First I've heard of that.jameseroni wrote:Just getting into this.... is it true that it's hard on the sensor in the camera if the exposure is greater than 5 minutes? Is a special filter required for longer exposure times?
night sky pictures
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- mattpayne11
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Re: night sky pictures
- Theodore
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Re: night sky pictures
I wouldn't be surprised if it was hard on the old film SLR's, but I would bet that with 'modern' cameras, it's a non-issue.
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Re: night sky pictures
I have heard about sensors getting overloaded during long exposures. I must have read it on a photography forum but don't recall where. I would be curious to know for sure. I would think with a full format camera there should be no problem.
- vonmackle
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Re: night sky pictures
I think the issue with long exposures in low light photography tends to be excessive noise. I'm guessing that's why people stack several shorter exposures to create star trails.jameseroni wrote:Just getting into this.... is it true that it's hard on the sensor in the camera if the exposure is greater than 5 minutes? Is a special filter required for longer exposure times?
Leaving the sensor exposed for extended periods in daylight can overheat the sensor and cause image degradation. I have experienced this when shooting in live view for too long.
I don't use any filters at night...my good lens only opens up to f4, so I need all the light I can get.
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- mattpayne11
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Re: night sky pictures
Yep, although sensor noise does not mean that the sensor is damaged, just that it is "hot."
I would not be concerned unless your long exposure is shooting at the sun...
I would not be concerned unless your long exposure is shooting at the sun...
- mattpayne11
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Re: night sky pictures
Thought I'd post my most recent nightscape - a 360 pano of the Milky Way and a cabin near Grand Mesa, Colorado.
Milky Way and the Grand Mesa cabin by Matt-Payne, on Flickr
Milky Way and the Grand Mesa cabin by Matt-Payne, on Flickr
- shaberer0511
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Re: night sky pictures
Fantastic pictures. Matt Payne, yours are truly incredible. I am starting to take night sky pictures and I was just wondering what kind of settings/shutter speeds you use. I have taken a few but all I can see is the big dipper. Any pointers? I will try to post my picture.
Last edited by shaberer0511 on Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- mattpayne11
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Re: night sky pictures
Thanks.shaberer0511 wrote:Fantastic pictures. Matt Payne, yours are truly incredible. I am starting to take night sky pictures and I was just wondering what kind of settings/shutter speeds you use. I have taken a few but all I can see is the big dipper. Any pointers? I will try to post my picture.
You need a tripod for starters.
You also need a decent camera and lens. The lower the f stop the better (on the lens). I use a f/2.8 lens for most my night shots... with 30 second exposures... ISO 800-3200.
- shaberer0511
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Re: night sky pictures
Thanks! I will give that a shot. I have a Sony DSLR camera with two lenses ranging from 18-200 mm.
- letourneau41
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Re: night sky pictures
Would a lense with an fstop of 4 be low enough to get a decent shot? Or should I try to get to the 2.8 range.
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- mattpayne11
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Re: night sky pictures
You can do that, but ideally f 2.8letourneau41 wrote:Would a lense with an fstop of 4 be low enough to get a decent shot? Or should I try to get to the 2.8 range.
This has some great info that should get you started to help you think in terms of f and shutter speed and ISO (the exposure triangle).
http://theamusing.com/photography/startrails.html/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
- ryanmicj
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Re: night sky pictures
I shot this Sunday 8/20 from the Grays Peak trail head:
f/5.6 (not sure why I wasn't using something lower...)
30 second exposure
ISO 6400
Its not the greatest, but its not bad for only my second night out. I'd love some feedback/suggestions for improvements, though.
f/5.6 (not sure why I wasn't using something lower...)
30 second exposure
ISO 6400
Its not the greatest, but its not bad for only my second night out. I'd love some feedback/suggestions for improvements, though.
Last edited by ryanmicj on Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.