lens for Milky Way
Nov 30, 2015 16:09:39 #
I will be going to Maui early next year and will be hiking down into the crater of Haleakala. I will be in the crater while it is dark and want to shoot the night sky from this very dark place. I was planning on using my D750, but after much thought have decided not to pack that much weight at 10,000 ft elevation. I will be bringing my D5300 instead. I will need a suitable lens and am wondering which would be better, a Sigma 18-35 f1.8 or Tokina 11-20 f2.8.
Nov 30, 2015 16:25:35 #
shutterbob wrote:
...will be hiking down into the crater of Haleakala. I will be in the crater while it is dark and want to shoot the night sky ... I was planning on using my D750, but after much thought have decided not to pack that much weight ... I will need a suitable lens and am wondering which would be better, a Sigma 18-35 f1.8 or Tokina 11-20 f2.8.
if it were me it would be the D750 and the sigma.
Nov 30, 2015 17:00:57 #
Nov 30, 2015 18:30:43 #
shutterbob wrote:
I will be going to Maui early next year and will be hiking down into the crater of Haleakala. I will be in the crater while it is dark and want to shoot the night sky from this very dark place. I was planning on using my D750, but after much thought have decided not to pack that much weight at 10,000 ft elevation. I will be bringing my D5300 instead. I will need a suitable lens and am wondering which would be better, a Sigma 18-35 f1.8 or Tokina 11-20 f2.8.
The Sigma is a better lens, but is not wide enough to get the whole Milky Way on your body. The Tokina is wide enough. Easy decision if you want to capture it all, or are happy with part of it.
Nov 30, 2015 21:03:38 #
Nov 30, 2015 22:03:46 #
shutterbob wrote:
I will be going to Maui early next year and will be hiking down into the crater of Haleakala. I will be in the crater while it is dark and want to shoot the night sky from this very dark place. I was planning on using my D750, but after much thought have decided not to pack that much weight at 10,000 ft elevation. I will be bringing my D5300 instead. I will need a suitable lens and am wondering which would be better, a Sigma 18-35 f1.8 or Tokina 11-20 f2.8.
Eastern Washington is pretty dark too. You should drive out there and do some test shots before your trip.
Nov 30, 2015 22:28:58 #
Math78 wrote:
Eastern Washington is pretty dark too. You should drive out there and do some test shots before your trip.
Was just down in Sedona and did some shots with the D750 and 20mm f1.8 Nikon. Liked the results but I don't want to carry that much weight at that altitude. Eastern WA does have some good dark sky areas but nasty driving this time of year.
Dec 1, 2015 07:40:58 #
Well you need a tripod extra batteries, cards, I would use the D750 My favourite lens for Milky Way is the 24 mm Ronikon MF
Dec 1, 2015 08:55:51 #
shutterbob wrote:
I will be going to Maui early next year and will be hiking down into the crater of Haleakala. I will be in the crater while it is dark and want to shoot the night sky from this very dark place. I was planning on using my D750, but after much thought have decided not to pack that much weight at 10,000 ft elevation. I will be bringing my D5300 instead. I will need a suitable lens and am wondering which would be better, a Sigma 18-35 f1.8 or Tokina 11-20 f2.8.
Don't quite understand "that much weight" What would the difference be? Can it really be that unbearable?
Dec 1, 2015 09:46:24 #
Personally, I would go with the D750 and the faster Sigma. But, I've read the article I'm linking to here and the links it has. If I were worried about a few hundred grams of extra weight and had to take the crop camera, I would definitely use the Tokina for the wider field of view despite being more than a stop slower, requiring me to double my ISO. You are going to sacrifice so much if you take the D5300.
I would also bring a strong flashlight to paint some foreground, and considering the crater's other-worldly appearance, I would consider someone in at least some of the photos, back turned or profile and looking up in awe. Light-painted, of course.
Also, be prepared to shoot from the rim if the crater is filled with clouds, as it often is. And, about an hour before sunrise when the sky is too bright to shoot the MW (even though it looks dark to you, check an image on your camera - it will be overexposed) shift gears and get some sunrise shots. Sometimes the clouds in the crater will glow orange, looking like an eruption.
Yes, i've been to Maui and Haleakala - I lived on Maui.
Here's the link:
http://petapixel.com/2014/01/29/picking-great-lens-milky-way-photography/
I would also bring a strong flashlight to paint some foreground, and considering the crater's other-worldly appearance, I would consider someone in at least some of the photos, back turned or profile and looking up in awe. Light-painted, of course.
Also, be prepared to shoot from the rim if the crater is filled with clouds, as it often is. And, about an hour before sunrise when the sky is too bright to shoot the MW (even though it looks dark to you, check an image on your camera - it will be overexposed) shift gears and get some sunrise shots. Sometimes the clouds in the crater will glow orange, looking like an eruption.
Yes, i've been to Maui and Haleakala - I lived on Maui.
Here's the link:
http://petapixel.com/2014/01/29/picking-great-lens-milky-way-photography/
Dec 1, 2015 10:02:00 #
collhart wrote:
Don't quite understand "that much weight" What would the difference be? Can it really be that unbearable?
The D750 with fast lens is not only twice the weight but also bulkier. I carried it last month with a 24-70 attached while doing a lot of hiking in Sedona. It was awkward & I swore to myself that it would not go with me on long distance hikes again. I carry it over my shoulder with a really good Peak Design strap but something smaller and lighter would make me much happier.
Dec 1, 2015 10:10:07 #
Oh, and one more thing: I made me remarks considering you have access to the ff D750, a camera which will far outperform the D5300 for MW shots. Still, the D5300 can capture some very nice MW images, so don't be afraid to use it. My camera does not do as well low-light as the D5300, but I've gotten some very nice MW grabs. May I also suggest looking on YouTube for some tutorials on post processing, if you haven't yet mastered it for MW shots. Serge has a very good tute using LR, PS, and De-noise.
Dec 1, 2015 10:16:46 #
Desert Gecko wrote:
Personally, I would go with the D750 and the fast... (show quote)
I will be packing a carbon fiber tripod and a small, bright, led flashlight. I have been up on Haleakala several times but have never gone down into the crater. Have watched sunrise & sunset from near the summit. Tried shooting the MW from the rim last trip but the wind was howling so hard that even with a solid tripod I had camera blur with 20 second exposures. I know the 750 would be a better choice but the 5300 will sure be easier & less bulky to carry. I will check out your link. Thanks
Dec 1, 2015 11:30:52 #
shutterbob wrote:
The Tokina will give you a much wider angle on a crop camera and has performed well for me. That said, if I had a 750 (and hope to soon), I would bear the brunt of the extra 9 oz in weight to give myself maximum opportunity to get an optimal result. Do you have the access to go back if you find results are not what you are hoping for? If hiking weight is a considerable factor, maybe mirrorless options would help.I will be going to Maui early next year and will be hiking down into the crater of Haleakala. I will be in the crater while it is dark and want to shoot the night sky from this very dark place. I was planning on using my D750, but after much thought have decided not to pack that much weight at 10,000 ft elevation. I will be bringing my D5300 instead. I will need a suitable lens and am wondering which would be better, a Sigma 18-35 f1.8 or Tokina 11-20 f2.8.
Dec 1, 2015 11:42:32 #
mikeroetex wrote:
The Tokina will give you a much wider angle on a crop camera and has performed well for me. That said, if I had a 750 (and hope to soon), I would bear the brunt of the extra 9 oz in weight to give myself maximum opportunity to get an optimal result. Do you have the access to go back if you find results are not what you are hoping for? If hiking weight is a considerable factor, maybe mirrorless options would help.
OK, OK. Enough of you have said that the D750 is a much better choice that I will get another photo backpack to lug the 750 with me. Still need a lens. 14-24 f2.8? I will be packing only one lens on this hike so it needs some versatility.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.