midazolam

Will be traveling to these places in February...would appreciate any and all suggestions regarding settings for both regions...also night photography of the milky way. I will be using DX Nikon D7000 with a nikon 24-70 f2.8 and a manfretto tripod 190 go ..also suggestions for any other lenses...dont want to overpack re equipment...thanking all in advance

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Settings are not depending on regions! ?????

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Protect your equipment!

midazolam

sorry...was not clear...early morning shoots at geyser field...night shoots for milky way...depth of field...iso...speed..

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

about the driest place on earth, bring water

Meganephron Loc: Fort Worth, TX

Unfortunately, February is not the best viewing time for the Milky Way in the Atacama and virtually not viewable in Patagonia due to fast moving clouds.

Sound like you are doing the split Explora trip. We did each leg as a separate 8 day trip. Four days in the Atacama will put you at risk for altitude sickness which means the Alto Plano and Tatio could be problematic at 16-17,000 feet. Really the high points of the Atacama.

Patagonia requires more than 4 days. On this itinerary you will transit between San Pedro de Atacama and Torre del Paines in one very long day which will decrease your enjoyment. Pick one stay overnight in Santiago or Punta Arenas and travel rested. Both are phenomenal but take the time to see the whole experience

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ken_stern Loc: Yorba Linda, Ca

In 2010 we went to Patagonia back then I shot with a Canon 5D MkII with the following Lenses 24mm; 35mm; 85mm; 100-400mm IS --- Also brought along a Gitzo tripod --- Got to use all the lens a lot especially the 100-400 for those spectacular mountain ranges -- My best shots were of course from the tripod -- ISO @ 100 - 800 with 100 the majority day & 400/800 early morning & evening -- Was always overcast so no Milky Way for us-- Didn't go near the atacama desert which I assume should not be overcast --- An outstanding place to visit -- Actually our favorite -- Will be returning
Have a great time !!!!!!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

There's an astronomical photography section of UHH that may be able to help with your Milky Way shots:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-109-1.html

As far as the daytime:

Depth of field - it is up to you how much you want in focus. Do controlled tests with your lens at varying focal lengths to see what each f/stop produces. Note that distance to subject is a variable, as well as the focal length:
http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

ISO - most cameras do best with lower ISO, but you don't want to sacrifice clarity in order to keep it low. By that, I mean there will be a certain minimum shutter speed you need to keep moving subjects from blurring. Unless you want blur for artistic reasons.

Shutter speed - depends on whether your subject is moving and how important depth of field is, and how much light there is. All work together.

Settings for overall exposure - how dark or light a photo is - can not be suggested, because no one knows what kind of light you will be dealing with - and of course it will vary, even from minute to minute. There are trade-offs and there will be reasons to prioritize shutter speed over aperture and vice versa.

If this is a trip of a lifetime and you know virtually nothing about how exposure works, then I strongly recommend you practice and read - starting now! ("Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson is a good place to start + read up on exposure compensation.)

There is always Auto Mode if you run into issues, but you have time between now and then to study, learn and practice. When you shoot, remember to check results frequently and adjust settings when needed. Another term to learn and practice ahead of time: exposure bracketing. Best of luck!

kenievans Loc: Dallas

Welcome to UHH. Unfortunately you have asked a very difficult question regarding settings. Those are dependent on the conditions at the time you are shooting, what you are going to be shooting and your level as a photographer. I'm not sure how someone would be able to give you answer that question. You might have better luck with the Milky Way question from the folks in the astrological group. Here is a link to that group.

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-109-1.html

You can also do a search using the "search" feature at the top of the page to find other discussion regarding shooting the Milky Way.

As far as what lenses to take, again that depends on what you will be shooting. Is there action? Is it going to be dark? Is it buildings, landscapes, wildlife? What choices do you currently have available? The more information you can provide the better someone can help you.

Good luck with your trip.

midazolam

thanks all..will be spending 4nights in the atacama 3nights santiago 5 nights patagonia and 4 nights in el chatlan then 4 nights in buenos aires..done extensive traveling Congo Papua New Guinea India Bhutan and East Africa...first time to this part of the world..thats why am asking the question...I was under the impression that atacama would be clear and know numerous people who have spent only four nights in the atacama...

whwiden

Are you looking for suggestions of places to visit, photograph or eat? Or is your itinerary set? If you are serious about astrophotography (as opposed to just wanting some interesting night shots which include stars) you likely do not want to use the 24-70mm zoom lens on a crop body. However, others will have much better advice on astrophotography than I do. For some interesting shots, at 24mm (effectively 36mm FF) at 2.8 and about 20 second exposures at about ISO 1600 should yield something on the D7000. You will find charts that tell you when the exposure is long enough to show star movement. If you want to see star traces, that should be easy enough--but the trick is getting a shot without star movement or coma. You should be able to get lots of lens suggestions if you wish to get a prime lens for this purpose. For general day time photography, you should be fine with the 24-70mm. Take a circular polarizer. I found it very dusty. A blower, and some brushes to clean equipment make sense. Extra batteries. Maybe pick up a cheap, light D3300 as a back up. And a prime lens for general use in addition to whatever you take for astrophotography.

midazolam

thanks! your suggestions as wells several others are excellent...regarding prime..this will be the last waltz for my d7000..am looking at getting fx or mirrorless camera..saw both of then at the nikon booth in nyc during the photo expo...also am open to suggestions for a prime ..have 35mm prime dx...thanks again to all!! while this nisnt part of this web site would entertain suggestions for places to see in atacama outside of usual tourist areas

ELNikkor

Since you do not leave until February, any chance that, instead of your last hurrah for the D7000, you make it the first for the FX? You already have the 24-70 2.8 FX lens, why not use it on an FX camera? The D750 body is going for just over $1k this week and would be great for those night sky shots with the lens you already have. Add a 70-300 AF-P and you are all set!

whwiden

Yes. For a big trip, consider that.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I’d add the Tamron 18-400 for some extra reach.