Milkyway nightscapes

Hello Jon -

Looks great!

Regards,
GEWB

aeroxmax4 wrote in post #17102388
My last shots in Playa Hermosa Costa Rica

D5100, 16mm, f2.0, iso 3200, 25"


Milky Way above the palms por Giulio A. D'Angelo, en Flickr

great image

happy to be able to contribute:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oN22​4m

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ovMp​fX

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oNY5​6U

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/owFW​wa

TheInfamousGreedo wrote in post #17101572

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/outL​L4 IMG_5704pano by TJ Simon, on Flickr

I need a better tripod head for pano shots. Suggestions?

I see you had a luck with Perseid left over meteors. Good catch.

As for tripod head, with a good overlapped section of image on the neighbor one, any solid one that allow full tilt of camera 180 or so should be fine but of course one with graduated base help if you are good in calculation.
If your camera is not wide (At least on one side), I strongly suggest a gimbal head. They are very solid and easy to make the best tilts, though originally these are built for super telelenses. Here is one eg:
LINK
though the best is made by Wimberley that is about 8 times the price of one you see in the link. If you have other needs (Heavy, very long super telelens) go for Wimberley. Its one time payment that last a life time.
Then if you have a really deep pocket, you may as well go full auto i.e. GigaPan:
LINK to PnS or small cam
LINK to DSLR head

Nevertheless you don't have to spend too much to get good result as long as you are willing to do your homework.

aeroxmax4 wrote in post #17106708

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ouSk​Gv Abduction by Giulio A. D'Angelo, on Flickr

wow the noise looks nice in this one. which lens?
are you using any filters? i like how the stars are showing up

pkim1230 wrote in post #17106762
wow the noise looks nice in this one. which lens?
are you using any filters? i like how the stars are showing up

Sorry, I forgot the data: d5100, rokinon 16mm, f2.0, iso 3200, 25". No filters.

I think my camera have something wrong lately because all the light sources produce that blur effect. As you say, I kind like the effect on the stars but not in conventional photo. I'm noob in the photography so I dont have any idea what could be wrong... maybe the mirror or lens need some kind of cleaning??

aeroxmax4 wrote in post #17106818
Sorry, I forgot the data: d5100, rokinon 16mm, f2.0, iso 3200, 25". No filters.

I think my camera have something wrong lately because all the light sources produce that blur effect. As you say, I kind like the effect on the stars but not in conventional photo. I'm noob in the photography so I dont have any idea what could be wrong... maybe the mirror or lens need some kind of cleaning??

Well it looks amazing. Maybe if you stopped down a bit the blur would go away? I don't know.
Is there a reason you went with a 16mm f2.0 instead of the more popular 14mm f2.8?

pkim1230 wrote in post #17106857
Well it looks amazing. Maybe if you stopped down a bit the blur would go away? I don't know.
Is there a reason you went with a 16mm f2.0 instead of the more popular 14mm f2.8?

This blur stuff is something new. Look at this old shoot without the issue, same f 2.0

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/mNyu​Pi

The blur comes from thin clouds which act as a diffuser. You can get a similar effect with a fog or soft-focus filter or you can do it in post. IMHO, the clouds give the best results (as you've shown).
Very nice.

Steve.

SteveInNZ wrote in post #17106972
The blur comes from thin clouds which act as a diffuser. You can get a similar effect with a fog or soft-focus filter or you can do it in post. IMHO, the clouds give the best results (as you've shown).
Very nice.

Steve.

Thanks for the info!

gewb wrote in post #17105159
Hello Jon -

Looks great!

Regards,
GEWB

Thanks GEWB!

Do I know you?

I drove 140km with a friend of mine to realize I totally forgot to recharge my camera's batteries!
I was able to trigger the shutter half a dozen times, though.
This is the Milky Way over the rock granaries at Soajo (Portugal).

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oxhd​vN

samsen wrote in post #17106626
I see you had a luck with Perseid left over meteors. Good catch.

As for tripod head, with a good overlapped section of image on the neighbor one, any solid one that allow full tilt of camera 180 or so should be fine but of course one with graduated base help if you are good in calculation.
If your camera is not wide (At least on one side), I strongly suggest a gimbal head. They are very solid and easy to make the best tilts, though originally these are built for super telelenses. Here is one eg:
LINK
though the best is made by Wimberley that is about 8 times the price of one you see in the link. If you have other needs (Heavy, very long super telelens) go for Wimberley. Its one time payment that last a life time.
Then if you have a really deep pocket, you may as well go full auto i.e. GigaPan:
LINK to PnS or small cam
LINK to DSLR head

Nevertheless you don't have to spend too much to get good result as long as you are willing to do your homework.

There were quite a few meteors that evening which made it even more enjoyable to be out that night shooting.

Thank you for all of that info. The Gimbal head looks like a nice start, but I am concerned about the camera fitting. I've been looking around B&H for other heads and the prices are pretty steep in comparison to the Gimbal head you posted, but like all things, you get what you pay for.

I'll have to do some homework; with winter creeping in, I'm not sure how badly I'll need one over the next few months (I doubt I'll be doing too much night photography during that time).

RedHeart wrote in post #17107473
I drove 140km with a friend of mine to realize I totally forgot to recharge my camera's batteries!

Man, I am so anal about not letting that happen! As soon as a 'tick' is missing from the battery life indicator I'm charging them up...now, forgetting a memory card? I've been there wayyyyy too many times!!