Stacking.

I got 5 nights coming up in May that I will be out in Big Bend. I've done some star trail pics in the past, but I've done them long exposures (60 min), this time around I wanted to try stacking. Any tips? I know I should keep exposures under 30 seconds. I'll prob be using my Sigma 18-35 and 25-105 (not sure if I'll get Sigma or Canon).

Any tips? I prob will not have a chance to do any test runs till I get out to Big Bend. Too much light pollution here around Austin to practice with.

I live in a white and red zone, you might be surprised at what can be captured. If you haven't done much astro photography I'd suggest getting outside before you go and doing some, even if only to get familiar with adjusting your camera and it's controls in the dark

Wish I could. I'm working 6 days a week this month and part of next month before I take my trip. I got 4 nights to mess around and see. If I get one or two good shots, I'll be happy.

I just did my first ever star trails stack while in the Grand Canyon NP. I had never done any astro type work before. I was using the tokina 11-16 on my 60D 30sec exposures I do not recall the rest of the settings. I fired off a couple test shots to get my framing and focus, then just locked my cable release on continuous fire and sat back. I did about 30min worth of shooting. I just stacked everything last night and realize I need to do at least an hour if not 2 or 3 to get the full look I wanted.

My composition was noting fancy just a tree, it was more of a test to see if I would want to do it more often. And sure enough I do. I do a lot of sunrise shooting where I arrive and set everything up in the dark so I am comfortable with all my control without light, and that's very important.

I plan on using a red light. My issue has always been getting a good focus on the sky. Tried it manual, tried doing AF on something very far away ten switching to MF. I'm going to play around with it. Send images to my laptop and then check focus and fix.

I used live view on a star and 10x l magnification and that worked very well.

With your busy schedule, I hope you have considered well ahead of time to chose your off days (Rather nights) during moonless period of calendar (Last to first quarter of the moon with preference for the total moonless night in middle of your off period).

Its pretty busy, no real off time, just a day i can sleep in late. I will also setup my camera beforehand where I want to shoot at my cabin and leave it. Wake up ~4am and set everything to start shooting and go back to sleep. No worries about anything getting stolen where I will be.

EdATX wrote in post #17469305
… tried doing AF on something very far away then switching to MF.

Ed, use that same method using the brightest star in the sky and you'll nail focus. Sirius, Capella and Vega are good ones. Just be careful not to touch the focus ring when moving the camera and composing the shot.

Its pretty awesome in Big Bend for stars. Here is a calculator that will tell you how long you can go without trailing for various lens combinations.

http://blog.alpine-photography.com …id-star-trailing-effects/

There is one for mobile devices as well. Right now the haze is terrible due to the agricultural fires in Mexico. Its been windy the past couple of days so that will help.

The focus is going to be close to the infinity mark on the lens. I start there and go backwards to get the focus right. If the lens has temp markings near the infinity mark you can usually get really close by using those as well. Its much easier when you tether to a laptop. Then you can use FWHM readings to get it perfect fast. Watch for little dots in the middle of stars. If you see those you are close but not right on the money and when you look at them full sized there will be little doughnuts instead of stars. I have a little monitor I use for video it has focus peaking. Makes it very easy to get the moon etc in focus. Moab is my favorite dark site. Its so dry there the sky is very still at night most of the time. There is a old horse ranch about halfway up La Salle Mtn. Lots of imagers go there to image. Lots of nice cabins. You can explore the canyons during the day and image at night. As soon as I get my rig all lined out I'm heading out there for some shots. There is a little router you can get for about 30 bucks and an app that runs on the phone so you can operate them via WiFi. You have to reflash the modem but its easy to do and works very well. Its the same thing that Camranger sells for over 200 bucks basically. http://dslrcontroller.​com/guide-wifi.php Another group that does dslr dashboard is adding in some astro features to their code. It uses the same router. The router has a USB port you just plug the camera into that. It was much easier for me to use that than the liveview screen. On my cam if you set it for single shot it will beep when you hit the right focus point even though you are focusing with the ring and AF is off. Photix makes a nice remote that is also an intervalometer. Much cheaper and more features than the Canon offering.

Griz

Thanks for the link. I'll save that.

Good information Griz11. Thanks for sharing.

I'm not sure which direction you are traveling from...but if possible...you would not regret coming through Ft Davis on the way down. I was out there last summer. Spent a night up there just down from the McDonald Observatory. Am told it is the 'darkest location in N. America'. Had a spectacular view and got great milky way shots (no stacking).

Actually thinking of going back out in August for the Persids meteor showers.

griz11 wrote in post #17510472
Its pretty awesome in Big Bend for stars. Here is a calculator that will tell you how long you can go without trailing for various lens combinations.

http://blog.alpine-photography.com …id-star-trailing-effects/

Griz

Griz always has good apps, free downloads etc and still anytime I am using that Polar Finder, I am praying for you, however must say this calculator is the most lamest estest I have ever seen. Never could think people are so ignorant in understanding something so simple and those repeated, "Add my camera to list" notes there, is killing me.
Well if one doesn't know the simple principles, them it might be seems useful...