Anyone use their California for Astrophotography?

[GrumpyGranddad]

Thanks @GrumpyGranddad. I just need to start getting out more and practicing. I get out quite a bit with my camera taking landscape and street photography. View attachment 87148

Like that shot @Nate73
I need to get out more with my camera. No excuses really just need to make the effort.

 

[Nate73]

Like that shot @Nate73
I need to get out more with my camera. No excuses really just need to make the effort.

I agree and I’m sometimes guilty of not taking the camera out as often as I should. There’s one night shot over Halifax I’ve been talking about taking for about 12 months now. That’s it you’ve kicked my backside. If it’s clear this weekend that shot will be done.

 

[flying banana]

Thanks, can’t wait to get it out - we live in South London so Astro photography can be a challenge even with narrowband filters! There are some darker sky sites further into Kent and East Sussex that I’m hoping to pop down to whenever the weather is clear for a few hours but hoping to get some longer trips in to some of the real dark sky sites next year: Dartmoor, Brecon, Snowdon, Kielder etc.

My main setup uses a Skywatcher EQ6R mount and either a ZWO ASI 1600 for narrowband or an ASI 2600 for rgb colour. Use a range of scopes from a Celestron 8HD right down to Samyang wide angle camera lenses (too much kit!). Will probably use the smaller scopes with the van as easier to set up and get going quickly. They don’t have a huge power draw so will be interesting to see how long I can run off the leisure batteries….

If you’re interested, I post my Astro stuff on Instagram as rob.astro . Maybe we’ll have to organise a Cali Astro meet up at a dark sky site in 2022
One of my recent images below:

View attachment 86536

That's a fantastic image. Wow.

 

[haydnw2]

Just bought a Samyang 24mm f1.4 for my 5D, so definitely up for a meet-up once I've found my feet!

 

[Nate73]

Just bought a Samyang 24mm f1.4 for my 5D, so definitely up for a meet-up once I've found my feet!

That should let some light it at f1.4.

 

[Photo Nan]

The most expensive accessory to my camera kit is my California Coast makes the Fuji XT3 seem cheap . Not into Astro but always up to try out new things mainly do street and macro.

 

[Nate73]

The most expensive accessory to my camera kit is my California Coast makes the Fuji XT3 seem cheap . Not into Astro but always up to try out new things mainly do street and macro.

I love street photography. Do you share anything on Instagram?

 

[Photo Nan]

I love street photography. Do you share anything on Instagram?

Yes I’m on instagram photo_nan_

 

[Nate73]

Yes I’m on instagram photo_nan_

Found you. Followed from my account. Nothing_set

 

[Photo Nan]

Found you. Followed from my account. Nothing_set

Awesome found you too

 

[MeltedGoldfish]

We accidentally stumbled across the Astronomy Photographer of the Year (2020) exhibition at Lacock when away in the van a couple of weeks ago.



Here's the winning image.

And here's my impromptu attempt back at the campsite that evening! All I need now is some proper gear and a bucket load of talent...

 

[Nate73]

We accidentally stumbled across the Astronomy Photographer of the Year (2020) exhibition at Lacock when away in the van a couple of weeks ago.

View attachment 87656

Here's the winning image.

And here's my impromptu attempt back at the campsite that evening! All I need now is some proper gear and a bucket load of talent...

We accidentally stumbled across the Astronomy Photographer of the Year (2020) exhibition at Lacock when away in the van a couple of weeks ago.

View attachment 87656

Here's the winning image.

And here's my impromptu attempt back at the campsite that evening! All I need now is some proper gear and a bucket load of talent...

View attachment 87657

We’ve all ended up with the same photo at some point in our journey. I’m only a step ahead of you

Amazing images from the competition though.

 

[flying banana]

Anyone managed to get any pics of the comet flying past venus currently? Apparently naked eye visible and may be fragmenting. Just not stopped raining here since it brightened

 

[Nate73]

Anyone managed to get any pics of the comet flying past venus currently? Apparently naked eye visible and may be fragmenting. Just not stopped raining here since it brightened

Waiting for a clear dry night in Yorkshire.

 

[Happy Snapper]

Sadly a lack of clear skies, time, and various lockdowns have meant I've only been out once so far with the van for a bit of astrophotography, but hoping to get out more in the coming months.

Here's a couple of images I took a few weeks ago in Iceland though.

 

[Nate73]

Sadly a lack of clear skies, time, and various lockdowns have meant I've only been out once so far with the van for a bit of astrophotography, but hoping to get out more in the coming months.

Here's a couple of images I took a few weeks ago in Iceland though.

View attachment 87670
View attachment 87671

Great photos. What kit do you use?

 

[Happy Snapper]

Great photos. What kit do you use?

Thanks. Those images are Nikon Z7 with Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens (both 10 sec + ISO 3200)

 

[Nate73]

Thanks. Those images are Nikon Z7 with Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens (both 10 sec + ISO 3200)

Great stuff. I have a Z6ii with a handful of Z lenses. How you do find the Samyang?? I’ve not used one yet.

 

[Happy Snapper]

Great stuff. I have a Z6ii with a handful of Z lenses. How you do find the Samyang?? I’ve not used one yet.

Someone recommended it to me and I have to say for the money I've been mightily impressed by it. There's a very slight loss of sharpness in the corners but it's hardly noticeable.

I took a selection of Nikon lenses with me (14-30 f/4, 20 f/1.8, 24/70 f/4, and 70-200 f/2.8) and the astro images from the Samyang look fine alongside images from those lenses. I expect the 14-24 f/2.8 is better but it's 7x the price of the Samyang.

 

[Nate73]

Someone recommended it to me and I have to say for the money I've been mightily impressed by it. There's a very slight loss of sharpness in the corners but it's hardly noticeable.

I took a selection of Nikon lenses with me (14-30 f/4, 20 f/1.8, 24/70 f/4, and 70-200 f/2.8) and the astro images from the Samyang look fine alongside images from those lenses. I expect the 14-24 f/2.8 is better but it's 7x the price of the Samyang.

I’ll take a look at what they offer as I’m in the market for a 70-200. My longest lens is the kit 24-70 which is great but something bigger is needed. My current favourite for street and night photography is the 50mm prime f1.8. It soon becomes another expensive hobby

 

[Moon Madness]

Had a couple of clear nights at last, so back garden it was last night, Star Adventurer tracker, Canon 80d and Samyang 2.0 135mm on Orion. 60 x 1 min exposures stacked in Sequator and Photoshop processed. First time I had tried this on Orion and pleased with result for what I tried.

 

[Nate73]

Had a couple of clear nights at last, so back garden it was last night, Star Adventurer tracker, Canon 80d and Samyang 2.0 135mm on Orion. 60 x 1 min exposures stacked in Sequator and Photoshop processed. First time I had tried this on Orion and pleased with result for what I tried.View attachment 87943

Great shot and a different perspective at 135mm. How are you finding the Star Adventure tracker? I'd like something more light weight in my kit back when my van arrives?

 

[Moon Madness]

Great shot and a different perspective at 135mm. How are you finding the Star Adventure tracker? I'd like something more light weight in my kit back when my van arrives?

I have the original version not the newer Wi-Fi one, but like the added options it gives my normal photography. It is so portable, so is no issue to take on trips. The 135mm with the crop sensor effectively gave me 200mm, and for the purpose of the upload the image is rotated 90 degrees. Balancing and precise polar alignment I can find tricky sometimes, so did not push the exposures over the minute mark in case of trailing. But the Star Adventurer can probably offer more than I have achieved so far. To get the results I have with having this tracker I am really pleased. I don’t for one minute consider me proficient at Astro photography. I guess I recommend it!

 

[Moon Madness]

Great shot and a different perspective at 135mm. How are you finding the Star Adventure tracker? I'd like something more light weight in my kit back when my van arrives?

I see you have a 50mm prime, there is a good video on You Tube by Delta Astrophotography, where he takes a picture of Orion using a 50mm, might be worth a look if you have not come across it, it shows what’s possible and I used a lot of his ideas in processing the image I took.

 

[Nate73]

I have the original version not the newer Wi-Fi one, but like the added options it gives my normal photography. It is so portable, so is no issue to take on trips. The 135mm with the crop sensor effectively gave me 200mm, and for the purpose of the upload the image is rotated 90 degrees. Balancing and precise polar alignment I can find tricky sometimes, so did not push the exposures over the minute mark in case of trailing. But the Star Adventurer can probably offer more than I have achieved so far. To get the results I have with having this tracker I am really pleased. I don’t for one minute consider me proficient at Astro photography. I guess I recommend it!

It's my Birthday in March so I guess the Star Adventurer will be on the list.