Night Time Setting issues: Trying to take a photo of NEOWISE and Milkyway with my Nikon D7500. Couple of different lens options. I put my setting on F3.5, 15", ISO 2000. Then set timer...

Steve Carlson

Trying to take a photo of NEOWISE and Milkyway with my Nikon D7500. Couple of different lens options. I put my setting on F3.5, 15", ISO 2000. Then set timer for 2 seconds (avoid camera shake). Nothing happens, doesn't take a picture. I turn off timer, still nothing. Sometimes it will work, but not often. Frustrating when you get up at 2AM to get that night sky shot. Suggestions???

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

How are you focussing?

Steve Carlson

I push the backbutton focus before I click shutter.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

Try manual focus.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Is your shutter priority set to in focus?

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

RichardTaylor wrote:

Try manual focus.

If set to auto focus, and if the camera focusing circuits aren't happy, it won't fire.

Steve Carlson

No, I'm using manual mode.

Steve Carlson

Thank, will do.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Steve Carlson wrote:

Trying to take a photo of NEOWISE and Milkyway with my Nikon D7500. Couple of different lens options. I put my setting on F3.5, 15", ISO 2000. Then set timer for 2 seconds (avoid camera shake). Nothing happens, doesn't take a picture. I turn off timer, still nothing. Sometimes it will work, but not often. Frustrating when you get up at 2AM to get that night sky shot. Suggestions???

Night sky is not a friend of autofocus. The good news is that there are several strategies that have been proven to work. The first is to focus at infinity before dark, tape your focus ring in place, and switch to manual focus. The second is to use Live View, along with the zoom function to focus (manually, again). Both Jupiter and Saturn are in the eastern sky after sunset and provide very good targets to focus on. Third (and I'm not kidding on this one) is to take a couple of kids with you. Give them flashlights and send them out 300 or 400 feet or so and focus on them. That distance will get gou very close to focusing at infinity.

My favorite is the second choice, although it is surprising how much light is available for manual focusing much later than we think, especially if you are using a reasonably fast lens.

The back button will not activate focus if you are in manual mode.

Good luck.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Steve Carlson wrote:

Thank, will do.

If you use "quote reply" as I just did, we can tell who you are talking to.

BCHiker

As others are alluding too here, it sounds like you have the auto focus/manual focus switch on the lens set to auto focus. If the camera is unable to achieve focus with that switch on auto focus, and it won't in the dark, then it will not allow the shutter to trigger. Place the switch on the lens to manual focus and try again.

tcthome Loc: NJ

Everyone is talking about focus , but I didn’t see you mention focus problems. What shooting mode are you in? In Mirror Up Mode you have to press the shutter button twice. The first press raises the mirror & the second press activates the shutter. I learned this the first time I took some moon pics.
Good luck & have fun, Tom

tcthome Loc: NJ

Everyone is talking about focus , but I didn’t see you mention focus problems. What shooting mode are you in? In Mirror Up Mode you have to press the shutter button twice. The first press raises the mirror & the second press activates the shutter. I learned this the first time I took some moon pics. Also maybe the delayed timer doesn’t work in every mode( not positive about this one). Check your manual. Also focus options with shutter release. Make sure it is set for When pressed & not for when focus acquired only.
Good luck & have fun, Tom

tcthome Loc: NJ

tcthome wrote:

Everyone is talking about focus , but I didn’t see... (show quote)

It is AF-C & , AF-S Priority Selection, choose release.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

tcthome wrote:

Everyone is talking about focus , but I didn’t see... (show quote)

The OP mentioned that he was using the back button to focus. That means that AutoFocus is engaged. Essentially never works on star shots. I've been with groups shooting at night. Not switching to manual focus is the root of about 98% of problems that folks new to the adventure suffer.