Settings to shoot fireworks on New Years Eve at DVinfo.net

Luke Garza · December 30th, 2009, 09:16 PM

Trying to shoot fireworks outside tomorrow night with my xh a1. Im a rookie so wondering what any of you would recomend setting wise on camera to attempt this. Everything from preset to framerate to apeture to gain.

Thanks

Bill Engeler · January 1st, 2010, 02:38 PM

This is probably too late to be of much immediate help, but fireworks are bright! It depends a lot on how far away you are, but I'd start with 0 gain(turn off automatic gain, f5.6, shutter 1/50 sec, daylight WB. This is all using the M setting on the dial. Turn off autofocus, and set it to infinity. Don't worry about presets.

This is a good time time to use zebras set to 100%, so you can see what's overexposing. If the fireworks are particularly bright, you can use the ND filter to reduce the exposure. If they are dim, open the aperture a little. It's not so bad even if the center of the bursts are burnt out, but you will want to see color as they spread out, so keep an eye on the zebras.

Scott Nelson · January 3rd, 2010, 12:07 AM

Not that this will help now either, But When I did it, it was going to be used for stock footage for an online stock footage site, I put the camera on a 90* to the ground so that it was catching the whole thing in frame. It worked great but hardly a good idea for home movies...

Kenneth Burgener · January 5th, 2010, 04:15 PM

I know this will not sound great, but when I had some fireworks going off, I had accidently set the green button on. It came out great. I am sure I could not have done as well, with the manual settings.
Lots of pros will never set the green dummy button, but I did and lived to tell about it.

Ken

p.s. Do not tell anyone that you used the button.....

December 30th, 2009, 09:16 PM	#1
Luke Garza Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 27	Settings to shoot fireworks on New Years Eve Trying to shoot fireworks outside tomorrow night with my xh a1. Im a rookie so wondering what any of you would recomend setting wise on camera to attempt this. Everything from preset to framerate to apeture to gain. Thanks

January 3rd, 2010, 12:07 AM	#3
Scott Nelson Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bloomington, MN Posts: 167	Not that this will help now either, But When I did it, it was going to be used for stock footage for an online stock footage site, I put the camera on a 90* to the ground so that it was catching the whole thing in frame. It worked great but hardly a good idea for home movies... __________________ Canon XH-A1, Rode NTG-2 DIGITAL NOIR PRODUCTIONS

January 5th, 2010, 04:15 PM	#4
Kenneth Burgener Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sanibel Florida Posts: 102	Fireworks I know this will not sound great, but when I had some fireworks going off, I had accidently set the green button on. It came out great. I am sure I could not have done as well, with the manual settings. Lots of pros will never set the green dummy button, but I did and lived to tell about it. Ken p.s. Do not tell anyone that you used the button.....

January 1st, 2010, 02:38 PM	#2
Bill Engeler Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Brussels, Belgium Posts: 162	This is probably too late to be of much immediate help, but fireworks are bright! It depends a lot on how far away you are, but I'd start with 0 gain(turn off automatic gain, f5.6, shutter 1/50 sec, daylight WB. This is all using the M setting on the dial. Turn off autofocus, and set it to infinity. Don't worry about presets. This is a good time time to use zebras set to 100%, so you can see what's overexposing. If the fireworks are particularly bright, you can use the ND filter to reduce the exposure. If they are dim, open the aperture a little. It's not so bad even if the center of the bursts are burnt out, but you will want to see color as they spread out, so keep an eye on the zebras.