Camera Settings Question...Anybody Help?

Can any of our Camera settings experts or anyone help with a Camera question? Because I don't know much about using different camera settings I normally just use an 'Auto' mode on my cameras. Normally when I try to adjust settings I go too far and actually have to revert the camera back to the factory settings because I make things worse. The trouble with this is that I can't do very good (in my opinion) night time stills and video because the cameras automatically adjust the darkness into a lighter result. What or how do I use a setting that lets me get night time shots showing the lights on a Layout without brightening too much on the results?

Use the Manual setting, then adjust shutter speed and/or aperture until you see it like you want it on the viewfinder/screen. Alternatively, carry on using Auto but change the exposure setting to underexpose by three or more stops.  What camera is it?

This is a tricky subject and as Chris aludes to very much dependant upon the camera you are using, what type is it super?

Oh drat!!! I was afraid that it might be too technical...crud...why can't they make a camera like the old days where it would take a picture of exactly what you see and if you want to change the settings to something else you can go manual....sometimes I long for the, easy, good old days.

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/porta...rshot-g9-x

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support.../hdr-cx290

Ok, so its a pretty well specified compact camera (I'm not sure how you'd adjust a video camera as I'm a still photographer lol).

The best way to approach it would be to look in the manual for 'exposure compensation' settings.  If you are after a natural looking night time scene with the lights showing, assuming you have the main lights in the room dimmed so it looks like twilight' you need to leave the camera on either auto or aperture priority if you want to control the depth of field (i.e. amount in focus) and set the camera to under expose by between probably 3 to 5 stops.  You will almost certainly want to use a tripod or some form of support - even resting on some books or something may work.

Personally I'd suggest using what they call 'bracketting' which means you have a base exposure setting and then you take extra shots with different levels of exposure compensation.  This is often the best way to determine what works best and then you can use that level of compensation in the future.

All I can say is thank god for digital cameras, imagine what it was like back in the days of film when you had such a limited number of shots and each wasted frame cost you money lol!

(12-16-2021, 10:09 PM)Nigels Wrote: The best way to approach it would be to look in the manual for 'exposure compensation' settings.  If you are after a natural looking night time scene with the lights showing, assuming you have the main lights in the room dimmed so it looks like twilight' you need to leave the camera on either auto or aperture priority if you want to control the depth of field (i.e. amount in focus) and set the camera to under expose by between probably 3 to 5 stops.  You will almost certainly want to use a tripod or some form of support - even resting on some books or something may work.

With that G9X... turn the dial at the top from 'A' (automatic) to 'P' (program) then turn the lens ring: you'll see a dial at the bottom of the screen start changing. The dial goes from "-3 . . -2 . . -1 . . 0 . . 1 . . 2 . . +3" -- try to set it all the way to the left, to -3. If that's _too_ dark, step back to -2 or thereabouts.

(I downloaded the manual from Canon's site: if I got the same copy you have, it's "Image Birghtness (Exposure)" on page 73. The bit on "locking" exposure might be interesting to you, too: you can point the camera on something where it exposes correctly, press the "*" button to "lock" the exposure, then take the picture of what you want: it won't change the brightness while exposure is "locked".)

If you want to use manual settings, rotate the top dial to "M" and then use the rear LCD panel touch controls to set shutter speed and aperture and ISO (see p.93 of that manual).

When you're done, just move the dial back to A (automatic)!

Many, Many, Thanks fellas...I am going to do some test pics following your recommendations to see if I can understand this and get the results I hope for. I will return

(12-16-2021, 09:42 PM)Super Wrote: sometimes I long for the, easy, good old days.

...and you are not the only one. 

Eureka!!!

Thank you so much fellas....I think I was putting too much thought into how to be able to take better night time photos making it more complicated than it really is. Following Drewbenn's easy directions above I now can do it. Check out what the Coca Cola Bridge looks like at night HERE

Congratulations Super, nice job with the coca-cola bridge, just about right on my monitor.  These things are like lots of things out there, easier than you think once you can figure out how these intelligent auto settings cock things up for you

Where did you get that bridge from?  Just curious as I've not seen that around, although to be fair of late I look at PlaRail less and less as time goes by - I sort of lost a lot of interest in it when they canned the PlaRail advance stuff...