the digital is really starting to show its limits in these photos. These where taken from the other side of the street in front of this house.

You have some interesting neighbors! Pic 3 is where the digital camera does good/bad and it is a good shot. Is it the limitation of the equipment or our knowledge? I do not have definitive information on CCD sensitivity vs time. On film we could use the resiprocity curve and some emprically developed tables. Do CCD's have threshold value for light?

I am not sure if there is a threshold value but I do know that on my digital there is no such thing as a Bulb setting. I think the longest setting I can get is 1/60. I guess I will have to fire up my Voitlander and try some low light shots with it. BTY how do you know, when using the bulb setting, how long to keep the lens open? Is it just a trial and error thing or what.

I'll look in my archives for low light photo guides. the magazines used to publish them when Tri x was a baby (1950's and 1960's). There are published curves of film and increase in density with exposure. As light decreases the density builds slowly. Working the film in that area allows you to pickup some increased detail without washing out the highlights. In combination with a system like the ZONE and developing techniques film can be very versatile. Bill