Long exposures with M(240)

[jmahto]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Film is good but the digital gives you options... in the case of star trails you can do either star trail pic or timelapse video or both with digital.

 

(confession: My first star trail was with Konica Autoreflex T on a kodachrome )

[david strachan]

Yes, I guess you've got a choice... for star trails.

 

Blotchy, poor colour trails with a lumpy noisy back ground.  And a relatively very short open exposure with digital.

Or perfectly smooth lines, with nice colours and a lovely smooth background without any noise.  And exposure times up to say, 10 hours.

 

I've tried and been frustrated with digital, and anything I've seen on the net is v ugly IMHO.

 

I'm sure your Kodachrome trails were very nice...seen anything to match it with digital? Please put it up, if you have, I'd love to see it.

 

So I use the right tool for the job.

cheers Dave S

Edited October 31, 2015 by david strachan

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Tmuussoni]

I just read this thread. Interesting news to me. I am planning to go to Iceland in one month. My plan is to use M 240 + Nikon's latest 20mm f/1.8 for some star shooting. If I can get ISO 800 and 32 seconds or even 16 seconds with the hack it should give me decent results. Interesting

[mmx_2]

For northern lights 30sec, ISO400 and f5.6 was a good starting point.

[darylgo]

I just read this thread. Interesting news to me. I am planning to go to Iceland in one month. My plan is to use M 240 + Nikon's latest 20mm f/1.8 for some star shooting. If I can get ISO 800 and 32 seconds or even 16 seconds with the hack it should give me decent results. Interesting

I haven't been able to duplicate the hack with consistency, anyone else?

[jmahto]

I haven't been able to duplicate the hack with consistency, anyone else?

Daryl, It seems no one else wants to (or need to) hack... if you want we can take the conversation in private mail. Let me know exactly what steps you are doing and let me compare with mine again.

[jaques]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am surprised no one else is chiming in here. To me this is interesting stuff. It would be good if the hack could be nailed down repeatedly. I will try a few more tests when I have the time.

[Tmuussoni]

I am sure there are plenty of us who are interested in the hack. I just have been a little bit lazy lately to try it. But I will most definitely report back on my findings after my Iceland trip.

[jmahto]

I think I got it. I had to play around with various combination of steps trying to recall exactly what I did that time. 

 

Now I am managing to make it misbehave (note I didn't say fully reproducible but can certainly make it go longer) it by the following:

 

- Auto ISO: MAX 800: 1/2xf  (not sure last part matters or not)

- Camera in B mode << IMPORTANT

- Shutter self time mode for 12sec

- Simulate dark condition by covering lens and press shutter

- Interrupt the self timer by switching it off in the middle of count down << IMPORTANT

- Switch it on and put in self timer again.

- Press the shutter and this time let it trip the shutter after 12 sec.

 

Now the exposure will go longer than 8 sec or 16 sec. I manage to make it go longer but the duration seems random. Sometimes I got 60 sec for 640 ISO (it selected ISO and duration by itself) and sometimes 32 sec for ISO 800. I think something else is going on when the camera is interrupted during the self timer count down. It could be that meter is on at some point and due to bug it forgets to close the shutter earlier when the camera is switched on next.

 

BTW, I am running 2.0.1.5 (I think 2.0.1.7 is same as this one. Only few lens codes were added).

 

Let me know if you can make your camera misbehave (to your advantage).

 

Just out of interest I tried it again with FW 2.0.3.0 and it does not work. The 'bug' has been fixed.

[jmahto]

On 10/30/2015 at 11:41 PM, david strachan said:

Yes, I guess you've got a choice... for star trails.

 

Blotchy, poor colour trails with a lumpy noisy back ground.  And a relatively very short open exposure with digital.

Or perfectly smooth lines, with nice colours and a lovely smooth background without any noise.  And exposure times up to say, 10 hours.

 

I've tried and been frustrated with digital, and anything I've seen on the net is v ugly IMHO.

 

I'm sure your Kodachrome trails were very nice...seen anything to match it with digital? Please put it up, if you have, I'd love to see it.

 

So I use the right tool for the job.

cheers Dave S

I had missed it. Let me try to scan my Kodachrome star trail. It was long time ago (1996). That time I was thrilled. There was no digital option. My recent film one from Mono Lake this year is much better though. If I remember my Kodachrome. Let me shift some boxes in garage.