Prime lens for shooting stars
Jul 16, 2018 12:24:23 #
I am looking for a prime lens primarily for shooting stars Milky Way large guy etc. Would prefer auto focus but for this manual I’m sure would be fine set at Infiniti will use it for some landscape, I shoot a Nikon D 500 any suggestions or places to buy new or used. Would like a 1.4 or faster but is it that much better than a 1.8, especially with the ability to shoot higher ISOs today. Also a 10 mm to 35 mm max I would imagine.
Jul 16, 2018 13:02:51 #
A Rokinon 14mm F 2.8 is what all of the Astro shooters swear by. I love mine and they are relatively cheap.
Jul 16, 2018 13:14:46 #
Jul 16, 2018 13:36:27 #
dyximan wrote:
I am looking for a prime lens primarily for shooting stars Milky Way large guy etc. Would prefer auto focus but for this manual I’m sure would be fine set at Infiniti will use it for some landscape, I shoot a Nikon D 500 any suggestions or places to buy new or used. Would like a 1.4 or faster but is it that much better than a 1.8, especially with the ability to shoot higher ISOs today. Also a 10 mm to 35 mm max I would imagine.
I like the Samyang 14mm and 35mm for Milky Way imaging. Good quality and the price is right.
bwa
Jul 16, 2018 13:37:21 #
dyximan wrote:
I am looking for a prime lens primarily for shooting stars Milky Way large guy etc. Would prefer auto focus but for this manual I’m sure would be fine set at Infiniti will use it for some landscape, I shoot a Nikon D 500 any suggestions or places to buy new or used. Would like a 1.4 or faster but is it that much better than a 1.8, especially with the ability to shoot higher ISOs today. Also a 10 mm to 35 mm max I would imagine.
There is an Astro Photography section where you can find a lot of good information. https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-109-1.html
Jul 16, 2018 14:00:42 #
I'm in the Sony camp and not familiar with your NIKON so take my IS/VR and mirror slap remarks with that in mind.
For milky way shots, the limiting factor is the shutter versus the motion caused by the earth's rotation. Star motion caused by Earth's rotation will seem greater with longer lenses therefore wide angle lenses are preferred. I use the rule of 500. IE 500 divided by the full frame equivalent focal length is the maximum exposure time. Ergo, with a 20 mm full frame equivalent focal length, my maximum shutter time is 25 seconds (if I want the stars to appear to be sharp edged and circular.) 500/20=25. I've not tried star tail shots.
That leaves just two of the exposure triangle corners to play with in order to get the exposure right. My normal starting point for milky way photos exposure is 30 seconds, ISO 3200 F/2.8 (max aperture of my 11 mm crop sensor WA lens) Since my aperture is already wide open the only real exposure adjustment available is ISO. I experiment with ISO until I get the exposure right. If you have a DSLR with mirror slap which can cause camera shake too, you might think about mirror lockup.
Read your manual to find out how to do this with your camera if you need to do it.
Two caveats :
1. Racking your lens in to infinity focus often results in focusing beyond infinity due to inaccuracies in the lens' infinity stop. Experiment in the daylight to find true infinity focus then mark your lens so you can reproduce that focus in the dark.
2. Image Stabilization (IS) is an electro-mechanical process in the lens (or camera body) The IS (or Vibration Reduction (VR in some manufacturer's nomenclature) will try to keep adjusting for camera motion even when there is none. That IS (VR) adjustment can actually simulate camera movement over a long exposure duration. Turn IS off whenever it's not needed (I.E when the camera is on a sturdy tripod and the shutter trigger is a remote which doesn't cause camera shake) Or you can choose to set a 2 to 10 second shutter self timer delay between the shutter button press and shutter opening This allows camera shake from pressing camera's shutter button to dissipate before the shutter opens.
I shoot RAW so white balance is not a problem for me. I keep my camera set pretty much on daylight white balance and adjust in post when/if necessary.
If you have an iOS device ( iPhone or iPad ), I recommend an APP called Photopills. It's not free but it's cheap. Among many other capabilities, it superimposes a representation of the milky way and galactic center (at your selected time date location) over an image of the scene so you can previsualize the image and hunt for and find the best foreground and vantage point.
Get out there and try it. It's fun. Don't expect perfection on your first try. Do expect to be amazed by the images you produce and simultaneously enthused about how much better you might be able to do it next time now that you've learned a few things and know what mistakes not make again.
Moonless nights (Photopills has this information) in regions with a dark night sky (internet search engines have this information) are ideal --but work with what you have in your area before splurging on a trip to a dark sky area.
For milky way shots, the limiting factor is the shutter versus the motion caused by the earth's rotation. Star motion caused by Earth's rotation will seem greater with longer lenses therefore wide angle lenses are preferred. I use the rule of 500. IE 500 divided by the full frame equivalent focal length is the maximum exposure time. Ergo, with a 20 mm full frame equivalent focal length, my maximum shutter time is 25 seconds (if I want the stars to appear to be sharp edged and circular.) 500/20=25. I've not tried star tail shots.
That leaves just two of the exposure triangle corners to play with in order to get the exposure right. My normal starting point for milky way photos exposure is 30 seconds, ISO 3200 F/2.8 (max aperture of my 11 mm crop sensor WA lens) Since my aperture is already wide open the only real exposure adjustment available is ISO. I experiment with ISO until I get the exposure right. If you have a DSLR with mirror slap which can cause camera shake too, you might think about mirror lockup.
Read your manual to find out how to do this with your camera if you need to do it.
Two caveats :
1. Racking your lens in to infinity focus often results in focusing beyond infinity due to inaccuracies in the lens' infinity stop. Experiment in the daylight to find true infinity focus then mark your lens so you can reproduce that focus in the dark.
2. Image Stabilization (IS) is an electro-mechanical process in the lens (or camera body) The IS (or Vibration Reduction (VR in some manufacturer's nomenclature) will try to keep adjusting for camera motion even when there is none. That IS (VR) adjustment can actually simulate camera movement over a long exposure duration. Turn IS off whenever it's not needed (I.E when the camera is on a sturdy tripod and the shutter trigger is a remote which doesn't cause camera shake) Or you can choose to set a 2 to 10 second shutter self timer delay between the shutter button press and shutter opening This allows camera shake from pressing camera's shutter button to dissipate before the shutter opens.
I shoot RAW so white balance is not a problem for me. I keep my camera set pretty much on daylight white balance and adjust in post when/if necessary.
If you have an iOS device ( iPhone or iPad ), I recommend an APP called Photopills. It's not free but it's cheap. Among many other capabilities, it superimposes a representation of the milky way and galactic center (at your selected time date location) over an image of the scene so you can previsualize the image and hunt for and find the best foreground and vantage point.
Get out there and try it. It's fun. Don't expect perfection on your first try. Do expect to be amazed by the images you produce and simultaneously enthused about how much better you might be able to do it next time now that you've learned a few things and know what mistakes not make again.
Moonless nights (Photopills has this information) in regions with a dark night sky (internet search engines have this information) are ideal --but work with what you have in your area before splurging on a trip to a dark sky area.
Jul 16, 2018 15:32:22 #
https://www.davemorrowphotography.com/p/tutorial-shooting-night-sky.html
Googling will be a lot more productive than starting a thread here.
Googling will be a lot more productive than starting a thread here.
Jul 17, 2018 08:16:30 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
dyximan wrote:
I am looking for a prime lens primarily for shooting stars Milky Way large guy etc. Would prefer auto focus but for this manual I’m sure would be fine set at Infiniti will use it for some landscape, I shoot a Nikon D 500 any suggestions or places to buy new or used. Would like a 1.4 or faster but is it that much better than a 1.8, especially with the ability to shoot higher ISOs today. Also a 10 mm to 35 mm max I would imagine.
ISO, start at 1600
Exposure times, 15-20 seconds
24mm at f2.8
tripod
These are starting times, adjust after reviewing first shot
Jul 17, 2018 09:49:20 #
If you want a Nikon lens, wide angle with a fast aperture like f1.4 or f1.8 be ready to pay good dollars. In the second hand market you can find reasonably priced wide angles, manual lenses with apertures in the f2.8 range that should be more than adequate for astro photography. The 20mm f2.8 AIS comes to mind.
Although I do not do astro photography very often I have used my 12-24 f4 AF-S zoom successfully.
Although I do not do astro photography very often I have used my 12-24 f4 AF-S zoom successfully.
Jul 17, 2018 10:02:35 #
camerapapi wrote:
If you want a Nikon lens, wide angle with a fast aperture like f1.4 or f1.8 be ready to pay good dollars. In the second hand market you can find reasonably priced wide angles, manual lenses with apertures in the f2.8 range that should be more than adequate for astro photography. The 20mm f2.8 AIS comes to mind.
Although I do not do astro photography very often I have used my 12-24 f4 AF-S zoom successfully.
Although I do not do astro photography very often I have used my 12-24 f4 AF-S zoom successfully.
I have the 16 to 80 2.8 Nikon. I just thought the couple of stops might be worth a shot but it seems that many feel the 2.8 will be just fine, so may stick with that. I want to thank all of you for your answers, and opinions.
Jul 18, 2018 02:31:10 #
Jul 18, 2018 08:48:47 #
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a prime but I was just curious As to how people felt F1.4 to 1.8 to say 2.8 if they felt it was that big of a difference especially with the higher ISO capabilities and noise reduction today. If it was worth the money to go to the 1.4 as I have a 2.8 16 to 80 right now.
Jul 18, 2018 16:42:25 #
dyximan wrote:
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a prime but I was just curious As to how people felt F1.4 to 1.8 to say 2.8 if they felt it was that big of a difference especially with the higher ISO capabilities and noise reduction today. If it was worth the money to go to the 1.4 as I have a 2.8 16 to 80 right now.
I am asking not telling because I'm about to buy the Tokina f2 for the same reasons you are considering. I have the Nikon 10.5mm f2.8 and of course my f one fours and f one eights are much brighter at the same ISO so I get less noise and more light but the widest I have is 35.
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