Now that’s an even better option. I’ve got a set of tracked shots that I need to stack...looking forward to editing those images. Thanks for watching 😁👍
I stack and track as well, I captured Comet Neowise in 10 x 30sec exp and captured the ion tail , I now want to track and stack the Milky Way as stacking reduces the noise so in theory you get the best of both worlds.
I remember watching this video during the early parts of the pandemic. There was one sentence around the four minute mark, "if you really get into it, you can track nebulas etc." Thousands of dollars later I am a dedicated Deep Sky Object astro nerd. Thanks a lot Mike.... What did you do to me?! Cheers
Another nice video of you. I really appreciate your down to earth and directly getting to the point tutorials. Not much big Blablabla. I wanna learn something, I find your video and after I found the information that I was looking for. It was the same with the timelapse videos! Thanks! Would be great seeing you doing more advanced tutorials on different things like astrophotography and timelapses.
Mike, this was a nice video! Some of the astrophotographers I follow are now doing stacked and tracked together for really awesome results -- even producing panoramas that are stunning. I have done stacked with great results using Starry Landscape Stacker, and have begun to use the StarWatcher Star Adventurer for tracking. On my next trip to the darkness I hope to combine the two techniques. Thanks for posting!
Thanks Tony! That’s definitely the way to go as the next step. I’m hoping to do the same later in the year and I’ll definitely be making some tutorials on it showing how I get on with it. It’s interesting to see the differences between the two and to see what’s better...so combining the two will produce even better results!! Thanks for watching. 👍
Thanks so much Dean, it is so much fun...although you will end up losing a lot of sleep when you get addicted to it!! 😆 Thanks for watching and commenting, much appreciated! 👍
Great video Mike. As a beginner intro AP, but someone who has used telescopes and understands equatorial mounts a little bit, I often wondered how you could use a star tracker to get sharp images of foreground as well as sky, but taking multiple separate images of the foreground and stacking, then blending tracked sky + stacked foreground makes complete sense. Very well explained!
Very timely discussion, Mike - was wondering about this myself, having done some stacking and recently purchased an inexpensive tracker - think you nailed the pros/cons for each nicely.. Thanks!
Thanks so much Gordon! They are both really good ways of getting better astrophotography images...and the next step is to track and stack! 😁 Thanks for watching! 👍
Under Oklahoma sky's here. I really enjoy your videos. Very informative for some one starting out. Good Day and good luck on your Asto projects Sir. Subscribed.
Mike, great video, thanks for sharing. Keep in mind that your foreground shot can be thought of as a completely different exposure. Frame up your composition to get the foreground the way you want it, take a long, non-tracking exposure to capture the foreground to get a nice exposure histogram, eg. a frame at 5-min f2.8 ISO 100 (and maybe even multiple shots to *focus* stack and nail those closer compositional elements!), and then refocus on your stars and get your series of tracking shots. I use an older AstroTrac TT320X tracker, virtually unknown these days, but a great piece of portable kit. I still keep my frames down to 2-3 minutes just to keep my stars as pinpoint as possible... polar alignment can be tough with the AstroTrac.
That's a good point Craig. It's a good way to look at it to get the foreground as one shot and then the sky as a second set of exposures. The astrotrack looks like an interesting tracker... Thanks for watching 😁👍
Also, when using the tracker you don’t simply align Polaris so it is “in the crosshairs”. It’s usually aligned somewhere in the ring around the center crosshairs (if your viewers get into trackers, they’ll quickly see what I’m talking about). So if you’re going for those long exposures (>1-2mins.) you will benefit from a more precise alignment. There are several pieces of software you can use - I think the one I use is called polar scope align. Excellent video! Great info and well presented. Subbed.
Thanks so much Dave. Most definitely. I should have been more precise on the polar alignment but I will be doing a tutorial on that later in the year and I’ll link that in when I do. Thanks so much for the sub, watching the video and commenting, much appreciated! 😁👍
I’ve been stacking for about a year and am very tempted to get a tracker. The hold up revolves around the fact that I live in upstate NY with lots of clouds, humidity and night haze. To get good night skies I have to travel and dealing with the extra size/weight on airlines is daunting. Thanks for helping make the decision even more difficult.
Haha! It is a tricky one...I know all about travelling with that extra weight...trackers are fantastic but they really are a lump of extra weight. I had to sell mine as I've just moved to Thailand...I couldn't get it all in my hand luggage and my checked baggage was already over... There is a company called shoot move shoot (I think) that makes a really small tracker...if you google them, that might be a solution...🤔
@@mikesphotography I came across your video after checking out "Move Shoot Move" and their system looks really cool, and really lightweight. I'm just getting into astro and your video was really helpful. Thx!
I love your astro photography videos, Mike. This one was another great one. I got the starry landscape stacker and was really impressed at how easy it is and how good a job it does. I tried stacking in photoshop once and there is no comparison as far as ease of use goes. I am looking forward to my next Milky Way shoot with the Sony 24mm F1.4. Tracking seems cool. I would love to try it sometime. I really like the colors that you are able to get. Keep up the great work. Cheers!
Thanks so much Stephen! I really enjoyed making this one...I even got approached by another camel spider again...and I have footage of me trying to give it a hefty boot...after which it retreated!! 😆 I was really impressed by the colours I was able to get with the tracker...and when you get your alignment right, it’s amazing how much longer you can keep your shutter open for. The 24mm GM will be a fantastic lens...been trying to get my hands on that for a while!! 😁👍
Stephen, if you would like to see a comparison of trackers, check out Peter Zelinka's channel. I have the Star Adventurer, but I think Pete overall prefers the iOptron SkyGuider Pro.
I've been using the Move-shoot-Move tracker. It's really compact, and inexpensive. East to align, using a bright, green laser. www.moveshootmove.com/products/sifo-rotator-for-star-tracking-time-lapse-panorama-photography
Wow I was just wondering about this exact same thing and here you are putting out a video. Great video and extremely informative...so much so that I went ahead and ordered a tracker. It should be here day after never because I as I was checking out they announced the new a7Rmark4. I know it doesn't have a flippy screen or 4k60 but the exposure comp dial has A LOCK!!!!! As near as a perfect camera as you can get as far as vegetables and police are concerned. Anyways thanks.
The next thing for you to do: Try tracking the Milky Way at 100-200mm or so and by taking a number of photos (like a gigapixel panorama) you can end up with a Milky Way shot with much higher resolution. You arrange the photos as you would a regular panorama. I’ve gotten some insane looking images with 130mm (100mm F2.0 and a 1.3x crop) then making a panorama of the resulting images. I’d say 85mm at the low end and 200mm if you have all night to cover enough of the sky.
I bought an iOptron SkyGuider Pro + Ball head attachment a last year and found that the base was terrible. A lot of the UA-camrs recommend upgrading to the William Optics base. After doing that I ended up with a tracker that tracked in RA well enough. I then picked a lens that wouldn't exceed the limits of the tracker. More recently I upgraded my mount to the SkyWatcher HEQ5, which is a much better solution (tracks RA and DEC) to the tracking, and it has a GOTO feature. The HEQ5 cost about AUD$300 less than the SkyGuider Pro with the upgraded base. So I wish I'd just gone with that mount in the first place. If I had gone with the HEQ5 I could have also been less restrictive with the lens. If you're thinking of doing astrophotography... and portability is your main concern, then perhaps one of these trackers is good. If you are not worried about portability, then save your self some time and money and just do it right. I think the rule is "buy the best you can afford", not just what suits you right now because that will change more quickly than you can change your gear, especially if you're on a budget.
Hello Mike, good presentation as usual !! :o) I use small tracking setup (Ioptron) for longer focals than 35mm to keep longer exposure time. Close up images of milkyway with the 85mm or 135mm is giving astonish results. More difficult to combine with a foreground subject but assembly is still possible in post.
Hi Patrick, I hear the loptron is a fantastic little tracker! It’s definitely a little tricky to include a foreground element especially with the longer focal lengths. I try and find a mountain or something higher than me so I can get a more clear part of the atmosphere behind the landscape. 😁👍
I choose the Ioptron to have a very compact system, able to be placed in the same backpack with cameras. The weak point is a lower loading capability. But as your mount I can align with polar finder. This is enough for short exposure time. For longer time and long focal lenses (>200 and my telescope) I'm using a big AZ6 ...
Hi Mike, there are polar alignment apps like Polar Scope Align, which is free and iOptron Polar Scope, which costs $1.99. Hope this helps. The other thing about tracking is that you can use filtration. This gets both complicated and expensive but it allows the camera to record wavelengths of light not visible to the naked eye. Most popular filters are Hydrogen Alpha and O III and they are very expensive. I have heard of them being available in gel form (which could be attached to the rear of the lens with very small dabs of white glue if your lens doesn't accommodate rear filters) but an internet search has turned up anything. I have not done things like this myself but I understand lot of people take three shots and a dark frame and use the Photoshop channel mixer to blend the images together. I'm poor so I will be doing stacking for quite a while yet!
That’s great to know, thanks for the info! I have the sam console from Sky-Watcher which gives the polar alignment as well. I’m familiar with dark frames but haven’t used any of the specialised filters. It would be interesting to see the results with those. Haha! I know what you mean...I was lucky to have a friend who lent me his tracker...this photography game is an expensive one isn’t it!!
@@mikesphotography My pleasure Mike. Enjoying your videos. Finally got out a few weeks ago and gave it a shot and apart from a few minor technical problems, I actually got something I was happy with. Next time I'll be trying stacking. I used both my A7r and M43, largely because of your four-way comparison video and I was really surprised and very satisfied with the results. The Olympus did really well, especially when the specialised noise reduction setting was used in Olympus Workspace. This has given me a kind of roadmap for what I want to do next and what to expect.
That's awesome!! I've been surprised time and time again with the smaller sensor cameras and more budget line cameras... Great to hear you have a plan of what to do next!
There is an ideal combination of ISO and exposure time per image sensor (Canon 6D 1600 or 3200 iso and 3 minutes for example) to get the most light and colors, stop down at least one stop below max of the lens, then both track and stack the result images with white and dark frames, the results are mind blowing. (with no foreground) And I use DeepSkyStacker.
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge Mike! If were to stack tracked images of the MW how many exposures do you recommend and also is there an interval I should follow to cool the sensor
Hi Rupert, that depends on so many different variables ... first of all you need a well set up tracker ... if it is not set up well, you'll get some kind of movement in the stars. I had a friend who would just throw it together and do a really rough track and his exposure times were much shorter than I could get. If I spend a lot of time tracking properly I can end up being able to get around an 8 minute exposure time without any visible drifting with the shorter focal lengths ... up to 100mm or so. Then you have to consider your ambient temperature. If it is low, you don't have to stack with such long exposures and wide field shots but if it is hot, the long exposure noise will really show itself. for deep space objects, the more data the better. It really is a case of testing the kit that you have and getting to know it by spending time out under the stars. Thanks for watching 😁👍
Hello again Mike, normally when I take a photo of the milky way, I use a 11-16mm tokina, 20/25 seconds, 1600/3200 iso (1 shot) If I wanted to stack them, what would be the settings? Thank you. I love all your videos, you are precise, straight to the point, clear, and perfect English (better than mine) 😁 Ciao from Sicily!
Thanks so much Yvon!! To stack them, take them as normal...with those exact settings. Then take more shots with those same settings with the lens cap on (these will be your dark frames). This will then help the program determine what is noise and what is noise and what is meant to be in the shot. Then when you load the images in to sequator or starry landscape stacker, load your main images as light frames and then the dark frames in as well and let the program process them all into a much cleaner image. Here is my tutorial on starry landscape stacker: ua-cam.com/video/rEU9kPCwotM/v-deo.html&t
I live in Dubai and it's super polluted with light but I want to get into astrophotography...I look up Arun's Instagram and seems like he lives in United Arab Emirates as well, making me excited for what I can capture from UAE without having to go to some mountain area in another country.
Arun is the guy to talk to about locations! 👍 Out in the Empty Quarter there are some great locations for astro. You just need to get away from any of the cities and even the small towns out in the desert. I always enjoyed heading out to Liwa whenever there's a new moon. 😁👍
Thanks for your info here Mike. The major difference I get from your comparison is the depth of colour in the resulting images. Can't the stacked image be "lifted" in colour depth in post processing to get similar result/effect as the tracked image?
Thanks David. Yep, you’re right. The colour can be lifted in the stacked image but I didn’t want to play with it too much so we could see the initial starting point I got from the two processes alone. I think when tracked properly, you can get really deep rich colours as a starting point whereas the tracked image needs a little help...they are both viable options though and I stack a lot of my images now, when I’m travelling and don’t have my tracker with me. Thanks for watching. 👍
you can't boost something your camera didn't even capture... like very faint nebulas i captured northamerica nebula last week - yesterday i stacked 500 untracked shots (that took about 2 hours!), each light frame 2 seconds @170mm f/5 and the stacked image was very greyish with a very very very faint redish tint here and there... my camera didn't capture enough of that color, so i can't boost it :-) this is the point why i'm looking forward to buy a tracker - or a telescope mount (for a telescope later and the camera now)
Very informative Mike--much appreciated. Do you know if it is OK to combine photo files that are identical except for ISO? I have 7 shots in which two are at ISO 5000 and 5 at ISO 6400. I would be using Sequator, which I realize is not your program of choice, but would doing this mess up Starry Landscape Tracker?
That's a good question Neil. The best bet would be to try it out. Sequator is quite intuitive and I think it's free so there's no harm in trying it out if you already have the photos. 👍
Thanks so much Noe...such a shame you can't get any decent night sky locations in your country...I'd love to see what you could produce if you did get to a good location! Thanks for watching and commenting dude! 👍
This was really interesting, Mike. I am often in a dark skies location ( not a warm one, though!) and think it would be fun to try and capture the stars. I think I would need a headlamp as well to find my way to a good spot to shoot. I have been considering buying the Sony 24 f1.4 G master lens and need a good "excuse" ha, ha. I currently have the a7iii which should be good enough but am thinking that a7riii could be in my future if the prices drop significantly. I am going to check out your recommendation for the Windows free program to stack.( baby steps!) . The image with the tracking was definitely more compelling. I really appreciate your channel, Mike; :I have been with you since the start!
@@Eli-lb1lc I have been wanting that lens since it was released! I am still 'debating ' between that and the Tamron 17-'28 f2.8 ( trying to be practical!) but I know in my heart that I really covet the GMaster lens! Please report back after you have tried it out!
The 24mm gmaster is a fantastic Astro lens! I’d highly recommend it! If it’s a bit out of your budget the batis 25mm f2 is also fantastic and I got mine for about $600 second hand! It’s definitely worth doing single shots to start with to get used to the basics, then start stacking and after that tracking. And for the pc, sequator looks great. I’ll be doing a tutorial on using it later in the year.
@@mikesphotography Thanks Mike. Have you tried using the Sony 28 f.2 ? I already own that lens and could try that out in the meantime ( although I am lusting after that 24GM lens and have yet to hear anybody not rave about it!) I am in a big urban city so no chance of taking stars until I get back to my remote Island!
Tracking is better because you get more detail, color, and the same type of noise reduction really. Stacking is way less expensive though and it’s easier to do
I have a Ioptron Skyguider Pro. Used it some in the backyard and got good results . Tried loading Sequator but my computer doesn't want to save it. I can use it but was unable to save it to the computer for some reason . Thanks for the video.
That's strange...I was able to get it on to my workstation...🤔 not sure what is happening there. So the Ioptron Skyguider pro is a good unit then? I looked at that but luckily my friend lent me his spare one to use for the year. They are fantastic bits of kit aren't they!? 👍
@@mikesphotography could be an issue with my anti virus program. Will have to try again. Yes I love the Ioptron, I use the Polar Findrr app and takes 5 minutes to set up . Have had no star trails with a 200mm lens and about a 5 minute exposure. Still need to take it to a dark sky site.
I'm looking at the sequator download page and it's not just one little quick plug n play thing. There are lots of downloads and it appears like they've been patching it as they go which is fine but I get lost in the details. You have to install Microsoft visual C++ as well. I'm lost. Thought it'd be easier.
That sounds frustrating. I'm going to make a tutorial on using sequator soon as I'm moving away from apple computers, so keep an eye out for that one. 👍
Most definitely!! Once we're allowed back outside, I have a video planned on that very subject!! It would be really interesting to see how much detail we could get out of the milkyway and other deep space objects!! 😁👍
Yes definitely. You will need a fast lens for it though...I used to use the Canon 600D which is the t3i but has the same sensor as the t2i. I used it first off with the sigma 10-20mm but the aperture wasn't huge. I think the samyang/rokinon 12mm would be fantastic with that sensor: amzn.to/2TkzhQO Thanks for watching. 😁👍
Hi - Just saw this video and found super helpful. I've been looking into this star tracker and will definitely use your link. I had a question between the three packs they have. I see that there are more parts included in the pro pack, but is that all necessary? I use sony a7iii as my camera and currently own sony 20mm f1.8. Why doesn't the f stop make difference? I thought you're able to capture more light? Too many questions! Have not been able to find good answers online!
With the pro pack, it has the wedge to easily get it to the right angle for your latitude, and then the counter weight is good for bigger setups and to keep the sight for polar alignment free from obstructions. I'd go for the pro pack as once you understand how it all works, this will give you the most benefit. With any lens, it will have its sweet spot...and for a lot of lenses this is around F8, give or take a few stops. When you get a good alignment, you can do exposures of 8 minutes plus so this gives you a lot of light, at the best settings for your lens. Does that make sense?
Mike Smith I will definitely go with pro pack. I didn’t think I would ever use higher than F4 for Astro. This would work better for me as lower f stop lenses tend to be more expensive. I feel I can try wider angle lenses now instead which will be cheaper at higher f stops.
I was exactly the same. I've always been on the quest for faster and faster lenses but with the introduction of a tracker, it really does open up so many possibilities with lenses. 😁👍
Good question. I'm not a deep space shooter, so I wouldn't want to suggest the wrong thing. This guy would probably the better person to ask: ua-cam.com/channels/n3npsPixgoi_xLdCg9J-LQ.html 👍
It's always the same Antoni...as soon as you buy a cool bit of kit...the weather always gets in the way...I'm sure your persistence will pay off in the end though! 😁👍
Hi Gilson, there is a way to do it, and I will be doing a tutorial on tracking later in the year. Basically you need to extend a line from the Southern Cross until it reaches the octant and the point is half way between this line and the Octant...Sounds complicated but it's actually quite straight forward and there are apps to help...the one I use is SAM console (sky watcher app). I hope that helps. 👍
Is there any reason not to stack a series of tracked images? I mean, if its a planet you are tracking rotation of the object might be a reason not to, but what about nebulas or galaxys?
Deep space photographers will do just that. Stack and track. I just made this to show the differences if someone was thinking about buying a tracker but wasn't sure they could afford it. 👍
@@mikesphotography thanks Mike, i found a grat answer just a fee comments bellow too. I think my first atempt Will be to stack a.few earlly sunrise or late evening landscape 2 ir 3 exposure eaxh photos and then Will try to stitch some panoramas with those. If ir goes well Will try to replicate with More exposures and attempt to build a mosaic of stacked pices of the milky way. That will give me some time buid experience before picking a tracker and
Are you referring to the file that the camera saves? If so, set your camera to RAW in camera and then go through the process as I did in this video: ua-cam.com/video/rEU9kPCwotM/v-deo.html&t Thanks for watching. 👍
Hello Mike, I tried to stacki images with Starry Landscape on my iMac but I have always had some problems. The app kept saying that the image had to be taken with the same settings. I shot 10 images, the flat ones, and then 10 dark frames; same iso, aperture and time of exposure. What did I do wrong?
That is strange...were you in manual mode? There must be a setting that is recorded in the metadata that is causing the program to put this message up...it might be worth getting in contact with the developer...they might be able to give you a clearer answer to your problem. Sorry I couldn't help more.
Coke vs Pepsi? Some people have strong opinions. I'm a tracker for life. You can stop down and have tight corners and round stars. I don't care how awesome your lens is, it's much better stopped down 2 stops from maximum
Stacking tracked shots would give you more data in one frame. Astrophotography (especially deep space astro) is all about collecting data and then collating it. So the more time you get with the shutter open collecting light from the celestial object out there, the more info you will have to work with...in theory. Thanks for watching 👍
Hey Patrick, unfortunately I haven't had the chance to go out and shoot the stars since then...covid...moving countries...living in a city with about a bottle 9 level has really hindered my astrophotography... I've been planning an astrophotography shoot down south in the islands soon though so hopefully this will change soon. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography are you in the UK? Heard it's bad there. 2020 I didn't do any astro we had strict lockdowns. But I bought the skyguider pro, learning how to use it Had one or two people say it's not worth it for wide shots when you can stack but the comparison you show in this video is much better tracked
No, we've been away from the UK for so long now and this pandemic is making distances feel so much bigger... we're in Thailand at the moment...Bangkok is a very bright city...😆🤦🏻♂️ It's amazing how good trackers are when you allign them properly. I think they're fantastic for both widefield and deep objects...they just give your camera more time to collect light. 👍
Ok I have a tracker and I stack my issue is the bloody foreground. That’s blurring as we know it will how do you merge to files together? Can you do a video or hints on this please?
Hi Simon, I'll see what I can do for a future video. ...what software do you use? Photoshop is by far the best option with layers for blending the foreground into a good sky stack. If you search for that, you might find some good videos on it. Thanks for watching. 👍
When you shoot RAW images, they will look a little flat. Have you checked out my editing astrophotography tutorial yet? That might help... ua-cam.com/video/Cuc8UosddH8/v-deo.html&t I hope that helps. 😁👍
There is one from a company called move shoot move...it looks good as is pretty cheap. www.moveshootmove.com/collections/sifo-rotator/products/sifo-rotator-for-star-tracking-time-lapse-panorama-photography?aff=13 👍
No worries. You need to check to see the weight capacity of your tripod and then the weight of the tracker you're thinking of getting together with the camera and lens. As long as it's all within the capacity of the tripod weight limit, you'll be ok. Thanks for watching 😁👍
Thanks! Yes you definitely can. If you get a tracker mount, you can even connect it up to a computer and tether those images. I've never done it but a few of my friends have huge telescope rigs that they do that with. 👍
That's the downside of longer focal lengths. Some Trackers aren't that expensive so it might be worth getting. It's amazing what photos you'll be able to get.
Hi ! one small help ! will you clarify that ? I jus dropped my cam i dint notice anything at that time yesterday when i started to change my lens i saw the sensor is shaking ? what happens whn these things happens how to rectify that
Was the camera turned off when you changed the lens? If so, then the sensor does wobble when you move the camera about when turned off. Also has the drop changed how the camera takes photographs or video?
@@mikesphotography yeah the camera is turned off , i dint notice any change in taking pictures ! but i am having fear to see :( does this change make diff hereafter ? or should i go to check service centre near by
This is normal. When the camera is turned off, the sensor looks like it wobbles all over the place. This is because the stabilisation motors are off and it’s free to move with any movement you put into it. Nothing to worry about really. If your images start to become blurry when they shouldn’t, that’s when you should get it checked out.
@@mikesphotography Will you please do video of filters , Lightings , and the better photography tips in day and night time , iam jus learning from your video so it is hlpful at high cost
That would work, although some people like the ease of moving from shot to shot quickly, and this is where tracking is a little slower with the setup time. Thanks for watching 👍
So eloquently put...Some people who are just getting in to astrophotography may be thinking of buying a tracker but are not sure whether to spend the money or not...so if they were already stacking, this might just open their eyes to tracking...but you're obviously way too advanced for this video master...
I even stack tracked photos
Now that’s an even better option.
I’ve got a set of tracked shots that I need to stack...looking forward to editing those images.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography I'm planning on doing stacked and tracked too for sperical photography. Is that something you've ever done?
I stack and track as well, I captured Comet Neowise in 10 x 30sec exp and captured the ion tail , I now want to track and stack the Milky Way as stacking reduces the noise so in theory you get the best of both worlds.
Stacking will increasingly become the choice with more and more satellite pollution.
@@CerberusReborn it’s alright pretty soon off-earth astrophotography will be the “thing” lol
I remember watching this video during the early parts of the pandemic. There was one sentence around the four minute mark, "if you really get into it, you can track nebulas etc." Thousands of dollars later I am a dedicated Deep Sky Object astro nerd. Thanks a lot Mike.... What did you do to me?! Cheers
Another nice video of you. I really appreciate your down to earth and directly getting to the point tutorials. Not much big Blablabla. I wanna learn something, I find your video and after I found the information that I was looking for. It was the same with the timelapse videos! Thanks! Would be great seeing you doing more advanced tutorials on different things like astrophotography and timelapses.
Mike, this was a nice video! Some of the astrophotographers I follow are now doing stacked and tracked together for really awesome results -- even producing panoramas that are stunning. I have done stacked with great results using Starry Landscape Stacker, and have begun to use the StarWatcher Star Adventurer for tracking. On my next trip to the darkness I hope to combine the two techniques. Thanks for posting!
Thanks Tony!
That’s definitely the way to go as the next step.
I’m hoping to do the same later in the year and I’ll definitely be making some tutorials on it showing how I get on with it.
It’s interesting to see the differences between the two and to see what’s better...so combining the two will produce even better results!!
Thanks for watching. 👍
Thank you for these videos. I'm looking to get into astrophotography and your videos are so helpful!
Thanks so much Dean, it is so much fun...although you will end up losing a lot of sleep when you get addicted to it!! 😆
Thanks for watching and commenting, much appreciated! 👍
As usual a fine tutorial. Always look forward to your videos.
No worries John, I hope it helps!
Thanks for watching! 😁👍
Awesome vid as always
Can't wait for the next one.
Keep up.
No worries, I hope it helps!
Thanks for watching! 😁👍
You sir are an excellent explainer!! Ty, this is next level 🍻
Just getting into both tracking and stacking. Thanks for the info!
Great to hear Jesse! They're both great techniques and even better when combined.
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
Great video Mike. As a beginner intro AP, but someone who has used telescopes and understands equatorial mounts a little bit, I often wondered how you could use a star tracker to get sharp images of foreground as well as sky, but taking multiple separate images of the foreground and stacking, then blending tracked sky + stacked foreground makes complete sense. Very well explained!
Glad it was helpful Shahzad! Combining these two processes would definitely be the way to do it.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Very timely discussion, Mike - was wondering about this myself, having done some stacking and recently purchased an inexpensive tracker - think you nailed the pros/cons for each nicely.. Thanks!
Thanks so much Gordon! They are both really good ways of getting better astrophotography images...and the next step is to track and stack! 😁
Thanks for watching! 👍
Gordon, which inexpensive tracker did you get?
@@SteveMillerhuntingforfood Sifo Move Shoot Move tracker at www.moveshootmove.com/?aff=13
Under Oklahoma sky's here. I really enjoy your videos. Very informative for some one starting out. Good Day and good luck on your Asto projects Sir. Subscribed.
Thanks so much Jason. I'm glad they're helping.
Thanks for watching, commenting and for subscribing, much appreciated. 👍
Mike, great video, thanks for sharing. Keep in mind that your foreground shot can be thought of as a completely different exposure. Frame up your composition to get the foreground the way you want it, take a long, non-tracking exposure to capture the foreground to get a nice exposure histogram, eg. a frame at 5-min f2.8 ISO 100 (and maybe even multiple shots to *focus* stack and nail those closer compositional elements!), and then refocus on your stars and get your series of tracking shots. I use an older AstroTrac TT320X tracker, virtually unknown these days, but a great piece of portable kit. I still keep my frames down to 2-3 minutes just to keep my stars as pinpoint as possible... polar alignment can be tough with the AstroTrac.
That's a good point Craig. It's a good way to look at it to get the foreground as one shot and then the sky as a second set of exposures.
The astrotrack looks like an interesting tracker...
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Was waiting for this comparison. Thanks Mike :)
No worries dude! I hope it helps!! I really liked using the tracker but it does take time to set up properly. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography good things take time bro :)
Foo Fighters rule. I was just about to buy a tracker, will just try stacking for now. Great vid, subscribed.
Also, when using the tracker you don’t simply align Polaris so it is “in the crosshairs”. It’s usually aligned somewhere in the ring around the center crosshairs (if your viewers get into trackers, they’ll quickly see what I’m talking about). So if you’re going for those long exposures (>1-2mins.) you will benefit from a more precise alignment. There are several pieces of software you can use - I think the one I use is called polar scope align.
Excellent video! Great info and well presented. Subbed.
Thanks so much Dave. Most definitely. I should have been more precise on the polar alignment but I will be doing a tutorial on that later in the year and I’ll link that in when I do.
Thanks so much for the sub, watching the video and commenting, much appreciated! 😁👍
Exactly true! The longer the focal length of the lens, the more critical precise polar alignment becomes.
Thanks for the info.
I’ve been stacking for about a year and am very tempted to get a tracker. The hold up revolves around the fact that I live in upstate NY with lots of clouds, humidity and night haze. To get good night skies I have to travel and dealing with the extra size/weight on airlines is daunting. Thanks for helping make the decision even more difficult.
Haha! It is a tricky one...I know all about travelling with that extra weight...trackers are fantastic but they really are a lump of extra weight. I had to sell mine as I've just moved to Thailand...I couldn't get it all in my hand luggage and my checked baggage was already over...
There is a company called shoot move shoot (I think) that makes a really small tracker...if you google them, that might be a solution...🤔
@@mikesphotography I came across your video after checking out "Move Shoot Move" and their system looks really cool, and really lightweight. I'm just getting into astro and your video was really helpful. Thx!
take a look at "Move Shoot Move". A really small and lightweight tracker. Looks very cool.
I love your astro photography videos, Mike. This one was another great one. I got the starry landscape stacker and was really impressed at how easy it is and how good a job it does. I tried stacking in photoshop once and there is no comparison as far as ease of use goes. I am looking forward to my next Milky Way shoot with the Sony 24mm F1.4. Tracking seems cool. I would love to try it sometime. I really like the colors that you are able to get. Keep up the great work. Cheers!
Thanks so much Stephen! I really enjoyed making this one...I even got approached by another camel spider again...and I have footage of me trying to give it a hefty boot...after which it retreated!! 😆
I was really impressed by the colours I was able to get with the tracker...and when you get your alignment right, it’s amazing how much longer you can keep your shutter open for.
The 24mm GM will be a fantastic lens...been trying to get my hands on that for a while!! 😁👍
Stephen, if you would like to see a comparison of trackers, check out Peter Zelinka's channel. I have the Star Adventurer, but I think Pete overall prefers the iOptron SkyGuider Pro.
I've been using the Move-shoot-Move tracker. It's really compact, and inexpensive. East to align, using a bright, green laser.
www.moveshootmove.com/products/sifo-rotator-for-star-tracking-time-lapse-panorama-photography
Interesting! How is the polar alignment with that system? Is it pretty straight forward or does it take a while?
@@tony_r_pierce Thanks for the info, Tony. I will check out his channel..
I’m on Affinity also, great software esp Photo and Designer! 🥂
Wow I was just wondering about this exact same thing and here you are putting out a video. Great video and extremely informative...so much so that I went ahead and ordered a tracker. It should be here day after never because I as I was checking out they announced the new a7Rmark4. I know it doesn't have a flippy screen or 4k60 but the exposure comp dial has A LOCK!!!!! As near as a perfect camera as you can get as far as vegetables and police are concerned. Anyways thanks.
Thanks so much dude. 😆 I'm going to get two of them in that case!! 😆👍
The next thing for you to do:
Try tracking the Milky Way at 100-200mm or so and by taking a number of photos (like a gigapixel panorama) you can end up with a Milky Way shot with much higher resolution. You arrange the photos as you would a regular panorama. I’ve gotten some insane looking images with 130mm (100mm F2.0 and a 1.3x crop) then making a panorama of the resulting images.
I’d say 85mm at the low end and 200mm if you have all night to cover enough of the sky.
I bought an iOptron SkyGuider Pro + Ball head attachment a last year and found that the base was terrible. A lot of the UA-camrs recommend upgrading to the William Optics base. After doing that I ended up with a tracker that tracked in RA well enough. I then picked a lens that wouldn't exceed the limits of the tracker.
More recently I upgraded my mount to the SkyWatcher HEQ5, which is a much better solution (tracks RA and DEC) to the tracking, and it has a GOTO feature. The HEQ5 cost about AUD$300 less than the SkyGuider Pro with the upgraded base. So I wish I'd just gone with that mount in the first place. If I had gone with the HEQ5 I could have also been less restrictive with the lens.
If you're thinking of doing astrophotography... and portability is your main concern, then perhaps one of these trackers is good. If you are not worried about portability, then save your self some time and money and just do it right. I think the rule is "buy the best you can afford", not just what suits you right now because that will change more quickly than you can change your gear, especially if you're on a budget.
Great advice Paul! Buying the best you can afford is always a good approach!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Excelent!!!
Hello Mike, good presentation as usual !! :o) I use small tracking setup (Ioptron) for longer focals than 35mm to keep longer exposure time. Close up images of milkyway with the 85mm or 135mm is giving astonish results. More difficult to combine with a foreground subject but assembly is still possible in post.
Hi Patrick,
I hear the loptron is a fantastic little tracker!
It’s definitely a little tricky to include a foreground element especially with the longer focal lengths. I try and find a mountain or something higher than me so I can get a more clear part of the atmosphere behind the landscape.
😁👍
I choose the Ioptron to have a very compact system, able to be placed in the same backpack with cameras. The weak point is a lower loading capability. But as your mount I can align with polar finder. This is enough for short exposure time. For longer time and long focal lenses (>200 and my telescope) I'm using a big AZ6 ...
Sounds good!! I found the Sky adventurer to be ok, but a bit bulky to travel with. 👍
very great video, thank you so much :D
You're very welcome!
thx so much, I appreciate this.
Great to hear, thanks for watching Jaaqob! 😁👍
Hi Mike, there are polar alignment apps like Polar Scope Align, which is free and iOptron Polar Scope, which costs $1.99. Hope this helps. The other thing about tracking is that you can use filtration. This gets both complicated and expensive but it allows the camera to record wavelengths of light not visible to the naked eye. Most popular filters are Hydrogen Alpha and O III and they are very expensive. I have heard of them being available in gel form (which could be attached to the rear of the lens with very small dabs of white glue if your lens doesn't accommodate rear filters) but an internet search has turned up anything. I have not done things like this myself but I understand lot of people take three shots and a dark frame and use the Photoshop channel mixer to blend the images together.
I'm poor so I will be doing stacking for quite a while yet!
That’s great to know, thanks for the info! I have the sam console from Sky-Watcher which gives the polar alignment as well.
I’m familiar with dark frames but haven’t used any of the specialised filters. It would be interesting to see the results with those.
Haha! I know what you mean...I was lucky to have a friend who lent me his tracker...this photography game is an expensive one isn’t it!!
@@mikesphotography My pleasure Mike. Enjoying your videos. Finally got out a few weeks ago and gave it a shot and apart from a few minor technical problems, I actually got something I was happy with. Next time I'll be trying stacking. I used both my A7r and M43, largely because of your four-way comparison video and I was really surprised and very satisfied with the results. The Olympus did really well, especially when the specialised noise reduction setting was used in Olympus Workspace.
This has given me a kind of roadmap for what I want to do next and what to expect.
That's awesome!! I've been surprised time and time again with the smaller sensor cameras and more budget line cameras...
Great to hear you have a plan of what to do next!
There is an ideal combination of ISO and exposure time per image sensor (Canon 6D 1600 or 3200 iso and 3 minutes for example) to get the most light and colors, stop down at least one stop below max of the lens, then both track and stack the result images with white and dark frames, the results are mind blowing. (with no foreground) And I use DeepSkyStacker.
can you find “sweet spot” data for sensors online?
Dope shirt bro!! I used to have the same one
Thanks very much!! 😁👍
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge Mike! If were to stack tracked images of the MW how many exposures do you recommend and also is there an interval I should follow to cool the sensor
Hi Rupert, that depends on so many different variables ... first of all you need a well set up tracker ... if it is not set up well, you'll get some kind of movement in the stars. I had a friend who would just throw it together and do a really rough track and his exposure times were much shorter than I could get.
If I spend a lot of time tracking properly I can end up being able to get around an 8 minute exposure time without any visible drifting with the shorter focal lengths ... up to 100mm or so. Then you have to consider your ambient temperature. If it is low, you don't have to stack with such long exposures and wide field shots but if it is hot, the long exposure noise will really show itself. for deep space objects, the more data the better. It really is a case of testing the kit that you have and getting to know it by spending time out under the stars.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Hello again Mike, normally when I take a photo of the milky way, I use a 11-16mm tokina, 20/25 seconds, 1600/3200 iso (1 shot)
If I wanted to stack them, what would be the settings? Thank you.
I love all your videos, you are precise, straight to the point, clear, and perfect English (better than mine) 😁
Ciao from Sicily!
Thanks so much Yvon!! To stack them, take them as normal...with those exact settings. Then take more shots with those same settings with the lens cap on (these will be your dark frames). This will then help the program determine what is noise and what is noise and what is meant to be in the shot. Then when you load the images in to sequator or starry landscape stacker, load your main images as light frames and then the dark frames in as well and let the program process them all into a much cleaner image.
Here is my tutorial on starry landscape stacker: ua-cam.com/video/rEU9kPCwotM/v-deo.html&t
I live in Dubai and it's super polluted with light but I want to get into astrophotography...I look up Arun's Instagram and seems like he lives in United Arab Emirates as well, making me excited for what I can capture from UAE without having to go to some mountain area in another country.
Arun is the guy to talk to about locations! 👍
Out in the Empty Quarter there are some great locations for astro. You just need to get away from any of the cities and even the small towns out in the desert.
I always enjoyed heading out to Liwa whenever there's a new moon. 😁👍
Thanks for your info here Mike. The major difference I get from your comparison is the depth of colour in the resulting images. Can't the stacked image be "lifted" in colour depth in post processing to get similar result/effect as the tracked image?
Thanks David. Yep, you’re right.
The colour can be lifted in the stacked image but I didn’t want to play with it too much so we could see the initial starting point I got from the two processes alone. I think when tracked properly, you can get really deep rich colours as a starting point whereas the tracked image needs a little help...they are both viable options though and I stack a lot of my images now, when I’m travelling and don’t have my tracker with me.
Thanks for watching. 👍
you can't boost something your camera didn't even capture... like very faint nebulas
i captured northamerica nebula last week - yesterday i stacked 500 untracked shots (that took about 2 hours!), each light frame 2 seconds @170mm f/5 and the stacked image was very greyish with a very very very faint redish tint here and there... my camera didn't capture enough of that color, so i can't boost it :-) this is the point why i'm looking forward to buy a tracker - or a telescope mount (for a telescope later and the camera now)
Wbat i needed
Both. Both is good.
Indeed they are!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Good Tutorials, Thank you Teacher
And thank you for watching. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography What's your IG name?
It's @boxheadmike 😁👍
Very informative Mike--much appreciated. Do you know if it is OK to combine photo files that are identical except for ISO? I have 7 shots in which two are at ISO 5000 and 5 at ISO 6400. I would be using Sequator, which I realize is not your program of choice, but would doing this mess up Starry Landscape Tracker?
That's a good question Neil. The best bet would be to try it out. Sequator is quite intuitive and I think it's free so there's no harm in trying it out if you already have the photos. 👍
despite not shooting astrophotography, I think I learned a bit just watching this
Thanks so much Noe...such a shame you can't get any decent night sky locations in your country...I'd love to see what you could produce if you did get to a good location!
Thanks for watching and commenting dude! 👍
@5:30 wow you can really see Sony's WONDERFUL RAW file bakery at full work here 😅
This was really interesting, Mike. I am often in a dark skies location ( not a warm one, though!) and think it would be fun to try and capture the stars. I think I would need a headlamp as well to find my way to a good spot to shoot. I have been considering buying the Sony 24 f1.4 G master lens and need a good "excuse" ha, ha. I currently have the a7iii which should be good enough but am thinking that a7riii could be in my future if the prices drop significantly. I am going to check out your recommendation for the Windows free program to stack.( baby steps!) . The image with the tracking was definitely more compelling. I really appreciate your channel, Mike; :I have been with you since the start!
Chryseas S. Just ordered the 24mm 1.4 GM for my a7riii. Excited to try it for some Astro in Switzerland.
@@Eli-lb1lc I have been wanting that lens since it was released! I am still 'debating ' between that and the Tamron 17-'28 f2.8 ( trying to be practical!) but I know in my heart that I really covet the GMaster lens! Please report back after you have tried it out!
The 24mm gmaster is a fantastic Astro lens! I’d highly recommend it! If it’s a bit out of your budget the batis 25mm f2 is also fantastic and I got mine for about $600 second hand!
It’s definitely worth doing single shots to start with to get used to the basics, then start stacking and after that tracking.
And for the pc, sequator looks great. I’ll be doing a tutorial on using it later in the year.
Eli, I bet you’ll get some amazing shots with that lens in Switzerland! We were in northern Italy last year and saw some amazing night skies!! 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Thanks Mike. Have you tried using the Sony 28 f.2 ? I already own that lens and could try that out in the meantime ( although I am lusting after that 24GM lens and have yet to hear anybody not rave about it!) I am in a big urban city so no chance of taking stars until I get back to my remote Island!
Tracking is better because you get more detail, color, and the same type of noise reduction really. Stacking is way less expensive though and it’s easier to do
That's an excellent summary of this video! 😆 Stacking for budget conscious people, tracker for IQ chasers!!
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
The answer is simple: both
Track and Stack‼️
Indeed, but if you're a beginner and can't afford a tracker, stacking is a cheap alternative.
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
I have a Ioptron Skyguider Pro. Used it some in the backyard and got good results . Tried loading Sequator but my computer doesn't want to save it. I can use it but was unable to save it to the computer for some reason . Thanks for the video.
That's strange...I was able to get it on to my workstation...🤔 not sure what is happening there. So the Ioptron Skyguider pro is a good unit then? I looked at that but luckily my friend lent me his spare one to use for the year. They are fantastic bits of kit aren't they!? 👍
@@mikesphotography could be an issue with my anti virus program. Will have to try again. Yes I love the Ioptron, I use the Polar Findrr app and takes 5 minutes to set up . Have had no star trails with a 200mm lens and about a 5 minute exposure. Still need to take it to a dark sky site.
Thats great to hear Bruce..5 minutes with the 200mm is really good!
Yes, sometime the antivirus programs can stop just about everything!! 👍
I'm looking at the sequator download page and it's not just one little quick plug n play thing.
There are lots of downloads and it appears like they've been patching it as they go which is fine but I get lost in the details. You have to install Microsoft visual C++ as well. I'm lost.
Thought it'd be easier.
That sounds frustrating.
I'm going to make a tutorial on using sequator soon as I'm moving away from apple computers, so keep an eye out for that one. 👍
Imagine if you could combine the two: stacked tracked images!
Most definitely!! Once we're allowed back outside, I have a video planned on that very subject!! It would be really interesting to see how much detail we could get out of the milkyway and other deep space objects!! 😁👍
next step....personal space telescope in orbit
Both
Thanks for your detailed comment! 😆👍
I use the Canon T2i does work on it? Great channel I have been learning a lot from you.
Yes definitely. You will need a fast lens for it though...I used to use the Canon 600D which is the t3i but has the same sensor as the t2i. I used it first off with the sigma 10-20mm but the aperture wasn't huge. I think the samyang/rokinon 12mm would be fantastic with that sensor: amzn.to/2TkzhQO
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
Hi - Just saw this video and found super helpful. I've been looking into this star tracker and will definitely use your link. I had a question between the three packs they have. I see that there are more parts included in the pro pack, but is that all necessary? I use sony a7iii as my camera and currently own sony 20mm f1.8. Why doesn't the f stop make difference? I thought you're able to capture more light? Too many questions! Have not been able to find good answers online!
With the pro pack, it has the wedge to easily get it to the right angle for your latitude, and then the counter weight is good for bigger setups and to keep the sight for polar alignment free from obstructions.
I'd go for the pro pack as once you understand how it all works, this will give you the most benefit.
With any lens, it will have its sweet spot...and for a lot of lenses this is around F8, give or take a few stops. When you get a good alignment, you can do exposures of 8 minutes plus so this gives you a lot of light, at the best settings for your lens.
Does that make sense?
Mike Smith I will definitely go with pro pack. I didn’t think I would ever use higher than F4 for Astro. This would work better for me as lower f stop lenses tend to be more expensive. I feel I can try wider angle lenses now instead which will be cheaper at higher f stops.
I was exactly the same. I've always been on the quest for faster and faster lenses but with the introduction of a tracker, it really does open up so many possibilities with lenses. 😁👍
What kind of lens would you recommend for nebulas? I use Sony a7iii. For milky way I will either go with Samyang 14 mm or Sony 12-24
Good question. I'm not a deep space shooter, so I wouldn't want to suggest the wrong thing. This guy would probably the better person to ask: ua-cam.com/channels/n3npsPixgoi_xLdCg9J-LQ.html
👍
You can also use affinity photos
Thanks for the tip!! 😁👍
i just got a tracker and now its raining every single day.... :( hopefully i'll get some clear skies at the end of next week to try it out
It's always the same Antoni...as soon as you buy a cool bit of kit...the weather always gets in the way...I'm sure your persistence will pay off in the end though! 😁👍
How about to set the tracker in the South Hemisphere, where there is no specific star like Polaris?
Hi Gilson, there is a way to do it, and I will be doing a tutorial on tracking later in the year.
Basically you need to extend a line from the Southern Cross until it reaches the octant and the point is half way between this line and the Octant...Sounds complicated but it's actually quite straight forward and there are apps to help...the one I use is SAM console (sky watcher app).
I hope that helps. 👍
There is a star to align for the Southern Hemisphere. It’s called Sigma Octantis.
😇😇😇
Already failed twice in taking Milky way. I am in LKG. Lots of steps to achieve PhD.
...so you’re two steps closer to succeeding! 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Wow. I like your positive attitude. I understand your success now. Nice motivation.😀😀🌹🌹
Is there any reason not to stack a series of tracked images? I mean, if its a planet you are tracking rotation of the object might be a reason not to, but what about nebulas or galaxys?
Deep space photographers will do just that. Stack and track. I just made this to show the differences if someone was thinking about buying a tracker but wasn't sure they could afford it. 👍
@@mikesphotography thanks Mike, i found a grat answer just a fee comments bellow too. I think my first atempt Will be to stack a.few earlly sunrise or late evening landscape 2 ir 3 exposure eaxh photos and then Will try to stitch some panoramas with those. If ir goes well Will try to replicate with More exposures and attempt to build a mosaic of stacked pices of the milky way. That will give me some time buid experience before picking a tracker and
Hi - I am completely new to Astrophotography - I have a Canon 5d Mark ii and was wondering what file format is best to choose for stacking please ?
Are you referring to the file that the camera saves? If so, set your camera to RAW in camera and then go through the process as I did in this video: ua-cam.com/video/rEU9kPCwotM/v-deo.html&t
Thanks for watching. 👍
@@mikesphotography - hi Mike , thanks for a quick reply and I will watch your video aswell..
Hello Mike, I tried to stacki images with Starry Landscape on my iMac but I have always had some problems. The app kept saying that the image had to be taken with the same settings. I shot 10 images, the flat ones, and then 10 dark frames; same iso, aperture and time of exposure.
What did I do wrong?
That is strange...were you in manual mode? There must be a setting that is recorded in the metadata that is causing the program to put this message up...it might be worth getting in contact with the developer...they might be able to give you a clearer answer to your problem.
Sorry I couldn't help more.
Thank you Mike for replying me.
I was in Manual mode.
Ad you suggested, I will try to email to the developer.
Thanks again,
Fabrizio
Coke vs Pepsi? Some people have strong opinions. I'm a tracker for life. You can stop down and have tight corners and round stars. I don't care how awesome your lens is, it's much better stopped down 2 stops from maximum
Most definitely, if you have the time tracking gets so much data into the camera!!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
I find it more challenging to track better and have more fun tracking
What would be the benefits of stacking multiple tracked photos?
Stacking tracked shots would give you more data in one frame.
Astrophotography (especially deep space astro) is all about collecting data and then collating it. So the more time you get with the shutter open collecting light from the celestial object out there, the more info you will have to work with...in theory.
Thanks for watching 👍
Hey Mike. This video is a year old now. What method do you prefer? Stacking or tracking
Hey Patrick, unfortunately I haven't had the chance to go out and shoot the stars since then...covid...moving countries...living in a city with about a bottle 9 level has really hindered my astrophotography...
I've been planning an astrophotography shoot down south in the islands soon though so hopefully this will change soon. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography are you in the UK? Heard it's bad there. 2020 I didn't do any astro we had strict lockdowns. But I bought the skyguider pro, learning how to use it
Had one or two people say it's not worth it for wide shots when you can stack but the comparison you show in this video is much better tracked
No, we've been away from the UK for so long now and this pandemic is making distances feel so much bigger... we're in Thailand at the moment...Bangkok is a very bright city...😆🤦🏻♂️
It's amazing how good trackers are when you allign them properly. I think they're fantastic for both widefield and deep objects...they just give your camera more time to collect light. 👍
Ok I have a tracker and I stack my issue is the bloody foreground. That’s blurring as we know it will how do you merge to files together? Can you do a video or hints on this please?
Hi Simon,
I'll see what I can do for a future video.
...what software do you use? Photoshop is by far the best option with layers for blending the foreground into a good sky stack.
If you search for that, you might find some good videos on it.
Thanks for watching. 👍
@@mikesphotography yep I have ps. I will keep looking thanks
My milky way shots don't come out with much color I need help.
When you shoot RAW images, they will look a little flat. Have you checked out my editing astrophotography tutorial yet? That might help...
ua-cam.com/video/Cuc8UosddH8/v-deo.html&t
I hope that helps. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography The video really helped me but unfortunately I dont have a laptop or pc.Is there a way to do it with youre phone?
Why not do both together?
Indeed! 👍
ANybody have an idea of a really ceap eq mount?
There is one from a company called move shoot move...it looks good as is pretty cheap.
www.moveshootmove.com/collections/sifo-rotator/products/sifo-rotator-for-star-tracking-time-lapse-panorama-photography?aff=13
👍
@@mikesphotography Thanks so much man! you deserve way more subs, subbed btw.
No worries, I hope it helps...and thanks for the sub! 😁👍
Does standard tripod can equip a tracker? sorry for my english😥
No worries. You need to check to see the weight capacity of your tripod and then the weight of the tracker you're thinking of getting together with the camera and lens. As long as it's all within the capacity of the tripod weight limit, you'll be ok.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography the tripod the I'm using is benro t600ex it can hold a weight of up to 3000grams but I'm afraid how to equip the star tracker😢
Hope for your another reply
Can I use a 400mm telescope to stack photos?
Btw nice video
Thanks!
Yes you definitely can. If you get a tracker mount, you can even connect it up to a computer and tether those images.
I've never done it but a few of my friends have huge telescope rigs that they do that with. 👍
@@mikesphotography I dont have a tracker and I calculated that I can only do a 0,82 exposure :((((
That's the downside of longer focal lengths.
Some Trackers aren't that expensive so it might be worth getting. It's amazing what photos you'll be able to get.
Hi ! one small help ! will you clarify that ? I jus dropped my cam i dint notice anything at that time yesterday when i started to change my lens i saw the sensor is shaking ? what happens whn these things happens how to rectify that
Was the camera turned off when you changed the lens? If so, then the sensor does wobble when you move the camera about when turned off.
Also has the drop changed how the camera takes photographs or video?
@@mikesphotography yeah the camera is turned off , i dint notice any change in taking pictures ! but i am having fear to see :( does this change make diff hereafter ? or should i go to check service centre near by
This is normal. When the camera is turned off, the sensor looks like it wobbles all over the place. This is because the stabilisation motors are off and it’s free to move with any movement you put into it. Nothing to worry about really.
If your images start to become blurry when they shouldn’t, that’s when you should get it checked out.
@@mikesphotography Thanks alot ❤️
@@mikesphotography Will you please do video of filters , Lightings , and the better photography tips in day and night time , iam jus learning from your video so it is hlpful at high cost
doing both is a lot better
Definitely, but for people who can't afford a tracker, this shows that stacking on it's own can give good results.
Thanks for watching. 👍
Mike Smith you have a point I guess the reason I do both is because l prefer deep sky which need hours and have days going through images.
Most definitely...for deep space, tracking and stacking is the only way to get really good images. 😁👍
Why not track and stack both of them?
That is the next step in astrophotography progression.
Thanks for watching. 👍
@@mikesphotography Thanks to you, your videos are inspirational
Thanks so much Simone!! 😁👍
This question can easily be answered with "why not both?"
That would work, although some people like the ease of moving from shot to shot quickly, and this is where tracking is a little slower with the setup time.
Thanks for watching 👍
@@mikesphotography Yes, depending on where and what you shoot moving from to place to place is absolutely an option.
Answer: to stack a track
Can't see polaris. Now what?
Then you'll need to stack your images instead. 👍
@@mikesphotography Made by flat earthers? ;)
You are not telling it all.
Ok...would you care to elaborate?
So most people stack tracked pictures. Only way to achieve hours of exposure. So whats the point of this video?
So eloquently put...Some people who are just getting in to astrophotography may be thinking of buying a tracker but are not sure whether to spend the money or not...so if they were already stacking, this might just open their eyes to tracking...but you're obviously way too advanced for this video master...
There is no OR about it, if you want a half decent image then you stack, regardless of whether you tracked or not.
OK....thanks for your input. 👍