How do I keep my shutter open to take night time pictures?

Question

I have a 1979 Canon AE-1 and I would like to take some night shots but I'm having trouble keeping the shutter open. The only thing I've been able to do is hold it open with my finger, but I thought that I could click the button and it would stay open until I clicked the button again...any tips? I would appreciate it!

Also anyone know how long I should hold the shutter open for a good nighttime shot?

Answer 1

if the shutter button has a threaded hole you can use a cable release they usually have a locking nut on them to hold the shutter open.. the cable allows you to drop the shutter without touching the camera to avoid moving or shaking it which can blur your photo

Answer 2

Assuming that you have assembled it properly and have not made any modifications, the manufacturer's recommendations should run true to the camera. Some may say that there is room to interpret "sunny," "cloudy," etc., differently, however, I'm sure you can judge those lighting situations decently enough. Now, other sites and other cameras WILL have different times, based on the fact that they all have different pinhole sizes. To understand this, think of it as a room, and for the sake of the metaphor, assume the room has no artificial lighting. If there's no window, it's pitch black. If there's a small window, say one foot square, there will be some light. Maybe not enough to read by, but enough that you could move around without bumping into anything. But if there's a five foot square window, you'll have significantly more light. And what if an entire wall was a window? Then it would be nearly as light inside as it is outside. The larger the hole, the more light enters the camera. The smaller the hole, the less light enters the camera. Image detail is transferred in light. If you have a small window, it takes longer to get the image. If you have a large window, it doesn't take so long. Now, the manufacturer knows the pinhole size. They have also probably tested their product and know what is best - after all, if they just made up a number and it didn't work for people, they would get a lot of bad reviews for their product. So, you can trust that they are at least relatively accurate assuming that the camera was produced as they instructed. Try it out in different conditions. Keep a watch or timer close at hand with which you can measure your times, and if you're concerned, record them so that you can compare different times with the image quality later on. Good luck!

Answer 3

The AE-1 only has the B setting, which requires continual depression. What you are describing (click on, click off) is a "T" mode, which doesn't exist on the AE-1. Your workaround is to use the B mode with a cable release that has a lock setting...about $7 at your local camera store.
As for how long, it depends on your subject. If shooting the moon, your shutter speed will probably be quicker than you think otherwise the moon surface will be overexposed. If shooting landscapes, try lengths of 30 sec, 1 minute, 2 minutes, and 4 minutes at F/11 or smaller. If you have bright subjects in your image, you probably won't need exposures that long. If you have stars in your image, realize that they will show movement in long exposures (a nice effect).
Also, remember to cover your eyepiece during long exposures to prevent stray light from hitting your film (if your camera strap has an eyepiece cover.)

Answer 4

The shutter release cable is a good thing, but also remember to set your shutter control to "B".

This setting goes back to the real old days when an actual air bulb was used to keep the shutter open.

Answer 5

There should be a bulb setting marked (B),the shutter will stay open as long as you hold it down,use a cable release and tripod for exposures longer than half a second !!