Thanks to Brad finding me a camera, I can now post some beamshots. :D
The distance is 350 yards, only my best throwers were actually visible at this distance. I had: a 11 amp X6, a Fatmax XM-L spotlight, a HD2010, a STL-V2, a 5 inch reflectored incan, and a small XP-C spotlight. The HD2010 and the STL-V2 weren't able to light it up in any significant way, so this is only 4 lights; all of which do a good bit over 50 kcd.
For everyone doubting the distance, I had it zoomed in all the way.
Now I can’t ever for the life of me be able to zoom in but a little less than halfway to get good quality focus shots like those. Now how did you go about doing that? Those turned out good.
I just zoomed in all the way, and then half-pressed to focus. Does yours not work that way? It certainly took me a while to post them ;) I did 1.4 second shutter speed (1.5"), focal of 4, and iso 400. I don't know why the exif data isn't showing up...
Well not in total darkness it doesn’t. I think the extra lighting helped your camera focus down at ground level on the house. If just relying on the camera to fucus on a light beam way off through the nite air in total darkness I can’t zoom in much past a focal of 4 to maybe 4.5 to get clear focus shots unless I got a super bright light like the big halogen or HID’s. And what power optical zoom that is I don’t know. But I know mine like yours will go to 18X optical zoom.
Does your camera has a manual focus?
You may try to use the live-view too.
That’s how I manage my light painting shots, setting the camera on a tripod, use a nice bright light with reasonable throw and then use the screen of the camera (enhanced view x5 or even x10) and manual focus to focus on the right spot.
If you just shot in the dark without any fix points (trees, walls, columns, bushes) try set the focus to infinite or use a friend as a new fixed point.
Well my camera goes to a focal of 4.5 max at least on the 1.4 sec shutter speed I was on. This was manual exposure f/4.5 ISO 400. Scaru, you taught me something. It will work but I had to do the half press on the button like 3 to 4 times before it would get this clear. You da man already with the camera. LOL!
Wow, that's would be great for comparisons. How about a halogen v. HID one that's zoomed in like that. So that's the TN31 you say? I'm getting rather jealous of it, I just hope my damn HID will get hear already.
Well you remember I told you before in a pm about zooming in all the way and I had trouble with getting it to focus clearly and that was a TN31 photo I sent to you that nite. Well I just needed to keep doing it until it did focus I guess. But anyway I hope I didn’t run your thread posting that there. I was just excited that I finally got a picture like that zoomed in all the way. LOL!
I think I will go do that halogen and 85watt HID at 18x optical zoom and put it in my snowy beamshot thread.
Ok guys these turned out great. I will post them in my snowy beamshot thread in just a bit. I can’t believe how well they turned out on 18x optical zoom. Scaru for President! :bigsmile:
