What is Bulb Mode ?
There is one special setting in almost all Digital SLR camera and Mirrorless camera, It's BULB or BULB Setting. This mode is usually marked with B notation in your digital camera. Now look carefully at your camera control, if you find symbol "B", that symbol is to turn on the Bulb mode, rotate until in B and if there's word "Bulb" in LCD , it means you are ready to shoot Bulb.
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Bulb mode is one of special settings, where we can use shutter speed above 30 seconds, moreover we can use shutter speed whatever we want. The maximum of shutter speed ranges in Digital SLR usually in number 30 seconds, but in Bulb mode you can set the shutter speed above it whatever you want.
The word "Bulb" was born in ancient time, the photographers in that time use bubble wind in rubber (bulb) that pressing the shutter mechanism so it's open.
When should we use Bulb Mode?
In Some situations, you need using Bulb mode , they are :
- When shooting the firework
- When you shoot trail of light : Car lamp or star trail
- When you shoot in low light using small apertures such as f/11 until f/22
- when you want to shooting Light Painting
- When you shoot thunder light
- When you shoot celestial objects ( astrophotography)
The point is use Bulb when you want to set long exposure above 30 seconds.
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What you need in using of Bulb ?
Some items and important things in using bulb mode, they are :
- Tripod, except you want to get abstract photo that nobody know what the meaning of it
- Use the Shutter Release Remote with lock mechanism
- Timer, just use timer in your smartphone
- Try to use ISO as low as possible
- Battery Backup, shooting in long exposure is really spending your battery capacity, so prepare the backup.
