United3dArtists Archive

How do I photograph the Milky Way with my Kodak Z650?

If I get a couple of days off, and they put out the wildfires (no MW through the haze), I might go up in the mountains. You can see the Milky Way pretty well with your eyes there but I don't know anything about making photos like that.

AHHH ! Thats nice !
Well the problem with that is that you need a long exposure to get the stars and the stars are traveling in the meantime so that you dont get destinct points
but rather trails.....
The solution to that is called a polar mount or also called star tracker. They come in manual versions and automated too and you can build your own. You have to advance ther field of
your camera manually with that.
With digital highspeed (high iso )photography your camera isnt open long enough to get star trails so you can get away sometimes without a polar mount.
In case of your5 camera i would start and try something like iso 1600.. for starters and a few seconds exposure....

This is an expensive version here but you can find manual versions that are much cheaper and also versions you can build on you own.. you just need
to hunt (google) the internet for one that you like.
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1287-16991"

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. ... e=41674512"

Peter

Thanks Rayman. I'll look at prices for really cheap ones but cheap means $10. I doubt I could get that used unless it needs repair. I'll try the high ISO method of course.

What I want to do is get a photo that is close to what I see looking at the Milky Way -- a Human eye view. Awesome certainly but not as spectacular as the long exposures that show stars too faint to see with your eyes. What is needed for that? I'll try for both.

Finis wrote:Thanks Rayman. I'll look at prices for really cheap ones but cheap means $10. I doubt I could get that used unless it needs repair. I'll try the high ISO method of course.

What I want to do is get a photo that is close to what I see looking at the Milky Way -- a Human eye view. Awesome certainly but not as spectacular as the long exposures that show stars too faint to see with your eyes. What is needed for that? I'll try for both.

You´d have to make your own then which is possible....
look around for some blueprints....
Peter

Milky Way manual photography discussion:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/25191652@N ... 457559667/"

Barn Door Mount...Build your own:
Budget.....$10

http://www.homebuiltastronomy.com/barndoor/index.htm"

Steinie wrote:Milky Way manual photography discussion:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/25191652@N ... 457559667/"

Barn Door Mount...Build your own:
Budget.....$10

http://www.homebuiltastronomy.com/barndoor/index.htm"

Steinie good find those are the ones that I thought about !
Peter

Thanks Rayman and Steinie!

Not enough spare time to make that mount and no tripod. Could attach a mount to the truck. That would be stable. I'll try the shorter exposure time methods then. Since I want a human eye view, roughly like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/estenotopo ... otostream/" , I think the shorter exposure will do. Is that right?

I don't have a cable to avoid shaking the camera when I push the button so I'll use the delay timer as, I think, Spacekdet advised in some thread. Not looking like I'll have any time soon anyway.

Finis wrote:Thanks Rayman and Steinie!

Not enough spare time to make that mount and no tripod. Could attach a mount to the truck. That would be stable. I'll try the shorter exposure time methods then. Since I want a human eye view, roughly like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/estenotopo ... otostream/" , I think the shorter exposure will do. Is that right?

I don't have a cable to avoid shaking the camera when I push the button so I'll use the delay timer as, I think, Spacekdet advised in some thread. Not looking like I'll have any time soon anyway.

Yeah the delay tzimer method is something I also use quite often.
You got to just tape your camera to a stable object or pole... that way you dont actually need a tripod.....
Peter

Hiking poles often have 1/4" X 20 screww attachments on the top of them, or they can be adapted quite easily (drill, glue, 1/4 x 20 insert or a bolt), than just a matter of a couple ropes and tent spikes. I do it often and is pretty good in a pinch... maybe not stable enough for star photography (stacking images) but maybe it will be an alternative for you.

Rich

Say, that sounds familiar!
...



Tripod would be better, of course, with the aiming swivels, but it works in a pinch.

Thanks everyone. Hiking pole? Maybe a ski pole. I'll see if anyone has one or I could make something like Rich said. In the desert folks who want a pole use a yucca stem. Looks like I won't have time for a while.