Newby Photographer Question

harro

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 5, 2009
Messages
890
Location
Northern Victoria, Australia
Hi;
Just wanted to ask a really dumb question about night time photography. After years of just using disposable cameras and then a really cheap idiot proof old digital Cannon ( Something you'd buy for about $60-$80 USD these days ), i've bought a Sony Cybershot HX200V, after also having a good look at a Panasonic equivelent. I like the Sony cause its a bit more user friendly for me, even though the Panasonic has a bit more manual adjustment ability.
Anyway, the Sony gives me control over W/Bal, apaeture, F no. and time of exposure.
Given differences in optics, electronics etc, would a photo taken at night at say, ISO 100 / F 4.8 / 4 sec. / auto W/B for one camera, look similar with same settings for another camera ( eg; Sony/Panasonic )?
I'm not asking which camera is best, just if results would be very similar, given the same exposure settings ??
Many thanks for your time indulging me with info for such a basic question.
Mike.
 

StarHalo

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
10,927
Location
California Republic
Between cameras that are in the same price range, in most instances there would be only slight differences, mostly in fine detail clarity and color rendering. This goes out the window once you start comparing cameras with differing sized sensors or different quality lenses.
 

geoturtle

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 13, 2014
Messages
12
They should be close, as far as exposure is concerned. One may have a bit more noise, distortion, etc. than the other.
 

VishiSingh

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 6, 2015
Messages
5
Location
Mumbai, India
Hi;
Just wanted to ask a really dumb question about night time photography. After years of just using disposable cameras and then a really cheap idiot proof old digital Cannon ( Something you'd buy for about $60-$80 USD these days ), i've bought a Sony Cybershot HX200V, after also having a good look at a Panasonic equivelent. I like the Sony cause its a bit more user friendly for me, even though the Panasonic has a bit more manual adjustment ability.
Anyway, the Sony gives me control over W/Bal, apaeture, F no. and time of exposure.
Given differences in optics, electronics etc, would a photo taken at night at say, ISO 100 / F 4.8 / 4 sec. / auto W/B for one camera, look similar with same settings for another camera ( eg; Sony/Panasonic )?
I'm not asking which camera is best, just if results would be very similar, given the same exposure settings ??
Many thanks for your time indulging me with info for such a basic question.
Mike.

Hi Mike,
That's a very interesting question, because it has so many answers! A simple "no" would not be enough, so let me just share my experience in this regard:

- Because different camera manufacturers use different brands of sensors, the first level of variation in images would come from that.

- Secondly, different cameras can use different ways to do Auto White Balance - so if you set both camera to Auto W/B and take a shot, chances are there will be some colour temperature/tint variations.

- Also, in an exposure of 4 seconds, sensor noise may come into play (especially for less advanced cameras). This is caused by the pixels "heating up" on being exposed for a longer duration and looks like tiny colored specks on the final image. Most DSLRs have a Long Exposure Noise Reduction feature that takes care of this issue (but in effect doubling the exposure time because it involves taking a black frame image and then "subtracting" the hot spots from it - all of which happens with no user intervention, but does take time).

- The size of the sensor and it's ability to render details also plays a role in the image, causing variations between cameras.

There are probably many more sources of possible variations, but I think the above are enough to illustrate that there most certainly WILL be variations in photos taken with different cameras even though you match the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed.

All the best with your night photography!
 

Limey Johnson

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
178
Hi Mike,
That's a very interesting question, because it has so many answers! A simple "no" would not be enough, so let me just share my experience in this regard:

- Because different camera manufacturers use different brands of sensors, the first level of variation in images would come from that.

- Secondly, different cameras can use different ways to do Auto White Balance - so if you set both camera to Auto W/B and take a shot, chances are there will be some colour temperature/tint variations.

- Also, in an exposure of 4 seconds, sensor noise may come into play (especially for less advanced cameras). This is caused by the pixels "heating up" on being exposed for a longer duration and looks like tiny colored specks on the final image. Most DSLRs have a Long Exposure Noise Reduction feature that takes care of this issue (but in effect doubling the exposure time because it involves taking a black frame image and then "subtracting" the hot spots from it - all of which happens with no user intervention, but does take time).

- The size of the sensor and it's ability to render details also plays a role in the image, causing variations between cameras.

There are probably many more sources of possible variations, but I think the above are enough to illustrate that there most certainly WILL be variations in photos taken with different cameras even though you match the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed.

All the best with your night photography!

this is a very good answer based on what seems like an abundance of knowledge.

my only concern would be the fact we took the most important component out of the equation. the GLASS.

the quality of the lens determines what the camera "sees". It's what the sensor "sees" that determines any adjustments.

I shoot an old Nikon D50, but I use premium glass...valued at MUCH more than the camera body.
 

martinaee

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 16, 2012
Messages
1,495
Location
Ohio
Hi;
Just wanted to ask a really dumb question about night time photography. After years of just using disposable cameras and then a really cheap idiot proof old digital Cannon ( Something you'd buy for about $60-$80 USD these days ), i've bought a Sony Cybershot HX200V, after also having a good look at a Panasonic equivelent. I like the Sony cause its a bit more user friendly for me, even though the Panasonic has a bit more manual adjustment ability.
Anyway, the Sony gives me control over W/Bal, apaeture, F no. and time of exposure.
Given differences in optics, electronics etc, would a photo taken at night at say, ISO 100 / F 4.8 / 4 sec. / auto W/B for one camera, look similar with same settings for another camera ( eg; Sony/Panasonic )?
I'm not asking which camera is best, just if results would be very similar, given the same exposure settings ??
Many thanks for your time indulging me with info for such a basic question.
Mike.

I'd say overall, yes. In practice they probably won't look the same from digital camera to digital camera. There have been huge leaps in sensor tech in how noise/highlights/dynamic-range/color/etc. are handled so between the Nikon DSLRs I own, a D50, a D90, and a D800, the D800 will produce images that look WAY better than the D50 when processed correctly. Yes the basic exposure will be the same, but there is so much more dynamic range and information (literally 6 times more MP from a D50-->D800).

I guess I'm getting off track from what you actually asked though--- Yes, between the same general type and sensor sized cameras from reasonably the same time period the images will look about the same exposure wise.
 
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