Loading…
19
I thought my old camera was fine for the Milky Way until a trip to Joshua Tree
I was out there last month and my photos came out super grainy because I didn't change the ISO setting from my daytime shots. I had to borrow a friend's tripod and take a bunch of 20-second exposures to finally get a clear shot. What's your go-to camera setting when you're shooting in really dark places?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
singh.elizabeth7mo ago
Joshua Tree's light pollution surprised me last time.
6
quinn1615mo ago
Forget the auto modes, go full manual. Set your aperture as wide as possible, f/2.8 or lower if you've got it. ISO anywhere from 1600 to 6400, just test a couple shots and see what noise your camera can handle. And yeah, shutter speed depends on your lens, use the 500 rule to avoid star trails, 20 seconds is usually safe with a wide lens. Tripod is non-negotiable, even a cheap one makes the biggest difference. Also make sure your focus is locked on a bright star using live view, zooming in manually. I always take a few test shots and check the histogram before settling in, saves so much frustration later.
5