Star trail pictures
Posted: 25 Dec 2011 19:49
There are a few very good photographers on this forum, and I would like their advice.
In late March next year I will be on Kubu Island during a dark moon period, and I would like to take one of those star trail pictures, preferably with one or two Baobab trees in it. The challenge is that I have never tried anything like this before, and have no opportunity to practise it (there is just too much light pollution here), and I will have only one opportunity, and that only if the weather is good.
Therefore I need a lot of advice, and would like to ask the following questions:
1) I have two cameras, both Nikons. The one is an old D100, the other a new D7000. I do however have a power source for the D100, and could thus power it from the dual battery via an inverter, but for the D7000 I only have a battery. I would prefer to take the picture with the D7000, but wil it's battery last or should I rather use the D100?
2) I have two lenses, a Nikkor AF 28-105 f3.5-4.5 D and a Nikkor AF 80-400 f4.5-5.6 D VR. Which should I use, and at approximately what focal length?
3) I would prefer to take a single picture using long exposure noise reduction rather than a series of exposures that are later stacked, as I do not have the software to stack, nor do I have a programmable (or any other) camera remote. What ISO, f-stop and exposure time should I be looking at?
4)Will the vibration of pressing the shutter release button spoil the photo, or is the disturbance of short enough duration not to cause problems? IE do I need to squeeze a remote into my non-existant budget?
5)I undestand that I need to "paint" the tree/s with a torch, how powerful a torch and for how long?
Any other advice would also be welcome.
Thanks
In late March next year I will be on Kubu Island during a dark moon period, and I would like to take one of those star trail pictures, preferably with one or two Baobab trees in it. The challenge is that I have never tried anything like this before, and have no opportunity to practise it (there is just too much light pollution here), and I will have only one opportunity, and that only if the weather is good.
Therefore I need a lot of advice, and would like to ask the following questions:
1) I have two cameras, both Nikons. The one is an old D100, the other a new D7000. I do however have a power source for the D100, and could thus power it from the dual battery via an inverter, but for the D7000 I only have a battery. I would prefer to take the picture with the D7000, but wil it's battery last or should I rather use the D100?
2) I have two lenses, a Nikkor AF 28-105 f3.5-4.5 D and a Nikkor AF 80-400 f4.5-5.6 D VR. Which should I use, and at approximately what focal length?
3) I would prefer to take a single picture using long exposure noise reduction rather than a series of exposures that are later stacked, as I do not have the software to stack, nor do I have a programmable (or any other) camera remote. What ISO, f-stop and exposure time should I be looking at?
4)Will the vibration of pressing the shutter release button spoil the photo, or is the disturbance of short enough duration not to cause problems? IE do I need to squeeze a remote into my non-existant budget?
5)I undestand that I need to "paint" the tree/s with a torch, how powerful a torch and for how long?
Any other advice would also be welcome.
Thanks