The Leonids are coming! Any tips?

[Reptile Bob]

Although here on the west coast we're not going to get as good a show as you lucky guys in the east and Europe, I'd like to try my hand at some astro-photography, and what better time to start! I'll be in the mountains this weekend but have never tried night shots before so any advice or recommended websites that will help me get some good pictures would be appreciated. I'll try to borrow my friend’s telescope so I can somehow attach my camera to it to auto-track the sky. I have a 10-22mm lens that I'll be using.

Thanks,
Robert

[R Hardman]

First off you need to turn off noise reduction in the camera and enable mirror lockup. Focus to infinity. Aim the camera 45 degrees away from the radiant (Constellation LEO) to get the best possible positions for the trails. I would start off at ISO 400/800 (depending upon sky pollution), 20 seconds @ f/ (fastest your lens can go). Shoot, shoot, shoot with as little If your using a scope then take multiple images then stack to help reduce noise. Also be sure to take a "dark frame" (cap on) at various exposure lengths to remove noise from all your images. I plan on taking multiple types of shots from tripod (to get star trails) to piggy backed on the telescope. Don't be afraid to use some of your other lens since wide angel lens tend to make the trails look short due to the wide field of view. As far as links here is a nice site http://www.astropix.com/

Don't forget the hot coffee and sleeping bag to keep you warm. Nothing like preparing all your equipment just to forget to pack stuff to keep warm. Looking forward to seeing some of your shots.