shooting at the night sky

Gordi

Gordi

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Jordan
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I only recently got my Nikon d40 camera so still getting used to the settings etc and my way around the camera, last night with it being a really clear night i decided to try and take some of the starry sky and the moon but with it being pitch black the camera wouldnt let me take the photo no matter what setting i put it on. just kept focusing in and out but no shot.? any advice on why this was happening and also if possible the best settings etc i should be looking at for taking shots like this

Cheers Jord:p
 
if you want to achieve focus, you either have to use something bright like the moon, or focus manually. Focusing on just the stars is actually really hard, and you're best bet if the moon or a planet (venus is a good example) isn't available, is to use the viewfinder to get as close as you can, then start taking sample shots, zoom in all the way, check, adjust and repeat.

Have a look at this thread, as it goes into some of that.
 
Gordi said:
just kept focusing in and out but no shot.?
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Strangely enough, I also took my camera and tripod out into the garden last night for the first time, it was pitch black and the autofocus wouldn't focus on anything so i had to put it on manual to actually take a photo. Trouble was that when focusing manually it was too dark to tell when it was in focus. So, I'll be interested in finding out how to do the night shots too :thumbs:
 
Not familiar with your camera, but surely you can shoot on Manual or B setting.

You don't need a long exposure to get pics of the moon, but you will for stars and since the earth is rotating they appear to move. They'll come up as light trails.

Don't use a high ISO or you'll get noise.

Best to experiment with exposures e.g. f8 or f11 and 2 to 20mins on B.

Unless you have a dark location light pollution will degrade your pics.

Don't try and photograph the moon and stars at the same time.

The most symetrical star trails are had by pointing your camera at the North Star (Polaris).
Google will show you how to find it.

Stars are not an easy subject. Look out for dew on your lens.

Moon pics are quite easy. Just do a load of bracketed shots and you'll get one correctly exposed.

Hope you have a rock steady platform for your camera.

I got interested in this astronomy mullarkey years ago then quickly got disinterested. Don't get enough clear nights and most of them happen when it's perishing outside.
 
This shot was taken in total darkness. I set up before it got dark and waited.
To test for exposure, I set the ISO as high as I could and maximum aperture. In manual I set a speed of 30 secs and checked the exposure. This is a lot quicker than shooting at your eventual settings to gauge correct exposure. Once happy with the shot, I then set the ISO, AV and speed, adjusting the speed for the number of stops difference between my test and final ISO and AV settings.
This was a 16 minute exposure.
I'd recommend turning off in-camera noise reduction, whilst testing and then turning it back on again for the final shot. That is personal preference, but bear in mind, it will double your eventual exposure time as it takes a second 'Black frame' of the same duration as the original.
original.jpg
 
Splendid pic Trevor - great colour. Is that light on the horizon (right) the lighthouse near Portmahomack?
Mike
 
PlaneMike said:
Splendid pic Trevor - great colour. Is that light on the horizon (right) the lighthouse near Portmahomack?
Mike
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Spot on, Mike (pun intended :D )
Thanks for the comment. Are you familiar with the area?
 
Are you familiar with the area?
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Yep, spent many happy hols in and around Dornoch - birdwatching at Loch Fleet, salmon spotting at the Mound, flyfishing at Lairg and all those mountains to walk in the West - hard to beat and it's a handy base for the whole of the Highlands.
Mike
 
Hi, I, too, have experimented with night time photography using my D40 and like to think I'm really getting the hang of it.
The settings for night time street settings I tend to use is to set the aperture (A) in the low teens and around 15 to 20 seconds (under "M"), as well as keeping the ISO to 100. Usually the auto focus does work as it has something to focus on. Then finally set the 2 seconds timer and let the camera do it's job.
For "quickie" total night time star shots, I set my D40 for 30 seconds exposure (under M), aperture (A) in the high teens, ISO 200 but for focus, I set the lens to manual and found that by rotating the lens all the way round to infinity and then turn it the other way just a tiny, tiny fraction should give you the best focus in total darkness. Finally set the 2 seconds timer.
Of course, a decent tripod is a must. And ideally when it's not too windy (as that'll shake the camera about). :) Ideally you need to make sure the evening in question isn't one of those cold and damp ones as the glass gathers a thin covering of dew quite quickly at this time of the year when the camera is left outside for too long (as what happened to me at one time). Will make for a lovely halo effect around street lamps but the stars will become diffused.
I'm pretty sure a lot of you all know about this, so really this thread is for the benefit for "noobs" such as me. :D
 
This is where live view is very useful - I will stick my lens on manual focus and live view and focus using live view and 10x magnification. I am then getting the shots as in focus as possible.

And of course use tripod, mirror lockup and a remote - Unless I'm being lazy and I'll just stick on a tripod and self timer!!
 
I use the liveview 10x technique for focusing for my star and astro shots.
 
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