Re: Whats the best camera for very low light shots?

Paul Furman wrote:

dean wrote:

I;m looking for a digital slr that can work well at very dim light
levels for night time shots. I want something that can accummulate
light data over the range 1 minute to several hours and give a decent
presentation.

If anyone has experience with such techniques with a DSLR, please tell
a few words.


For astronomy work, people use P&S compacts and overlay multiple shorter exposures

Perhaps, but most amateur astronomers are using DSLRs, which
have lower read and thermal noise. The key to collecting low
light images is fast optics, large pixels, and low read noise.

See:
The Signal-to-Noise of Digital Camera images
and Comparison to Film
http://www.clarkvision.com/imagedetail/digital.signal.to.noise
See tables 1, 2, and 3. The current lowest read noise DSLRs
are the 20D, rebel XT, 1D Mark II class cameras with under
4 electrons read noise. Such cameras also dominate amateur
astronomy images, but great work is being done with Nikon DSLRs too.
I haven't seen much from other manufacturers, but they may also do
well.

Other references:

Night and Low Light Photography with Digital Cameras
http://www.clarkvision.com/photoinfo/night.and.low.light.photography

Procedures for Evaluating Digital Camera
Sensor Noise, Dynamic Range, and Full Well Capacities;
Canon 1D Mark II Analysis
http://www.clarkvision.com/imagedetail/evaluation-1d2

The Nikon D50 Digital Camera:
Sensor Noise, Dynamic Range, and Full Well Analysis
http://www.clarkvision.com/imagedetail/evaluation-nikon-d50

Roger
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Long exposure vs. multiple exposure
    ... There are different sources of noise in digital images. ... Readout noise occurs with every image however, and for short exposures is a ... With a digital camera, your options are much more limited. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: dynamic range
    ... 12-bit A/D converters so limit to <12 stops. ... reduce read noise to 1.2 electrons or increase the full well ... noise could be achieved before RAW conversion, I think we'd get a lot ... Digital Camera Raw Converter Shadow Detail and Image ...
    (rec.photo.digital.slr-systems)
  • Re: PING: ALL YOU FILM LUDDITES !
    ... get up to the high MP areas and not have your pixels look like crap ... of resolving the pixels of the film, e.g., the grain, would be "useful," ... provided one is sufficiently above the noise floor ... a digital camera, this leads to a softer looking image. ...
    (rec.photo.equipment.35mm)
  • Re: digital camera noise
    ... See 10 picture series of digital camera noise where the author reduces ... "Kovacsy's first image, at an ambient temperature of 66° F, is nearly ... light meter to measure sky brightness. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
Loading