8 Astrophotography DSLR Settings You Need To Know

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Question of the day: What kind of astrophotography are you currently interested in or are you trying to get into right now?

[@willemvandebeek]

Is astrophotography still a viable thing with Elon Musk's Starlink satellites zooming around over the sky in the near future?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

+Willem vd de Beek, I think yes for a few reasons. 1) I doubt that Space X's StarLink is not viable, and won't actually become a thing. 12,000 satellites will cost a lot of capital to build. Even at $10,000 per satellite, we would be looking at a total cost of $120,000,000. Then there is the launch cost. In 2018 it would cost $62 million dollars to launch a Falcon 9. To put 12,000 satellites into orbit, 60 at a time would take 200 launches. $12,400,000,000 (That's twelve point four billion dollars!!) And yes - I know they own the rockets, so therefore the cost per launch to SpaceX would be lower. But the thing is, that's money they won't be able to charge to other companies possibly riding along on the same launch. Each satellite weighs approximately 200kg each. SpaceX Charges $2,720 per kg of payload, so SpaceX loses roughly $33 million dollars in profit per 60 satellites launched. And this isn't a one time cost. The satellites are designed to stay in orbit for about 10 years. This will be an ongoing expense / loss in launch profit for SpaceX. 2) I don't think that it's going to be possible for SpaceX to make enough money off of a global satellite based internet system to make it viable. Remember, no company in the history of companies has ever made money without selling something. StarLink will have to sell it's services to the majority of the planet - and right now about 10% of the planets population earns less than $2 per day. I don't know what piece of the population makes less than the cost of a high speed internet connection, let alone the price tag of an internet connected device capable of accessing StarLink. Global High Speed internet already exists in the areas that can afford it. It doesn't exist in the areas that cannot. And IF Elon somehow gets all of those satellites into orbit, too few people in the areas it's intended to help will actually get to access it.... And those who can afford it already have access to better, more stable land based options.

[@willemvandebeek]

@@I_Spaced_Out , thank you for your reply, you have a very interesting perspective, however; Jeff Bezos is going to put his own global satellite internet system as well for his company Amazon with his rocket company Blue Origin... are you really sure about this not going to be a thing of the future? Elon Musk has already put the first 60 satellites out there -> kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYXLdKiKpq2orZo

[@I_Spaced_Out]

The first 60 that Elon put into orbit are actually a test platform. They're not part of the permanent constellation. And if Amazon did their own thing, it further points out the fact that the costs is too high and the expected revenue will be too limited if it's too competitive to get paying members for the service.

[@alphaphotoandvideo]

I am just starting to understand how to get the most of my 70D + 14mm

[@PeterClarke55]

Thank you Allen for remembering that not all astrophotographers use cooled ccd or cmos cameras, beautiful as they are...

[@I_Spaced_Out]

CMOS and CCD cameras are great, and I enjoy using them. But there's something to be said about the simplicity of using decent DSLR camera for astrophotography. I really am looking forward to doing more DSLR based astrophotography this year to compliment my ASI1600MM pro's images. Clear skies permitting, that is! lol

[@veronicaestepp600]

I can’t decide if I want a telescope or a camera for Christmas. I’ve been watching you on TikTok & KZbin trying to decide. Love your work ❤️

[@I_Spaced_Out]

I can help you decide. What are your goals?

[@link_7164]

POV: You’ve been backed into a corner by an astrophotography nerd 😉

[@Kdwolf]

Dude you are amazing, I have been looking for a video like this for months. This is the ONLY video I've found to walk through all of the basic settings for DSLR's. All the other videos dont even cover this. Thank you!!

[@KLUVATL]

Thank you! I have just captured Jupiter and Saturn in conjunction on the Winter Solstice 2020! 💖

[@jillbluerei4806]

That's the exact same reason I'm here, too - thanks, Allen!

[@TysonBowman]

What settings did you use?

[@jillbluerei4806]

​@@TysonBowman As this was my first time, I used a varied combination - to see the different results. I used my old EOS T5 to shoot the Saturn/Jupiter event. It looks like an ISO 200(ish) with a sutter at 1/60th(ish) was best. Still learning the settings, I wasn't able to do anything with the WB, so my results were "Ok". I'm going to head back-out tonight and narrow the settings to these, and try to experiment with the WB and noise reduction. How was your luck?

[@LadyAdelinda]

You're blessed! I captured it with my crap phone camera... then Christmas came and was given a new camera to learn photography! Best gift so happy... .. 🤦‍♀️but only if a few days earlier... lol

[@gilgemash]

So. C'mon Kevina. Let's have a look then. At your capture of the Great Conjunction of 2020 🙃😷 Edit : congratulations! I couldn't, even though all through the preceeding six months or so, they were both majestic in my southern / sth western sky, from late into the night to earlier in the night, I did capture them individually on my phone & nikon...nearer the time though clouds etcetera overwhelmed everything astro...this is London 😱😁 Would love to see your work on it 🙏🐝😷

[@paulzeller7429]

Thanks for this video. Longtime amateur astronomer here but I'm an absolute beginner at astrophotography. I bought a used Canon Rebel XSi that came with an 18-55 mm zoom lens. I'd like to start with whole night sky photos and work my way up to using this camera with my 6" f/6.5 refractor.

[@williamphillips8235]

Just now getting into dslr astronomy and this helped me a lot! Thank you!

[@frankhoy6666]

Love the enthusiasm! Great info without making things too complicated for new photographers. /salute

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Thanks for that! I spent a ton of time on this one making sure I got it right. I distilled the info down as much as I could to cram all the relevant info into the video without any fluff. I read, and then re-read the 'script' from the perspective of a person who's never used a camera before to see if it made sense. Then I watched the video after I recorded it and used my camera to follow along. I may not have made it 100% newbie ready, but it was as close as I could get to being a simple astrophotography tutorial as I think I can go without it being too simple to be useful.

[@Ahmed-Crane]

Just getting into this specialized type of photography. I'm gonna look into more of your posts before I ask you redundant pics but thanks for posting this for the masses.

[@thesussyfoodcridictofameri2687]

Thanks for the help I had no idea what to do and now they look great

[@bear5016]

The easiest way to focus stars is to digitally zoom in live mode on any star and focus until the star is a pin point. Alternatively, you could either make or buy a bahtinov mask for precise focus. Im just getting into AP. Just got a tracker, but the weather hasnt been cooperating. Ive got some data, but it was more or less to test and learn more about the tracker as well as PixInSight software.

[@ChucksAstrophotography]

Excellent video. If I ever start imaging with a DSLR again, I will be coming back for these tips.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

I want to go back to basics this year, so I hope to be doing a lot more DSLR astrophotography whenever Texas gets out of El Nino season.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

You saw it here folks;. This is the channel Chuck's Astrophotography watches to learn new things!

[@danjensen9425]

Probably watched this video 10 times as I’m new to this hobby . I will be using two cameras a canonT6i with my telescope so I don’t have to crawl around the ground to make adjustments and a canon T6 for use with a tripod for Milky Way imaging . That will allow me to take 6 second images with my nifty fifty 50mm while the T6i does its timed imaging by itself. That’s the plane . Amazing what we can learn in the time waiting for good seeing conditions. . Thanks

[@xavierpijnacker7239]

You are a legend! I recently bought a Canon eos 90D and Imma go try these tips out tonight!

[@codywroobs3653]

Awesome video. Thanks a million for this! Ive been using a telescope and iphone for about 4 months now. And i got hooked! Just picked up my first Canon Rebel T7 today, and this helped me so, so much. Thanks!!!!!

[@universalroads8176]

You are awesome man I love your video I subscribed! Keep making more videos!!

[@owencooper_geekjam]

Ridiculously helpful!!! I always thought that the lower the aperture the better. My stars I shot tonight were like little blurry bulbs when zoomed in. Can't wait to shoot tomorrow night!!!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Yeah, upping the F stop one or two stops might fix that - but you might have also just missed focus. Changing the aperture won't fix bad focus when you really, truly are out of focus...

[@tirzahhancock909]

I have a Canon 80D as well and love it. I'm trying to get the Neowise comet - but this is my first experience with astrophotography

[@keninfarinato1177]

This is the best video I've seen for photographers at my level. I only got 4 good comet pictures because I had to constantly bracket all the settings. I will try again if the skies permit. Thank you!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

No, thank you - and good luck :)

[@geoffreyobergan237]

I'm a beginner and am interested in Milky Way photography especially with some landscape features included.

[@danjensen9425]

Wow what am I getting into . I have a cannon t6 . Your video got me started in the write direction . At first I attached the camera to the 8”sct and after being in the dark I realized get a tripod and just shoot stars or Venus that is up now is a good start . Looking forward to more of your videos .

[@jaymiearias2260]

Complete beginner here, got a Canon ESO 600D. Intersested in all astrophotography but gonna start with milky-way photos and see how I go

[@jami6600]

Hi, Thanks for tips!! I am using my 1100D with Meade 8" telescope which has 2000mm focal length. Please suggest me camera settings accordingly. Thanks

[@I_Spaced_Out]

There are no 'magic settings' to use. Settings for Jupiter will be different from the settings used on Saturn. Those settings are different from the ones you'd use for the Orion Nebula, and the Andromeda Galaxy uses completely different settings as well. This video shows you where to make the changes, however, it's up you to experiment and find the correct values to use for a specific target.

[@JordanDunn]

I'm doing this tomorrow night... and was about to say something about wanting to learn about stacking as you just suggested the next video as I typed LOL

[@Neanderthal75]

The only person who made sense regarding how to adjust ISO settings. Most people just go and read many info on the web, but I found many of them are outdated and written for cameras that had difficulity handling noise so they all recommend some absurdly high ISO. Yes, that might work for taking 1 or 2 second images, but we're talking about 10 -20 seconds and up to 5 minutes on a tracker. Different thing! Today's modern cameras has far better low light capability than cameras just a few years ago, let alone 10 years ago. So I'd recommend people to experiment, because SNR (signal to noise) is very brand specific in most cases. Also today's "budget" DSLR or mirrorless cameras can easily outperform a once-upon-a-time top -of- the- line DSLR. Research and advancement in sensor technology really pushed up the boundary just like you see in smartphones. Even a budget 2020 smartphone has way better camera than flagship models 5 years ago. Same deal with cameras.

[@andymitchell9999]

Useful video. Just started out photographing the night sky with my 7100 and the tips really help.

[@TwoRandominecrafters]

This video is so helpful! I thought the lower the fstop the better. Thank you for such a great video without any bs!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Lower Fstops are better, but to a point. Some lenses like my 10-18mm canon EFS lens and my Sony FE 28mm lens can't focus on the stars even at "Infinity" focus when wide open. I have to lower the FStop on those two lenses slightly to get the tighter stars. This is because the depth of field with fully open aperture, even at "Infinity" isn't deep or sharp enough for stars. SO, it is a trade-off between getting the lowest F-Stop you can that gives you sharp stars, and not just the lowest F-Stop a lens is capable of.

[@TwoRandominecrafters]

@@I_Spaced_Out I'm using a camera I got for Christmas a few years back, a Nikon d3200. So if I have the lense so the way zoomed out what fstop should I use? I was talking with a family member and they recommended trying a fstop of around 12-14

[@I_Spaced_Out]

@@TwoRandominecrafters I don't have the first clue, sorry. I've never used that lens before so I can't draw from experience. Any suggestion I have would be a guess, and my guess is not as good as yours because *you* can experiment, where I cannot. When the sun sets, point it at the moon first, and try to get focused. You will want to use fast shutter and low ISO to compensate for any over brightness. Play with the F-Stop on the moon first. THEN - point to an area of the sky with some stars and do long exposures with high ISO. Begin opening the F-Stop up until the stars begin to bloat. That's how you'll want to find the optimal F-Stop for focus (Assuming your lens is like mine, and wide open doesn't focus)

[@CaspiaNadapdap]

Thank you for this video! I will be trying it out this weekend

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Good luck! Remember to experiment with your settings and write down what works if that helps you remember them for later.

[@weshall5679]

Just bought a Canon 850d.. predominantly bought it for my food page on Instagram but always been fascinated by astrophotography. It came with a stock lens but looking at getting an other lens. What do you suggest within a budget ?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

As a photographer, you should know that the lens needs to match your target, and end goal... That being said, the 50mm F1.4 is a great all-around first non-kit lens for astrophotography.

[@weshall5679]

@@I_Spaced_Out thank you for taking the time to reply. I have put my order in for the 50mm .. thank you for your advice

[@michaellkovacs]

Great video! I just got the Canon Rebel T5i with a tamron 18-270mm and a Bower 8mm. Look forward to shooting the stars.

[@timspokes8640]

I'm a newbe. Great tips in slowly getting a good photo. I managed to get a very good shot for a beginner. Thank you for the steps. Will watch a few more of your tips . Cheers from Western Australia

[@andyroo3022]

You explain everything so clearly. I have a 2nd hand canon 400d (Rebel). My adaptor ring is about to arrive, as is my new 102mm F6.5 reflector. I want to start nebula photos. I can see some awesome views of an easy nebula, Orion at the moment with my 10" reflector. I accidently came across the Jewel Box Cluster in the Southern Cross constellation at home in Australia several nights ago. I can't wait to get some first images to process.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Have fun!

[@frankhall2567]

Just purchased a Cannon EOS 2000D/Rebel T7. I am using a Rokinon 14mm F/2 lens. I also purchased a Sky Watcher Star adventurer Pro Pack.

[@sammorgen]

Hey Allen, thanks for this small tutorial. Very useful. I just can't seem to set up the right focus on my Canon T6. It has lots of options but I don't know where to go! Thank you

[@AtlanticCanadianAstronomy]

Video is very helpful! Many thanks!!!

[@scottwilson9600]

My wife and I are going to the Big Five National Parks in Utah next week. I have a Canon T3i with a Tamron 18-200mm lens.I shoot in RAW mode. I'd like to know which settings to use for shooting nightscapes.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Open the fstop all the way up. ISO 800 or lower (Higher is fine while getting into foucs though). Your friend is going to be exposure duration. Experiment with 1-5 second long exposures to see how much star motion you have. keep going a little longer until there is too much. Remember, you do all of the brightening, contrast and color enhancements on the computer after, so don't worry about trying to get a print ready photo straight off the camera.

[@entropytango5348]

Help hints. You asked about what lenses we use. I'm a Pentax shooter and use 14/2.8, 50/1.4, 135/2.5 and 200/2.5. But I find that the 135mm gets the most use

[@ChrisBarringer]

Brilliant thank you. Does this all still apply if connecting camera to telescope?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Not exactly. Things like Aperture are fixed on a telescope, but Raw file type, ISO, Shutter Speed will other file format / digital settings do still apply.

[@ChrisBarringer]

@@I_Spaced_Out thanks I’ll have a crack next clear night 👍

[@Lydroo]

First of all thank you for your tips. They were really helpful. I am new at astropgotography and I was thinking about getting the Nikon D3500 dslr camera. Do you think it's good? I would like to hear your opinion about it

[@I_Spaced_Out]

If you are just starting out in astrophotography, you don't need to get hung up on if a camera is good or not. Any camera that is currently sold as new (or was new in the last 10 years) will work very well.

[@Lydroo]

@@I_Spaced_Out Thanks for answering!

[@MoogeyTV]

I have a ES-F 18mm-55mm that came with the Canon T7 kit how do I focus to infinity?

[@RaysAstrophotography]

Hi Allen, great information. I have Canon t4i full spectrum modded. Since I bought I never had time to use it. Good tips here. Thanks!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Thanks Ray! I use a Canon T3i and Canon 80D. Both un-modded. I haven't really used them too much these past few years since I moved to specialized mono-cameras for astrophotography but I'm going to try to go back to basics this year if the clouds and haze clear up.

[@nrsimhaconsbruck7239]

I believe you should readdress the f stop, what you said is counterproductive to trying to capture light in a low light situation. The lowest f stop possible will give you the best result. You just need to manually focus on the stars, which can be helped by using live view and digital zoom to get optimal focus.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

That's true, however, sometimes infinity focus isn't possible at real low f stop numbers. Therefore it is necessary to increase the F stop and try focus again. It's all about finding the smallest F stop number that also allows the depth of field to reach true infinity.

[@nrsimhaconsbruck7239]

@@I_Spaced_Out go to photo pills on line (free) or app (paid) to view DOF table and then you can see where the infinity focus distance will be. For my 7D MKii with an 18mm focal length at an f stop of 1.8 the infinity focus is from 10 meters and onward.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

In practice, I have to take my Canon 50mm F 1.4 up to F4.4 to get the stars sharp at infinity. Tables and math are great and all, but in the real world, some lenses are not as good as the theory or math say they should be. I assume it's slight differences in the manufacturing tolerances in the lens. But yeah, the reality is that I can't get sharp stars below F4.4 with my 50 mm lens. Which is why I said to go to the lowest F Stop first, focus, and **IF** the focus is soft, bump up the F stop a little at a time to have the lowest possible F Stop that does get you sharp stars.

[@michaelelliott4975]

I’m using a 5D mk4 on a Celestron 8” fork mounted Schmidt. Not an ideal setup, but I’m planning on buying a star tracker in the next few months. Your video will go a long way towards getting better images. Thanks Mike

[@osmankasim3199]

Thank you for sharing your tips Allen, God bless!!

[@TimRoseOfficial]

Congrats on your channel so far my friend! BIG LIKE from me and blessings to you! :)

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Thanks! It's a lot of work and dedication to grow a small channel in a tiny and saturated niche! Also, the weather and my work schedule play a major influcnce on when I can make content. Most of the time I have to choose between spending time with family, enjoying my hobby for myself, or making videos. Hopefully by the end of this year a few life updates will help relax some of the commitments. I just need my newly launched business to start taking off and a few other things to fall into place ;)

[@Epicmemery]

I'd like to use the Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 NCS CS with the Fujifilm X-T30. Thanks for the video btw

[@GIJha]

Very well explained. Even I got it... now for my embarrassing question. How do we do it on a Canon SX60hs?

[@GIJha]

And is there a tip to get a reasonably decent Milky Way picture on an iPhone XS Max with a long exposure app? Like let’s say Lightroom or Moment that allows shutter speeds of 30 secs.

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

Answering one of your questions: I use a Sigma zoom lens kit 17-55mm f/2.8. This maximum apperture goes throghout from minimum to maximum focal length. My camera that goes with this lens kit is a Nikon D7200. I also have a mirrorles Canon M50. For this camera, I have interesting lenses. Two manual focus TtArtisan lenses, 50mm f/1.2 and another is a 35mm f/1.4. This camera has a feature that makes it much easier to obtain optimal focus using its LCD display. The other lens I have is a Sigma EOS 105mm f/2.8. I have to use an adaptor for this one. Unfortunately, the one I've got stopped working. I intend to buy a Canon adaptor, otherwise the only compatible camera I have for this lens is an analog Canon.

[@cmeman123]

I'd like to try to get a shot of the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction with a Nikon D810, Sigma 120-300, 2.8 lens. I would appreciate suggestions on camera settings. Thanks!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Practice on the moon tonight. It will get you in the right ball park for the planets. You may need a little extra exposure time on the planets, but you'll be close.

[@cmeman123]

@@I_Spaced_Out Thanks Allen.

[@richcarlson1995]

Using a Nikon D7200 and want to shoot stars/orien nebula and constellations. Using your 8pt video to give it a try.

[@LAshotts]

I have a Nikon D3200 that I modded my self to full spectrum. I done a before modded and after modded stacked image. Same settings,exposure,iso etc and the different was amazing. Great tips on this video 👍

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Maybe I should try modding my T3i some day... Is it difficult?

[@LAshotts]

Allen Mitchell it seemed scary at first doing it my self but when I finished I thought what was I worried about. I followed a guide on life pixel web site. Here’s your camera I believe but obviously read everything you can before going ahead. www.lifepixel.com/tutorials/infrared-diy-tutorials/canon-t3i

[@joohyungpark9258]

That was a wonderful outline of DSLR set-ups! Thank you.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kulas052075]

Hi thanks for the tips. I'm using my nikon d90 with 70-200mm. What should be my setting in my camera?

[@Mechulus]

I shoot stars with a Canon 6D and the excellent 24mm F 1.4 Sigma Art lens. I'm sure what you do works for you, but I think you can get better images with a wider lens, since you can leave the shutter open longer and thus get more light. I always shoot stars at the fastest aperture setting, and everyone else should too. As for focusing tricks, many cameras have a live view setting and allow you to magnify a star to easily get your focus correct. Simply setting a lens to infinity does not necessarily get sharp focus. Temperature differences cause elements in the lens to change shape, which changes the focal point. There's also a thing called 'hyperfocal distance' which I won't get in to, but again, just know that with lenses infinity is not always infinity. That's why lenses allow you to focus "past infinity". Good tips for beginners though. I'd recommend a tripod as well, and maybe throw a few of your favorite pics up to show what you can produce.

[@learad3034]

Hey Allen thank you so much for the video! I was wondering if you had any videos or could post a video of this walk through physically. Sadly my dyslexia makes following verbal instructions a little harder. The first bit was really helpful and can’t wait to try it out!

[@pkikon6983]

Thank you - very well eplained

[@dirschlcarolina5254]

I wanna try to capture the neowise comet with my canon Eos 800D, I'm a beginner and the camera is new as well. Waiting for a clear night to test it. Finger crossed!

[@artbypea]

Being a beginner, I am planning to buy a Nikon 7500 D with Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Lens, my main purpose is to capture deep space, milky way and nebulae.... Is that a good combination or Can I get a better buy in the same price?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

That lens will be great for doing wide field milky way shots. For nebulae, you'll either need a telephoto lens or a telescope. And for a beginner, there really isn't much difference between cameras. Though if you were really looking to maximize the camera performance, dig into the sensor specifications online, and see if you can find a camera that has the largest pixel size you can afford. Large pixels soak in more light / photons per unit of time and register brighter images without having to adjust the settings on the camera as aggressivly.

[@stangeorgedoxtator9263]

Hi I'm new at astrophotography and I have a Eos rebel t7 2018 canon camera I'm gonna try tonight here in Brantford Ontario Canada if the sky's are clear and try this out

[@josephfabbricatore6859]

great video I have a canon E05 4000d what settings should I start with when trying take pictures of stars

[@I_Spaced_Out]

There are no magic "starting settings". if there were, i would have made that video instead. You'll need to experiment based on your target, and equipment. The lens will change how you set up the camera, the target will also change how you setup the camera. Even from night to night the settings would need to be tweaked based on haze, moon phase, etc.

[@jasondonavich2758]

If you're going to be using a telescope for prime focus astrophotography then a bahtinov mask is a must!!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Yes! Focusing masks are a huge life saver. But I also have found that a motorized auto-focuser and properly dialed in software is a major convenience that yields perfect focus as well.

[@jasondonavich2758]

@@I_Spaced_Out I have been looking at auto focusing. But maybe in the future. At the moment with all the clouds every night the scope is getting no use.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

I built an observatory in December. First light was New Years Eve. I have only been able to use it 3 times in the past six weeks...

[@jasondonavich2758]

@@I_Spaced_Out the joys of hobbies that rely on the weather. I will cross my fingers that you get some clear skies!

[@anotherdamnyankee3805]

@@I_Spaced_Out I agree! I bought a Celestron CPC1100 and expected to use it! With clouds, plane trails, control fire burns causing smoke the scope sits in my garage.

[@dansikora4743]

Shooting the moon and planets, Have a Canon EOS 40D with a large zoom lens, so far just having problems with the settings. Moon not coming out clear. But this info should help.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Your photo's clarity depends on a few physical attributes. 1) the diameter of the lens glass. The wider the glass is the more detail and sharpness it can resolve. 2) the focus may be slightly off. 3) your cameras pixel size. If the camera has very large pixels, the smallest details the glass can resolve may be clustered into a single pixel, which cannot be resolved further. Another thing you can do is take a few dozen properly exposed images and load them into a stacking program to try to enhance sharpness using the "lucky imaging" method.

[@dansikora4743]

@@I_Spaced_Out Thanks for the info.

[@rhododendron420]

Great really concise video, covered a lot of things. Question: what do you do if your camera can't find anything to focus on, and won't take a picture without focusing?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Don't use auto-focus.

[@BelowWithBo]

Canon eos rebel xti Digitial. Lens reads EF 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 usm. Help... new to astrophotography what should I set everything to on this camera for Jupiter/Saturn pics

[@I_Spaced_Out]

You need a telescope, since those planets are crazy tiny. The lens goes to 300mm, which is only like 6x magnification. You'll need a telescope that has a focal length of close to 2000mm

[@bodhisatyamookherjee5884]

fantastic!!! so well explained

[@kevinclinton194]

Just ordered a Canon Rebel T7. I’m really interested in Moon and Planetary photography

[@I_Spaced_Out]

You'll want a telescope for planets, but you can do lunar with a kit lens.

[@dorypanch1936]

Hey there, thanks for all the tips. I use a Nikon d7100 with sigma 30mm and also want to try Nikon 18-55 f:3.5. The second camera is Sony RX 10 mark IV . Please tell me what settings should I use in these. Thank you much

[@I_Spaced_Out]

There are no 'magic settings'. You 're going to have to experiment with what I shown in the video and see what works for you

[@aamiraviator]

Very useful. I have canon 600d and 40mm /f2.8 prime lens as well as 18-55mm f4.5-6 kit Lens.. I am gonna take 40mm over due to f stop control .. not sure sure whether 7 sec is a good exposure time ?

[@karngam]

Great video. Very informative. Thanks 👍

[@pranavjain5281]

Thanks for the guidance! I just got a Canon 90D with a 10-22mm wide lens and a 18-135mm lens. Looking forward to seeing how they do this job. I'm guessing the 10-22 will be better for this since I'm trying to get the stars and milky way?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

The smaller the lens mm number, the more sky it can see. The smaller the F Number, the more starlight it can pull in per second. But really low FNumbers have a hard time focusing on the stars. My Sony F2 lens ruined some comet photos until I upped the F Number to something around 4...

[@garf7499]

I am interested in deep space photography, nebulaes and galaxies. my dad got a canon eos D7 so i might use that for something. i will get a tracking mount too.

[@mds1986ms]

Ill be using my explorer scientific 152mm refractor telescope with 760mm focal length and f/5 with a canon t6... i know i know get a better camera. I also will be using a tracking mount. So trailing isnt an issue so much.

[@Battleblazers]

I bought a Canon 1300D , I have both a 18-55mm lens and a 70-300mm lens, looking to get the best settings for each, only been practicing with the 18-55 lens

[@timothymckenna8031]

Olympus e-pl1 with Olympus 17mm1:2.8. What settings on the screen back do you suggest. I do not see appature set to wide. Thanks!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

The F-Stop number corresponds to apterture width. Small numbers are "wide".

[@rishipatel31]

Hi there i am using a canon 700d camera with a aperture of 4 least can i get the settings for it

[@jpgzyl]

Hi Allen I hope you can answer this question I have on planet photography. I am using a Canon RF800mm which only has a F11 aperture. I was able to get some video of the event which was overexposed due to Saturn, Jupiter and all its moons being white. I am trying to figure out starting point of ISO and Shutter to come up with image of one of the planets. Would ISO 800 and a shutter of 1/125 be a good place to start? I wish I had more f stop options but alas that is all the lens has. It takes awesome shots of the moon though. Thanks!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

I think it's not a settings issue = it's a focal length issue. Until you can magnify the planets a bit more, spread them out over many more pixels you won't get the details and the contrast you're after. That's why nearly all planetary astrophotography is done with a telescope, and not a camera lens.

[@peter7624]

I've not long started using a DSLR (Canon EOS 750D) with my telescopes. So far I've got reasonable shots of the moon with both scopes (F7 4" apo refractor and 8"F10 SCT) using a moon filter and 1/1250sec on the refractor and 1/400sec without filter on the SCT, both at prime focus. I'm a little disappointed by the lack of sharpness on both scopes, but I'm gradually improving. I'm pretty much using the settings you've described, arrived at by trial and error. At the moment trying to download the "connect" app so I don't get camera shake with longer exposures.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Are you stacking the photos?

[@peter7624]

@@I_Spaced_Out Not processing them at all. I thought you needed special programs and cameras. Didn't know you could use an DSLR for it. I've tried star clusters but the long exposure times and my tripods/mounts don't go together and I'm just getting trails. My SCT has a drive (it's an old LX10) on the RA, My refractor hasn't got one (EQ5 mount) just yet, but we'll get there!

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Right - so here's what you do: many people will tell you to record video with your DSLR and use a free program like AutoStakkert version 3 to stack the video. I will tell you to NOT do this. Video with a DSLR will actually kill your resolution. instead, take 50 -100 or so photos using the settings that work best to keep the moon reasonably exposed. THEN - use AutoStakkert to stack them. It still wont' be completely sharp until you start doing post processing, but it will clean the image up a lot. Good luck!

[@peter7624]

@@I_Spaced_Out Many thanks Allen, will give it try.

[@minouchesfourtwo]

Hi Alen I have a canon 7d mark 2 and just got my self a 50 mm Just asking for any best tips please and setting

[@Neanderthal75]

Pentax cameras with their dedicated "astrophotography" settings are one of the cheapest and simplest way to take nice Milky Way and Andromeda shots. Pentax k-70 and its GPS attachment or the Pentax K-1 has a built in GPS will allow you take even 1-2-3 minutes (depending on zoom level) of exposures, using their sensor shift technology to counter the Earth's rotation. All you need, literally is a tripod and the camera with your lens. They even have a custom bulb user- mode named "astrophotography" and the most beginner with zero experience can take amazing shots. They also have built-in intervalometer and the camera is able to stack the pictures internally. Not to mention the Pentax cameras has extremely good low-light performers. Olympus cameras have a special astrophotography mode, that like a first-time ever, the camera will be able to autofocus on the stars and the camera actually will determine the right ISO settings by taking multiple exposures on its own, analyzes it and sets the best settings. All the user have to do is press the shutter button. Can't get easier than that.

[@abbysdiamondpainting]

I have a Canon Rebel t6 and I’m a beginner photographer. I don’t have any special lenses tho. Do u have to have a type of lens to get a good pic of the stars?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

The lens is the most important part if you are not tracking the stars with a star tracker. You need something that can go wide enough to see the whole subject you're after. You need something with a low enough F-Stop to soak up all that light in the least amount of time possible. That all said, you can get good pics of the stars using the lenses that came with the camera. More often than not your first photos will only be as good as you are. If they don't look nice, it's probably not the lenses fault, you just have to keep practicing to get the acquisition workflow down a little smoother.

[@prathameshacharya9739]

I have canon 70D and I'm using 50 mm f1.8 lens. So far it's been pretty rewarding.

[@lisaclaire169]

Thanks for the tips! I am going to have to test them out!

[@jerome6851]

Hi, i like your video and i learned a lot. My question is, i have a nikon D5100 and i dont know what is the best lest to use for astrophotography. Can you suggest what lense will i use and please not to expensive. Thank you. From philippines.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

There is no best lens for astrophotography. If there was, there would be only one lens and everyone would use it. Buy the lens that will give you what you want for the price you can afford.

[@GaryBertrand1963]

I have a Rebel T1i EOS 500D with 18-55 and 75-300 lens'. I have only used this in auto mainly and I want to try to get some shots of the comet Neowise this week. Would these settings be best for me ?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Auto settings are the worst. Flip it into manual mode. Do a low ISO, long exposure, like 5 seconds.

[@PentaxLife]

Great tip I am a novices I have a few lens sigma 10mm f2.8 , sigma 17/55mm f2.8 ,50mm f 1.8 I shoot with a Pentax k70.

[@day1tech]

Call tips thanks can’t wait to get out and try some mobile

[@carljackson009]

I am brand new at this and have brought a canon 250D and just have a kit lens for now. Would you apply the same settings as you have spoke about with a kit lens?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

They're good to start with for experimenting to see what works best. Remember, each kind of target is different, so the settings will need to change based on your chosen target and goals.

[@3mptychaos106]

You should do a video on how to do phone astrophotography because phone cameras are becoming amazing,I think the huawei p20 pro or p30 pro would be a good choice to show off how well a mobile photography phone can do these shots

[@I_Spaced_Out]

It would be a good topic! Thanks for the tip, I'm making a note of that now. Sadly, I don't know if I can get the p20 or p30 without resorting to the grey markets. I've never seen Huawei phones for sale in retail stores.

[@richardmartinez4279]

Allen Mitchell, i've been using a Canon 90d with a Tamron 18-400mm Zoom Lens and I've been listening to a lot of People telling Me how to Set up My Camera and Lens and the more I listen the more I get into Trouble, Tomorrow Night 4/23/22 there will be 4 or 5 Planets lined up and I'm Not sure how to Set up My Camera and I'm going to tried the Easy Set up, with the Shutter Speed and ISO amd Infinity Focus and the F/Stop

[@brookeaproductions2222]

Very nice, informative video! Can Mac open .cr2 files? How do I work with those with an apple computer? I am concerned I will take my photos in RAW and not be able to open them on my computer.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Photoshop for Macintosh can edit them. I am a Windows user myself, I can't offer advice beyond that. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[@RobertMarks]

Hi I recently bought Nikon D780 with new Tamron 15-30 F2.8. Will be in Southern Israeli desert (Mizpe Ramon crater) soon when the moon will not be present and we expect meteorite shower. Have never done astrophotography and was wondering what you suggest. Will show you the results after. Appreciate your feedback. Thanks Robert

[@I_Spaced_Out]

I suggest you experiment with the camera and lens combo to see which ISO, shutter speed and F-Stop work best for the target you are photographing.

[@silverzales1980]

I just bought a samyang f/2.8 14mm hoping for good results

[@jbarone96]

Planning on using the Z61 with field flattener on my t3i! Coming in the mail next week and I'm super excited!

[@timothylindley1530]

Allen I've been using a 5" newt to do planetary of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars with my Canon t2i. Results are not great but they will get better next week when my new celestron 9.25 sct arrives via UPS. I have a 6.7 focal reducer already and a Celestron Advanced AVX mount. I'm gonna shoot the planets real quick next week but I'll get to my point finally lol. I've never photographed deep space and I plan on trying the Orion Nebula 1st since now up for me here in Illinois. I know I should wait until I can get it higher in the sky but it's just practice. I have a guide scope and camera just need to know what settings for my t2i. Thanks for your time . Tim

[@astro_hunter1823]

Hi ! Do you have Instagram so I can follow you xD

[@timothylindley1530]

Tarik I don't have Instagram but I might in the near future. I do have a Twitter account that I just started. If you follow me there I'll be sure to post where people can follow my progress. It will be an adventure for certain lol.

[@timothylindley1530]

Tarik I am now on Instagram! I should be posting Jupiter Saturn and Mars next week. I just received my new 9.25 " celestron sct today and plan to image the planets this weekend

[@astro_hunter1823]

@@timothylindley1530 tnx for respond,I wish you all the luck, and I will follow you on Instagram,btw How old are you ? 😃

[@timothylindley1530]

@@astro_hunter1823 I'm 59 , 20 year retired US ARMY INFANTRYMAN and retired Letter Carrier. I'm a widower and a father of 2 sons. I'm from Kentucky but I live in Southern Illinois across the river from St. Louis, Mo.

[@Wholelottarosie-lc8ed]

Thank you for the video but I'm a visual learner. It would have been great to see you go through the steps on the camera.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Every manufacturer and generation of camera has different menus. Doing those steps would only be valid for the Canon 80D and you would be lost if you had a different camera. I understand you are a visual learner, but this was a video to teach you WHAT settings to change. Learning how to use your specific camera is still up to you to do.

[@gregnorris8279]

OK, now you have confused me. You say 10 sec exposure for full frame (i have a D610), yet you then say shutter speed of 1/500th. Am I missing something?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Yeah, sorry about that, you missed my transition from calculating maximum shutter speed (10 seconds) versus using a very short exposure on something incredibly bright like the moon.

[@michaelfrazier9537]

So, what is the procedure when the camera is connected directly to the telescope? I have a Celestron NexStar 8se. Thank you.

[@edgarjohns6559]

A Newbee here . i have a Sony A6000& kit lens, but wish I had done more research earlier. Whats your take On Pentax; either the K70 or The K3?

[@I_Spaced_Out]

That's a question best asked to AstroStace. She has one.

[@robbincarlson7007]

Hi Allen, thank you for sharing this video. I am extremely new to photography and I am interested in learning specifically Astrophotography. I have a Canon 6D Mark ii and the only lens I have at the moment is the lens that came with it, 24-105mm f3.5-5.5 lens. Am i able to use this lens to focus in on the stars? Also, what lens would you recommend for night sky? I am struggling to find the perfect lens and have been doing lots of research before buying a new lens. Thank you again for your time and sharing your knowledge with others.

[@I_Spaced_Out]

Have you tried practicing on the moon? You should be able to focus with the 24-105 kit lens, I've done it.

[@robbincarlson7007]

Allen Mitchell thank you for your response. No but thats a good start. Appreciate your time.