Astrophotography beginner
Mar 20, 2018 19:39:35 #
spauley
Loc: Ketchum Idaho
Here in Idaho we have a Dark Sky Reserve certified by the International Dark Sky Assoc (IDA)
I want to learn how to photograph the Milky Way. I have a Canon Rebel. I know fstops and film
speeds because I'm an old guy. Can you start me off with one or two settings to get me going
and I'll try to experiment from there.
Thank you
Dr Dark
I want to learn how to photograph the Milky Way. I have a Canon Rebel. I know fstops and film
speeds because I'm an old guy. Can you start me off with one or two settings to get me going
and I'll try to experiment from there.
Thank you
Dr Dark
Mar 20, 2018 19:42:05 #
Mar 20, 2018 19:44:58 #
Welcome to UHH.
You maybe interested in the Astro Photography forum section. http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-109-1.html
You maybe interested in the Astro Photography forum section. http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-109-1.html
Mar 20, 2018 19:58:03 #
It's a heckuva lot of fun.
Download, for your Smartphone, an app called PhotoPills. Allows you to hold your phone up to the sky and see where the Milky Way will be. We're a bit early in Milky Way season in North America to see the central core, which is the most photogenic section. Season in North America is now to October.
A WIDE ANGLE lens is an absolute, like 24 mm minimum. And a very sturdy tripod. Shoot on a night with no moon, you don't have to wait until it sets to shoot. Set up camera, etc before sunset, it is just easier. Use the app to determine where the Milky Way is and point your camera in that direction, focus to infinity. If your lens creeps focus, when pointed above vertical, use a small piece of gaffer tape (no residue) to secure.
Exposure settings to start are: Lens wide open, smallest aperture you can get. Set camera to ISO 6400, shutter speed 30 seconds, and set self timing mode, or use a remote release if you've got one. If there is no moon, and your camera allows, set White Balance to custom, dial in 4000k. Makes the night sky nice and blue, otherwise there's a brown cast. If there's a moon, I always wait until it sets.
Turn off exposure preview, any high ISO noise cancellation, Long exposure processing and the entire back screen if you can. Position the camera on the tripod to where the Milky Way is, lock things down, and put a bit of gaffer tape over the viewfinder to prevent light leak on long exposures.
Take the shot, the look at the image. If the sky is too light, adjust shutter speed and ISO. I have Nikon D850, and find that 15 sec at ISO 3200 works best with a Sigma 24 mm f/1.4 lens.
Have fun.
Download, for your Smartphone, an app called PhotoPills. Allows you to hold your phone up to the sky and see where the Milky Way will be. We're a bit early in Milky Way season in North America to see the central core, which is the most photogenic section. Season in North America is now to October.
A WIDE ANGLE lens is an absolute, like 24 mm minimum. And a very sturdy tripod. Shoot on a night with no moon, you don't have to wait until it sets to shoot. Set up camera, etc before sunset, it is just easier. Use the app to determine where the Milky Way is and point your camera in that direction, focus to infinity. If your lens creeps focus, when pointed above vertical, use a small piece of gaffer tape (no residue) to secure.
Exposure settings to start are: Lens wide open, smallest aperture you can get. Set camera to ISO 6400, shutter speed 30 seconds, and set self timing mode, or use a remote release if you've got one. If there is no moon, and your camera allows, set White Balance to custom, dial in 4000k. Makes the night sky nice and blue, otherwise there's a brown cast. If there's a moon, I always wait until it sets.
Turn off exposure preview, any high ISO noise cancellation, Long exposure processing and the entire back screen if you can. Position the camera on the tripod to where the Milky Way is, lock things down, and put a bit of gaffer tape over the viewfinder to prevent light leak on long exposures.
Take the shot, the look at the image. If the sky is too light, adjust shutter speed and ISO. I have Nikon D850, and find that 15 sec at ISO 3200 works best with a Sigma 24 mm f/1.4 lens.
Have fun.
Mar 20, 2018 20:39:46 #
Mar 20, 2018 20:43:25 #
spauley
Loc: Ketchum Idaho
Just what I''m looking for -- a jump start. I must belong to the
millennials -- I need instant gratification unless that takes too long.
For our website go to idahodarksky.org
Thank you
Dr Dark
millennials -- I need instant gratification unless that takes too long.
For our website go to idahodarksky.org
Thank you
Dr Dark
Mar 20, 2018 21:05:12 #
Also look up the 500 rule as you didn't say what focal length your lens is, so as to avoid trails. 500 divided by your focal length is the number of seconds of open shutter to avoid trails. My experience has been to cut that a tad short. It's a lot of fun to do. You'll like it I'd guess.
Mar 20, 2018 21:08:24 #
pesfls wrote:
Also look up the 500 rule as you didn't say what focal length your lens is, so as to avoid trails. 500 divided by your focal length is the number of seconds of open shutter to avoid trails. My experience has been to cut that a tad short. It's a lot of fun to do. You'll like it I'd guess.
The "500 rule" is not an absolute, it is only a place to start and depends, heavily, on the lens and f/stop used.
Mar 20, 2018 21:27:46 #
rgrenaderphoto wrote:
The "500 rule" is not an absolute, it is only a place to start and depends, heavily, on the lens and f/stop used.
I agree. I've learned one needs to tweek it with the lenses I use for MW. But yes, it's a good starting point.
Mar 20, 2018 21:51:19 #
The "500" rule has you divide 500 (some use 600) by the focal length of your lens. The answer is how many seconds you can expose for and still have "star points" instead of "star streaks". But it assumes full frame. I assume your Rebel is a crop sensor camera so a 24mm lens would be 36mm full frame equivalent.
So if you divide 500 by 36 you can only do a 15 second exposure. That's likely too short. So I would recommend a 10 or 12mm lens on a crop body.
My main tip otherwise is to focus on a very distant object in the daylight, then switch to manual focus and use gaffers tape to keep the focus from shifting.
So if you divide 500 by 36 you can only do a 15 second exposure. That's likely too short. So I would recommend a 10 or 12mm lens on a crop body.
My main tip otherwise is to focus on a very distant object in the daylight, then switch to manual focus and use gaffers tape to keep the focus from shifting.
Mar 20, 2018 23:06:24 #
rgrenaderphoto wrote:
It's a heckuva lot of fun. br br Download, for yo... (show quote)
I second everything he said plus a couple of things. It can take ten to fifteen minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Bring a small flashlight with red filter to preserve your night sight. Use the compass on your phone to point you to the azimuth given by the Photopills app. The MW can be hard to see by naked eye. Around here it more like the darkest patch in the sky, but it is there if you know where to look. You will be amazed what the camera can capture. To get the sharpest stars limit your exposure to 500/apparent focal length seconds eg for 18mm FF lens limit to 500/18 = 27 seconds
Mar 21, 2018 01:44:41 #
Mar 21, 2018 08:02:01 #
Mar 21, 2018 08:24:21 #
Mar 21, 2018 09:16:12 #
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