Equipment and Setup for Long Exposure
Successful long exposure photography requires eliminating all camera movement during the exposure. The essential equipment: a rigid tripod (heavier is better — a lightweight travel tripod vibrates in wind), a remote shutter release (wired cable release or wireless remote — pressing the shutter button by hand introduces vibration even on a tripod), and Mirror Lockup (DSLR only — locks the mirror up before exposure to eliminate the mirror slap vibration that can blur exposures between 1/30s and 1s). Setup procedure: extend the center column last (it is the least stable part of the tripod — use leg height first), hang a bag or ballast from the center column hook in wind. Set Image Stabilization/Vibration Reduction OFF on the lens when on a tripod — IS systems detect and hunt for motion that is not there, paradoxically creating slight blur. Use Manual or Bulb mode for exposures longer than 30 seconds (Bulb mode holds the shutter open for the duration the release button is pressed). Disable long-exposure noise reduction initially (it doubles the time required by taking a dark frame for each exposure — impractical during a meteor shower). Shoot RAW for maximum recovery latitude in post. Set the self-timer (2–10 second delay) as an alternative to a remote release — the vibration from pressing the shutter dampens during the delay.