long exposures can be great.

Low-light shooting, like a close-up of a face blowing out a candle, is where you could use higher ISO's and faster shutter speeds, because your subject is mostly illuminated, and you have few purely dark areas to mess with the metering. Even then, lower ISO is always better fro image quality.

As for your manual lens, $50 is a good deal, it looks like it goes to f2, which is fast enough.

[Hexism]

With a tripod, even the kit lens will be fine.


You trade off shutter time for ISO and aperture, which can stay optimized for quality - ISO 100 and f8.


This is eight seconds:

Good night scenic shooting requires low ISO's, long exposures, a stable shooting platform, and patience. As the photo above shoes, long exposures can be great.

Low-light shooting, like a close-up of a face blowing out a candle, is where you could use higher ISO's and faster shutter speeds, because your subject is mostly illuminated, and you have few purely dark areas to mess with the metering. Even then, lower ISO is always better fro image quality.

As for your manual lens, $50 is a good deal, it looks like it goes to f2, which is fast enough.

Thanks for the picture. It looks great!

So, the only extra steps I need to do with a manual lens is just:

1. set it up in settings
2. manually set my aperture on the ring
3. shoot?

[robgski]

Since it's a Pentax-A, you can use control the aperture from the camera with the lens aperture ring on the "A" setting.

I didn't do anything to my settings, I just put the manual lens on.

You will not be able to use autofocus.

Unless you have a light meter, you'll have to guess the time. This is 20 seconds:

[UncleVanya]

The front looks spotted and dirty. Check without the filter and be sure the glass is clear and free of scratches.

I also agree with the post showing the kit lens. It is easy to imagine that equipment is the answer. The truth is your 'eye' for composition and your practice with techniques is going to have more impact.

[clackers]

I agree with Brad.


My shot was actually with a very good Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 on a humble K-30, but the point of operating at low ISO and stopping down is that all lenses can be at their best. You can clean up noise, but the dynamic range is also reduced at high ISO.

Hexism, there's no reason that even with a kit lens good colour range can't be retained by dragging out the exposure time - this is about three seconds, and has been PP'ed:

[UncleVanya]

I agree with Brad.


My shot was actually with a very good Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 on a humble K-30, but the point of operating at low ISO and stopping down is that all lenses can be at their best. You can clean up noise, but the dynamic range is also reduced at high ISO.

Hexism, there's no reason that even with a kit lens good colour range can't be retained by dragging out the exposure time - this is about three seconds, and has been PP'ed:

Thank you. I've just swapped my user name around so there is No confusion - previously I was called bradshea here.

[robgski]

While there are lenses that are better than others, the best prime lens in the world won't improve poor technique. I used to buy new lenses thinking "this will put me on the level I've been seeking" only to be disappointed. I've had my K-5, my first DSLR after decades of using a K-1000 film camera, for about 2 years, and though I mostly shoot using manual settings, I'm still learning about it.

Be patient, and pay attention to your settings while shooting and during review. You will get there.

[ZoeB]

While there are lenses that are better than others, the best prime lens in the world won't improve poor technique. I used to buy new lenses thinking "this will put me on the level I've been seeking" only to be disappointed. I've had my K-5, my first DSLR after decades of using a K-1000 film camera, for about 2 years, and though I mostly shoot using manual settings, I'm still learning about it.

Be patient, and pay attention to your settings while shooting and during review. You will get there.

I agree wholeheartedly, but there is to a lesser extent such a thing as the wrong tool for the job. In this case, where the OP wants to be able to shoot high quality low light/nighttime candids with his friends in Vegas, and not have to haul around and stop to set up a tripod-- a kit lens isn't really gonna facilitate that, but a cheap fast fifty might. Obviously, it's not gonna do wonders, but it certainly can help.

[clackers]

For candids, I'd urge the OP to use a flash. Again, the ISO can be kept low, shutter speed doesn't matter except for the background, and the aperture can be small enough for good depth of field as well as image quality.

I have a Sigma 24mm f1.8 but am not taking night pictures of people and landscapes at f1.8!

[Sagitta]

Going to chime in here....

Metering: Are you shooting for the scene, or are you shooting for the lights in the scene? I've found I get my best results if I actually underexpose (I know, counter intuitive here) by anywhere from two to four stops when taking a shot. This allows the lights in the background to have detail to them, and you can always boost the dark by a peg or three in post.

My preferred metering mode is also 'spot' for this same reason - you can meter off the lights and let the rest play out as it will.

Example:
I'm shooting an intersection with street lights, stop lights, etc. If I leave the camera at a 0 for auto-exposure, its going to try to expose for the darkness, and blow the hell out of all the lights. Underexpose (or meter off of a light in the scene if possible) and the shots tend to come out much better.

If you don't have lighting, then pull a tripod into play. At this point, use a remote trigger because you're probably talking exposure times measured in full seconds. If you're still insisting on letting the camera do the thinking, *again* - try underexposing, then boosting in post.

Don't be afraid of higher ISOs. Today's cameras are quite decent right up to ISO 1600 and beyond. Noise isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[Sagitta]

Oooh... all double posting... Gives me a chance to show examples however. I rarely drop to ISO100 for my night shots, just to show what I'm talking about. Note: I nuked noise in post for some of these shots. If you're shooting at night, a decent denoising tool is very useful (though not needed)

ISO1600, 30 seconds, 10mm f/3.5, tripodded (of course)


ISO 1600, 1/25 sec, 28mm, probably f/2.8, handheld. I used the street lights to get a base exposure from then upped it a peg


ISO 3200, 1/40 second, 28mm, probably f/2.8, handheld. Again, exposed off the street lights as they were the brightest objects, then adjusted from there.


ISO 6400, 1/200 second, 300mm, probably f/5.6, handheld (never underestimate the power of the in camera shake reduction!)


ISO 1600, 1/125 second, 50mm, probably f/1.4 or f/2, handheld


ISO 1600, 90 seconds, 10mm, probably f/3.5, camera braced against a rock w/OGPS-1 astrotracker at play


To sum up: Don't think you need to be at ISO 100. Crank that ISO northwards and have fun. The best thing you can do is just practice, practice, practice and see what kind of night shooting you get drawn to.