Milky Way Photography Setups For Different Budgets

[@JeffStudley]

I was shocked to hear about the passing of Alyn. I am currently waiting for a delivery from MPB, the Rokinon 24mm 1.4. Both the company and the lens were recommended in this video. Every time I bring out this lens it will be a reminder of the great person and mentor Alyn was. RIP, sir.

[@Keenan716]

I still can't believe it man. Alyn did not deserve to go so young. Heartbreaking really

[@ieuanwilliam]

I too have bought the Rokinon 24mm on MPB due to Alyn. Such a loss. I am getting into astrophotography due to him. RIP fellow welshman

[@josgeusens4637]

Oh man, that is terrible news. He seemed so genuine and really stood out in his videos. Going so fast down from an infection truly sucks. I have lost my eldest brother in a month, just to show how devastating such loss can be. One more valuable soul left the earth. May he rest in peace.

[@chris.fitzgerald]

RIP. May you always have clear skies.

[@onthemove301]

Solid advice. It's really sad that there will be no more videos like this. RIP.

[@Barryferg100]

Alyn pours his passion into his videos, his images are amazing, my honour sir, Thank You 💫🌘✨

[@ClaytonDowling]

I can vouch for the astrotracker on the Pentax camera. I used it on a recent trip and it performed well beyond what Pentax said it would.

[@keithcharles2113]

That and the weather resistance, I’m interested.

[@Carl83839A]

I really appreciate you doing these budget conscious tutorials and comparisons. As a normal person it's good to know these things aren't completely outside of my reach

[@jebemi]

i have 5d4 so was thinkin to get lense fot astro maybe tracker too but lense first def

[@repunzelk3015]

Finally buddy I like these types of videos

[@desisneakerhead8141]

What a GEM...Gone too soon...I will see you on the other side brother..RIP

[@johncarter591]

I have four 6D's! One is dead with a broken shutter at 213 thousand shots and I have another that's clocked up 400 thousand and touch wood is still going! I use Magic lantern on all of them and using the screen gain feature it makes it easier to focus on the stars

[@Chorge1972]

I do Astro with an old an trusty Sony A7r with H-Alpha mod… was at 500€! Combined with an 350€ Samyang 135mm or the Laowa 15mm, and a Star Adventurer Mini, used at 200€, I have a very nice set, giving me lots of great shots!

[@nightscapejournals]

Great job, Alyn. What an amazing location - thank you for sharing it with us. Always love it when an AW in-field vlog comes out! That’s comfortably one of the best star trail images I’ve ever seen. 🤩👏👏

[@Kobayashi-Maru]

Hi Alyn . I got into landscape astrophotography after watching your videos. Got myself the 6D and Samyang 14mm on your recommendation and haven't looked back. Originally based in west midlands I am moving to Australia for work and am thinking of buying a star tracker. Please point me in the right direction to resources for the southern sky. Always looking forward to your videos. Keep up the amazing work.

[@harryjonesphotography6564]

Also rocking the 6D and 14mm samyang and can say the same thing, amazing combo! And coincidentally also from the west midlands and am also moving to Australia for work! Strange coincidence!

[@matej.mlakar]

check out John Rutter and Richard Tatti for some awesome australian skies

[@Kobayashi-Maru]

@@harryjonesphotography6564 🤯

[@RepossessedPro]

Just recently found your channel when trying to do research on astro techniques and I gotta say your videos are just getting me even more excited to dive deeper. I recently got my hands on a Sony A7 III with the kit lens for about $1200 USD (I thought was a killer deal!) and also got an Celestron Nexstar 4SE for about $220 (brand new clearance pricing!). Next step for me I think is to save up for the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro and a better tripod to be able to hold everything. I had an A6000 previously and rocked the 11mm F1.8 lens and got some cool milky way photos with it but I wanna start looking into deep space photography as well. I got all the adapters to attach the A7 III to my telescope but I really think a tracking mount will make all the difference. Thank you for your videos, I cant wait to learn more!

[@TtoTheOmarse]

Top video, as always Alyn. You covered a lot of ground there with some really good recommendations. When looking at the A7iv versus the A7iii, I'd say it's very feasible to look back even further. My latest purchase was an astro-modified original A7. It's still the big sensor, just no auto eye focus, IBIS, touch screen etc that was introduced in later models. Cost £900 second hand from a professional modifier and with a really low shutter count. For tripods, another area to consider is the options from the tracker/telescope companies. I ended up buying the Skywatcher legs for about £60 which have served me very well for the small outlay. They have a platform half way up that adds further stability and somewhere to place battery packs, intervalometers etc. The top plate also matches up perfectly with the Star Adventurer.

[@AstroRoad]

Pity MPB don't cover us down here in NZ & Aus 😢. I think the original Sony a7S and the Panasonic S1 are also excellent choices in addition to what you've pointed out. Absolutely loved that Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens when I was still doing AP with my Panasonic GH5. Great video Alan, analysis paralysis can be a big hurdle for newcomers. Really valuable to have these sort of high level break downs available.

[@Heyfrendoo]

I’ve had the Sony a6000 and Samyang 12mm for a couple of years now and it’s fantastic for that price !

[@patford9943]

Alyn, thanks for the insight.

[@bencollins7684]

Alyn that Nikon Z 20mm 1.8 you mentioned is one of the few perfect astro lenses. When used on a tracker I get absolute perfect sharpness and pinpoint stars with virtually no coma at all. It's awesome!

[@GreasyFox]

I have one and agreed it's one of the best prime lenses for astrophotography.

[@philips3066]

I have the Z6ii and z mount 20mm f/1.8...pin sharp from corner to corner.

[@keithhanssen7413]

I’d say the articulating screen is a must for astro, especially with a tracker set-up.

[@ABCMO-bl5pi]

I agree 100%. Indeed, I don’t see how one could do this with a non-articulating screen without being a contortionist.

[@AlynWallace]

It's one of those things that once you have you couln't go back for sure.

[@pluggednickels]

One lens not mentioned that is a stellar performer and can cover from super wide to wide is the sigma 14-24mm 2.8. I used that lens before getting the 14 and 24 primes for Sony and can say I was very impressed with it. It isn’t the fastest at 2.8 but the copy I had was tack sharp wide open. Only drawback is it is a bit heavy an can’t take front filters but is one to consider for a one lense solution in a pinch.

[@EuleBF]

Im with A7iii + Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 - Lightweight and sharp images. I would also recommend!

[@carolsantulis1990]

I'm using the same lens on my Sony a7Riii. Pinpoint stars corner to corner. Light and versatile. I am fighting the spatial filtering algorithm that give the green and aqua stars. I wonder how Alyn deals with those. I'm considering a Canon to astro-mod so as not to deal with the green stars.

[@EuleBF]

For me its fine. I use also the Tamron 28-75mm. I light the Lightweight of the Material. And, its affordable @@carolsantulis1990

[@Greengrass1972]

Great video as always Alyn, always enjoy learning new things from you 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👍

[@paulrea6481]

Thank you for a great insight Alyn . Fabulous video as always. I am using my old faithful Canon 7D with a Sigma 18-35 1.8 at this time. I have been considering other kit . So your information is very helpful.

[@Shambalamc4]

Nikon D5300 is awesome aswell and relativly cheap to pick up now

[@mikehardy8247]

Great to see you posting. I love the Canon mount Tamron 15 to 30 mm zoom! About 7 or so years ago was trying wide field DS with a 7D MK II and 17 to 50 f2 8 fixed aperture APSC lens, good general lens. Bad coma etc. Useless for astro. Talked to local camera shop. They had a used 15 to 30. Returned because of the expensive filter system due to fixed lnse hood, and bulbous front lens. It's nearly permanently on my 5D MK IV! If not astro, lightning photography. I have the FotodioX Pana filter system. Rokinon 14mm is second lense. MSM, or original SW , or SW SA GTI. I love my Pro Media Gear tripod. Made in Illinois USA. Better than RRS, or Gitzo in my experience. I have a variety of Sigma Art primes. Heavy, but fantastic lenses.

[@Sau_Cer]

Amazing info! Thanks a lot Alyn!

[@danielmunoz06]

What a good way to start my day!!

[@doros9.2]

The Petzl headlamps I bought are by far the best astro-related buy I did in the last years.

[@GuakDian]

Gonna be a good day. If A Wall uploads it’s fixing to be a good one 🔥💪🏻

[@somsiadmp]

Very informative stuff, thanks for making this video? I also shoot Sony and I'm kind of on the fence - A7IV or A7C II? What's your opinion on this small form factor camera? Thanks, clear skies and happy new year!

[@AlynWallace]

It's a subjective question that only you can answer.

[@timewarpclub]

This is a fantastic video and one that every astrophotography beginner needs to watch. I am beginner myself with a Sony a-6000 ( $300) and a Samyang 14mm f2.8 ($100) { both are pre-used} but the results are excellent. I just bought the NXT star-tracker One big advantage of the Sony a6000 is the Timelapse app, it costs about 10 bucks but is absolutely amazing. All videos on my channel are shot with this particular set-up (except the fish eye video titled -Experience Earth'ss rotation) Great Video Alyn

[@mohamine771]

do you think that the Sony a5000 is good ? I know it cannot be as good as the a6000 but I already have the a5000 and wondering if I should buy lenses for it or it would be waste of money and I should look for a different camera

[@Bonjurro]

USB lens warmer or dew heater would be a good accessory which I found out a few weeks ago. Thankfully I was able to borrow one from a friend that brought his telescope for a pretty good week of observing in class 1 sky’s.

[@ΑλέξανδροςΘάνος-τ7ψ]

Rip. Man you will be in our hearts ❤️

[@chrisyoung5012]

Hi Alyn, struggling with Sony 14-1.8 and the new Sigma 14-1.4. Have you used the later? The prices are similar, is the 2/3 stop of aperture plus some cool features like lens tripod and MF lock worth trading the extra weight ?

[@erics3527]

Just bought 2 6d one which will be modified and one not. I have to say just got back from lake Tahoe and I used this combo more than my R5 for astro only. I rented a tamron 15-30 and loved that combo.

[@dw.in.michigan]

I like all the items you mentioned. I had Canon and switched to Nikon, so I had both mount versions on the Samyang 14mm F2.8. The Canon was good, but the Nikon not so much. I ultimately ended up getting the Irix Firefly 15mm F2.4. I don't think I've seen them used, but new they are just a little more expensive than the Samyang. I absolutely love that lens. For tripods, I have a heavy duty video tripod that I use for my tracker. Bought it iff Amazon as open box for $60. I switched out the fluid head with a bowl head and put my equatorial mount on that. For everyday, I just recently bought a carbon fiber made by Innorel. On the budget end, but still really good.

[@sarojdhakal6937]

how about the viltrox 16mm f1.8 lens. This recently got on market and have great reviews. I think i will go for the viltrox @550 rather than @900 for 20mm f1.8 sony.

[@outdoorsinontario3037]

I’ve been rocking the a7s2 with rokinon astro button 24mm 1.8 and it has served me so so well. I bought my 3rd Sam Yang 14mm 2.8 and it was off cantered just like my previous 2. Thank goodness for the warranty that came with that cause I was able to return it for full refund!…. Never again. I’m going to try the pergear 14mm f2.8 next and I always perform center checks and lens distortion checks so I can always compare the lenses. We will see….. But from what I’ve heard the pergear is a good budget option, even when it’s brand new. Enjoy guys n gals, hope this helps someone out there. I love my camera but an a74 will be a massive upgrade from my a7s2 and I look forward to that day! Clear SKIES!

[@MickLoxleyPhotography]

Great vid Alyn, did you notice the shooting star just to the left of the tripod leg at 17:30? ☄️

[@adambyerly9596]

Great video thanks! What are your thoughts on using the Sony 24-70 gm or gm ii f.28 vs the SONY 24MM F/1.4 G? Would the results be much different? I'd like to upgrade to a quality lens I can also use for portrait work.

[@AlynWallace]

Prime vs Zoom lenses Is my next video going live on Sunday :)

[@adambyerly9596]

@@AlynWallace I missed it I'll check it out!

[@davidletz9123]

I like the Benro tripods as well.

[@nothughmahn]

I'd like to see this with other targets, too!

[@s.m.hamzatalha8656]

Hey Alyn I built my astro gear with 1750 pounds Gear Canon 6D (used) (300 pounds) Sigma 40mm F1.4 Art (new) Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i pro pack Serui tripod And some other accessories You should have mentioned the sigma 40mm f1.4 art as it is the only lens which has no aberrations in stars wide open at f1.4, only vinietting which can be easily fixed with some flats

[@middot2513]

Also the new dg dn lenses from sigma perform pretty good!

[@Priyanshu369up]

Nice video alyn bro 👍

[@CraigDory]

Hi Alan, what rotating tripod collar are you using? It looks interesting!!

[@IliasKoureas]

You forgot about the viltrox 13mm 1.4 on the fuji systems. Awesome video and very detailed. thank you for your work :D

[@AlynWallace]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@vincentvdb3151]

A Nikon user here and pretty impressed with the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG ART. A super duper astro landscape lens. It is bulky and more pricy than a Samyang for instance but that lens will last you a very very long time. I am probably going to add the Z 14-24 f/2.8 to my collection but need to set priories on my lens wish list 😛

[@StonehengeDronescapes]

Love how you said the canon drop in filter system was really cool, your body language looked like you wished you could have similar for sony 😁

[@stevehayward1854]

What is an Astro modded camera Alyn, thanks for your inspirational video's

[@AlynWallace]

There's a video on my channel all about astro modified cameras :)

[@tonymarsh3541]

I'm happy with my Canon RP (astro modified) and the standard adapter to use EF lenses. I've been considering that drop-in filter adapter as an upgrade, rather than keep buying the expensive clip-in filters.

[@Bfould3120]

I love the Canon adapter with filter mount. Do you know of a Nikon version? I have the F mount 14-24mm and a Z8. This seems like a great adapter.

[@Bfould3120]

Also Nikon made a D810a. Might be what he is using.

[@davidsargentcoffee]

Sharing this. Great video!

[@JupiterEclipse]

Hey Alyn! while you were uploading the video, I took a photo of the Orion Nebula.

[@swimjigjake3567]

Is the A6000 good enough to do some milky way shooting

[@26BloodKiller]

Hey man what do you think about the sony a 7 IV with the sigma14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art

[@mikefenster3556]

I bought a used Canon 6D after watching one of your prior videos. Paired with a Sigma 24mm F1.4, I think it is all I will ever need for my amateur astrophotography

[@LegacyAcquisitions]

Hi Alyn, would this lens, coupled with a 6d give similar results as the samyang lenses you discuss? Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART

[@AlynWallace]

The Sigma 20 and 24 Art are known for astigmatism in the corners (the stars in the corners have wings on them). Other than that they're great.

[@LegacyAcquisitions]

Thanks Alyn, I've finally picked up the 6D, just look for the right lens as you have suggested. What do you think of the Rokinon 14mm F2.8 manual lens? Thanks in advance 👍

[@dennis3004psp]

im thinking about the Sony 7R IIIA, the light performance is good but the A7iii is better, but i need pixels. first i want the a7c but it has no micro b.

[@michaelavitkova50]

So is it good match canon 6d and Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 - Canon EF Fit an automatic focus lens?

[@gibiskus915]

What do you think would be better: Sony a7s2 or Sony a7m3 for night photos, as well as other photos?

[@papabear7875]

I have 7D mark ii which lens will you recommend for Milky Way photography?

[@grigoryvidishev1810]

Hi Alyn, thank you for the good videos you produce. I have been in astrophotography for about 2 years and I do have EQ mount, astro cameras and required gear. I want to explore Milky Way panoramas astrophotography. At the moment I do not have any kind of DSLR camera. I do have Rokinon 14mm lens and I want to pair it with astro camera- ZWO ASI533MC Pro. It has small square sensor 14X14mm. Do you think I can get anything decent with this combo? At first, I will practice without a star tracker and then I will invest into it. Also, once I swap 14mm lens with popular 135mm- I can get a good wide field setup. I would value your opinion. Thank you!

[@cerimorganphotography]

Hey mate, I've got a 6d along with the samyang 14mm. I'm looking to upgrade as I feel it's too wide. I'm looking at the samyang 24mm or the sigma 24mm. Is there much difference between and worth the extra money for the sigma?

[@XDR2201]

Viltrox 16 1.8 is another great budget lens.

[@samuelequaranta1108]

Best Nikon F lens: 20mm f1.8 . Sharp, lightweight and cheaper than 14-24 f2.8 !

[@vviaviedkya]

I'm currently using the canon r10 with ef-s 10-18mm f4.5 lens. I've noticed that it doesn't seem to capture the stars on live view (making it difficult to manually focus), is this a limitation of the lens or the camera?

[@tonyw3250]

Just a note, most of the Samyang/Rokinon lenses are available on the Canon RF mount

[@inesprgin8829]

Hi guys, I'm a novice in astrophotography so can I get your opinions on afordable star tracker and tripod options? I have a Canon M50 mark II and Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens that I use for astro. As I'm on a budget I've been looking at Move Shoot Move tracker but I also need to ugrade my tripod. Now the dream is to one day get a Sigma AF 150-600MM F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM (C). Since that lens is quite heavy, can you please steer me in the right direction as to which tripod to invest in to be able to last me a while and cover all my basis as well as maybe some other star tracker options if I do manage to get that 150-600mm Sigma? I'm not sure if MSM would be able to handle that payload as it would be pushing its limits of weight capacity. Thank you guys so much for all your input.

[@vaibhavravichandran]

I have both the MSM tracker and the Sigma 150-600 lens and can guarantee that the MSM cannot handle the lens for tracking. The lens is simply too heavy and the MSM does not have enough torque to power the lens and camera combination. Especially once the lens is extended and becomes front heavy. I suggest stepping up to a larger tracker which allows the use of a counterweight to offset the lens.

[@Black_hole306]

Hey man when are you making an astrovlog again? You made the last one 10 months ago And i have been waiting since then

[@sabphotography2916]

RiP mate!

[@PingpongPoof-c3r]

Thnx

[@Jany-Juno]

Another very good camera for astrophography is Sigma fp.

[@SonoranAstro]

if only i could find more EQ mounts in MPB

[@mike_abramyan]

Sony needs to make a factory modded camera!!!!!!

[@dialac1]

Hey Allyn, I just bought a Hasselblad x2d. I’ve been having a hard time finding the best lens to use for astrophotography. On my XH1, I use a samyang 12mm and it’s been great but I don’t see any options viable for medium format. Second question. Since the X1D is 50mp and the X2D is 100mp, will the X1D perform significantly better than the X2D in night astrophotography?

[@BearyWizard]

A7 III is like 1800 euros right now ):

[@marcrasselphotography]

Great video Alyn. Be careful with the Canon drop-in filters. On wide angle lenses nearly all of these filters absolutely destroy the corners and stretch the stars to an unusable degree.

[@AlynWallace]

Yes very true but sadly they're the best option. They distort less than the sensor clip-on filters and there are no good hydrogen-alpha/nebula filters to go in front of lenses (and if there were, they'd be horrifically expensive!)

[@wanowiable]

Perhaps three pics of the same thing would show more of the differences in lens?

[@PingpongPoof-c3r]

I'm here

[@randyman7920]

Rest in peace buddy 😢

[@robvercouteren]

Hi Alyn, if i may, an excellent piece of fairly cheap glass as it's new 899 dollar it would be the tamron sp 35mm f/1.4. One of the best lenses ever made for Astro and if you can find it 2nd hand it is brilliant and next to the sigma F/1.4 40mm (but a lot cheaper) So for people on a budget highly recommendable. It was already mentioned in this excellent review video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKfSiYaZoq94iZo

[@AlynWallace]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@firedupoutdoors]

Sony for the win.

[@carolsantulis1990]

I am fighting the spatial filtering algorithm that give the green and aqua stars with my a7Riii. I wonder how Alyn deals with those. I'm considering a Canon to astro-mod so as not to deal with the green stars.

[@tonystephenson8105]

I would advise caution when dealing with mpb. My experience was terrible. Started off by purchasing a dx lens (used-excellent condition as per their grading) for my crop sensor camera. I used the lens twice over a six month period and decided to sell it back to them along with my crop sensor camera for a full frame upgrade. My crop sensor camera was originally purchased elsewhere brand new and only used a handful of times over a period of 18 months.. Mainly astro. Mpb said my camera had a very high shutter count (it didn't as I'd checked prior to sending it to them) and the lens I purchased from them was graded to be in poor condition! I'd only used it twice within a 6 month period for astro so it wasn't exposed to any harsh elements /environments. I refused their quotation for camera and lens and got them returned to me only to find the camera i received wasn't the one I sent to them. They had kept my pristine camera and sent me a worse conditioned one. I challenged them and they denied my claim. Over time they ceased communicating with me. Absolute nightmare to deal with so I would advise caution when considering trading with them.

[@AlynWallace]

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I've had zero issues with MPB UK on the tens of occasions I've used them over the years.

[@palakkeswani8988]

First view pls pin

[@rogerpoyner8183]

My wide-angle zoom was damaged in the post, MPB advertise that all post is insured, they are not willing to fulfil what they advertise, the reviews are full of how they mark down equipment so they don’t need pay as much and my problem with the postal damage. People are now sitting on damaged equipment and they don’t feel responsible, if I went the legal route it would cost me so much more that the lens is worth. The little man under the foot, don’t fall for it. Oh and yes I am angry.

[@lotus30com]

What great advice. I love your suggestion to be open to used gear. A lot of money can be saved by going that route.