18-55 Kit Lens: I was a disbeliver...

Last year...

I looked at this forum. Stunned and astounded by the results that you people were posting. So I gave it a go, armed with knowledge and determination.

I tried and tried to get decent shots of the stars to no avail. Everything I read went right over my head. I truly believed I needed a tracker mount to achieve a successful Milky Way.
I stewed and grumbled and put my camera away. A better lens, I thought....better aperture...more ISO...a better camera. SOMETHING, as I just wasn't getting what I wanted to see.
Grumbling ..I spent many a COLD COLD night on top my hill..(It's the highest around here) only to meet fail after fail.

Now I'm no noobie at post editing photos...know my way around PSP.....but I just could NOT get what I expected to see.

Well....Looks like all that work finally paid off.

Canon Rebel Xti, EFS 18-55 Kit Lens, 10x32s subs only. Stacked in DSS, post in PSP.

I believe now that it can be done on a crap lens.

Pre post..............afte​r DSS

Nice job and yes you find out that the 18-55mmIS isn't such a bad lens after all . I have one also and took my MW images with it and all landscape and everything else as matter of fact . I don't have the $$$ for those expensive lens . Is the second image softened or is this the way after it was stacked ? Very nice image but the #2 is too soft for me ,takes away some detail and causes some star lost . If not you may be a bit off focus .

The way i get a good focus is a short technique . I have Focus Points adjusted to center FP only . Then i tripod my camera and point it at Jupiter or the brightest object in the sky . Make sure it's on AF . Pointing at Jupiter i push the shutter button down half way while pointing at Jupiter and and when the center FP detects Jupiter and snaps to focus i release the shutter button and switch the AF-MF switch back to MF and after that i never touch the lens for refocus or even fine focus cause once the camera lens snaps to focus you can't get any better focus than that .

Then i just point the camera and adjust the tripod height and direction without bumping it and shoot my object . Then i check the image on the LCD screen and zoom in all the way and see how the stars look and if they are pin-point i never refocus unless i accidently touch the lens and mess it up in focus . It's really simple after you do it a couple times and quick .

BASmith wrote in post #11056320
Last year...

I looked at this forum. Stunned and astounded by the results that you people were posting. So I gave it a go, armed with knowledge and determination.

I tried and tried to get decent shots of the stars to no avail. Everything I read went right over my head. I truly believed I needed a tracker mount to achieve a successful Milky Way.
I stewed and grumbled and put my camera away. A better lens, I thought....better aperture...more ISO...a better camera. SOMETHING, as I just wasn't getting what I wanted to see.
Grumbling ..I spent many a COLD COLD night on top my hill..(It's the highest around here) only to meet fail after fail.

Now I'm no noobie at post editing photos...know my way around PSP.....but I just could NOT get what I expected to see.

Well....Looks like all that work finally paid off.

Canon Rebel Xti, EFS 18-55 Kit Lens, 10x32s subs only. Stacked in DSS, post in PSP.

I believe now that it can be done on a crap lens.

...

Post processed....(Did I go TOO far?)

...

Thanks for looking.

More likely that lens isn't crap after all; you just had to learn how to take advantage of its strengths and minimize its weaknesses.

I'd say yes, you went a bit overboard on the PP, but they're still nice shots. I know from experience how easy it is to over-process your first nice shots, trying to make them even better (even though it rarely helps much).

Great shots! The kit lens is greatly underrated, mostly because it is a "kit" lens and doesn't get the respect it deserves. I had one with my 30D and was amazed at just how sharp it was.

I kept my 18-55 kit lens that I got back when I got my Rebel XT/350D. I use it all the time for that kind of thing.

I also have to agree you went a little too much with the PP. Too Much NR! Also looks like you didn't have the focus just right. With that lens I've found it best to go all the way to infinity focus then back it off just a touch.