So I recently upgraded my camera to one that is supposed to be able to handle low light and stuff a lot better than my old one (a Nikon D80), which did great in low light though in the last few years the amount of noise and dead pixels really made anything above ISO 400 and 2" or more unusable.

My new-to-me D5300 is noisier than I expected, though ISO up to 23000 is pretty nice. I was out last night getting reacquainted with night photos. Started to get some OK results after a while; I'm going to need some more practice.

I swapped to my 70-300mm after a while to get some tighter shots of the skyline, though in every single one there was noticeable camera shake. Tripod was tight, I used the delay, I did everything I normally do to keep my long exposures (1/5 and longer) clear and there were still light trails at the tops of buildings. My only guess is that the lens's image stabilization was causing it? That seems counterintuitive to me, but I can't think of anything else.

Got any tips to share?

Posted by Cherokee My only guess is that the lens's image stabilization was causing it? That seems counterintuitive to me, but I can't think of anything else. Got any tips to share?

You're dead-on. When you have a rock steady hold of the camera and you're doing a long-exposure, some camera systems suffer from a feedback loop caused by IS trying to compensate against a movement that doesn't exist. Turn off the IS if you know it isn't needed. If you're not already using it, try mirror lock-up. If the camera doesn't have the option to manually set mirror lockup, you might be able to accomplish it by shooting on self-timer after placing it in live-view causing the camera to take a picture with the sensor exposed before moving the mirror.

This also depends on the camera, but sometimes you have to shoot in manual mode to get the best out of IS. The automatic exposure program on my camera doesn't acknowledge IS, so it would try to pick the same exposure settings regardless of IS settings. My camera does not acknowledge the lens is rated at 4 stops of IS.

Posted by Deuterium You're dead-on. When you have a rock steady hold of the camera and you're doing a long-exposure, some camera systems suffer from a feedback loop caused by IS trying to compensate against a movement that doesn't exist. Turn off the IS if you know it isn't needed. If you're not already using it, try mirror lock-up.

Great to know! I was shooting in full manual, but I will try again with no IS and on live mode.

Thanks!

The best long exposures I've ever taken have been out in the desert, where the ground is much more reflective. These city shots over dark trees are much more challenging.

Posted by Cherokee The best long exposures I've ever taken have been out in the desert, where the ground is much more reflective. These city shots over dark trees are much more challenging.

Getting a really nice night city shot that don't blow out lights while preserving details in the shadows can take quite a few bracketing. External (wired or wireless) intervalometer remote is your friend so you don't touch the camera at all after you set your framing.