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bulb
Definition
The bulb setting on most SLR and DSLR cameras allows the shutter speed to be controlled by the photographer. Whilst the shutter button is depressed, the shutter will remain open; when the shutter button is released, the shutter will close. The biggest advantage this setting has is for long (greater than 30 second) shutter speeds to be achieved, although it can also be used for shorter shutter speeds (for example, fireworks). The bulb setting is best used with a cable release.
Comments / Tips / Experiences
The bulb setting is mostly used for night scenes, fireworks and astrophotography which generally require long exposures. Bulb is effective for fireworks photography as it means that you can close the shutter once you are happy with the number of fireworks that have exploded.
Whilst in theory you could leave the shutter open for many hours, the camera must have sufficient battery strength to operate. Longer exposures will also have more noise.
