120601 DSLR Camera on a Simple Tripod
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click image to enlarge
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EQUIPMENT: camera=Nikon D90 (stk); optics=NIKKOR 18-105mm DX kit zoom @ 18mm; filter=(none); mount=simple fixed tripod; guiding=(none) |
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The most common question asked by aspiring Astronomers in online forums is, "What do I need to get started in Astrophotography ("AP")?" The best answer is to, "...start with what you have". Many APer's take their first steps by using a DSLR camera acquired in response to their love of daytime outdoor landscapes, vacationing, or still-life photography. A DSLR camera mounted on a simple, sturdy tripod is the perfect starting point for AP. With an 18-55mm zoom kit lens and a relatively $inexpensive intervalometer, one can capture some very respectable wide-angle starscapes. Try shooting at ~24mmFL, ISO=1600 and 15-20 second exposures.
Yes, an $expensive telescope on a motorized "GoTo" mount may be in your future; but to begin with, the best recommendation is to 1) learn the sky, and 2) concentrate on controlling your DSLR camera. AP is a deep-dive study into long-exposure photography. It is VERY different from the sub-second exposures of daytime photography. Learn how to manually set ISO, aperture and shutter speed. ...and how to turn the autofocus and vibration reduction functions off, and focus manually. Auto white-balance doesn't do any good in AP - learn how to turn it off. Concentrate on a 'wide-angle' field-of-view. Once proficiency is gained there, then you can start working on zooming-in on tighter targets.
The physics of photographic lenses and their associated field-of-view dictates that as we "zoom-in" on smaller and smaller targets, many aspects of long-exposure photography become more difficult to achieve. This principle applies to the ability to focus, hold the camera still, and to leave the shutter open for long periods of time. (As we get "more narrow" [i.e. - zoom-in] we must shorten our exposure length to keep the stars from trailing - which is in direct opposition to what we are trying to achieve thru long exposures.) ...hence the need for motorized and guided equipment. The more narrow we get, the more pronounced the challenges become.
A principle called, "The 500 Rule" provides a way to calculate the amount of time the shutter can stay open before the stars begin to "trail". (Star trailing is generally a VERY UNDESIRABLE affect in AP. In fact, experienced AP-er's go to great lengths to mitigate the affect.) Divide the no. 500 by the focal length of your lens to estimate the maximum seconds to leave the shutter open. So for example, an exposure taken at FL=25mm results in << 500 ÷ 25 = 20s maximum exposure time >>. For more details, refer to Trevor Jones' Blog.
The argument is frequently made in online forums that one should "go $expensive", or "think big" to get started - because (they will argue) if you don't, you'll be changing-out all your equipment multiple times, which is very $costly. Well, that's simply not true. ...for a couple of reasons...
1) AP has a very steep learning curve. ...both in understanding the technical aspects of the hobby, and in the sheer volume of information to be learned. There have been more than a few individuals who have taken a deep plunge into purchasing equipment only to become quickly overwhelmed, and to determine the hobby isn't for them.
2) A fitting analogy applies for those who have invested the time & effort to learn how to snow ski; ...did you go the top of the mountain and follow all the 'Black-Diamond' trails downhill on your first day of skiing? ...of course not. Taking lessons from a knowledgeable instructor, and starting on the easier runs, you learned the skill by listening, watching, and stepping your way slowly up through increasingly more difficult runs until you reached a level of expertise that was most comfortable for you. ...and no one else. Learning AP is very much like that. Watch Trevor Jones of AstroBackyard on YouTube. Nico Carver's YT vids are good too. Let them 'instruct' you on what to do, and what equipment is appropriate for your level of expertise.
You're the one in control of where you go with this great hobby. Don't be impulsive; take time to educate yourself on what the 'best-use' is for a specific piece of equipment, and make decisions based on that knowledge.
If (when) you decide it's time to move up, AP equipment tends to hold its value well. You can always go to an online AP classifieds forum and sell your equipment to another deserving beginner. Also, if one is knowledgeable about the equipment being acquired, it may become a permanent part of your "equipment collection", even as decisions are made to acquire new equipment having different capabilities. The perfect collection of equipment is one in which each piece fits into a "niche" that no other piece fulfills. I have been in this hobby since 2012, and I still have my early model SWSA tracker; because, it is still the best piece of equipment to capture a wide-angle view of the Milky Way, or a wide-angle starscape, or grouping of DSO's.
In summertime, the core of the Milky Way, or wintertime Orion Constellation make excellent beginning targets. Look for dark evenings during the new-Moon phase between the quarter Moons. That's when it is the darkest, and your images will have the best contrast and detail.
Most of all, have fun!
Yes, an $expensive telescope on a motorized "GoTo" mount may be in your future; but to begin with, the best recommendation is to 1) learn the sky, and 2) concentrate on controlling your DSLR camera. AP is a deep-dive study into long-exposure photography. It is VERY different from the sub-second exposures of daytime photography. Learn how to manually set ISO, aperture and shutter speed. ...and how to turn the autofocus and vibration reduction functions off, and focus manually. Auto white-balance doesn't do any good in AP - learn how to turn it off. Concentrate on a 'wide-angle' field-of-view. Once proficiency is gained there, then you can start working on zooming-in on tighter targets.
The physics of photographic lenses and their associated field-of-view dictates that as we "zoom-in" on smaller and smaller targets, many aspects of long-exposure photography become more difficult to achieve. This principle applies to the ability to focus, hold the camera still, and to leave the shutter open for long periods of time. (As we get "more narrow" [i.e. - zoom-in] we must shorten our exposure length to keep the stars from trailing - which is in direct opposition to what we are trying to achieve thru long exposures.) ...hence the need for motorized and guided equipment. The more narrow we get, the more pronounced the challenges become.
A principle called, "The 500 Rule" provides a way to calculate the amount of time the shutter can stay open before the stars begin to "trail". (Star trailing is generally a VERY UNDESIRABLE affect in AP. In fact, experienced AP-er's go to great lengths to mitigate the affect.) Divide the no. 500 by the focal length of your lens to estimate the maximum seconds to leave the shutter open. So for example, an exposure taken at FL=25mm results in << 500 ÷ 25 = 20s maximum exposure time >>. For more details, refer to Trevor Jones' Blog.
The argument is frequently made in online forums that one should "go $expensive", or "think big" to get started - because (they will argue) if you don't, you'll be changing-out all your equipment multiple times, which is very $costly. Well, that's simply not true. ...for a couple of reasons...
1) AP has a very steep learning curve. ...both in understanding the technical aspects of the hobby, and in the sheer volume of information to be learned. There have been more than a few individuals who have taken a deep plunge into purchasing equipment only to become quickly overwhelmed, and to determine the hobby isn't for them.
2) A fitting analogy applies for those who have invested the time & effort to learn how to snow ski; ...did you go the top of the mountain and follow all the 'Black-Diamond' trails downhill on your first day of skiing? ...of course not. Taking lessons from a knowledgeable instructor, and starting on the easier runs, you learned the skill by listening, watching, and stepping your way slowly up through increasingly more difficult runs until you reached a level of expertise that was most comfortable for you. ...and no one else. Learning AP is very much like that. Watch Trevor Jones of AstroBackyard on YouTube. Nico Carver's YT vids are good too. Let them 'instruct' you on what to do, and what equipment is appropriate for your level of expertise.
You're the one in control of where you go with this great hobby. Don't be impulsive; take time to educate yourself on what the 'best-use' is for a specific piece of equipment, and make decisions based on that knowledge.
If (when) you decide it's time to move up, AP equipment tends to hold its value well. You can always go to an online AP classifieds forum and sell your equipment to another deserving beginner. Also, if one is knowledgeable about the equipment being acquired, it may become a permanent part of your "equipment collection", even as decisions are made to acquire new equipment having different capabilities. The perfect collection of equipment is one in which each piece fits into a "niche" that no other piece fulfills. I have been in this hobby since 2012, and I still have my early model SWSA tracker; because, it is still the best piece of equipment to capture a wide-angle view of the Milky Way, or a wide-angle starscape, or grouping of DSO's.
In summertime, the core of the Milky Way, or wintertime Orion Constellation make excellent beginning targets. Look for dark evenings during the new-Moon phase between the quarter Moons. That's when it is the darkest, and your images will have the best contrast and detail.
Most of all, have fun!