How do I photograph a Starlink satellite pass with a Nikon D3400 on a tripod?
Asked 4/26/2020
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I’m new to photographing satellites and want to capture a Starlink pass using a Nikon D3400 on a tripod. What focal length is best, do I need any filters, and how should I aim the camera at the part of the sky where the satellites will pass? Do I need a tracker, or is a fixed tripod enough for a beginner trying to capture the pass?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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Using a Starlink passes table (this one if from heavens-above but other sites are similar):.
Track goes from WNW to SW, so, on the horizon, two points that are roughly 60° apart. The lower altitude is 10° above the horizon, the highest is 33°, this is a 22° difference. Since your camera has an APS-C sensor, the 60° horizontal Field of View requires a 20mm lens. You likely have a 18-50mm kit lens, 18mm would be fine and will give you some margin if your aim is not too good. No filter necessary (they will do more harm than good, usually). Of course you can use a longer lens to take a picture of a smaller part of the track but you will have to aim more accurately. Leave that for later...
You can aim your camera with a compass (there are compass apps for smartphones), somewhere in the middle (so between W and WSW). Since with your lens your vertical FOV is 40-50°, the track will be about centered if the bottom of the field is on the horizon. You don't need a tracker mount (at least no yet), the pass is quite short (under 5minutes), star trails will be short (and will help distinguish the satellite(s)).
Originally by user75947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75947
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A fixed tripod is enough to start; you do not need a tracker for a wide view of a Starlink pass. The easiest approach is to use a pass-prediction site/app, note the direction and altitude range of the pass, and aim the camera midway along that path. A phone compass can help with direction.
For a wide pass, use a wide-angle lens. On the Nikon D3400’s APS-C sensor, around 20mm covers roughly a 60° horizontal field of view, so an 18mm kit-lens setting is a good beginner choice and gives some framing margin. A longer lens can work for a smaller section of the track, but aiming becomes much more critical.
Do not use filters; they usually reduce light and make this harder.
One key limitation: if you try to capture the entire pass in one long exposure, stars can easily dominate while the satellite trail may stay faint because it spends much less time on each pixel. So a wide, simple setup is good for learning, but expect exposure tradeoffs when trying to show both stars and dim satellites clearly.
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