Equipment for Milky Way Photography
Choosing the right equipment to capture the perfect photo can be intimidating.
This post will help you understand the basics if you’re just getting started.
Capture your first Milky Way shot
I recommend starting with whatever equipment you have.
If you have a tripod and your cellphone, I recommend follow the steps in my post on the topic.
If you have a camera and tripod, try with your widest angle lens with a wide aperture. Something like 14-24mm with aperture f/2.8 or wider. See my exposure recommendations below.
If you are looking to learn how to use or purchase a tracker or just the right camera and lens, keep reading below!
Choose the right gear
You can make the process of capturing images much easier by having the correct equipment.
Camera - I recommend a full frame mirrorless camera. I use the Sony A7iv and A7riv but Canon and Nikon as well as several other camera makers provide great options.
Lens - I recommend a lens with focal length in the 10mm-24mm range and aperture f/2.8 or wider in order to capture image with just your camera and tripod.
Tripod - I recommend a very sturdy tripod. I use Peak Design and some larger carbon fiber tripods available on Amazon. The important thing is that the weight capacity is higher than the camera and other equipment you plan to mount on it.
(Advanced, optional) Tracker - I recommend different trackers based on your use case. You can find details on the equipment I use here.
Exposure settings
Aperture - You want to use the largest aperture available on your lens. For example: f/2.8, f/1.4, etc
Shutter - This will depend on your lens’ focal length. I use around 300/focal length for the latest setups to prevent star trailing. With some older cameras you may be able to use 500 instead of 300 and still see no star trailing.
ISO - This will depend on light pollution, your aperture, and shutter. I generally recommend starting around 3200 and increasing or decreasing depending on the result.
Manual focus - You will need to know how to focus your lens at infinity so that your stars will be sharp pin points in the sky.
Conclusion
Hopefully this post has helped you gain an understanding of the basic equipment and settings to capture your first milky way photos! If you have additional questions or would like personalized advice, I would be happy to meet with you: Meet with Sam I hope you have clear skies on all your astrophotography adventures.
