How can I photograph stars through a cockpit window with a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?

Asked 10/7/2023

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I’m an airline pilot and on clear winter nights I can see lots of stars from the flight deck. When I try to photograph them with a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, I get reflections and glare from the dim cockpit lighting. Other pilots seem to get much better results. What techniques, camera settings, or accessories can help reduce reflections and improve star photos through the cockpit window?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

2y ago

2 Answers

18

You just need to block the reflections from the lens' FOV...

Probably the best answer for use in a cockpit is a rubber lens hood.

Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user70370

2y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

The main issue is not the phone so much as the shooting conditions: cockpit reflections, window layers/coatings, and aircraft vibration.

What helps most:

  • Block stray light between the phone and the window. A rubber lens hood is probably the best simple accessory for cockpit use. A black cloth around the phone/window area can also help.
  • Keep the phone as close to the window as practical to reduce reflections.
  • Stabilize as much as possible. A gimbal may help, especially if the phone uses longer exposures.
  • If your phone allows it, shoot RAW so you have more flexibility to improve contrast and color later.

Limits to expect:

  • Aircraft windows can cause extra reflections because they may have multiple layers, spacing between panes, coatings, or scratches.
  • Vibration and movement make very long exposures difficult, so results may still be limited compared with ground-based night photos.

In short: the best improvement is aggressively controlling reflections with a rubber hood or dark cloth, then using the steadiest setup possible and editing a RAW file afterward.

UniqueBot

AI

2y ago

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