I'm new to astronomy. I have been looking on RU-vid for quite some time for advice to help me understand how to capture photos for stacking and processing. I must say your video explanations are BY FAR the most concise and helpful that I have ever come across. THANK SO MUCH for taking the time to explain how all of this works in simple language for the beginner.
Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words and compliments. Please check out my other videos in the astrophotography playlist and let me know if you have any questions along the way!
Amazing instructions dear friend! I really intent start learning about that using my new Dobsonian F/6 115 mm. Which Lens and camera do you recommend to start my jorney like novice in this area ?
Thank you very much. For a Dobsonian telescope the best thing to do is hook up a cell phone to the eyepiece of your telescope to take pictures and videos of the moon and planets. Check out this video I made to see if you think this would work for you. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-C8EIyocVRJI.html
I accidentally got a photo of Jupiter once while just messing around with my camera and didn’t notice until about a month later when I looked at the photos
Doesn't get better! Perfect tutorial for probably hundreds wondering about flats (seems so obvious now) darks, ISO, exposures, DSS etc. Thank you for a great and informative set of lessons. Best wishes this holiday.
Thank you for the video! i've started astrophotogrsphy about 9 months ago and your videos helped me a lot! i'll get a canon eos 2000D in about 2 weeks and i'll try these settings! i'll try andromeda galaxy for first light and you can check out the video if you want!
Please try and give me a starting point. Sony a7r3, Askar fma180, f4.5 Astro lens with star adv 2i pro mount for m42 and m45. I am advanced photographer just starting this new challenge
looks like you've got a nice setup. I was try shooting the Andromeda galaxy right now. Check out my video on how to take light, flat and dark frames. I think that one might help you out a bit.
Hello, Can I use an entry level mirrorless camera like the Canon EOS M200 for astrophotography? I would like to use this type of camera with a tripod or attatch it to my 8" Dobsonian telescope. Thanks for your help.
When I hook up my Canon DSLR T100 camera to my Skywatcher 72ED I can't see anything on the camera screen to tell if I need to focus etc. What am I doing wrong? Thanks and great videos
I find BYE easier to use since my setup at present is wide field. I suspect as I bump up my focal length I will need a more sophisticated program like APT.
Nice suggestion, I dabbled in Backyard EOS a few years ago but right now am trying to keep my setup as quick and simple as possible. If/when I start using a laptop for additional equipment and programs that is definitely one I intend to try out again.
Excellent video , I am totally new on this and your video really help me out to set up my old dslr camera (canon T1i), thanks for sharing, subscribed, CS!
Great work, well explained material, I'm new to photography and I find astro very interesting. Would i be able to use a Olympus OMD-E M10 mkiii following the steps in your video's, being my camera is a Micro Four Thirds system?
Excellent video, like your calm delivery, just the right vibe for astronomy, just the camera advice I need to get this astrophotography going. Need to see if you have another video regarding prime focus through a telescope. Are the camera settings the same?
I appreciate you saying that! I have 3 or 4 videos on imaging the planets with a DSLR that you may find helpful. Check them out in my astrophotography playlist if you are interested!
I shoot most of my images under bortle 5 skies. Take a look at the SkyGuider Pro review I did a few years back. It's still what I shoot with and recommend for most people looking to get into astrophotography!
I am really struggling trying to find information on settings to capture video using a dslr/mirrorless on a telescope such as a dob. The moon ain't so hard, but man, I'm struggling on Jupiter and Saturn. And my Canon mirrorless ain't happy about not being connected to an RF lens.
Check out my videos on imaging Mars and Saturn under my "Astrophotography" and "The Joy of Astrophotography" playlists. You may find some tips I show in there helpful. I've never shot with a mirrorless camera but the techniques should be similar.
That's a tough one. ISO will vary from camera model to camera model. Also, there are times when I use a slightly higher ISO on fainter targets. I would see if you can google search to see if there is a sweet spot to your cameras iso where the benefit of dynamic range starts to fall off. For my SL2 that is ISO 400 but I sometimes shoot it at 800. Check out this website for more info and to see if it has your camera tested. dslr-astrophotography.com/iso-values-canon-cameras/
Should i use these same settings with a ha modified only camera? I didnt do the full spectrum and i have a t7. I got it back in december and was getting ok pics without it but wanted better. Havent taken it out yet while i added more options (mini comp, ext battery etc) so i knew these settings already but im hoping its still the same with a modified cam
I believe so and if you are shooting in RAW it shouldn't matter much either way. Best of luck, you've got a great camera and getting it modified was a smart move! Stop back by to let me know how things go.
@@LateNightAstronomy I absolutely will. I finally finished my whole setup in time for the eclipse but I'm going to take it out this week for a test run
Great video ! I am considering buying the Canon ESO 90 D . I am hoping that's an OK camera to start out with . If anyone could perhaps offer advice on that camera and perhaps a good lens to start out with it would be greatly appreciated
@@LateNightAstronomy I would use it for both I am sure but would be buying for astrophotography as my phone is the go to for everyday picture taking :) As for Astrophotography, I want to get a good camera that will give me some longevity and if I read your reaction correctly, the ESO 90 D should do the job
@@maxittome Yes it will. Check out Canon's DSLR that is designed specifically for astrophotography as well depending on the price point you are looking to buy at. It is a canon DSLR with a modified sensor to be exclusively used for astrophotography.
Thanks for your valuable suggestions,could you please make detailed video on astrophotography with 18-55 kit lens on various targets in say bortle 7 ! This must include later post processing also. I will not mind if it is in splited in 2 or more videos.
I'll consider that for sure. I have other videos on processing with DeepSkyStacker and PixInsight if you are interested! Let me know if you ever have any questions.
Funny... (Try a pinhole with Bortle 9😃... No, just joking) , You could do nice very wide field captures with some work, but I guess by now you've been suggested that the kit lens (and focal length of 18-55) might not ne your best bet for the most striking results at the end, and if you aim at more enlarged deep sky objects. The problem with kit lenses is the cheaper glass often having soft to very soft corners and the small minimum aperture not gathering too much light. Any prime lens 100mm and above might be better, and manual focus only lens are cheaper (Samyung/Rokinon etc.) Also, seek for the lowest f.stop these have to offer, as for best rendering, it's often suggested to set a stop above the lowest aperture of the lens, although few models are sharp corner to corner at their lowest aperture, but very, very few. Nevertheless, popular intro Astro DSLR lenses for a good start are usualy the Samyang 135mm f2 or the Canon 200mm f.2. For very wide field (think Milky Way) the Rokinon/Samyang 24mm f1.4 and 24mm f2.8 are the usual suspects. Sigma Art f1.4 too, but it's costly compared. (and on a Sony, I'd sell my clothes for the 20mm Zeiss Batis) But here, you could get nice results with your 18-55 kit lens (f3.5/5.6 ?, I don't remember, still it would work well stacking a few light frames (5 to 10 exposed at 10 to 15 seconds at say f.4 and Iso1600, if no skyguider, and usualy no need for bias, darks and flat with wide landcape M.Way shots)). If you want a deep sky, wide field lens that would be awesome for portability, but costing a bit more, you could consider the praised Petzval RedCat51/SpaceCat51, from Williams Optics (Fixed 4.9 aperture, manual only - Awesome too for video birding, etc.). And last, Bortle 7 ?.. You should consider getting a light polution filter (Like the Astronomik CLS / Optolong L-Pro, etc. - Here though, the price hurts, it's not your average 5$ Amazon Essentials UV filter...) For anyone interested, the site Astrobin offers to view pictures sorted by gear used (Cameras, scopes, lenses) and one can see there the top achievments people get with their specific gear (or rather gear "link", as the whole avg. astro imaging train can have quite a few as you get more into it. (Pull out, and leave out your wallet here...)).
I just received my Rokinon F2.0 135mm lens. I plan to use it for astrophotography with my Canon T5i mounted on a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi. I am brand new to this hobby. I have watched this "Best DSLR Settings" video and your Samyang/Rokinon 135mm F2 Lens for Astrophotography" review video. These videos are excellent! Thanks so much for your straightforward explanations. Any other tips/help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
You have a setup very similar to mine and I'm still enjoying it for astrophotography 3 years in now. I appreciate your supporting my channel and please let me know if you have anymore questions along the way. If you haven't already, check out my "How to take Light, Flat, Dark and Bias Frames for Astrophotography" video. Clear skies and keep me updated on your progress!
It is not. I also use it to film my RU-vid videos and take "normal" daytime photos. That is a nice step to take for people who only use it for astrophotography!
Thank you for posting.. thinking of getting back into astrophotography. Been 30 years. I’ll start with my DSLR i have laying around with the tilt out screen Nikon D5200 and see what I can do with my MF lenses. Interesting you picked ISO 400. Everyone constantly talks about ISO 2,000 etc. but I expect it means we start off with digital noise and artifacts that we can’t get rid of.. also if you gain up (higher ISO ) at the beginning.. or gaining up in the computer later.. it’s usually about the same.. though if you gained up at the beginning, you might be stuck with the digital artifacts...
I appreciate your comment and please let me know if I can anything else to assist you in getting back into astrophotography. Yeah, you will find a lot of different theories and perspectives on the ISO. An article I found for my specific DSLR stated that anything higher than ISO 400 would have a negative impact on Dynamic Range and I've pretty much found that to be the case. Some new sensors are ISO invariant, and that may be where the 2,000 iso talk comes into play.
Hey just wondering I'm trying to capture a church in foreground and stars in background I've got a Canon 5d mk 3 and a nifty 50 lens is this possible ? And if so what settings would I be aiming for to get this ? Thanks in advance
I would start at have the lens wide open and shooting with iso around 400 or 800. Star out with exposure shots at 15 seconds and work your way up from there. The main thing that may be difficult is if street lights are around to wash out the stars in the background. If you are out of the way of many lights you will be able to experiment with a lot of different options regarding iso and exposure lengths. Let me know how it goes with your first attempt.
This is super helpful. I just took my first images last night with an old Canon T2i on my equatorial telescope mount. Came out just okay, but I’m learning as I go. I learned that polar alignment is not enough and that star alignment is also required 😂. But I’m learning. Your points here are well taken, and I am going to reduce my ISO from 1600 down to some lower values to do some comparisons.
I'm glad you found this helpful. Feel free to check out my astrophotography playlist for more videos and tutorial. Keep me updated on how everything is going for you!
Hi Michael, thanks and appreciate your responses on my previous comments. I have a Cannon EOS Rebel T5i DSLR camera. Performed all the settings as mentioned in this video. Although some settings were different, as you mentioned in the video. I have a question - Do you have a video on how to attach the Celestron NexStar Telescope with the DSLR? So I have a T-Adapter - Edge HD Series (#93644). I attached it with my telescope via that adapter, however not able capture any photos. Hence was looking for your video on similar lines. If you don't have one, would you mind putting one in near future? Will be looking forward for it.
Thanks for your comment! That's a nice setup you have but I sadly do not have a video out on how to do that. I appreciate your suggestion and let me know if you have any more astrophoto questions. I would suggest a forum search at cloudynights or an email to celestron.
Hi, I'm a total newb just getting into AP. Love the info in the video, but I have a qustion about F-stop. When shooting thru a telescope, in my case I'm using a William Optics Zenithstar 73 (F5.9) w/ .8 Focal Reducer/Field Flattener, what F stop setting do I use? The scope w/F-reducer attached is at F 4.7. Does the manual setting on the camera even matter? Should I attempt to match the F stop of the Scope/F-reducer? Many thanks!
If you have the DSLR connected to the telescope I don't think you can choose an f-stop from the settings. It will just naturally be the F-stop of the lens/telescope you have it connected to. Let me know if that makes sense of if I have misread your questions!
@@LateNightAstronomy I believe you answered it. It's just that there's a manual f-stop selection in my settings. Same menu where you set to "Bulb", ISO, etc. There is a small selection wheel above the auto focus button that sets the f-stop. I was just wondering if that would have any affect on it. I don't see how it would though.
Super helpful, especially as I have this exact camera! Man--I'm glad I found your channel. Just curious, though: do you have your lens aberration corrections set on or off (peripheral illumination, chromatic aberration, etc?)
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Here are my settings you requested. Peripheral Ilum Corr: On, Chromatic Aberr corr: On, Distortion corection: Off Difraction Correction: On.
@@LateNightAstronomy yeah, highly cropped. I use an action camera for 4k for better results. In fact I only use the sl3 for photos and my cell phone or action camera for videos.
That's a great camera. What all can I help you with in regard to getting started. I've got a series of videos on astrophotography in my playlist I'd point you toward but please ask me anything you'd like now as well.
@@LateNightAstronomy thanks there's so many things on this camera I have no clue on where to start I'm just starting up on this astrophotography always been a sky gazer with telescope but wanted to actually take my own pics of space for once
Hello Late Night, I was able to find an SL2 at a reasonable price to get started in astrophotography but question, I currently have the Celestron Star Sense 130 AZ and want to know what T ring and adapters will I need to connect the camera to the scope. My scopes focuser is 2 inches and 1.25 inches.
Nice purchase. You will be able to get some good images of the Moon and planets with your 130az. Here are the two parts I bought for my telescope to connect my DSLR to it for planetary imaging. www.amazon.com/Astromania-Extendable-Camera-Adapter-Eyepiece-Projection/dp/B0140U9URO/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=t+ring+adapter+adjustable+adapter&qid=1634171141&sr=8-5 www.amazon.com/Astromania-Metal-T-ring-Adapter-Cameras/dp/B0140U9KLK/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=canon+t+ring+adapter+astromania&qid=1634171191&sr=8-3
I think you will eventually want to use a small thin Sony Nex 5N, costing only about 100 used. The DSLRs are too heavy, causing vibration, and do not get focus without a Barlow.
Great video and instructions! I just purchased a DSLR camera to use with my telescope. This was very helpful for me plus I also appreciate that you give credit to our Lord and Creator who gave us an incredible universe to enjoy and explore. Thanks, Don
Don, I really appreciate your comment and am so glad to hear that you bought a DSLR for astrophotography. Feel free to check out some of my other videos on astrophotography and get back to me with any questions you may have. God bless and take care.
Do these setting apply to hooking the camera directly to a scope or just a lens? I have my SCT and my refractor capable of connecting my Canon 750 (through t-ring and adapters). Or for scope should I just use all the default settings?