Only thing I can add is that I've found a few things that worked in the past: 1) Shoot just after sunset, but before total darkness. Especially if there is going to be any sky in your shot. 2) Unless you have an extremely still night, shoot with at least 400 ISO speed film. You want to avoid really long shutter times. The reason, if there is any breeze or vibration at all, the individual lights will not be sharp. 3) Take extra batteries if it's cold. Battery life is compromised in a colder climate. Using the above with tripod I probably shot at f/5.6 -> f/8 for anywhere from .5-4 seconds on most shots. If shooting film, where you can't check histograms, I'd definitely do as TMD suggests and bracket. -=>Donald