Tracker vs. No Tracker for ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY (Shooting the Pleiades)

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In this video, I compare photographing the Pleiades (M45) with a DSLR and telephoto lens on a fixed tripod versus on a star tracker. Processing with DeepSkyStacker and Photoshop. Example files for this video and other resources on my website here: www.nebulaphotos.com/resource...
If you don't use Photoshop, please watch the first 46 minutes of the video above (part 1) before moving on to part 2 (choices below):
Part 2A - DSS and GIMP: • Tracker vs. No Tracker...
Part 2B - Siril and GIMP (coming soon)
Part 2C - PixInsight (coming soon)
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Links mentioned in the video:
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Light Pollution Map - www.lightpollutionmap.info
Photons to Photos - www.photonstophotos.net
NPF Calculator - sahavre.fr/wp/regle-npf-rule/
Bahtinov Mask Resources - www.nebulaphotos.com/resource...
Polar alignment apps
iOS - apps.apple.com/us/app/polar-s...
Android - play.google.com/store/apps/de...
=============================
Supporting this channel:
=============================
◦ I'm on Patreon: / nebulaphotos
◦ One-time donations: paypal.me/nebulaphotos
◦ Shopping at High Point Scientific through this link: tinyurl.com/highpoint-nebula
◦ You can use my referral code when buying subscriptions to Astrobin:
New accounts- www.astrobin.com/accounts/register/?r=NEBULAPHOTOS
Existing accounts- Use Promo Code: NEBULAPHOTOS
=============================
Gear used in this video:
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Skywatcher Star Adventurer Pro Pack - tinyurl.com/swsa-nebula
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM - amzn.to/33aQGjz
MeFoto Roadtrip Tripod (aluminium) - amzn.to/3fNzSDh
Neewer Intervalometer (search for one that works with your camera) - amzn.to/3fRANCI
Bahtinov Mask (search for one that fits your lens) - amzn.to/39nVDXg
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Table of Contents:
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00:00 Intro
03:00 Overview
06:58 1. Dark, Clear Sky
13:47 2. Camera Settings
25:11 3. Polar Alignment & Balance
32:30 4. Focus!
34:27 5. Exposure Length
43:03 6. # of Exposures (Lights)
44:30 7. Calibration Frames
46:52 8. Processing (Deep Sky Stacker)
59:11 8. Processing (Photoshop)
01:18:52 Final Comparison and Outro
=============================
Music:
=============================
No Control by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.
The Elevator Bossa Nova is Royalty Free Music from Bensound.
=============================
Social:
=============================
Twitter: @nebulaphotos
Instagram: @nebulaphotosdotcom
Astrobin: www.astrobin.com/users/2ghouls/
=============================
Affiliate programs disclosure:
=============================
I use the High Point Scientific, OPT, Astrobin, and Amazon affiliate programs. Product links in my video descriptions are affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, I will make a small commission if you click them and purchase something.

Опубликовано:

27 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 735

@AlynWallace 3 года назад

Great effort and comparison dude 👏🏻

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Thanks Alyn! I always watch your videos when they come up in my feed. Your Sony A7SIII review was excellent!

@inderjotsingh1520 3 года назад

Yo I love your work Alyn

@theonlyitaliangirl 3 года назад

I agree. Nico, I'm just learning -your video is so thorough and easy to understand. I appreciate the work you put into it. And Alyn Wallace - I follow you too - love your work as well and just bought the MSM - and the Z and V-plates. Can't wait to get started. Eventually I hope to also get a tracker like the one Nico is using as well. Thanks again to both of you for sharing your knowledge and passion. Cheers!

@zijadzikedzehovic6206 2 года назад

@@NebulaPhotos Nico, pls have you any video you have made with star tracker?

@Dylon1981 2 года назад

Its really inspiring to see 2 astro youtubers interacting and commenting positive vibes to each other.

@MrBlueSky1987 3 года назад

Who th would give a thumbs down without the video even being available? :( how could you... this guy is like the Bob Ross of astrophotoghraphy, all his videos are pure positivity and inspiration.

@quadbot5229 3 года назад

Probably a flat earther

@maruftim 3 года назад

@@quadbot5229 true

@chrisoriordan6975 3 года назад

The “Bob Ross” analogy is perfect, Nico has a hypnotic style, enthralling and inspiring

@vibemunster 3 года назад

Flattards.

@dubstepzsi 3 года назад

Some people just want to watch the world burn unfortunately.........

@spr5033 2 года назад

This is the best astrophotography guide ever made. Seriously. You literally went through everything 99% of people will ask about.

@Flo8101987 3 года назад

When I first discovered your channel I was kinda hesitent because of the lenght of some of your tutorials. My interest started to grow with every video I watched and by now I´m really excited to get my first very own tracker in a couple of days. I highly appreciate that you share all of your knowledge without skipping any secrete trick or step. Hopefully I´ll be able to follow along and get some nice results with the help of your tutorials. Thanks again for sharing your astro-skills with all of us.

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

That's great Peter. Glad I could help. Cheers, Nico

@Ghosty2k77 3 года назад

You speak facts dude

@marvinracer88 2 года назад

Very few people are willing to share those secrets and tricks.

@Astronurd 2 года назад

@@marvinracer88 They are not secrets

@gomanastro 3 года назад

You have done outstanding job for the beginner with similar equipment....saving them alot of decision-making and wondering....!

@eddeph 3 года назад

Thank you for showing such clear results on "no tracking" method across multiple videos. When I started astrophotography I hit a wall of people who kept saying that unless I invest in a tracker there's no point in doing this. Your fine work allowed me (and many others) to dive into this amazing hobby without investing a ton of money into gear.

@912582 3 года назад

This is 100% the best tutotial I've seen over the years. After years of interest then 1 year of taking advantage of all rare clear nights, I still count myself firmly as a beginner and this is very clear and helpful, (I always forget something). Big thank you!

@dimi86g 3 года назад

I must say it is really amazing what you can do with very little gear but by paying attention to all the details, i ve been doing this for 2 years now and have a lot of gear but it’s just so satisfying to see what you can do with a camera and a tracker if you have all the information to give you a head start. I spent so much time and frustration even with much better gear and your videos just give all the information you need. I really love that every video just gives you the WHOLE process that is invaluable and it’s sad to see others not being as diligent and educational as you are. THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Yep, it is definitely a hobby that rewards experience and attention to detail. I think the one other thing that is hard to conceptualize at first is how big a difference a truly dark sky can make. Clear skies!

@cdavidhord 3 года назад

This is an amazing video. I'm checking everything out as you go. You have the most amazing astrophotography channel available. I view them all, and your's is the most valuable to us. Thank You!

@eddiesurfah5525 3 года назад

My god at the end, I thought the 'untracked' image was the tracked one because I thought it looked better! We'll blame my untrained eye :') this is an absolutely incredible guide, you are the man. Thank you for this. Never thought without a tracker it'd be possible but now I'm gonna rush off and try myself!!

@umutcanarslan7989 3 года назад

I watched most of your videos. The way you are explaining same things over and over each video requires patiance but for the viewers it really helps learning. Keep it up please 👍

@andreasraum5535 3 года назад

Nico, your Channel is the reason why it’s worth exploring RU-vid. Keep up the good work!

@LucasCosta-tf7bw 2 года назад

This is by far the most comprehensive video on the subject I have found so far. Very informative and right level of details, specially for beginners

@robinell 2 года назад

You are the SUPER HERO of all amateur astrophotographers!! THANK YOU sir!

@NebulaPhotos 2 года назад

Too kind! Clear skies, Nico

@janoeter9056 3 года назад

This is one of the best videos on this topic I've ever seen. Must have taken a lot of effort and it shows... Great work!

@valentino826021 2 года назад

Appreciate all your videos. When we first went into the lockdowns I was looking for a new hobby. I started with all your post processing videos. After about 3 weeks give or take I was able to produce my first Astro pics and even a galaxy. I appreciate your attention to detail and taking it slow during your tutorials. I dunno how anyone interested in astrology or astro photography can dislike this mans videos. Just a bunch of random haters.

@hotflashfoto 2 года назад

I watched this over several days just to take it all in. Very nice teaching skills. Thank you!

@dude157 3 года назад

Thanks so much for these videos, it's saved me so many hours of searching for and reading the right information. Other youtube videos skip right over the important details to tell you things everyone with a day's camera experience already knows. These however are perfect.

@alabrrmrbmmr 2 года назад

This is far and away the most helpful video I've seen on night sky photography. I'd all but given up when autoplay served up this gem! Subbed! Great work!

@NebulaPhotos 2 года назад

Glad to hear it James! Clear skies, Nico

@JohdagM 2 года назад

The Most complete guide I’ve found. Amazing. Thank you!

@hollisbradburyoutdoors3387 2 года назад

Man. I had to stop it after the intro alone. I am so pumped to watch the rest of it but just had to stop and say I appreciate these videos so much. I have 0 knowledge about this stuff. I have only recently taken any pictures of the night sky and man. You always nail it. Even if I had no interest in this topic you are so easy to understand. So friendly and approachable. Thank you for taking the time to help us novice photographers understand even the small details of what you talk about.

@prakhardixit6287 3 года назад

I am starting with astrophotography with very basic gear but your videos are really clearing up things for me. Thanks for that.

@pauligle 3 года назад

possibly the most detailed astrophotography video ever made!

@CRAIGSCHULER 3 года назад

Thank you for the video Nico. You mentioned in a previous video that you would be attempting fewer but better quality videos this year and this shows. Thank you for taking the time to produce this 🙏🏻

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Thanks Craig, still lots of mistakes, but I am trying to hit a balance between quality and getting the videos out

@garycampbell9709 Год назад

Very tempted to save up for these upgrades, evidently worth it in my opinion. Thanks for sharing your results.

@nupurmaity6430 3 года назад

lovely to see ur dedication for work 💝

@Paulus449 3 года назад

Always enjoy watching your videos, I've learned so much from them, thank you!

@Sam-lc5nr 3 года назад

Your videos are getting better and better 🤩🤩

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Thanks 😁

@luludelasnubes 2 года назад

What a fantastic video tutorial !! I don't even shoot astro, but it's really awesome how you're explaining everything ! Thank you so much.

@shan8748 3 года назад

It was an amazing session for understanding the details for any beginner. Thank you! Really appreciate it!

@RafaelCBeltrame 3 года назад

As always, a great job and a very useful tutorial. Thanks, Nico! Best wishes from Brazil!

@ssbarag Год назад

Nico you are my hero! Interesting, entertaining, you have it all… thank you for all your work

@garymelady9013 3 года назад

Fantastic video! I really appreciate all the work and effort that went into this. I learned a lot!

@GarnettLeary 3 года назад

That’s why I love full frame for static tripod shots. You keep more of the center. Cool comparison.

@GrayGhostRyders 2 года назад

I have watched many of your videos over the past few months but this one I keep coming back to and continue learning - You have done such an awesome job of sharing how to allow us newbies in this field to understand some of the tools we can use on our own to answer our own specific questions regarding the appropriate shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc. for each of our specific cameras and lenses and tracker. I have read soooooo many books that never provide enough detail to help understand what I need to do in a given circumstance for a given target based on our specific equipment... (“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” @Lao Tzu.) Thank you so very much for continuing to do what you do.

@alextphoto6820 3 года назад

Again, amazing video and tutorial. Your Tutorials for tracked astrophotography and post processing helped me a lot and got me to buy a Star tracker for myself. You explained every step of the processing in a way, that someone who never did astrophotography before can understand how to do it. And that's amazing. Really good work.

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Happy to help!

@martattacks 3 года назад

There's virtually nobody on RU-vid listening to whom I enjoy more. Great videos!

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Wow, thanks!

@jasonmatthews8491 3 года назад

Great tutorial for newbies. I'm slowly getting setup for this type of astrophotography and found this video invaluable.

@JimOutLoud 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for the incredible effort and detail you put into these tutorials. It’s like a college class in astrophotography!

@fiascothecat2437 Год назад

This video must have taken a LOT of hard work. Thank you! It is very educational and inspiring!

@jbflores01 3 года назад

EXCELLENT tutorial! Thanks for the detailed instructions!

@bruceb9416 2 года назад

You have some really good teaching skills . Clear, nicely laid out simplification of what can be some really confusing steps for a new person trying to get into picture taking of the night sky. I got a lot out of this video. thanks.

@HoshiBeans Год назад

Absolutely loved the video. By far my favorite part is when you revealed the stacked pictures of the star cluster and it appeared to be a Subaru Impreza!

@StedeBonnett 2 года назад

There was so much good info packed into just the first 1/3 of this video that I am subscribing to your channel now!

@adamlicht6614 3 года назад

Thanks so much for your efforts. I learn so much from watching your videos. Keep up the great work!

@vitawhiting7400 2 года назад

Hi Nico, brilliant tutorial. Much appreciated. Thank you 🙏

@jaybeckman3749 3 года назад

Thank you for this exhaustive side by side comparison. Really great info and you have me even more excited to get my SkyGuider! Clear Skies!

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Clear skies Jay!

@JTheUsualMultimedia Год назад

Love that I found this channel after @AlynWallace and @astrobackyard collections of tutorials! Everyone helpful, informational, while having enough variance to discern important lessons on this subject. Being in the massachusetts area, Im glad someone is as successful with imaging while battling the variances in weather throughout the year. I tend to use cameras not intended for any sort of framable astrophotography (gopros, phone cameras, so far, entry levels and kits lens next!), so the relatively new focus on youtube creators tutorials on starter level cams and editing has been a MAJOR help to me in both hobby AND business, so I appreciate the hell out of all of your work! Oddly, phones and gopros have been focusing on developing better night photography, and Im even practicng deep sky Super Easy with a phone, which blows my mind that its even possible! Weird objects lately too from satellite swarms to new flying objects of unknown origin (to me anyways LOL) and meteor showers galore... this has been a blast so far!

@DaCraziness 3 года назад

your videos are the best! So thorough and well articulated. Thank you :)

@celestromel 3 года назад

Nico, your tutorials are head and shoulders above those of most of your contemporaries - if not a very well-trained educator, you are a born teacher. So grateful for the knowledge you have shared with me. My greatest wish is for you to give us a tutorial on using ZWO ASIAir Pro. That would be wonderful. Thanks heaps from Mel in Sydney.

@jerrythunder3642 3 года назад

I'm about to attempt the no tracker Pleiades tonight! Have had the camera for a while, but now it's finally time to see if I can do it. I appreciate the video, Nico!

@eottoe2001 Год назад

For anyone else but me, too, this might be too much detail, HOWEVER, this was like the keys to the kingdom as far astrophotography goes. Everyone of my questions got answered and shown how to do it. Thank you so much. This was super helpful!!!! ★★★★★

@paulstone7421 Год назад

Great video. Very comprehensive and easy to follow.

@rahulsandil315 3 года назад

Amazing content man, you're a true inspiration for budding photographers

@toddnoseworthy1447 3 года назад

Excellent video as always.

@TheSpacePlaceYT 3 года назад

How is this channel so good!? Amazing video btw. Pleiades is my favorite star cluster and it's nice to see that my favorite RU-vid channel is coming around to image it.

@RahilSethi Год назад

I'm beginning to get some grip on Photoshop post-processing! I watched your M31 processing and now getting a hold of the pattern. Still a lot to learn about such a powerful software with so many features! Great video! Thanks!

@HelenasAstrophotography 3 года назад

This was so informative Nico!! Really enjoyed it :)

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Thanks Helena! Glad you liked it.

@tylera2226 Год назад

Thank you so much I’m hoping I can take my first photos tomorrow using this as a guide. So helpful!

@carvrodrigo 3 года назад

You put a lot of effort into your videos!!! Such great content! Congratz and many thanks

@adityasoni6185 3 года назад

The best i was waiting for

@AstroPixUK 3 года назад

Watched the video in full this morning, simply fantastic. Thanks Nico, really enjoying your content. This really makes me want to persevere more with my Skyguider pro I've brought to take camping.

@riccardotesla2973 2 года назад

Thanks for these very good tutorials . You rock !

@drewmusselmilk6943 3 года назад

Thank you, hope to see more like it this is super inspiring to me!!

@SH1974 2 года назад

Awesome comparison! Thanks and Respect! I had no doubt, that the longer exposed subs bring more depth (even if You'd use only the half total exposure time), but I did not expect the difference that huge. The keyword for good pictures is signal/noise-ratio - and "Signal" comes first... Having very few noise is nice, but it does not bring much if there is also very few signal. Capturing as much as possible signal in each sub brings depth to the final picture, so a tracking system (even if it's just a DIY Barndoor mount) is still(*) more important as I expected. * when I started astrophotography 2 decades ago, we had no digital cameras, we exposed on dia-positive film (i prefered Kodak Ektachrome 200). Single shot exposure over several minutes. Manually/visually guided on the (not motorized) equatorial mount through a small lens telescope. Even aligning that mount (no polar finder scope, no App) was an adventure. And the result came 2-3 weeks later from the photo laboratory. Digital cameras have made so much things so much easier. (but they've also complicated other things...)

@tony_r_pierce 3 года назад

Nice job on this, lot of work, good explanations.

@InterprisesTV 2 года назад

Wow, you saved us weeks of hard work. Thank you!

@Sammy10100 2 года назад

Thank you for the detailed video on this topic. It was very helpful.

@markadams9401 3 года назад

Subscribed sir, I'm just beginning stargazing and want to eventually learn astrophotography, and just a few minutes into this video I knew you are a great teacher.

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Thanks Mark! Clear skies, Nico

@deepbhowmik-cse-3095 3 года назад

Thanks A Lot 👍 for gifting us this excellent presentation 👏

@franciscorodriguez275 Год назад

Thanks for your sharing your knowledge! You are really inspiring people like me to look up, focus and marvel.

@djfurione 3 года назад

Thanks for that Man! Very helpfull tutorial. I was looking for something like that for quite some time. Greetings from Poland!

@diegoperezvaldes3207 3 года назад

What a great video, I learned a lot !! I've been in wide-field astrophotography for a while and I've only recently been learning and reading in deep space. The use of saddle really helps a lot, greetings from Chile.

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Glad you enjoyed it! Clear skies Diego!

@BillSands2112 3 года назад

Nico you Rock! I really enjoy watching your well put videos. I have not done a picture myself yet but hopefully I will.. Thanks again and keep them coming

@SteveZodiac777 2 года назад

Great video - most useful content very well explained. Thank you!

@mchelvalmax 3 года назад

Many thanks for this excellent video! Great job !

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Glad you liked it!

@Eastbirds_Lee Год назад

This is an incredible video! Very detailed and extremely well constructed. As a photographer and aviation enthusiast/flight simmer i’d like to add two useful comments: - photographer in me says: choosing the widest possible aperture on your camera/lens might not always be the best way to go. Many lenses get somewhat unsharp or show chromatic abberation when they’re wide open. Dial down from say f/2.8 to f/3.5 could significantly increase image quality in terms of color and sharpness. It also helps sharpen the whole field of view and allows for more even distribution of light into the lens as it will get less fuzzy from corner to corner. Pro lenses are a lot less susceptible to these things. So sacrificing a notch of light might in many cases be beneficial for the overall picture, if you can add a bit of exposure time to each shot. - same goes for focal length for anyone reading this: if you can, stick to prime lenses, those are lenses with one fixed focal length only, like a 200mm lens or 24mm lens. Avoid zoom lenses with different focal lengths range because they tend to be unsharp and warp the image throughout the focal length range. If you do have a zoom lens you’d best look online on reviews to see at what focal length (and aperture) the lens performs best. This could mean the difference between a fuzzy and greyish shot and a tack sharp, colorful shot. - the flight simmer in me says: check websites like Windy.com. It’s also very helpful as you can select all sorts of parameters like aerosol, wind, humidity and all kinds of pollutants that are in the skies. Happy shooting!! 🎉💫☄️

@Paul-jb6rk 7 месяцев назад

I couldn’t agree more, was also surprised he set it wide open but i guess he wasn’t so much comparing sharpness in this comparison but noise and wanted to get as much light as possible in 30 minutes so his decision does make sense. I would have stopped down to f/4 though and doubled exposure time for better results.

@mahir_m01 3 года назад

Hey Nico, Thank you for your wonderful tutorials....I've just got into astrophotography and your tutorials help me so much... Can't wait for this one as well... I'm just 15 btw... Hope I will be able to take such type of pics one day...❤️

@floryda4281 3 года назад

Nice to hear that young people are interested in astronomy! I was about your age when I started myself. But we had no digital cameras and no internet back then :-) Take care and clear skies!

@mahir_m01 3 года назад

@@floryda4281 thx : )

@ethanlayman1230 2 года назад

Hows it going

@epic_playz4283 2 года назад

Same here im 15! And the mounts are just overpriced for telescopes for me

@fakharhaider6269 3 года назад

thanks for covering such an important topic in a very comprehensive way

@NebulaPhotos 3 года назад

Glad you liked it!

@qfwfqqfwfq6249 2 года назад

Hi. Thank you a lot. Your explanation is very clear, and I'm going to try to take some pictures as soon as possible. Goo job!

@adiraj5158 3 года назад

FINALLY!! I really hope the results are close.. im willing to put in the hardwork but i just dont have the money to spend for tracker gear to take pictures... so far ive taken pics of everything from andromeda to the horsehead nebula.. cant wait for this amazing vid!

@TheAnoniemo 3 года назад

You could make some basic barn door style start tracker yourself on the cheap.

@SiegfriedGlina 2 года назад

Wow. Loads of good information here. Thanks.

@Riveda1972 Год назад

OMG... I just have a Nikon d5600 as in your example about choosing the proper ISO value. Thanks a lot your explanation was very very useful!

@matrixlee6392 2 года назад

Thanks for your awesome video! I lived in Medford too and really wish I could go with you to a photoshoot session. I'm going to try my first astrophotography soon when the next new moon comes and your video really helped me a lot in my preparation. Thanks again!

@TheCellCH 3 года назад

Really nice video again Nico, I want a tracker now :)

@trevorgreen2232 3 года назад

An excellent presentation and I really appreciate your detail in this presentation Thank you

@datbarricade9995 2 года назад

This was incredibly informative and the picture looks stunning! I didn´t know there are calibration white and black shots needed, but it´s really obvious now that I think about it. Maybe I am able to shoot something like this in the future.

@JJherne 3 года назад

Great video, really very interesting and helpful

@astrospeedcuber Год назад

Those camera settings helped a lot, thank you

@dr.mainakchakraborty9297 3 года назад

Fabulous..your are too good..great effort man.

@INTAL115 4 месяца назад

Wow, using the levels is a game changer! Thanks! Was stoked that all the colors just popped on my image. (orion nebula)

@isaacteal 2 года назад

This is one of the more convincing examples in my opinion that I ought to really take the plunge into tracker land. Dang!

@kevingumfory Год назад

The very best content creator ! His channel isn't full of infomercial shit ! You get top notch KNOWLEDGE here without having shit crammed down your throat for sale. Niko is bomb. Im very grateful. You can find some reviews on his channel but mostly you're going to learn technique.

@jbreezy3146 2 года назад

Dude you got me like binge watching your videos lol awesome content.

@taurus7228 3 года назад

👏 lot of work in this video. I could not forward any part. I’ll use this as a reference. Thank you

@Dani-lu2up 3 года назад

Your videos are so amazing and they have taught me a lot! :) thanks you a lot

@jonathanpearceff 2 года назад

A great video and very informative. Apart from the moon, I have never taken pictures of any deep sky objects, and if I took a picture similar to the unguided image, then I would be very happy. I am slowly getting my head around all this, and luckily have the kit needed (DSLR, a few lenses, tripods). Just waiting for the opportunity to arise now. Seeing your videos gives me inspiration.

@illcaponesok833 Год назад

I’m taking a picture of the Pleiades right now. I don’t have a dew heater, and the I can feel the dampness in air. I’m hoping for the best, but this video will hopefully give me a decent look if things don’t go to plan. Thanks again, Nico!