>>3614170Kind of depends if you mean full dark, or dusk. Most digital cameras now can handle up to ISO 3200 before your image quality goes totally to shit, so if you have a reasonably fast lens (2.8 or better), you can get away with shooting handheld in a well-lit area. With a fast enough lens, you can even shoot film at night handheld (pic related).
That being said, get a decent tripod. You'll find it makes you more conscientious of your framing, lets you shoot at smaller apertures and lower ISOs. Focusing can be tricky in the dark, so the more depth of field you can get, the better.
