Different Focal Length Lenses For Nightscapes - When & Why
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Continuing my theme on longer focal length lenses for nightscape images I'd like to pose the question. When and why would I choose these longer focal lengths ...?? Hopefully I can help you get a feel for my reasoning for doing so as I show you some examples in this video.
My favourite focal length is 20mm but whenever I can I'll reach for the 35 or even the 50mm lens. Why not give it a go yourself .. it's not always easy but the results are certainly worth it.
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I'm really pleased you like the channel Dexter
Great job. Your explanations are clear and much-appreciated. I shoot MFT and I was just getting ready to order a Laowa 7.5mm (= 15mm full frame equivalent). But after watching your video, I've decided to get the 9mm version instead. Note that I already own a manual 15mm for a more zoomed-in effect. I now believe that using these two lenses might be my best starting point for night photography.
Thanks so much for watching Lang. I'm sure you'll get excellent results with your setup. Take care.
Thanks Richard. Came across your videos a few weeks back. Love your common sense approach and your passion. Currently deciding on the 20mm or the 14-24. Your observations have helped.
I'm pleased to be of assistance, thanks for watching.
I am big fan of your work, and I wanna say thank you. Give me the suggestion of lens to add my collections, I already have the 14mm for my canon 90d but I’m trying to expand my collections, also, what wireless shutter releaser do you recommend. Thank you, waiting for your response
Thanks so much for your wonderful support. The 14mm is actually 21mm in full frame terms and a great focal length for your 90D. You could try something like a 24mm lens for those occasions when you want to zoom in a bit closer. I use and love the Yongnuo rf603ii wireless remote. www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1096382-REG/yongnuo_rf_603ii_c3_rf603_ii_wireless_remote.html
Very informative video Richard! For us DX folk, what would be the longest length lens you'd recommend? I've got the Tokina 11-20 f2.8, but haven't yet tried shooting the night sky at 20mm. I think my 50mm f1.4 would be way too long at 75mm FX equivalent. Is the 20mm f1.8 compatible with DX Cameras?
Hey Mick, all the full frame nikon lenses are compatible with DX. I think anything up to 35mm would be ideal for the DX. Obviously the 14-20 range is great.
Thank you your informative videos. Enjoy your enthusiasm for this subject. Will definitely be trying your suggestions. For cropped sensor cameras, what would you recommend as the maximum focal length?
Thank you so much for watching. I think anything between 11 - 16mm will be ok for APS-C sensor cameras. Maybe 18mm if it's a fast lens like the Sigma 18-35 f1.8
Thanks Richard, as always very useful information. Besides the different apertures do you see any difference in the image quality results when using the the NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G set at 20mm and the NIKKOR 20mm F/1.8G set at f2.8? I mean your preference for the NIKKOR 20mm is just a matter of having a wider aperture?
Thanks a lot for watching Gilson. Yes you are correct, I like to stop down the 20mm f1.8 often to f2.8 anyway but that is mainly to both sharpen the lens and also to lessen any coma that may be present in the lens wide open. That is of coarse the big advantage of using a faster aperture lens. The Nikon 14-24 f2.8 is a wonderful lens but it is operating wide open at f2.8 so I'd expect the 20mm f1.8 stopped down to f2.8 to be a little better and I think it is.
Thank you Richard, I'm going for my first nightscape photography this weekend. With the M50, what you'll sugest for me to use? the kit lens (15-45mm f3.5) or the other lens I've the Yongnuo 50mm 1.8? Regards and keep up the good work!
As a general rule I'd go for the fastest aperture lens, but that 50mm on your M50 will be about 75mm full frame equivalent which makes it really hard to frame up a foreground. You can certainly use both lenses though.
Generally, I don't do a night shoot unless I have a good foreground subject. Unfortunately, most of Texas is too light polluted to get good milky way imagery. I typically have to drive at least a hundred miles or more. On the subject of lenses, I shoot with a Tokina 12-24mm to get dramatic foreground subjects. However when I want to push my foreground back and capture more overall vista, my trusty Nikon 18-105mm kit lens.
Thanks very much for watching. How do you find the Tokina 12-24 f4 shooting the stars ..???
been a long time since I watched his videos. I just wanted to say that I love this person. you can hear the joy and enthusiasm in his voice in each video he makes. always so eager to help others by sharing all his knowledge. I know Richard you've heard it many times, but I'll say it again. You are a wonderful person. I just admire your work, each one of your photos looks so peaceful. and you've been my inspiration and indeed taught me a lot. thank you for your awesome content❤️❤️
Thank you so much my friend, I really appreciate your very kind words of encouragement.
Hi Richard, thanks for yet another inspiring video. I'm currently considering adding a Fujifilm X100V to my kit primarily for making travelling a bit easier. Would this 35 mm equivalent f2.0 be able to add some decent nightscapes to the travel photos in your opinion?
Thanks so much for watching Thilkjer. That X100V looks like a very interesting camera. I can't see why it wouldn't work for nightscapes. I'd be keen to see how you go with it.
Great video Richard! I have Samyang 24mm t1.5 for astro and iam going for samyang 14mm f2.8 (laowa 15mm f2 is expensive). For social media (instagram) 14mm is perfect because of crop factor on post. If i shoot panorama with 14mm will be ok? Using panorama i will avoid the soft edges and vignette from ultra wide lens.
Star tracker is the best option for clean and detailed milky way shots. Why you dont use one?
Thanks for the comment. Yes you'll be fine using the Samyang 14mm especially if you're shooting with a crop sensor camera. I do have a star tracker and the sky images are very good from it .. but, for my particular method of creating my nightscape images which relies heavily of multiple light painted foreground shots the workflow is so much easier by using stacking rather than tracking. When tracking the camera is moving to follow the rotation of the stars, therefore the foreground will be blurred. So you need to be very good at photoshop to blend everything back together again to look like it should. This is a very understated part of using a star tracker that many people don't even mention in the conversation. It's easy enough with nice flat and hard surfaces but once you start adding trees and complicated foregrounds it becomes a nightmare.
Sir, I also use Nikon Z6 II and the Kit lens for milyway shots. I had read somewhere that if we switch off the camera and then restart it, the lens automatically sets the focus point to infinity. And I had used this feature myself, I just ONN my camera and then switch the camera to MF and it was set to infinity everytime. You might know this point, if yes why don't you use it?
Yes I use that feature all the time. It's a wonderful thing on the Z system.
I just discovered your channel, very nice videos and i love your way to explain... I have bought a samy 14 2.8 for my eos R, i never tought about using my 50 1.4!!
With the 50, what is the maximum exposure time before stars start to became blurry? I thing the best way to use it is with pano righ? Greetings from italy, i go see your's other tutorials :-)
Thanks so much for watching. You'll need to keep your shutter speed around 5 or 6 seconds on the 50mm
Thanks for this Richard. I have a Sony crop sensor camera and my widest lens is a Sigma 28mm 2.8, I also have a native Sony 35mm 1.8 which I actually prefer although it must be about 50mm full frame equivalent. However most things that are of interest are very low in the sky in the UK at this this of year so maybe I am just getting away with it at the moment! Also it has dawned on me that although a narrower field of view I will get longer star trails with the 35mm in a given time period. I don't think I can justify splashing out on a better full frame camera until I have got better in terms of skill. However for when when I do if you were starting out now and had to chose would you go with your DSLR or the mirrorless ? ( or will Nikon lock you up if you answer!)
Thanks for watching Ann. I'd go mirrorless if you can afford it. Nothing wrong with the DSLR's but they are going to be a dying breed soon enough. And from my experience the mirrorless lenses are far superior. I love the Nikon Z6, but the Canon R6 or Sony A7 series are wonderful also.
Fantastic video! Just wondering, how would your usual Bracket/Stack look like with the 50mm since you have such a shallow depth of field on your subject?
Thanks so much for watching. It works just the same but I have to be very careful to focus correctly on the foreground.
Hi. ive just subscribed . this video was just ace. been using a Samyang 14 mm on a d7100 . now ive acquired the d750 and 20mm1.8 .not had the chance to use this combo for night sky but after watching this particular video I,m very excited to get out and give it a shot . thanks for sharing Richard
Thanks a lot Gavin. You'll love the D750 and 20mm .. Take care.
I was a little jealous about your 20 mill since I watch your videos. Sony did listen to my prayers 😉 and came out with a 20 1.8. will See how this thing performs. Thanks for sharing!
I think the new Sony 20mm f1.8 will be a wonderful lens.
Very interesting and informative video!!! You changed also my mind about what I "need" for nice shoots of the night sky. Thank you so much 😊👍
Thank you so much for watching Luise, I really appreciate that.
I have the Sigma Art 35-1.4 for my Sony A7III. Any tips for starting out settings for my first time attempt at astro? Thanks for the great videos.
No problem Domonic. I'd set the shutter speed to 10 seconds, ISO somewhere between 1600 - 6400 depending on ambient light conditions. Aperture anywhere between f1.4 - f2.8 Just experiment and see how you go. Concentrate on getting good focus. See my latest video on this: ua-cam.com/video/R5jYdAwTpQ0/v-deo.html
Thank You very much for your explanation! I have the Zeiss Batis 2.8/18mm and absolutely love it. I have used my Sony 1.8/55mm for pano's of the milky way (wished it was 50mm). Looking to purchase the Sigma 1.8/24mm art lens for my happy medium. Your explanation with visual confirmation of compression with longer lens's has helped greatly.
Thanks so much for watching Ken, really appreciate that.
Very informative video about your choice of lens in different circumstances. Is there a scenario where you would consider going longer than a 50mm focal length?
Thanks a lot mate. I have shot with the 85mm f1.8 but it's usually when I'm looking for something a little special .. like a bokeh star look and portrait.
Excellent info as usual mate. I am seriously thinking of picking up a 20mm 1.8 myself now.
Thanks a lot Tim. I love the 20mm
I am wondering about this exact question now, this video is very useful 👍👍
I'm really pleased you found it useful Ken, thanks so much for watching.
Nice lullaby to my ears listening to your great information ! Very good 👍👍👍😍😍😍
Thank you Carole, really appreciate that.
Hi Richard, interested in your views on the Sigma 14f1.8? is this maybe the best of both?
Yes it absolutely is Greg .. a very fine lens and one that does a wonderful job for nightscape photography. Probably the best 14mm lens out there right now.
Thank you for such an informative video. I received a 50 mm sigma art Lens for Christmas and I am trying to get a plan together to use it this weekend! Thank you so much
That's fantastic, thanks so much for watching.
Recently I have shot with my vintage Leica 35mm f2.8 and I have been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the images. Moreover, I can only agree with what you're saying about the different perspective and overall vibe the images get from using a longer focal length.
Thanks a lot Matt. Yes I love those lenses.
Very informative and now I’m motivated to buy a 35mm or 50mm for night sky compositions!
Thanks for watching Richard, there are quite a few good ones around.
Lately I've been shooting every day landscape including street with the Tokina Firin 20mm f/2. I'm actually enjoying it much better than the Samyang 14mm f2.8. Maybe is like you said, it feels like the sweet spot.
Thanks a lot Oscar, I've heard very good things abaut that Firin lens . .as I've often mentioned I love the 20mm focal length.
Another fantastic and very informative video Richard, Thank you.
Thanks heaps Brian, really appreciated.
beautiful photos richard,great video we always hang out to see what comes next,thank you
Many thanks indeed scroopy, really appreciate you watching.
I am looking forward to trying some night photography and recently purchased two lenses which I think will come in handy, the new Sigma 40f1.4 Art and its big brother the 105f1.4 Art. They are without doubt the sharpest primes I've ever owned, and I've owned a few. Will let you know how I get on.
Yes I've heard really good things about the Sigma 40mm f1.4 for nightscapes. A friend of mine has that lens and absolutely loves it. Of coarse the 105 f1.4 is a beast as well. Thanks heaps for watching.
Awesome video Richard. I'll put my hand up and say, yes I think you always have to shoot wide for astro. But seeing your amazing videos and results has opened my eyes. The compression you get from the 50mm is just awesome. I have the 50mm F1.8G lens. I'm definitely going to try different focal lengths this milky way season. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and knowledge mate, cheers. PS. Bet your new 20mm F1.8S lens on order will be the sweet spot.
Thanks heaps again Adrian, the 50mm f1.8G is a great all round lens and extremely light weight so it fits easily in the camera bag. Always appreciate your comments mate.
I love your videos, they are a gift to us. Thanks so much Richard! Regards, Marios
I'm really pleased you like them, thanks for watching Marios.
Thanks. Not some things I have tried....yet. Helps with inspiration. Maybe I will try my 24-70 f2.8.
I think that lens will serve you very well Guy. Thanks heaps for watching.
Zeiss batis lenses are fly by wire and have the complete dof information in a led at the lens body. That is amazing at night where is dark and one could change the aperture and dof is immediately read at the led
Yes that is excellent Raphael.
Hello dear Sir,How are you and your beautiful family.Sir again wat an educative and informative video by you,such beautifully you have explained about the lenses and their focul point pros and cons and wat an amazing collection of pictures such magnificent minimalist way of using a few lenses and capturing the beauty of the night.Sir you always out do yourself and your teaching and guidance is so crucial and important for me to learn and every video of yours makes me want to learn from you more and more and makes my interest piqued to attend your absolute heavenly workshop and to be in the field with you.Dear sir even I too want to be an successful nightscape photographer like you sir.Please keep up the good work going and please keep teaching us always.Cheers dear sir Buddha bless you and your sweet family always🙂❤❤❤
As always I really appreciate the comments Aditya
What a great video! I have learned so much and your images are inspiring! Thank you!
Thanks so much for watching Robin
hi mate this is another outstanding insight of what you can do i know i am a bit slow but you have taught me so much with how to do things so the seasons dont bother me here anymore yep we are spoiled downunder just so luvky keep am comin buckaroo cheers bobby j.
Really appreciate your comments Bob as per usual. Thanks heaps mate.
Another phantastic video! Thank you Richard! Will you be one of the first in Australia to buy the z20mm 1.8 when it hits the shops this month? I have the z35mm 1.8 and I love it. Cannot wait for the new z20mm....
Yes I hope so Torsten, I have it on order as we speak. Thanks again for watching.
Even though I've been following you for a little while now, this video just popped up in my feed. I really enjoyed this video. I just purchased the 14mm Art and am really looking forward to using it. But I definitely agree that the larger focal lengths are really neat to play with. Like you said, when you get that 50mm shot right, it's REALLY good. Anyways, I know it's an older video, but I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it. I also agree 100% with you. Which means I'll probably have to buy ANOTHER lens 😂. Thanks for making these video's. I can't wait for warmer weather to try out all the things I've learned from you. Thanks from Colorado.
Thanks so much for watching Brian. It's always good to hear what people think about these issues. There are certainly many variables and not one size fits all that's for sure. Appreciate your comments.
Another great video Richard.
Apologies if this question has been asked before. I also have the 20mm 1.8 lens which I find great and not only for night-scape photography. My question is I noticed in other videos that you shoot this lens a lot at 2.8, is this for coma reasons. Cheers
Thanks a lot for watching Jim. No problem asking this question. Yes I am pretty conservative with the lens and that's why I really like these fast aperture lenses .. if it was a native f2.8 I'd have no choice other than shooting it wide open .. yes you are correct by stopping it down the coma is very much reduced.
Thanks again for another very informative video. Looking forward to the next one!
Thanks so much for watching Peter, really appreciate it.
I am shooting with 24mm and I want to try pno with it but the issue that 8 don’t know how I can manage the light painting with panorama
Thanks for watching Mohamed. I try to light each shot of the panorama the same. See this video: ua-cam.com/video/Dd_jqe1DxQk/v-deo.html
Hello
I started shooting the Milky Way with the kit lens of my Sony Nex6 16-50mm then when I bought the Samyang 12mm, it happened that I watched one of your videos shooting with different focal lengths so I gave it a try and shoot with a Helios 58mm and the results were just amazing as you said that you could touch the Milky Way since a focal length will bring it to you and you can see more details.
I appreciate your work. I've learned a lot from videos. Many thanks from Algeria.
I'm really pleased you are enjoying the videos all the way from Algeria .. thanks so much for the comments.
*Another great film! Thanks for sharing ! like Natalya*
Thanks heaps for watching Natalya, really appreciate it.
Great video but I shoot Pentax lol old school k70.
Hey Jeff I'm sure there are some good fast aperture lenses for the K70
As always very well explained. Thanks a lot!
You're welcome my friend.
Nicely explained Richard 👍 I've stopped using 11mm on my Tokina and instead use 14mm as I didn't like how small the milky-way was at 11mm and 14mm doesn't sound like much but it makes a big difference on my D7500, it's 21mm full frame equivalent I'm pretty sure.
Yes that's correct Keith. I think it's good to try new things, appreciate you watching as usual.
I learned a ton of information from this video! Thank you!
I'm really pleased you found it interesting Ralph, thanks so much for watching.
What are your thoughts on a 440-800 mm lens mainly to shoot the moon it is an f8
Hey Robby, I'm not exactly sure which lens you mean .. is it one of those folding mirror lenses ..?? If so they are very slow aperture. Probably ok for a bright moon but I think a small telescope may have better optics.
Outstanding presentation! Thank you 🙏
Thanks so much for watching GaWajn, really appreciate it.
Very informative Richard. Nice to see the different range lens not alot of people would go for some of these focal lengths but you illustrate how awesome they look. And those timelapse were out of this world any chance you could make a video on how to do them and the gear you use? Thanks as always mate 🙏👍👍
Thanks a lot Gavin, really appreciate your comments. I feature time lapses in a few videos. See here: ua-cam.com/video/7xXRZXiQndY/v-deo.html and here: ua-cam.com/video/ZgkIigQJX6c/v-deo.html
@@nightscapeimages.richard thanks mate il check them out shortly 👍👍
Hello. I'm considering buying the Tokina AT-X 16-28 f/2.8 lens for my Nikon D750.... or maybe the newer Tokina Opera 16-28 f/2.8 lens. Have you ever tested these lenses, or do you know somebody who has these lenses and how they fare for nightscapes? Thanks.
Hello Daniel, I don't own the Tokina 16-28 f2.8 but I know a few people who do and they love it. I'm guessing the newer lens may be better.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Hello Richard. Thank you for the feedback.
Very informative. I love to see you working or just talking. very
inspiring. Thank you Richard
Very kind of you to say Tobi, thanks heaps for the comments.
I’m so close to buying a 24mm f1.4 I can’t stand it...but may hold off for a 20mm f1.8z
It's always a hard call Josh .. both excellent lenses.
03:37 Olympus pro lenses are not fly by wire lenses.
You may be right Ivan. Thanks for watching.
Another great video and makes me want to finally shoot some night sky, perhaps with my 24mm Canon. My question is: what is the Milky Way season like in Australia? I am just west of Melbourne myself so great to see another Victorian here on YT.
Thanks so much for watching. The m,lky way season here in Australia is awesome. You can see the rising milky way core now in the eastern sky after about 2am. As the year progresses the core will rise earlier each day until it's then visible in the western sky from about July to November.
Thanks for another great video Richard you have me thinking hard on my next lens .
That's always a good thing Steve. We often just do what everyone else does without giving it much thought. Appreciate you watching.
Great information! And very inspirational!
One question for you Richard, what’s the effective focal length of these lenses on you camera? Will I get the same effect on a full frame? I’ve been using wide angles - 14-24 & 17-35 and I don’t like the distortion. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of shooting with longer lenses will have a go with my 24-70 and 50mm on my D850.
Thanks so much for watching Mares. The Nikon Z6 is a full frame camera the same as your D850. I agree with you about the distortion on those ultra wide angle lenses.
Nightscape Images thank you ❤️
Magic,great to see you in Australian Photography magazine well done very much enjoyed.....😊👍🏻
Thanks a lot James, appreciate you watching.
Hey,
Do you have your workflow to do panoramas?
Thanks for watching Fernando. I have a few videos about panoramas. See here: ua-cam.com/video/mRWMsJJJTMM/v-deo.html and here: ua-cam.com/video/PqL8CPAhaCQ/v-deo.html
Wow, your videos of your shooting and work flow are incredibly interesting and educational. I still need your help! Why does it work to shoot with a wide open f/stop? Wide open means short depth of field, so why are all the stars in focus with a shallow depth of field f/stop? Do you have a link of one of your videos where you explain this?
Also you are gonna love my set-up...I am gonna shoot with a Sony a6000 and my vintage lens Nikkor 28mm(with adapter) frm 1982 which I believe is equivalent to a 42mm (1.5 crop factor) full frame.
Thanks so much for your comments Steve. You are absolutely correct about the shallow depth of field and that is why I pretty much always focus stack when using longer focal length lenses. You may be surprised to find that infinity focus on most wide angle lenses is considerably closer than we often think. This knowledge has a great impact on how I go about composing and shooting my nightscapes. I mention these things in a lot of my videos but you may find this one helpful regarding finding focus. ua-cam.com/video/lqYf2w_BAQ8/v-deo.html
@@nightscapeimages.richard That totally explained it, thank you so much!
Great video again! Always new things to learn from you.
I'm always pleased to hear that my friend. Thanks for watching.
I haven't tried any Milky Way photos yet. Learning as much as I can from your channel in preparation. Where can I find more information about the Milky Way season? I'm in the Caribbean and I'm not sure the best time of year to aim for. Grateful for any insight.
Thanks so much for watching Darrien. Look in the south east form about March til June, then in the south west from July to September. Have a look at this video for more info: ua-cam.com/video/MtkPFmOrxAw/v-deo.html
@@nightscapeimages.richard thank you so very much!!!!
Very detailed telling what lense to be used, why and when... Thumps up!
Thanks so much for watching, really appreciated.
i could listen to you all day ,i have the nikon 20mm 1.8 which i use a lot for landscapes and also samyang 24mm 1.4 which ive just purchased and nikon 50mm 1.4 g which im going to use also for astro .keep up the good work and already looking forward to your next video Phill
Really appreciate that Phill, I'm not sure I could listen to myself all day ...!!! It looks like you're well setup for the milky way months ahead.
Bro Keep up the good work, and thx for the Video...
Thanks heaps Matthias, and I appreciate the comments.
Very informative vlog Richard with a thorough explanation on when to use what lens and some wonderful images to back this up. I got out for a short while under the stars in Margaret River but I forgot to take a torch so was really annoyed at myself.
Thanks heaps for watching Carl. The torch is probably the last thing you'd want to forget .. never mind.
Hi Richard, Great video, mate. I must say, I love my 12mm f1.4.
Thanks so much Ivan. I'm guessing you may be using micro 4/3rds system ..??
@@nightscapeimages.richard Definitely. I have an Olympus EM1 MK2. A brilliant camera.
Excellent tutorial, like always
Thanks very much for having a look Monika
very informative Richard - I am looking forward to having a dabble with a variety of lenses just to see the different results without worrying. Always worth experimenting I reckon.
Yes I think you are right, thanks a lot for watching.
best videos ever ! Thank you Richard for your hard work.
I'm so pleased you like it my friend. Thanks for the comments.
Thanks for the info Richard,
I am thinking about the next time in Australia I may try my hand at some narrower focal lengths for the Magellanic Clouds and your Southern Cross using either 85mm /f1.4 and or 105mm/f1.4 Sigmas using a Sky Tracker just have to figure out how to Polar align in the Southern hemisphere.
Have G-day mate!
Thanks a lot Thomas. Yes polar aligning in the South is not as easy as what you are used to .. but I'm sure you'll get some good results with those lenses.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Thanks Richard,
I was planning for this September but may have to wait until April/May of 2021 but we will see. Thanks again!
Tom
I have a crop camera and I was wondering what of these lenses would be better in your opinion, the tokina 11-16 f2.8 that you refered in the video or the tokina 14-20 f2. Thanks Daniel.
Hi Daniel, these are both very good lenses but I have the Tokina 14-20 f2 and highly recommend it. The extra light gathering power of the f2 over the f2.8 is significant .. not only that but it is sharp wide open at f2. The only trade off is the wider angle of the 11-16. But as I've mentioned at length in this video I don't see that as a major issue.
Yeah, I got the Canon 80D and I was checking out all sorts of wide lenses to get. I even thought of the Canon 10-18mm, then a guy on a Facebook group suggested the Tokina 11-16mm, as he has used it for a few years, so I'm going to most likely go for that one. Great video and great images too. The only other fairly wide lenses I have with wide apertures which i will have a go with, is the Sigma 17-50 f2.8 or the Canon 50mm f1.8.
@@MrBooojangles Fantastic, I'm sure they will go well.
Your videos are always full of useful information and this one is no exception! Thanks again for all the hard work you put into these video.
Really appreciate your support Bryan, thanks again.
Do you find a loss of Milky Way focus using a full frame lens and lens adapter on the Z6 ? I’m leery of switching to a mirrorless Nikon because I’ve heard that happens. Thank you for answering. Great video and information as always!
No I haven't found any issues at all by using the FTZ adaptor regarding focus. All my lenses have worked very well. Thanks for watching.
I enjoy your videos! Another excellent all-round lens for nightscapes is the Rokinon 24mm F1.4.
Thanks a lot for watching. Yes a lot of people love that lens. I did have it but could never get a sharp image from it . .I think my copy was de-centred. Sadly that's a Samyang/Rokinon issue.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Yes. I had a Rokinon 14mm F2.4 that was quite soft. Fortunately, B&H exchanged it no questions. The second copy is sharp. I'm anxious to try Canon's new R5 with a RF50mm or RF 35mm F1.2 lens for nightscape. (Perk of having a daughter who shoots weddings lol)
@@djack4125 Yes those new Canon's look really good. Nothing wrong with cashing in a few favours with the daughter ..!!!
As usual top quality, this helped me with understanding the difference of focal length. I hear you have a invitation from Taren of Caboolture Photography club to come in some time, Cross my fingers for I have learnt so much since finding your site. Love it to bits.
Thanks so much Gary. I'd love to visit you up there in sunny Queensland at some stage .. I'm pretty busy this year but you never know ...!!! Appreciate you watching.
I have the 24mm S but not had chance to use yet, what about the Sigma 30mm Art lens? Found your explanation very helpful, thanks
Thanks for watching. The Sigma art 30mm f1.4 is not a lens I have used as it's for crop sensor cameras. I would assume it's pretty good though.
Thanks for the reply Richard, I will stick with the 24mm S but also will give the 50mm f1.8 a go, love what you got with that focal length.
@@laurelb8372 They are both excellent lenses.
Great video, as usual! =) I got a small question - what time of night is best for shooting stars in your opinion? Yesterday I tried making some shots at 9.30.pm - this is 30 minutes after astronomical twilight, but sky was quite light blue even with small shutter speed as 5-10 seconds. Can it be this is still too early?
Thanks for watching. It all depends on where you are located and what time of year it is. Here wehre I live it's still not completely dark at 9.30pm. Also the milky way core isn't visible til after midnight.
@@nightscapeimages.richard I live in (I believe) the biggest city above 60 parallel in northern hemisphere, its winter here, and yesterday astronomical twilight ended at 20-59. I was able to see and make some shots of stars, but I got a feeling I need to go deeper in the night.
@@darkdeny936 Yes you may need to I think.
The 20mm is my favourite Astro lens as well
I’ve recently moved over to the Z6 myself and I’m holding out for the 20mm S lens I hope it’s as good as the DSLR version
Yes I'm with you there Craig. I've loved your night shots from the Great Ocean Road. I have the 20mm f1.8S on pre-order so I'll find out soon enough. Thanks heaps for watching mate.
Great video Richard!
Thanks so much for watching Adrian
Another good information video. Right up my alley on what I am trying to do myself with my variety of glass.
As always I appreciate your insight Spence, thanks again.
Thank you very much for taking the time and making these videos. I truly do learn from them. I bought a Panasonic S1 kind of as my entry level camera and been learning, LOTS. Bought way more then I should have. But in another 5 or 6 years I should have a handle on it. My next move is to pick up a Sigma ART lens for it but just am not sure which one to get. I was really looking hard at the 18-35 f1.8 but now am seeing you really like the primes. I have the Panasonic 24-105 and a sigma 150-600. But am really excited about the milky way and stars. Whats your thoughts? And no I wont hold you to it LOL Again Thank you for the excellent content you put out. Maurice
Thanks so much for watching Maurice. The Sigma 18-35 f1.8 is a crop sensor lens and not suitable for your S1. I'd be looking at the Sigma 14mm f1.8 or the 20mm f1.4. I'd hardly call the Panasonic S1 an entry level camera though ...!!! Hope that helps.
@@nightscapeimages.richard holy cow Thank you. I am not sure why I had not realized that or just did not pay enough attention. Just stumbled across that lens today and thought now that could be fun. Thank you a million times!! Back to the sigma 20mm f1.4 ART for sure. Wow I am embarrassed now. See like I said. Learning LOTS. Thank you again.
@@mauriceaustin3442 No need for embarrassment .. it's a mine field out there.
Another awesome video! I'm now going to look into getting a 20mm lens for this years Milky Way season! Next year; I'm going to get 35mm lens.
Good on you George, you won't be disappointed with the 20mm.
Excellent explanation
Thanks very much Mario
I really appreciate your comment about the foreground being your subject matter, with the milky way framing it. That puts a whole new outlook on my nightscapes. Thanks so much. You are an inspiration.
I'm really pleased you like the video shastapaul, thanks for watching.
Richard, this is fantastic. I’ve really been impressed with your images. The combination of Milky Way and light painting is beautiful. I just started doing a bit of landscape last summer, and am looking forward to trying this in my spring and fall (in Canada and don’t do much outdoor photography in the winter). I really had no idea what lens to use. I don’t have anything ideal. I have the Z6 but nothing wide and fast - I own the 24-70 F4 and 50 1.8S. Don’t think I can afford a 20 1.8 for a while, so at least now I have an idea of when, where and how I might use the 50.
I appreciate the time and energy that you put into making these. You are informative and interesting. You have the image to show that you know what you’re doing. I’m looking forward the hearing and seeing more.
Thanks a lot for watching Matt. I have used the 24-70 f4S for nightscapes. See this video: ua-cam.com/video/dllp7BBvmPg/v-deo.html
Hi, Thanks for the vid. When is your season where the MW is directly above?
Thanks Robert. The milky way here in Australia is directly overhead in July/August
@@nightscapeimages.richard Very cool, thanks.. Do you get Aurora Australis during those months?
@@Robert-vj3ec Yes we sometimes do Robert. The best Aurora I've ever seen happened in August 2015 here
Richard ... would you take someone out for a night scape shoot in your area .. teach them a few things
I do all the time Phil, that's how I earn a living.
@@nightscapeimages.richard could I grab a contact point for you pls
@@nightscapeimages.richard could I grab a contact point for you pls
Thanks again Richard
Thank you for watching Trevor.
Awesome video Richard, I have been wanting to get a 20mm lense to try and get a different look with my images, unfortunately canon doesn't seem to have one, not that I can find via my searches 🤔🤔🤔
Thanks a lot Maz. No Canon don't do one. You can get a Sigma art 20mm f1.4 which is a good lens. I know quite a few people with that one. It's fairly heavy though.
Did you ever try to lightpaint with a Flash ?
Yes I certainly do Matthias but it's usually when I include people in the scene .. reason being to freeze any movement. I have a video on this very topic coming out in a few weeks.
Hey Richard, if you ever get board and feel like experimenting and want to really challenge yourself, some night, try using a combination of lenses for the same shot! Say, put on a wide 14mm and take a few shots of the sky to stack, then swap on a 35mm for the foreground. Good luck with anything lining up though haha but I wonder is there's a combination of lenses out there where that might yield some sort of interesting results.......probably not. Then again if someone has some fast glass but it distorts and they don't want that but they had a kit lens, they could shoot at f3.5+ with it all easy for their foreground. I dunno why I'm thinking about such thing but hey. Who knows maybe the idea will lead to someone trying something and coming up with some new cool method for some reason, who knows.
Wouldn't it be neat for example to be able to shoot, say a 4 row 25% overlap square pano with a 50mm lens for the background. Set another camera on the tripod or just swap lenses and take the shot somehow knowing you're still within the same square of sky you just took, then take your whole foreground with say a 20mm with your light painting shots. Now you have the 50mm pulled in Milky Way that looks massive in all the shots you want, so long as you master and mark some sort of fixed marked out rigged pano setup, where all you had to do was swap on the pano head and nodal slide and fix your first shot, then one left, swing so many degrees, click for the bottom right, so many degrees up and snap the upper right, then the upper left. Even 5 shots each at 10 seconds wouldn't take too long and you can stack for high quality. Then bam, there's your big, pulled in 50mm sky for a 35mm foreground composition to easily fit inside of. Crazy idea or it might just work? I don't have any idea why it wouldn't....after some trial and error. Of course you'd need your rig well marked to set the camera when the 35mm is on it too but just imagine. I think you should try it.
Of course a layer mask on the foreground of the big sky shot so nothing weird bleeds through. Oh of course you'd have to make sure you aimed and took your square of the sky, well anywhere you want I guess, then take whatever portion of the sky you want out to put in back of your foreground. Just for that ability will be worth doing too as you could shoot anything you wanted and place your Milky Way core behind it haha.
It's an interesting concept but I'm generally not into composites with nightscapes. I've done something similar before when using a star tracker but I don't like spending huge amounts of time post processing these type of shots. PS: I've never got nothing to do either ..!!!
You named it,fly by why,error!,close your eyes to manual focus..
Haha, yes my Aussie accent gives it away every time Wullie G .. thanks for watching.
Excellent video as usual. I remeber reading online about ideal lenses and focal lengths for landscape and astro photography and there seems to be a consensus around the 21mm being the "sweet spot", in terms of some of the better quality lenses having almost no distortion, very little falloff, and sharpness corner to corner, still retaining a lot of field of view to capture both a lot of foreground and background in the scene, to make for a compelling image. I think the 20mm Nikon lens you are using was described as one of the best for the job, so i guess kudos to you for using it to produce your stunning images :)
Thanks for your comments. It's a shame that Canon don't make a fast aperture 20mm. I see that Sony has just released one.
Nightscape Images i was recently looking into some of the Zeiss glass, but it's too expensive and i can't justify the cost. Maybe i will get the 35mm you mentioned.
@@aerozg It's a good lens. Sigma also make a 20mm f1.4 for Canon
This adds a lot of insight Richard. I'm thinking I should try a 45 year old Nikon 50mm 1.8 that I have on my Z6/FTZ. You really have curious now. Awesome video as always.Cheers!
Marty
Good on you Marty, really appreciate you watching mate.
Great video once again. Great explanation on how and when to use different focal lengths. Keep up with good with work Mr Richard. Cheers!
Really appreciate you watching again Milorad.
@@nightscapeimages.richard It was pleasure as always!