The Northern Lights
Discussion
Due to a fit of madness and bloodymindedness we seem to have just booked a trip to go see the Northern Lights on Christmas Day - in Iceland.
The g/f, who can't post during the week, was wondering what we need to get for her 450D to be able to take the best pictures and an idea as to some good base settings.
She has a great eye for a picture but taking pics of racing cars and people is a little different to taking these sort of pictures. We're not expecting to take any prizes but likewise would like to think we will have some really good shots to remind us and, who knows, something that may even merit getting printed A1 size for one of the bedrooms.
I suspect there are more than a few on here who have already done similar and would be grateful of the head start. Likewise if there is any essential kit we should be buying please let us know. At the moment we only have the standard lens and an unreliable 300 lens with clear ND filters.
The g/f, who can't post during the week, was wondering what we need to get for her 450D to be able to take the best pictures and an idea as to some good base settings.
She has a great eye for a picture but taking pics of racing cars and people is a little different to taking these sort of pictures. We're not expecting to take any prizes but likewise would like to think we will have some really good shots to remind us and, who knows, something that may even merit getting printed A1 size for one of the bedrooms.
I suspect there are more than a few on here who have already done similar and would be grateful of the head start. Likewise if there is any essential kit we should be buying please let us know. At the moment we only have the standard lens and an unreliable 300 lens with clear ND filters.
nick_bbb said:
Tripod
He's not wrong you know 
Also try to get away from other light sources. If in Reykjavik a good place to go is up at Perlan. Have a nice dinner watchign reykjavik slowly spin past, gulp at the size of the bill, set up the tripod outside, take your images and grab a cab home.
There are several good sites around for guidance but here is one worth reviewing
text
The key is that the auroras can be quite dim in the sky so a good long exposure helps and hence the tripod requirement.
Chris
Great, thanks.
At the minute we have a planned trip out into the island on Christmas day to get away from the other light sources. Boxing Day will see us in the Blue Lagoon and then we will have a day to walk around the town and by the sea.
Obviously we are risking it a bit with the time of year and eating out but we hope to find enough places about and over the next few days I'll be calling round a little to see if there is somewhere to go for lunch on Christmas Day other than a few packets of peanuts from the hotel mini-bar.
At the minute we have a planned trip out into the island on Christmas day to get away from the other light sources. Boxing Day will see us in the Blue Lagoon and then we will have a day to walk around the town and by the sea.
Obviously we are risking it a bit with the time of year and eating out but we hope to find enough places about and over the next few days I'll be calling round a little to see if there is somewhere to go for lunch on Christmas Day other than a few packets of peanuts from the hotel mini-bar.
If all else fails there is the bloke who sells hotdogs down near the ferry terminal - with everything on they're great, although my taste judgement could have been somewhat beer impaired.
I think Perlan is something like www.perlan.is as a web link.
I think Perlan is something like www.perlan.is as a web link.
A tripod is good advice, but make sure you don't just buy the cheapest. I took a cheapie with me to Sweden, and it shattered the plastic in the cold. The torch is also very handy, make sure you can use it in gloves though, and watch out for condensation when taking your camera indoors after being out in the cold for a while.
Aside from that I got ok results with just a really basic setup. The lights come out very well by camera, more vivid than they appear by eye. It's worth making sure you know all the settings on your camera well. I didn't, and could have got better shots if I'd known a little more about how to operate my camera at the time.
Aside from that I got ok results with just a really basic setup. The lights come out very well by camera, more vivid than they appear by eye. It's worth making sure you know all the settings on your camera well. I didn't, and could have got better shots if I'd known a little more about how to operate my camera at the time.
CVP said:
I think Perlan is something like www.perlan.is as a web link.
Ace place that! Loved my time in Reykjavik even if it was only for a few daysThe cold can reduce the number of shots you get out of the battery, so having a spare kept in a pocket close to your body would be handy.
I hear solar activity is at the peak of its cycle this winter, so as long as you have clear skies you have a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Good luck!
I hear solar activity is at the peak of its cycle this winter, so as long as you have clear skies you have a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Good luck!
If its a once in a lifetime opportunity to get these pictures, id take along a laptop to look at them properly after taking a few test shots, nothing more frustrating than spending a night taking loads of photos ruined by something that you don't notice through the view finder because its too dim and you miss on the camera screen because its too small. With long exposures that faint reflection you cant see or some other light source can have a massive impact on the image.
You can also use the laptop as a remote shutter release (providing the battery holds out in the cold)
Also as has been said, learn the settings you will need on the camera before you go, you will also likely need to know how to manually focus the lens as i have found on my 550 with kit lenses, it really cant focus in the dark, again another reason to have the ability to review the images properly at the time.
You can also use the laptop as a remote shutter release (providing the battery holds out in the cold)
Also as has been said, learn the settings you will need on the camera before you go, you will also likely need to know how to manually focus the lens as i have found on my 550 with kit lenses, it really cant focus in the dark, again another reason to have the ability to review the images properly at the time.
Taking a slightly different line of suggestions from everyone else:
Luck and bucket loads of it!
My aunt has been to northern Norway three times now on trips to see the northern lights, two of those trips Patrick Moore was with them. She is still yet to see them!
I'm sure you two will have fun anyway, whether you see the lights or not.
Luck and bucket loads of it!
My aunt has been to northern Norway three times now on trips to see the northern lights, two of those trips Patrick Moore was with them. She is still yet to see them!
I'm sure you two will have fun anyway, whether you see the lights or not.
Thanks for all the ideas guys. Really helpful!
I know we are chancing it with the weather but that's always the call unless you live there!
We have both always wanted to go to see them and if the weather isn't kind to us we will try again. At the moment there is an ice hotel in Romania we were going to go to (as well as Dracula's castle) until we saw this holiday so we might have to scratch that again next year and go to the one in Sweden if we miss the lights this year. As another poster has said though apparently the next 24 months will be the best conditions for many years to come. We also have a spare day where the only thing planned is a meal at Perlan (very polite and quick response to my e-mail to them and they even deal with veggies!)
So far we have to get a tripod, remote and red filtered torch. Sounds like we should also get a spare battery as well for the camera and it sounds like we'd be advised to get one of the £200 notebooks they are selling down the road from my office to check the pics on - We've been meaning to sort something like that for our travels as our 'normal' lappys are a bit expensive and bulky for carting around the place, not to mention that they both have seen better days battery wise!
If we were going to spend £200 on a lens what should we be looking for?
I know we are chancing it with the weather but that's always the call unless you live there!
We have both always wanted to go to see them and if the weather isn't kind to us we will try again. At the moment there is an ice hotel in Romania we were going to go to (as well as Dracula's castle) until we saw this holiday so we might have to scratch that again next year and go to the one in Sweden if we miss the lights this year. As another poster has said though apparently the next 24 months will be the best conditions for many years to come. We also have a spare day where the only thing planned is a meal at Perlan (very polite and quick response to my e-mail to them and they even deal with veggies!)
So far we have to get a tripod, remote and red filtered torch. Sounds like we should also get a spare battery as well for the camera and it sounds like we'd be advised to get one of the £200 notebooks they are selling down the road from my office to check the pics on - We've been meaning to sort something like that for our travels as our 'normal' lappys are a bit expensive and bulky for carting around the place, not to mention that they both have seen better days battery wise!
If we were going to spend £200 on a lens what should we be looking for?
TallMark said:
A tripod is good advice, but make sure you don't just buy the cheapest. I took a cheapie with me to Sweden, and it shattered the plastic in the cold.
And cheap ones wobble slightly in any wind, making images less sharp at best and possibly unusable on long exposures. I know for experience with my £25 one. This, one of many sites is seems, may be helpful.
http://www.alaskaphotographics.com/how_to_photogra...
A wide angle lens would seem to be a good idea. They cost a bit .... unless .....
You consider the Samyang 16mm f2.8 which is available new for under £300.
It's manual only - but that won't matter at all for your purpose. In fact it may be a benefit - no drain on the battery for a start.
More information here.
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/533-samyang14f28...
HTH.
http://www.alaskaphotographics.com/how_to_photogra...
A wide angle lens would seem to be a good idea. They cost a bit .... unless .....
You consider the Samyang 16mm f2.8 which is available new for under £300.
It's manual only - but that won't matter at all for your purpose. In fact it may be a benefit - no drain on the battery for a start.
More information here.
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/533-samyang14f28...
HTH.
Edited by LongQ on Tuesday 23 November 13:39
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