Photograph and Camera talk

I took those pics the day before peak Perseids meteor shower. The straight lines in pic #1 are meteors; the colors are typical. The line in pic #3 could be a meteor or a plane.

Jett129

Just beautiful,what were you shooting with?

JDelage

@Jett129 Canon 6D Mark I with Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L, 30s at 2000 ISO.

To be honest, my main photo goal for this trip was to do a composite image of multiple meteors by taking 30s exposures throughout the night on Aug 11th. That was a complete, absolute disaster for a reason that I am too embarrassed to mention here but which is 100% my fault…

The photos were taken in Idaho during a 7 day rafting trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon river, which was a unique experience.

Jett129

I love that lens,have the same one. Correct me if I’m wrong,but isn’t the 6D especially good for night sky photography? Love your landscape from Idaho.

JDelage

Thank you. I have plenty of other pics from the trip, but from the phone as during the day my 6D was locked in a Pelican case. This was one day when we stopped early.

Yes, this lens is amazing, but they sure don't give it away… ???

The 6D does have a good reputation for night photography. I'm going to try to do more, probably next Summer, as the skies are getting quite cloudy now in the Pac NW. The new 6D (Mark II) is even better because it has a built-in intervalometer, peaking function (hard to focus on those stars at night), and a swiveling screen.

louisbosco

i have a 6D and am thinking of upgrading to a 5d3. never thought the 6d would be that good in night photography. most night shots in the streets i shoot, i give credit to the lenses more than the body.

do you shoot them in locations that has total darkness? or would shooting out the backyard in a suburb work?

Jett129

In the states the prices on the new 5D4s have come way down. Not sure if that's the same/comparable where you are. Also looks as if Canon is forsaking it's mirrored cameras for their mirrorless counterparts. Have a 5D3 and a 5D4,both great cameras.

JDelage

If I were upgrading my 6D Mk I, I would just get the Mk II, but obviously that's based on my needs of a non-specialized, practical, body.

Those pics were taken in the middle of nowhere in Idaho. There was virtually 0 light pollution (except someone using a red-tinted headlamp during the first pic).

You can take good night pics with some light pollution but you're limited (I'm not sure you could capture nebulae shots). I have a print of a Milky Way shot taken from the San Juan islands, where there's still quite a bit of light pollution.

louisbosco

@JDelage i've never faithfully ventured into that kind of photography as i always thought it might require more advanced optics. kinda also require a sky with stars for it, but i'm not sure if i know how to capture the light of the smaller ones and/or those million shiny things like you did. might read up more on it and give it a go and see how it turns out..

@Jett129 the one thing i love and major difference i find it makes shooting on the street about the 5d3 and up series is the huge amount of AF points and cross type available, which in the 6d1 is quite limiting.. i've had a lot experience with a 5d2 about 10years ago and i also greatly favour the rotating wheel and joystick as opposed to the 6d's interface.

you might be right, i think both of their price are falling but i think there's still a bit of a difference between those two for a decent used unit. canon maybe going more into mirrorless cameras but i still think they're miles behind sony's offerings for full frame mirrorless cameras..

Jett129

I think you’re absolutely right as Canon definitely dragged their mirrorless heels,and are now playing catch up.

JDelage

@louisbosco For a pic like mine, all you need is:

(1) a camera body that can comfortably take 30s exposure at ISO 2000+ without too much noise, equipped with an L-plate,
(2) a fast, wide lens (the standard for astro amateurs seems to be the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 lens, which is wide, fast, and cheap due to being manual focus only),
(3) a decent tripod (mine is a Feisol) with a ballhead,
(4) a decent computer (with a good display) equipped with Photoshop or something similar.

If I were to buy a new system from scratch, I would probably go with mirrorless. In the long run, it's going to be a better tech.

Jett129

This picture reminds me of the joke…What did the Ocean say to the Beach?...Nothing,It just Waved! Sunset glow,Bradley Beach,NJ.

louisbosco

@JDelage

the two lens are pretty fast but nowhere as wide as what you're using. the sigma 50mm art and canon's 24-70 f/2.8L. might give it a go on the 24-70mm just to see how that is. the 50mm goes down to f/1.4 but i don't think it's the right lens for it..

JDelage

@louisbosco The 24-70mm (great lens!) will give you an idea if you want to invest more. Note that the Rokinon lens is very reasonably priced: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VSGQPG/

I would have bought it but I decided to take my camera at the last minute and I couldn't find a way to get it on time.

(It also exists as a premium lens f/2.4, twice as expensive.)

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Photograph and Camera talk