leftyguns21
New member
[MENTION=103641]Jdog[/MENTION]
as answered above...its both. you def need a good quality lens and body that can handle digital noise (high ISO) and the right settings. for milk way shots or any astro shots, its all dependent on what you're going for. remember, stars are moving (or is it the earth?) so the longer your shutter is open the less crisp they will be and more of a trail. I've found (read) that for milk way 15-20" exposure is about the max you want to go..which means higher ISO and more noise so that's where a great lens/body come in to play. doesn't mean you cant do it with a kit lens but it may not look as good as someone with a high end lens. with night theres no DOF (generally) so shoot wide open (the lowest f/ number you have) since its dark you will need to manually focus, most situations you can just set your focus point to the infinity symbol then dial back a hair (usually theres a line to set it to). get a great sturdy tripod. if you have IS or VR (canon vs Nikon) turn it off since it will shake the camera. start out at high ISO taking some test shots...and adjust accordingly. these are all basic rules and of course adjust in some scenarios
what I did for night shots when I first started learning (and im sure its not the right way) I set up my camera. start at a high ISO, say 2000, f/4 or wider, 30". and keep dialing back ISO until it looks right (meaning not too bright/over blown). after awhile you get so good at it and know your camera so well that you can almost get it right in the first shot.
heres some of my examples (im sure I've posted these earlier)
f/4 30secs ISO 500 in complete darkness
with shots like this. the moon is moving so you cant go 30" unless you want it a blur. another place where you gotta experiment when learning. you have to adjust the ISO for a faster shutter
f/4 1sec ISO 400 with city lights
great thing about digital, you can shoot away and delete. practice. practice. practice.
and [MENTION=56396]Hepar[/MENTION] ill see your hawks tomorrow....and again in September when im in Seattle....GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :dance:
as answered above...its both. you def need a good quality lens and body that can handle digital noise (high ISO) and the right settings. for milk way shots or any astro shots, its all dependent on what you're going for. remember, stars are moving (or is it the earth?) so the longer your shutter is open the less crisp they will be and more of a trail. I've found (read) that for milk way 15-20" exposure is about the max you want to go..which means higher ISO and more noise so that's where a great lens/body come in to play. doesn't mean you cant do it with a kit lens but it may not look as good as someone with a high end lens. with night theres no DOF (generally) so shoot wide open (the lowest f/ number you have) since its dark you will need to manually focus, most situations you can just set your focus point to the infinity symbol then dial back a hair (usually theres a line to set it to). get a great sturdy tripod. if you have IS or VR (canon vs Nikon) turn it off since it will shake the camera. start out at high ISO taking some test shots...and adjust accordingly. these are all basic rules and of course adjust in some scenarios
what I did for night shots when I first started learning (and im sure its not the right way) I set up my camera. start at a high ISO, say 2000, f/4 or wider, 30". and keep dialing back ISO until it looks right (meaning not too bright/over blown). after awhile you get so good at it and know your camera so well that you can almost get it right in the first shot.
heres some of my examples (im sure I've posted these earlier)
f/4 30secs ISO 500 in complete darkness
with shots like this. the moon is moving so you cant go 30" unless you want it a blur. another place where you gotta experiment when learning. you have to adjust the ISO for a faster shutter
f/4 1sec ISO 400 with city lights
great thing about digital, you can shoot away and delete. practice. practice. practice.
and [MENTION=56396]Hepar[/MENTION] ill see your hawks tomorrow....and again in September when im in Seattle....GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :dance:
