Will the standard 18-55mm lens that comes with the Nikon D40 be okay for night photography?

Question

specifically pictures of artificially lit scenes at night like: street lit scenes, city lights, car light trails etc.

Answer 1

Yes, the lens will work just fine.

Be sure to invest in a sturdy tripod and remote shutter release to help prevent lens shake. I also suggest using mirror lock on your camera to further reduce vibration.

You may want to purchase a fixed focal length lens in the future. A fixed lens of equal quality will usually afford you a wider aperture setting and render sharper images.

Answer 2

Here are some suggested settings, shamelessly ripped off from my FotoSharp (fotosharp) Day & Night Exposure Guide. If you're really interested in low-light photography you should consider buying it.

City skyline in distance:

ISO 100

f5.6 @ 15 seconds
f8 @ 30 seconds
f11 @ 60 seconds

ISO 200

f5.6 @ 8 seconds
f8 @ 15 seconds
f11 @ 30 seconds

These times will work equally well with creating light trails. Just find a vantage point overlooking a busy highway. If the city skyline is in the background even better.

NOTE: These are simply guidelines. You may find it necessary to try different shutter speeds depending on your conditions. Change only ONE variable (shutter speed) at a time - leave ISO and f-stop set as shown. This lessens confusion. You might want to make notes of the settings used for the results you deem best for future reference.

Answer 3

Yes, as long as you use a tripod, brace the camera, and/or use an appropriate ISO sensitivity.

If you're talking about handheld....then it's not an optimal choice. I'd suggest then a 50mm f/1.4 or 1.8 or the 35mm f/2.0. Unfortunately, you'll have to manually focus those lenses, as they are not AF-S lenses.

Answer 4

sure. just bring a good tripod along and you'll be fine.