I have long been a landscape photographer, but am now wanting to start taking the heavens at night and don't blast me asking this, but what are the better lenses for astrophotography that people find best to use on this subject, please?
I have long been a landscape photographer, but am now wanting to start taking the heavens at night and don't blast me asking this, but what are the better lenses for astrophotography that people find best to use on this subject, please?
I find that it really depends on what you want to shoot. for the milky way something fast 1.8 -2.8 is going to be your best bet. What you really want to determine is how much coma your lens will show. I have a Canon1.4 50mm that is great during the day but just about useless at night because of coma (stars looking like bananas) out at the edge of the picture. Sigma makes their art lenses that do a really good job. hope this helps
Thanks goes to John. I'm think I'm going to be happy with the Rokinon SP 14mm f/2.4 Lens for both Astro and Landscapes. All I need to buy now (my old Manfrotto tripod is old and way to heavy) is a new tripod for the Astro photography.
If don't want to spend much on fast lenses you can buy a small star tracker so you can have no trails. You just need to take double exposures for the landscapes with the tracker off.
?? Not sure what a star tracker is Bill. Anywhere you recommend going to to learn more on what one of these is in simple talk? It would be appreciated very much.
It's a Polar mount that can track the Stars.
(Google search "star tracker", also check "Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer" )
-The "star tracker" mount is following the stars so with low speed F/ lenses can track the stars and get clear dot Star like a Pin with long exposures e.x 1min or 5min exposures.
But you will need to take a second capture for the landscape and merge them with mask in PS (one exposure for the stars and a secont for the landscape)
Otherwise with high speed F/ (F<2.8) you can have 1 capture with the “500 Rule” (500/mm = max exposure)
Also you can Stack several photos for a better quality, but just learn the above first.
Peters Zelinka Has videos on YouTube about star trackers. They typically run about 425.00. The Rokinon lens you have is good for milky way. Another thing you're gonna wanna do is search for deep sky stacker and or sequator. Most of all just go out and have fun with it.