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Archive 2019 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II

  
 
Liquidstone
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


I just discovered an easier way to capture lightning - use the time lapse function of the 7D II to continually do 30-second exposures.

First, I set the aperture (normally wide open, the 16-35's IQ is excellent even at f/4) and ISO to properly expose the scene with a 30 second exposure, before the lightning bolt strikes.

Next, I point the camera to the general direction of the sky where lighting strikes are active, fine tune the framing for composition, and manually pre-focus on a foreground object in the distance that I wish to be sharp. The deep DOF of the UWA lens should also render the lightning bolt in reasonably good focus.

At this point, I enable the 7D II's time lapse function, then press the shutter button. The 7D II will shoot long exposures non-stop until I turn it off when the lightning activity subsides. I usually set the interval between shots to 2 seconds to give me time to turn off the camera in between frames.

Here's a practice shot using this approach. I'm hoping the lightning display will be over a more photogenic location in the coming nights. Casting a wide net (long 30 second exposures), and doing this continually, should greatly increase the chances of catching a lightning formation at its sweet moment.

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, June 22, 2019, Canon 7D MII + EF 16-35 f/4 L IS, 16 mm, f/4, ISO 200, 30 sec, manual exposure in available light, Uniqball UBH45/455B support, cropped to fit 16:9, resized to 1920 x 1080.

https://pbase.com/liquidstone/image/169402588/original.jpg



Jun 24, 2019 at 07:26 PM
TeamSpeed
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


They make fairly inexpensive lightning triggers...


Jun 25, 2019 at 05:31 AM
lighthound
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


I was just doing this very thing the other evening night at the beach. I've got probably 50 lighting shots within an hour or so. I think I have some great shots and will post them up here when I get t them.

My trouble was that I had ran back to camp and only grabbed my 16-35 f/4 + body and tripod and forgot my flashlight. The dark of night quickly came so I was trying to establish focus on my foreground subject by using the light from the lightning from all around me which was very hard to do.



Jun 25, 2019 at 09:36 AM
Jeff
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


Liquidstone wrote:
I just discovered an easier way to capture lightning - use the time lapse function of the 7D II to continually do 30-second exposures...

...At this point, I enable the 7D II's time lapse function, then press the shutter button. The 7D II will shoot long exposures non-stop until I turn it off when the lightning activity subsides. I usually set the interval between shots to 2 seconds to give me time to turn off the camera in between frames...


OK, so this post prompted me to go downstairs and get both my 5Ds and 7DII to confirm that the 7DII actually has a time-lapse function, as I did not know it did. It does not (that I can find). The 5Ds does have a 'Time-lapse Movie' function.

What you are referring to is the intervalometer function, which is listed as 'Interval Timer' in the menu.

Just for clarity...

And yes, the intervalometer is a welcome addition, and should have been in every camera produced in the last decade. Your method only really works when it is dark, otherwise you end up with hundreds of (shorter) exposures without strikes.



Jun 25, 2019 at 11:30 AM
lighthound
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


Jeff wrote:
Your method only really works when it is dark, otherwise you end up with hundreds of (shorter) exposures without strikes.


ND + F/16 works like a charm in stormy dark daylight conditions.




Jun 25, 2019 at 12:18 PM
Jeff
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


Jeff wrote:
Your method only really works when it is dark, otherwise you end up with hundreds of (shorter) exposures without strikes.

lighthound wrote:
ND + F/16 works like a charm in stormy dark daylight conditions.


It sure does... for skies. I'd love to see a great image of the lightning part of this equation with an ND at f/16; have you ever tried to do this? If you could see the lightning, it's likely because the tripod was struck!



Jun 25, 2019 at 12:32 PM
Liquidstone
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


Jeff wrote:
What you are referring to is the intervalometer function, which is listed as 'Interval Timer' in the menu.

Just for clarity...

And yes, the intervalometer is a welcome addition, and should have been in every camera produced in the last decade. Your method only really works when it is dark, otherwise you end up with hundreds of (shorter) exposures without strikes.


Yes, of course, I meant the intervalometer function of the 7D II. On my 5D III which doesn't have this, I've to manually press the shutter button after every 30-sec exposure. Now, I can just sit back after the initial shutter press and enjoy the lightning display with my eyes, while the 7D II does all the capturing.

The 5D III was my default lightning shooter before, but I found out that the 7D II is more resistant to banding with long exposures. Downside is the 7D II sees less of the sky with 16-35.






Jun 25, 2019 at 04:24 PM
Liquidstone
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


lighthound wrote:
My trouble was that I had ran back to camp and only grabbed my 16-35 f/4 + body and tripod and forgot my flashlight. The dark of night quickly came so I was trying to establish focus on my foreground subject by using the light from the lightning from all around me which was very hard to do.


When my foreground object has no lighting, I look around for a well lit one with about the same distance to the camera, and this is what I manually focus on (slight errors on distance will be covered by the deep DOF). Then I swing back the camera to my desired direction/framing and shoot away. Of course, when the place is dark all around, you do need a flash light.

Looking forward to seeing your lightning shots.




Jun 25, 2019 at 04:31 PM
lighthound
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


Liquidstone wrote:
When my foreground object has no lighting, I look around for a well lit one with about the same distance to the camera, and this is what I manually focus on (slight errors on distance will be covered by the deep DOF). Then I swing back the camera to my desired direction/framing and shoot away. Of course, when the place is dark all around, you do need a flash light.

Looking forward to seeing your lightning shots.



Finally got around to some of them last weekend. Some of these are a blend of 2 or 3 exposures but all single exposures had multiple strikes in them. It was a very active cell there for a little while. We had 3 separate cells move through starting right at sunset. Many things I wish I would have done differently but I'm happy with a few of them.

Dave
































Jul 02, 2019 at 01:57 PM
Liquidstone
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


lighthound wrote:
Finally got around to some of them last weekend. Some of these are a blend of 2 or 3 exposures but all single exposures had multiple strikes in them. It was a very active cell there for a little while. We had 3 separate cells move through starting right at sunset. Many things I wish I would have done differently but I'm happy with a few of them.

Dave


Wow, these are outstanding, Dave!

I wish we have such spectacular displays too. Ever since I posted this thread, no thunderstorm has yet occurred in our area.



Jul 03, 2019 at 01:30 AM
lighthound
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Easier way to capture lightning with the 7D II


Liquidstone wrote:
Wow, these are outstanding, Dave!

I wish we have such spectacular displays too. Ever since I posted this thread, no thunderstorm has yet occurred in our area.


Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed them.

We don't get many crazy storms in our area like this one either. This one at the beach was over the top CRAZY. I've never seen anything like it when it was approaching us.

Here are a few cell phone pano snaps my GD took as that was the only camera we had with us at the time. I quickly ran back to camp and grabbed a body & lens and tripod and went running back out there to capture the above images.

It was just crazy cool.

Dave

















Jul 03, 2019 at 07:01 AM





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