Which lens is better for Milky Way shots on a Nikon D7000: 50mm f/1.4 or 17-55mm f/2.8?
Asked 12/10/2014
2 views
2 answers
0
I’m shooting with a Nikon D7000 and choosing between a 50mm f/1.4 and a 17-55mm f/2.8 for Milky Way photography. I know the 50mm is two stops faster, but the wider zoom should let me use a longer shutter speed before star trailing becomes visible. Assuming both lenses are acceptably sharp wide open, which is likely to give cleaner results: the 50mm at f/1.4 with a shorter exposure, or the wider lens at f/2.8 with a longer exposure and possibly lower ISO?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
3
Actually just did a ton of research on this myself and found this great article: http://www.lonelyspeck.com/lenses-for-milky-way-photography/
It give's you the run down of the different lens options and what actually goes into taking pictures of the Milky Way. Just got the lens I ordered for this the other day. Got myself a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 which, was very cost effective at $500. Took a few test shots last night and it blew my mind the amount of detail in the stars with just a 15 second shutter.
To build on my answer a bit, using a 50mm lens the maximum exposure time that you won't get star trails for is around 10 seconds for a full-frame camera, and for an APS-C camera it is around 7 seconds. The only way to avoid that is by tracking, so not sure how you can not get star trails with a longer exposure. With my 30mm and my canon APS-C camera the max time is around 15 seconds, and if I zoom in all the way I can see a slight star trail. In the end... the shorter the focal length the longer the exposure time that you can have without getting star trails. Obviously also the lower the f-stop the better.
If you read up on the astro score, your 50mm f/1.4 lens gets a better score then if you shot at 17mm f/2.8. In your case since you have both lenses, go outside and try them out and see which pictures come out better. That is really the best way to tell. Also, whenever I am taking astro pictures the first thing I do is set my ISO to 100 because I would rather have less noise in the picture with slight star trails than a really noisy picture.
As a side note, I was messing around with my pictures post-production with my new Sigma lens and bumped the clarity to 100 and it honestly didn't add that much more noise to my shots. So all-in-all if you are willing to spend $500 I would strongly suggest the Sigma. Was probably the best astro lens I could find for the price.
Here is one of the shots I took at f/1.4 ISO 100 http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t14/ajtawil/Fall%202014/IMG_5831-2_zps8e8c26be.jpg~original
Hope this helps!
Originally by user27049. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27049
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For Milky Way work, aperture speed and maximum trail-free shutter time both matter.
Your 50mm f/1.4 is 2 stops faster than f/2.8, so at the same ISO it can use about 1/4 the exposure time for the same brightness. That’s a big advantage.
But 50mm on an APS-C D7000 also reaches visible star trailing much sooner than a wider lens. Community estimates put a 50mm APS-C exposure at roughly 7 seconds before trails become obvious, while a wider focal length can stay open longer.
So the tradeoff is:
- 50mm f/1.4: gathers more light per second, but allows only a short shutter time before trailing.
- 17-55mm f/2.8 at the wide end: gathers less light per second, but can use a longer shutter time because it’s wider.
In general, for Milky Way photography a wider lens is usually easier because it tolerates longer exposures and frames more of the sky. If you use the zoom, use it at the widest focal length. If you use the 50mm, expect a much shorter maximum shutter unless you add a star tracker.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI11y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Best Canon 7D lens and settings for Milky Way photos at the Grand Canyon
How do I maximize color in Milky Way astrophotography with a Canon 7D?
For Milky Way shots, should I use 17mm f/2.8 or 10mm f/4.5?
How should I expose Milky Way photos, and how much do streetlights or moonlight matter?
How much more light does a constant f/2.8 zoom give compared with an 18-55mm kit lens?