Any tips on shooting fireworks to get really good shots?

apeture and shutter?
use bulb funstion?

im just curious if there is any tips i should consider.

manual focus?
how to autofocus?

preferred lens?

 

try aperture at f/8-16 with shutter speed of 5-15secs and ISO at 100. There's no perfect way to set it but that's why digital cameras are great! You can review them right away. If you have the bulb function then you can use it to manually open and close the shutter at your will. Do a manual focus at infinity and focus it on an object where the firework is going to come from. The lens is up to you, I'd recommend a wide angle to capture the landscape and the fireworks but a medium telephoto will be nice around 50-125mm will do. Good luck and have fun!

NOTE: make sure you use a remote trigger and tripod!

 

Cable release (remote), bulb mode... f11 or smaller. Release as soon as you hear the boom so you can catch the trail going up.


4 secs @ f13 ISO 100


2.5 secs @ f13 ISO 100

 

Good advice so far. If you have a remote shutter release go for bulb mode. If the fireworks are shooting in the same general area just lock on with the AF for the first firecracker then switch it to manual and play with the bulb mode

 

Its dead easy

- tripod (duh)
- remote cable
- Bulb mode
- f/11
- focus to infinity and leave it in manual focus
- push the shutter when you hear the "launch boom"

Just took these tonight

 

wow really really good info. thanks guys

 

NICE!!
More, More, More

 

excuse my n00b, but what's focusing to infinity and bulb mode?

 

Crank your dial over to M and spin the shutter speed past 30secs. You'll likely see it go into bulb mode.

To focus at infinity, look on your lens -- ∞ is the symbol for infinity.

 

In lamen's terms:

- focus to infinity means lining up the sideways "8" with the hash mark, meaning that objects at long distances will be in focus.

- bulb mode means the shutter stays open for as long as you hold the button down