Darron Birgenheier
Rigel, M-42 (Orion Nebula), Horsehead and Witch Head Nebulas
I think this is the first astrophoto I've made where I wasn't shooting the moon, or growing star trails or just randomly pointing the camera at a patch of sky. As I recall, for this one I actually selected a subject that seemed interesting, though at the time I didn't know what I was looking at.
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens on Nikon D50. A single frame, shot wide open at ISO200 for 30 seconds. I messed with levels and curves in Nikon Capture NX.
30 seconds was too long, as you can see substantial trailing.
The Rule of 600 suggests that 8 seconds is maximum for a 75mm focal length (75mm because my camera has a 1.5X "crop factor"). That seems to agree with the results here.
I'll also need to secure the camera better. On my flimsy tripod I get a distinct j-shape to each star trail, due to mirror slap. My camera can't do mirror pre-lock, so perhaps the old hat trick is the best option (hold a hat over the lens, open the shutter, wait for the camera to stop jiggling, then move the hat away from the lens, and let the exposure progress normally until the shutter closes).
Next time, I'll shoot with the Rule in mind, and at ISO800, and multiple light and dark frames for noise reduction.
The Witch Head Nebula, in the large note box above, is totally invisible in my short exposure. It's quite an awesome sight when exposed in detail. Check it out!
Rigel, M-42 (Orion Nebula), Horsehead and Witch Head Nebulas
I think this is the first astrophoto I've made where I wasn't shooting the moon, or growing star trails or just randomly pointing the camera at a patch of sky. As I recall, for this one I actually selected a subject that seemed interesting, though at the time I didn't know what I was looking at.
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens on Nikon D50. A single frame, shot wide open at ISO200 for 30 seconds. I messed with levels and curves in Nikon Capture NX.
30 seconds was too long, as you can see substantial trailing.
The Rule of 600 suggests that 8 seconds is maximum for a 75mm focal length (75mm because my camera has a 1.5X "crop factor"). That seems to agree with the results here.
I'll also need to secure the camera better. On my flimsy tripod I get a distinct j-shape to each star trail, due to mirror slap. My camera can't do mirror pre-lock, so perhaps the old hat trick is the best option (hold a hat over the lens, open the shutter, wait for the camera to stop jiggling, then move the hat away from the lens, and let the exposure progress normally until the shutter closes).
Next time, I'll shoot with the Rule in mind, and at ISO800, and multiple light and dark frames for noise reduction.
The Witch Head Nebula, in the large note box above, is totally invisible in my short exposure. It's quite an awesome sight when exposed in detail. Check it out!