What f-stop setting should be used to take a photo of city at night?

You'll definitely need a tripod. I use and recommend this site for determining low-light exposures:

http://www.calculator.org/exposure.aspx

I used ISO 200 and the Scene 'Distant view of city skyline or floodlit buildings' for these pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/4048051455... 100mm @ f11, exposure of 30 seconds.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/4048796836... 200mm @ f11, exposure of 30 seconds.

I'm admittedly biased but I think they turned out pretty good.

ISO 100 and f16 would require a 2 minute exposure.

ISO 100 and f11 would require a 1 minute exposure.

ISO 100 and f8 would require a 30 second exposure.

ISO 100 and f5.6 would require a 15 second exposure.

Please note that I used prime (fixed focal length) lenses on a 35mm film camera. Your results will depend on the quality of lens used and your camera's sensor size. If you're using the usual 18-55mm zoom lens your best results will be with the lens at 55mm and an aperture between f5.6 to f11. All lenses have a "sweet spot" which is usually from the apertures referenced. The exposure will be the same though.

I've been to Times Square at night and trust me, there's enough light from all the moving advertisements and what not to where you don't need to use a flash or tripod. Try upping your ISO to something like 1600. Also use an aperture of 2,8 or 4. That will be your best bet. If you have a minimum shutter speed of 1/80 you should be fine without too much blur... as long as you keep your hand steady. If you're taking pictures of people in the street like party photos or something like that, use your flash. But if you want to take pictures of buildings your flash probably won't work very well. This is because the light from your flash won't be able to make it very far / reach the buildings.

This is the best photography course online:

http://photography-course.info/

You can be like the masses of humanity and buy a camera you can afford that has auto this and that for worry free picture taking. And learn through trial and error how to use something like aperture or shutter priority auto modes or even attempt to use the thing on full manual mode.

You seem to know already there is some thinking to using a camera and to take pictures. A good place to start is by reading the owners manual that comes with a camera. Read the information and look at the illustrations with part names and look at the real camera. Handle the camera and take pictures. Let me rephrase that. Take pictures to learn how to use the camera and maybe even to keep some. Don't start with important stuff you cannot photograph over again such as birthdays, a toddlers first steps. That puts picture taking out of the learning phase and puts the pressure and emphasis to taking pictures for real and to keep.

These first pictures are for you to learn how to use your camera. And you have learned how to use your camera when you can take pictures with it and can teach others how to use it. Honest. You can also go to a college in your area and take a beginning photography course. There you will be taught the basics even a pro must learn and do in their work. Camera handling and use, taking exposures with film and/or digital cameras, and maybe even some photo assignments to get some real time learning. In this learning do not take serious pictures you must keep as that detracts from the learning aspect of the class. Do so only if you have mastered the use of your camera before class is over.

It's like growing up in a way. And I am happy you know there is a way to learn how to use a camera and take pictures. It's like learning how to drive I suppose. Someone can teach you or you can get taught at a driving school. Both will get you a drivers liscense. One though will really teach you the fundamentals you can use for the rest of your driving career.

F16 at ISO 100 would require an exposure of many seconds, and would be good for taking shots that need good depth of field - when you want subjects near in the foreground sharp as well as the building windows. If there's nothing in the foreground you want captured, then go for an f-stop around f8.0. This will generally give you maximum sharpness in the building lights.

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Hi there,

A good thing you can do is attending a comprehensive photography course. If you can't afford it there are many online courses available.

I recommend this great web site: http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=557

It has very well made and explained video lessons that will help you a lot.

Regards

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Open the lens as wide as you can. (f16 is a pinhole, way too small unless you need the depth of field of course!)Then bracket exposures with time, starting at 1/60th of a second and gradually using longer and longer exposures. Or you could get a Cadmium Sulfide (CDS) light meter and measure. CDS light meters can give you the proper exposure settings for using a candle to light a room scene or the light from a full moon.... Ansel Adams did some scenes using moonlight

F 5.6 for about 15 seconds. I am specifically writing about capturing a city skyline at full night.