New Minolta Dimage Z1 user

[monicampo]

Hi,
I am a begginer in photography. recently bought a Minolta Dimage Z1 because I liked the zoom but I haven't been able to take good pictures at night.
I've tried many things and I don't know if there is something wrong with the camera or that I dont know how to use it.
What I'm looking for is an illuminated image not only of the subject but also the background
Thanks for your help!
Monica

[Asylum Steve]

First of all, welcome to the site, Monica...

I'm not exactly sure what type of "night" shots you're trying to capture. Maybe you can reply and give us some more information.

I'll take a stab in the dark and guess you mean basic city and town scenes with artificial lighting such as street lights, window lights, and car lights. If so, those are a challenge for any photographer and camera, regardless of how upscale or expensive the equipment is.

One basic technique is to use a tripod, set your camera at a somewhat high ISO, use an on or off camera flash to freeze foreground subjects or people, set your camera's aperture for the flash output, then set a slow shutter speed to capture the bg scene light.

This shutter speed will often be quite slow, meaning anything lit and moving (such as car lights) will leave interesting streaks in the shot.

BTW, these types of shots are real tough to accomplish with a camera set on auto. You almost need to adjust things manually to get the right exposure.

If this isn't close to what you want, just leave more details...