You don't need a telescope

Orion nebula / M42

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Orion and its surrounding nebulas, 10 x 3m LF, 5 DF, 1 FF using my 100mm F2.8L lens at F4 and Astronomik CLS filter. ISO 800. Got to find another way to polar align in my light polluted backyard!

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K.K. wrote in post #12057568
Orion nebula / M42

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EOS 5DmkII + 70-200L @ 200mm
5s, f2.8, iso3200

These are unbelievable shots! I've never seen anything like that with the naked eye.

Question, what's the best way to take a picture of the stars without that much motion (without a tracker, but more on the lines of what ISO, shutter speed, mode etc)

Appreciate the help guys!

ZchDnn wrote in post #12099386
Question, what's the best way to take a picture of the stars without that much motion (without a tracker, but more on the lines of what ISO, shutter speed, mode etc)

Appreciate the help guys!

Basically, the highest ISO you have, the largest aperture you have, and under 30 seconds. That's the base settings for trail-less shots. Adjust as you need (I'll sometimes take the ISO up to 2500 so that I can stop down a bit to try and reduce the vignetting)

I had no vignetting problems, just alot of star-trails And that was at ISO 1600 at 30"..hmmm

It's best to have an UWA and use it at ƒ2.8 or larger. Those, combined with ISO should allow you stop or minimize the trailing.

ZchDnn wrote in post #12099386
Question, what's the best way to take a picture of the stars without that much motion (without a tracker, but more on the lines of what ISO, shutter speed, mode etc)

Appreciate the help guys!

1) Use the wideeeeest lens you have available. (wider=less trails)
2) Use the higeeeeeest ISO that makes sense on your camera
3) Use the lens wide open (unless it sucks then stop down as needed)
4) Aim at a region of the sky near the celestial pole, the stars travel less distance per unit of time and then you have smaller trails. (Orion is bad, it's at the celestial equator). Aim at Polaris.
5) Make some trials to find the maximum exposure time you can get without trails. (check the borders of the frame!!!)

luigis wrote in post #12099610
1) Use the wideeeeest lens you have available. (wider=less trails)
2) Use the higeeeeeest ISO that makes sense on your camera
3) Use the lens wide open (unless it sucks then stop down as needed)
4) Aim at a region of the sky near the celestial pole, the stars travel less distance per unit of time and then you have smaller trails. (Orion is bad, it's at the celestial equator). Aim at Polaris.
5) Make some trials to find the maximum exposure time you can get without trails. (check the borders of the frame!!!)

So you're saying that if I use my 1.4 50mm and open the aperture all the way to 1.4 and set the ISO really high I shouldn't get any trails? I'll have to give that a 30 second try when it's not so cloudy and rainy like it is tonight.

Todd Lambert wrote in post #12099064

Todd where were you at when you took this shot ? This type place is not easy to find ! Really liking this shot !

Thanks Ron.

This is another from last night. It's a different location but just as cool. These were in the Texas plainslands. Same as the fort shots I posted last weekend. It's a very cool, very old part of Texas.

God's Drive-In

My third and final location of my trip.

Moonshine Bootleggers

cyberon wrote in post #12094520
Orion and its surrounding nebulas, 10 x 3m LF, 5 DF, 1 FF using my 100mm F2.8L lens at F4 and Astronomik CLS filter. ISO 800. Got to find another way to polar align in my light polluted backyard!

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Is your camera astro-modified?

K.K. wrote in post #12100949
Is your camera astro-modified?

No.