Using flash during night shots is one way to guarantee killing them. Its also worth investing in a monopod/tripod for night shots.

Secondary issue, try bracketing, usually if its dark then an extra stop of light is worthwhile. Take at what the camera says then add a stop, give it more time and take a second photo.

Secondary issue, try bracketing, usually if its dark then an extra stop of light is worthwhile. Take at what the camera says then add a stop, give it more time and take a second photo.

what you describe here (as you probably know, but mr_roll may not) is not bracketing but exposure compensation.

exposure compensation is where you know that the meter will be fooled by something, eg a backlit subject, and adjust the exposure from the metered value to suit.

bracketing is where you take multiple shots, usually 3 or 5, at set intervals around the metered value. Many modern cameras have an auto bracketing mode. On mine I can select  3 or 5 shots at intervals of .5, 1, 1.5 or 2 stops. Comes in very handy for HDR shots. If you dont have an auto bracket mode it can just as easily be done manually, can just be a little harder to keep the composition the same between shots is all.

Quote from: Serious

Secondary issue, try bracketing, usually if its dark then an extra stop of light is worthwhile. Take at what the camera says then add a stop, give it more time and take a second photo.

what you describe here (as you probably know, but mr_roll may not) is not bracketing but exposure compensation.

exposure compensation is where you know that the meter will be fooled by something, eg a backlit subject, and adjust the exposure from the metered value to suit.

bracketing is where you take multiple shots, usually 3 or 5, at set intervals around the metered value. Many modern cameras have an auto bracketing mode. On mine I can select  3 or 5 shots at intervals of .5, 1, 1.5 or 2 stops. Comes in very handy for HDR shots. If you dont have an auto bracket mode it can just as easily be done manually, can just be a little harder to keep the composition the same between shots is all.

Yeah, but I quite often do several which means I am bracketing what I think taking into account what the camera is telling me.

Exposure compensation is where you think that the electronics have it wrong, change it to what you think and take one photo. Mine isnt quite the same as that as I am taking the photo as suggested and then bracketing in one direction only. TBH these terms are occasionally used for the same thing. I did quite well considering I was half asleep again while posting.

Quote from: Mongoose

Quote from: Serious

Secondary issue, try bracketing, usually if its dark then an extra stop of light is worthwhile. Take at what the camera says then add a stop, give it more time and take a second photo.

what you describe here (as you probably know, but mr_roll may not) is not bracketing but exposure compensation.

exposure compensation is where you know that the meter will be fooled by something, eg a backlit subject, and adjust the exposure from the metered value to suit.

bracketing is where you take multiple shots, usually 3 or 5, at set intervals around the metered value. Many modern cameras have an auto bracketing mode. On mine I can select  3 or 5 shots at intervals of .5, 1, 1.5 or 2 stops. Comes in very handy for HDR shots. If you dont have an auto bracket mode it can just as easily be done manually, can just be a little harder to keep the composition the same between shots is all.

Yeah, but I quite often do several which means I am bracketing what I think taking into account what the camera is telling me.

Exposure compensation is where you think that the electronics have it wrong, change it to what you think and take one photo. Mine isnt quite the same as that as I am taking the photo as suggested and then bracketing in one direction only. TBH these terms are occasionally used for the same thing. I did quite well considering I was half asleep again while posting.

From the definition of the word "bracketing" it is not possible to "bracket" in one direction only.

You compensate for the exposure, has nothing to do with what the camera is telling you, whether that takes you one photo to realise, or 100 to get the exposure right. Unless you are taking some degree of stops below, and some degree of stops above, you are not bracketing.