How to set bulb timer and HDR on your camera

You've calculated your shutter speed: 4 minutes and 17 seconds. But your camera stops at 30 seconds. That's where bulb mode comes in. And when you need to handle high-contrast scenes, you'll reach for HDR or auto bracketing. Both features are on almost every modern camera, but they're not always easy to find. Here's how they work.

What is bulb mode?

In normal mode, the longest shutter speed is 30 seconds. For longer exposures, you switch to bulb mode (sometimes called B or T mode). In bulb mode, the shutter stays open as long as you hold the shutter button, or for as long as the built-in timer runs.

You need bulb mode for:

ND filter photography where the calculated shutter speed exceeds 30 seconds
Astrophotography (Milky Way, star trails)
Light trails from cars or water in low light

On most cameras, bulb mode appears when you turn the shutter speed dial past 30 seconds. On Fujifilm cameras with a physical shutter speed ring, it's labeled T (Time) or B on the ring itself. On Sony, Canon, and Nikon, look for BULB in the manual mode dial, or in the shutter speed menu when shooting in M mode.

The bulb timer: how to set it

Holding the shutter button by hand causes camera shake and makes accurate timing impossible. Use the built-in bulb timer or an external remote shutter release with a timer instead.

Most modern cameras have a built-in timer. Look in the shooting menu for terms like:

Fujifilm: Interval Timer Shooting or T setting on the shutter speed ring
Sony: Bulb Timer (in the camera menu under Exposure)
Canon: Bulb Timer (available in Bulb mode via the quick menu or camera menu)
Nikon: Long time-exposure (in the photo shooting settings menu)

The exact name varies by model and may change with firmware updates. But the logic is always the same: set the desired exposure time, press the shutter button once, and the camera opens and closes the shutter automatically.

Got an older camera without a built-in timer? You'll need an external remote release with a timer. They're available for every camera system and don't cost much.

HDR and auto exposure bracketing

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Your camera takes several shots in quick succession at different exposures, so you can later merge the shadow detail and highlight detail into one image.

There are two approaches:

In-camera HDR: the camera takes multiple shots and merges them into a single JPG. Quick and convenient, but you have limited control over the result. Look for HDR in the shooting menu.

AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing): the camera takes three or more shots at different exposure offsets (for example -2, 0, and +2 stops). You merge them yourself in Lightroom, Photoshop, or dedicated HDR software. More control, and works with RAW files.

Set AEB in your camera's bracketing menu. On most systems you choose the number of shots (3 or 5) and the exposure difference per step. Use a tripod and either self-timer or a remote release so the sequence stays sharp.

HDR works well for:

Architecture with large windows (bright outside, dark inside)
Landscapes at sunrise or sunset with a bright sky
Interior photography

It's less suited for portraits and street photography, because moving subjects create ghosting in the merged result.

Combining with ND filters

Bulb timer and ND filters go hand in hand. You cut light with the filter to get a long shutter speed, and the bulb timer makes sure the camera exposes for exactly that long. Use the ND filter calculator to work out your shutter speed based on your filter and base exposure. Enter the result directly as your bulb timer value.

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