Astrophotography with a Crop Sensor Camera - Sony A6000, A6300, A6400, A6500
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- Today I show you how to shoot the stars with a crop sensor camera.
Remember to go out when there is a new moon and clear skies to see many more stars!!
I also shoot the stars with a full frame camera: • Sony A7iii Astrophotog...
The principles are the same, with a few subtle differences...
I use photopills to check out the moon cycles and to find out where the milky way is: • How I use Photopills t...
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Sony kit lens 16-50mm amzn.to/2Y2ltdO
Sony 10-18mm amzn.to/2JUZArF
Samyang 12mm amzn.to/2SrtaZT
Laowa 12mm amzn.to/2JTWzYO
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I think it's the best video I've seen on TH-cam. Very clear, concise, direct. You deliver detailed, accurate and valuable information. In addition a perfect pronunciation for which English is not our native language. Congratulations on the excellent work. Saludos desde Chile.
Gracias mi amigo!!
(sorry that is about the extent of my Spanish knowledge! 🤦🏻♂️)
Thanks so much Manu, I'm glad my video has helped and was easy to understand. I bet you have some amazing landscapes to photograph in Chile!! We've been wanting to do a trip to South America for a long time but haven't had time yet...maybe soon!! 😁👍
You’re not kidding. This video was amazing. True cheat sheet for nubs like me…
Got an a-6000. I can’t stop thinking: “If I knew then what I know now I’d have some insane pics”. Better later than never. Thanks for a great video!!!
Lol, it's always the same...but at least you know what you know now! 😁
Thanks for watching 👍
This must be the definitive guide into astro photography for newcomers, clear step-by-step, simple to follow and complete. Hands down. Keep it up!
Thanks so much Eduardo! Really appreciate your kind words. 👍
It's such a fun type of photography...and quite addictive...lots of sleepless nights!
Thanks for watching. 👍
Having such a clear, informative but not overloaded explanation has given me the confidence to try this (I'll be referring back multiple times!). Thank you for this excellent video.
That's great to hear!! Thanks for watching 😁👍
Excellent tutorial. I started astrophotography with my Sony RX100 iii with good results. Then I picked up a A6000 and Rokinon 12mm f2 and was very happy. I also bought a Sigma 16mm f1.4 that I use for panorama Milky Way shots stitched together. That is a great lens. Once you get one good shot it gets very addicting (but in a good way 👌). Now it’s all about getting the right foreground subject and doing light painting!
That’s excellent Larry!
I was amazed at the quality from these little cameras in such low light! I bet the sigma 16mm 1.4 would be fantastic on this!
You’re right, the challenge is always getting a good foreground and lighting it properly.
Thanks for watching and commenting, much appreciated. 😁👍
I will use this guide for my first attempt for astro photo.
Your way of explaining is so good.
Huge thanks.
No worries John, thanks for watching 😁👍
Wow, very nice tutorial! Clear, concise, no annoying background music, everything explained perfectly. Subscribed. Thanks!
Thanks so much Mamabear! Welcome to the club! 😁👍
No music, I wondered why it was so good. If there is music I listen to that and can't concentrate.
Thank you so much for nice guide line of Astrophotography. It works for me 100% perfect before I tried many different ways but I was not success. Thank you once more.
Great to hear I could help. 😁👍
I'm about to buy an a6400 in the next few days for astrophotography (and landscape), so no need to say I'm very happy to a found your video. Considering I'm a beginner it will be really helpful, thank you!
Excellent! I'm glad I could help. 😁
Let me know how you get on with the A6400...it's a great little camera 👍
This is an awesome video! I love the fact that you praised the APS-C cameras for their impressive low light performance. A lot of photographers still live under the misconception that APS-C cameras are poor in low light or are much worse than other full frame options, and it's pretty sad.
I've shot some stars with the Nikon D7200 and I was blown away at how clean the image was at ISO 3200 (I didn't even need noise reduction). I recently got a Nikon D7500 as a second body and I can't wait to shoot some stars with it too as it delivers noticeably cleaner results than the D7200 at high ISO.
Your views give some kind of energy to me. I am also having crop sensor d3400 and D90 of Nikon. Great appreciation.
Thanks so much Osase!!
Years ago I started with the canon 350d and then the 600d and I got pretty good results with those but I haven't really shot with a crop sensor since getting the canon 6d and then moving to the sony a7 series cameras...I've probably fallen into that trap of using a full frame camera and thinking that a crop sensor is bad in low light but this has completely changed my mind ... to the point that I might be getting the A6500 for travelling as it would mean having a much lighter comer bag!!
Thanks for watching and commenting dude, much appreciated!! 😁👍
Thanks so much Ravi!! 😁👍
@@mikesphotography That's awesome! I had the budget to get a full frame system, but I decided to stick with APS-C cameras because of how good they are! For me, it's not about the weight but the benefits of APS-C in terms of reach with the same focal length and the fact that there's no practical difference in image quality when comparing it with the full frame system.
The aps-c system is really good for getting that extra reach. I often use the aps-c function in my a7rii for that very reason...😁👍
Hey Mike, last night was the first time I tried to shoot the milky way. I bought the A6000 and used the 3.5-5.6/16-50 lens. I'm still trying to understand what it all means. But this video definitely gave me great insight as to what I was doing wrong with my settings. Great video. Thank you
That’s awesome! I’m glad I could help!!
The best bet is to go out and shoot as much as possible...that way it’ll slowly sink in and you’ll get a better understanding of how your camera works and how you can make it do what you want.
Astrophotography is great as well because when you get a clear night, you have lots of time to think about and try out different settings.
👍
Thanks for this video. I went on a trip and tried this. now I'm compelled to buy new lens kit. I love it
No worries, I hope it helped!
Lol! Photography is addictive ... and very expensive!! I hope you get a good lens!!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
I got an a6000 a few years back when I used to work for bestbuy. Got an open box one and used it a few times and its catching dust. But i been reading about this and IM SO EXCITED
That's great to hear...get out and try it...you'll be amazed at what it can get once you know how to use it! 😁👍
The 300/500 tip is great, I never knew there is such a rule, comes in handy. I tried to photograph comet Neowise the other night, it is funny I could barely see it but the A6300 can pick it up much clearer than the naked eye, just like when photographing the northern lights.
Great to hear!! It is one of those rules that just comes in handy to get your settings dialed in quickly.
It's amazing how good the sensors in these modern cameras are...im amazed every time I go out.
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
Very useful video! I will try your settings on my camera... I hope to take nice photo even if my lens is 35mm on apsc (around 50 on ff) probably not super good...
Absolutely brilliant video, I have decided to stick to my A6000 and A6400, and will be considering getting the 16mm f/1.4 for astrophotography.Cheers from Singapore 👍🏻🙌🏻
Thanks Nigel! I have the sigma 16mm f1.4 and it is fantastic! Perfect for astrophotography with the A6000 series of cameras.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
You're a stud. Appreciate the short and informative tips. No fat, thank you! You earned a sub and a like
Haha! Thanks very much!!
Welcome to the club!! 😁👍
The sigma 16mm F1.4 is THE best astro lens for Sony APS-C now. SUPER sharp, I usually stop down to f2 and it's so good. 15sec ISO 6400 on my a6300.
You're right...I got the 16mm f1.4 as well ... after making this ... and it's an absolute gem of a lens for astro! 😁👍
Here a very good tip: Buy a tracker that does not cost a fortune (for example iOptron $300-450) and get a cheap Samyang 12mm f/2.0. This allows you to do long exposure times of 240+ seconds and in the same time, use the lens at its sweetspot for sharpness (f/4.0) and to lower the ISO to 800. Save all the money for expensive /1.4 lenses. The tracker solution will put your expensive lens to shame.
Hi Alex,
Even though that is true, it does take a bit more time for people to learn to use a tracker properly...Also to learn how to take another shot of the foreground and have the skills to blend these together in photoshop.
This tutorial is more of an introduction to astrophotgraphy and shows that you don't need to have big expensive cameras for astrophotography...and it's good to learn the basics before going for more advanced ways of shooting the stars, but thanks for your input. 👍
Thank you so much great tutorial. You on of the gems of youtube
Thanks very much! 😁👍
This is a FANTASTIC video, simply explained and easy to understand for beginners like me! So concise too. Thank you for thinking of us newbies with that cheat sheet, I'm going to try my hand at capturing the comet Neowise tonight! Will come back with an update on how it went haha
No worries, I'm glad I could help!! With Neowise, try to keep your shutter speeds a bit lower...especially if you're using a longer lens...let me know how you get on. 👍
Unfortunately I was moving house when it was visible in the skies here in the middle east...now I'm free, it's no longer visible here! 🤦🏻♂️
@@mikesphotography Ahhh thank you! I was under the impression that it'd be most visible last night due to it being closest to earth... Unfortunately I live in Las Vegas, and even driving almost an hour outside of it there was still much light pollution. I understood then why you would drive 3 hours out of a city.
Though I didn't have any luck capturing the comet, it was exhilarating using your tips out at Seven Magic Mountains. I primarily do video so I was SO EXCITED to find that my A6400 could capture the Milky Way like that! Can't wait to keep practicing - thanks again!!
Great to hear! It is so much fun getting out under the stars...I'm out in the desert right now but its a little cloudy at the moment... I'm hoping it will clear soon. 👍
One lens I would suggest for the a6400 is the sigma 16mm f1.4...ive just got one for my a6600 and it is a fantastic lens for both astro and videography. 😁👍
Dude, what a great vid. Simple things like that screen grab for steps goes such a long way to making content truly useful.
Glad it was helpful Lou! 😁👍
the
Hi, I really got a lot out of your video. You are very detailed and I appreciate that, and I like learning the new and different things my camera can do. I have a Sony a5000, not quite up to par with the a6000 but I have taken many, what I consider, great photos. I am excited to try my hand at astrophotography and your tutorial will help me immensely. Thank you very much for passing on your knowledge.
That's great to hear!! Thank you so much for watching and I hope you have fun shooting the stars...it really is an addictive part of photography...just be prepared to not be having as much sleep as before! 😆
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Awesome tips on how to create beautiful images friend. I’m lucky enough to be in Texas where the hill country is perfect for this, can’t wait to take a go at it. God bless you!
This was a great video. First I've seen on using a crop for Astro. I use the Sony a6400 with the sigma 18/35 1.8 and it works really good together. I'll do 5 frame portrait style panos a lot of the time for that extra wide look. I love my combo.
That's great to hear! The crop sensor cameras are getting better and better as the years go by.
I did some street photography recently with the a6600 and the kit lens and really enjoyed using it.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
This is SO GREAT. I will try it tonight.
Just one request -- possible to put a link to a printable cheat-sheet? I am sure many of us newbies would be grateful.
But no complaints -- only THANKS!!
Thanks for the video Mike. I've been trying to get some good Astro shots with my a6500., but I was missing a few steps this really helped, can't wait to try it out.
Great to hear it has helped! There’s so many steps in the process so it’s easy to miss one or two.
Let me know how you get on! 😁👍
Hello I have used a A6500 with the Sigma 16mm F1.4 and I have been very happy with the outcomes. We have plenty of dark places in rural NSW and Queensland Australia. Excellent video. You seem to live in the UAE. I did a job there for three months in 2010, Was very interesting but could not live there full time.
That’s a great setup Paul, I hear the 16mm 1.4 is fantastic!
I bet you have some amazing night skies in NSW!! I worked on a sheep station back in 1992 in Narrandera and remember the amazing night skies and also the big storms in the afternoons!!
It’s definitely a unique place to live here...especially this time of year...hot and humid...although Queensland is pretty hot in the summer as well isn’t it?
Thanks for watching! 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Yes my sister has a farm between Wagga and Narrandera and I have been meaning to go out there one night. Keep up the good work.
Excellent!! ... and thanks dude!! 😁👍
Niko over at Nebula Photos recommends the NPF rule for exposure calculation, instead of the 500/300 rule. But he confesses to being a perfectionist when it comes to sharp focus. Also, if you get a $10 or so "intervalometer" you can easily have the camera grab any number of exposures you want. Then with the right process and software (Windows: DeepSkyStacker, Linux: ASTAP is free, PixInsight costs but is amazing) you can combine ("stack") all those shots to get a much noise-reduced final image. It's the equivalent of a much longer exposure (your exposure time multiplied by the number of shots). When you line all the images up you lose a little at the edges, but not too much.
There are also procedures for taking "calibration" shots of various types that let the software correct for imperfections and variations across your camera's sensor.
I find the NPF rule to be very restrictive ... especially with longer focal lengths and in most wide field astro photographs, unless you print a huge image, it would be hard to spot a slight ovaling of the stars.
I've done a fair bit of stacking in the past and it is a great process to learn. I did a video on it a while back: th-cam.com/video/rEU9kPCwotM/w-d-xo.html
Also for really clean sky exposures, a tracker works great, then if that is blended with a good foreground exposure, this works really well to clean up the photo even more.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Yeah, I think the best approach is to just try things and decide what gets you the results you like, honestly.
What an awesome video! Hats off 💯
Thanks very much! 😁👍
Very good starting point and well explained!
Thanks very much Rahul! 😁👍
Great Video Mike I based in the west of Ireland and your tutorial was outstanding
love your tutorials: inspired to try some astrophotography with my old sony 6000 this July in Mount Olympia park. Thanks for making this not seem intimidating!!!!
Really interesting in this video. Am also having crop sensor camera (D3400 and D90 of Nikon). I failed twice (Don't know the reason, but failed), but still interested in Milky way photography. (Not like nebula, galaxy etc).
Great tutorial video.
Instructions sheets definitely help.
Thanks for making this wonderful video.
Have a nice day.
Thanks so much Ravi! The crop sensor is definitely a fantastic camera to have!!
What happened when it didn't quite work out? How did the photos you took look like? (underexposed, noisy?)
Hey, I'd recommend that you stick with the Nikon D3400 for astrophotography as it has a much newer sensor and processor with much better image quality in low light! I'll send you the link of a video just so you see how good the D3400 is in low light.
Watch this video: th-cam.com/video/5kprYsDTdJ8/w-d-xo.html
You'll see that the D3400 is very impressive. Just try to expose properly and you shouldn't have any issues. Getting enough light on the sensor is key to getting clean low light images!
@@mikesphotography Focus not good. Totally under exposed. Some times trails clearly visible because of longer shutter speed. The main draw back is AF-P type lens doesn't have distance marking. I can't focus perfectly in MF. Autofocus hunts very much in the dark sky. Now, it's monsoon season. Lots of clouds in the sky. Etc. Etc .etc....
@@osasenoma-owens5072 Thank you very much sir. Thanks for your valuable time and reply.
I enjoy all of your Astro videos, Mike. Keep it up.
Thanks so much Stephen!! This week I thought I'd get the crop sensor guys in on the fun!! 😆👍 I was really surprised at the results from this little powerhouse of a camera!!
Thanks for watching dude!! 👍
And I've just seen your image you sent me...that's such an amazing shot...love the composition...that's a perfect use of photopills to get perfect alignment!! 😍👍
@@mikesphotography Thanks. I appreciate that. I am really looking forward to traveling out west here in the US to do some Astro photography. I will be in Morocco in early October and I am going to try to get some shots, but I don't think the Milky Way is going to cooperate with me.
No Worries dude!
I've taken some in southern Morocco but that was earlier in the year. I'm not sure how much of the milkyway you'll see in October...its still a dark sky country so if there's a new moon it would definitely be worth getting some night sky shots as you'll see so many stars!! 😁👍
Great tutorial....you earned my like and subscription
Thanks very much Avi! 😁👍
Can’t wait to try this out next week in Utah.
I bet there will be some amazing skies out there!!
Thanks for watching and good luck in getting some great shots 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Going to try tonight. Picked a few spots in Dinosaur National Monument
Thank you, for your youtube vidio, I am the first time could get what’s the amazing tutorial by using Sony camera for the low light landscape shot...but i am not quiet understand to operate this mode. Anyway you had already educate me!! You are the best. By the waay I am Indonesian, English is not my native language!,
No worries! I'm glad I could help!! For low light landscapes, the best way would be to get it on a tripod...It makes it so much easier and you will get more photographs sharp and clean. 😁👍
Hello from Costa Rica in Central America, I have a Sony a6500 with sigma 16mm 1.4. Thank you so much, very clear, great video, Happy holydays!!! i
Great video and for a beginner like me. I plan to use this with my a6500 and 12mm Samyang lens out in the North Cascades back country in Washington State around Glacier Peak.
Thanks so much! That sounds great!! I bet with the 12mm samyang, you'll get some great images!
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
This is very handy.
I’m attempting my first night shoot with my new A6600 this weekend 👍🏼
Great to hear! I hope it all goes well and you get some clear skies!! 😁👍
Have you created a document with step by step instructions? I could print it and put in my camera bag. Thanks !!
Hi Jerry,
I haven't as of yet, but I am slowly publishing blog posts on my videos when I get time to write them up, so keep an eye out for it there:
www.mikesmithphotography.com
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Thank you. I have a motorcycle trip to Alaska coming up. I have an A6000. Will be buying the lens.
Great to hear Jerry! That'll be an amazing trip!! 😁👍
This video offers an incredible and detailed explanation for successfully pulling off astrophotography shots with Sony cameras. I jotted down all the tips from the video and was able to get some great shots last night thanks to your help. Keep up the great work!
That's great to hear Brian! It is so much fun getting under the stars and capturing a great image of them isn't it.
If you have the crop sensor sonys, I highly recommend the sigma 16mm f1.4... Ive just been shooting with it and it is fantastic!!
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
amazing turtorial!
Thanks very much!! 😁👍
Thank you very much. Nice info. Currently i am Sony a58 user since 2013, now looking to upgrade but confused . My choice goes a6600 and a7iii . I love Milkyway and DSO both ... As a7iii have more capability to noise handling ....
I'm glad you like it. 😁
Thats a tricky one, the A7iii would be better for wide field astro, but the a6600 would be better for deep sky objects... I'd say to work out which one you prefer out of those subjects and then pick accordingly.
Alternatively, you could go for the a7rii, riii or riv... 🤔
@@mikesphotography Ok...I will check
great video. very helpful. Thank you!
No worries, thanks for watching 😁👍
Really very well explained and great quality 🙏❤️
It causes me doubt to know exactly which model of the a6000 you are using
and is there a difference in photo quality between a6400 and a6500? do you have good iso handling? 🙏
F
Thank you, thank you! Awesome video, so wonderfully explained
Thanks so much Nate! 😁👍
Brilliantly video thanks so is the kit lens suitable for this? in order to make this a time lapse is there some kind of app for the a6000? Thanks Glenn
Just what I needed, thanks. I have an A6600 and want to photograph Neowise in the next couple of days.
Excellent. I hope you get some great shots.😁👍
With neowise, try a longer focal length to get it filling the frame a bit more.
Mads Peter Iversen has a video on shooting it: th-cam.com/video/2eDN22SRCPw/w-d-xo.html
Unfortunately I missed it and it's no longer in the sky where I'm at. 😵
2nd. I love the Laowa 12mm f2.8. Kinda looks just like tbe one you used in the video. I learn so much from you . Thanks for all your awesome videos.
and a close second at that!! 😁👍
The one I had in this tutorial was a mint one...and the camera rocks...thanks for lending me them dude...I owe you a beer or three!! 😆👍
@@mikesphotography rock bottom here we come
Haha! Rock bottoms indeed...🍻🍺🍻
Awesome tutorial! thanks :D
Thanks very much! 😁👍
Wonderful Clear helpful and all of that. Thank you.
Thanks very much!
Really appreciate your videos Mike, they have helped me greatly as I have just gotten into this hobby.
Great to hear! I have a lot of fun making these and there are a lot more to come! 😁👍
Straight to the point. Fantastic video.
Thanks so much!! 😁👍
Just got into photography and I'm heading to the grand canyon real soon and I just got the idea to try astrophotography. I'm so excited
Great to hear!! It is really addictive so be ready for some sleepless nights!!
I'm currently under the stars and it's about 1.30am...loving it!!
Hope you get some good images. 😁👍
Very nice video and your way of explaining is very good
I want to ask you is this the UAE where you recorded this tutorial
The place looks similar to the UAE deserts
Awesome as always! Thank you so much!!!
And thank you for watching 😁👍
For the Sony APSC would the rule not be 500/(16mm x 1.5) =20.83sec? Instead of 300/16 = 18.75sec?
That is another way to work it out but the 300 rule gives you a more of a conservative figure for crop sensors.
I tend to work with the 400 rule now with my full frame camera as the 500 rule still gives a little streaking on the really high megapixel cameras.
I'll be doing a followup video to this one soon, going through this. 😁👍
Thank you, very neat helpful video..
Thanks very much Mahmoud! 😁👍
Easy to understand tutorial, great job!
Need your suggestion... For overall landscape photography (including Astrophotography), better I get Sony 10-18 F4 (versatile but small aperture) or Laowa 9mm F2.8 ?
Hi Jemanden,
That's a tricky one. The 10-18mm will give you the versatility for landscape photography but a disadvantage with astrophotography and the 9mm will be good for astro but will be less versatile for landscape photography.
I'd probably look to see which you do more of, if it's landscape, get the 10-18mm, if it is astro, get the 9mm...and then buy the other one when you can afford it.
I have the 14mm samyang f2.8 for my a7iii and used to have the 16-35mm f4...which are the full frame equivalents to what your talking about and I used the 16-35mm for landscapes all the time and then the 14mm at night all the time...so they will both come in handy...just at different times...
I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography thank you for the inputs, now I can decide which one to have first :)
Mike you are the best! thank you :)
Thanks very much! 😁👍
Dang might have to try this out got a telephoto and a sigma 1.4 should be interesting.
It's good fun Matt, well worth trying!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
It's not only you are giving great information but also the way you deliver them. Thanks a lot for your effort :) I have only an old Canon 550D, I guess this doesn't qualify for astrophotography though...
Thanks so much Panos, I really appreciate it!!
I started shooting the stars with the 350d and then the 600d...so you can definitely do it with the 550d!
You will need a lens with a wide aperture but it’s definitely achievable.
See if you can find a 10 or 12mm with an aperture of 2.8 or wider.
Thanks alot for this video. What is the best time of the year for astrophotography in UAE or GCC as you are shooting from there? Thank you
No worries Ali. If you want the milkyway, go on the new moon days between March and September, in Al Qudra or down in liwa...anywhere away from the light pollution. In the winter, if you have longer lenses and a tacker, you can try to get shots of andromeda and other deep space objects. 👍
Mike Smith Thank you so much for the clear explanation. Im living in Muscat, Oman and will try to find somewhere away from light pollution 👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you. That was useful!
No worries, I'm glad I could help. 😁👍
Do you have any photos of Andromeda (M31) or any other galaxies ? I heard Andromeda is 6x wider than the moon - although you may have to get it from the Hubble to see that.
Hi Rob, I've tracked andromeda but haven't processed the images yet...I need to take the time to learn how to compile deep space images but been super busy with work since I got those shots...hopefully I'll be able to get to them soon. I think a trip to Hubble would be fantastic to see M31 in all it's glory!! 😁👍
Thanks for this helpful video fam 🙌🏾
No worries, I hope it has helped!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
hey Mike! love your videos. I wonder if you could explain me why turning off steady shot and long exposure nr makes the image better? shouldnt that help the picture? Very beginner here' sorry
No worries. As the camera is on a tripod, there's no need for steadyshot. As for long exposure NR, this doubles the time it takes for each image, therefore when you're shooting 30 second exposures, each image will take 1 minute...and over a night of shooting, time goes really quickly...especially if you only have a few hours of total darkness, so having this turned off, will basically double the amount of time you will have to take photos...and any computer or laptop will have more processing power to get rid of the noise in your shots when editing...instead of letting your camera burn through batteries whilst processing the image.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
i have a question is it possible to get such shots to with a 16 mm objectiv
I live in the high desert/ prairie which is a valley in between 2 giant mountain ranges with pretty much no light pollution since it's so far out in the country. I can't wait to try with my A6000, I think I'm ready except for the fact that it's in the single digits, which is not so good for the camera. I might have to wait until spring.
oooh!! Good location but so cold!!! The camera would probably be ok for short bursts...I've been out on a skislope at night taking shots and my cameras survived ok...It seems to be more about keeping ourselves warm whilst waiting for the exposures. 😀
Sounds like a great location though!
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I use the Sony a6400 (previously the Sony a6000) with the Rokinon 12mm f2.0 and the Sigma 16mm f1.4. I wonder whether the Sony A7III + the Sony 24mm f1.4 or the 20mm f1.8 would be a significant improvement over my current kit for astropotography? Great informative video btw.
That's a good question...I will be getting the A6600 soon with the 16mm sigma, so when I do I'll have to do a video on this to see the difference. 😁
Thanks for watching 👍
@@mikesphotography I am looking forward to it. Thank you.
Any tips for doing this but using video?
There is soooo little light about that it is almost impossible to film the milkyway. To get a good photo exposure you need the shutter open for about 5-10 seconds, so that would be a really slow shutter speed for any kind of film.
The only way to get any kind of good milkyway shots in your frame is to do a timelapse of a sky ... or to take a shot and do a sky replacement in your video.
@@mikesphotography I'm going to Norway in 2 weeks trying to learn fast lol going to do a test using your settings advise here.
May i ask you why we have to turn off the Steady Shot setting?
You don't actually have to any more and I tested it out in another video. th-cam.com/video/ftlkLT5iG2w/w-d-xo.html
With older cameras the stabilisation expects movement when it is turned on and this resulted in softer images when shooting from a tripod. Therefore if you are shooting with a dslr with IS in the lens, this is when you do have to turn it off, I kind of do it as a habit from the past but you don't have to with these more modern cameras.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography I see. I am with a6000. Now i am interested to perform this test my self. Thanks for having you!
I working on buying something cheap to start off, maybe the 6300 or 6000, can you also shoot the moon with this cameras?
Yep, they will be ok and because they are crop sensors, they will get the moon bigger in your frame for a given focal length. I bought my wife the A6000 for Christmas and it is actually a fantastic little camera! 😁👍
Which is best for photography?? 🙏
Nowadays most cameras are fantastic for photography. Generally, the more you pay, the more functions you get, so the A6000 will take a great photograph, but the A6600 will give you more features to get there quicker...once you learn them.
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
All those steps you outlined, you can save it as a custom setting, right? (Except of course setting the lens to infinity)
Yes definitely. You can save them in any of the custom memory slots. Just remember if you save them in the M1-4, that will be saved on your SD card, whereas if you save them in the main slots, 1 or 2, they will be saved in camera. 👍
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Bought the a6000 because of how compact and lightweight it is. I live in Colorado and needed something I can take up the mountains. Bought a lightweight tripod and have been getting some great star pics high up in the mountains. I want to take deep space pics now, and pretty bummed I can’t put an a6000 series on a tracker
Hey Sammy, the A6000 is a great little camera isn't it...and you can definitely put an a6000 on a tracker...I had one on the sky adventurer over the summer and it worked out great. You might have to get a heavier tripod to cope with the weight of the tracker but you can definitely do it.
Who told you you can't put it on a tracker?
Mike Smith you know, now that I think of it, I just assumed that. All I ever saw were dslr cameras on trackers. Can you mount a scope on it as well?
@@sammymartinez763 I'm not sure about the bigger scopes but the smaller lighter ones you definitely can. For the bigger scopes, they have their own trackers to cope with how heavy they are. You can also use longer lenses on your A6000 and get some nebulas and galaxies. 👍
I have the Sigma 16mm f 1.4 and the Sigma 30mm f 1.4 as well as the kit lens. The camera body I'm using is the Sony a6300. Which lens would you say would get the best results? Great video!
I'd say the 16mm would get you the best results of big, wide, star filled skies.
Brilliant thank you!!
great vid man. Thank you. Easy to follow and super simple ✌🏽
Great to hear Annette! Thanks for watching! 😁👍
Would the AF lens also capture good astro photos? or the Manual one is always better?
AF lenses can work really well. You just need to find the infinity point of your particular copy. Once you have done that, you can use it no problem at all.
I did a video on focussing with a modern lens a while back: th-cam.com/video/Sw3oQK2PwWk/w-d-xo.html
Check it out when you get the chance.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Also Mike is the A6000 with Samyang AF 12 mm F2E a good kit for astro photography? I am buying this on on rent for my 12 day trip
That would be a good combination. Just make sure you learn about stacking, and get groups of shots for each composition.
Basically you'd take about 10-20 shots from a fixed tripod and also some dark frames. Then a program like sequator or starry landscape stacker can average out the images and get rid of a lot of noise to produce a really clean final image.
I did a video on this a few years ago which might help. th-cam.com/video/rEU9kPCwotM/w-d-xo.html
I hope that helps 👍
tyy this is such a good, to the point video!! Can't wait to try this with my a6000.
Thanks so much Megan! It's a lot of fun and quite addictive!! 😁👍
Hello, can you also take these photos with a Sony A6100?
Hi Jacqueline,
Yes definitely! The A6100 is a great little camera and with a good fast lens on it, you can get some great astrophotography shots. 😁👍
Hi! Thanks for this instructional video. Just a question, why temperature setting should be in incandescent light if stars light are similar to the sun light ? Thanks in advance for your help!!
Thats a good question. I just prefer the look I get with incandescent over the yellow look it gives me in the daylight white balance and tends to be closer to the finished image I like.
If you're shooting raw, it doesn't really matter as you have all of the WB info in the file...
Also any ambient light that is around will either be from distant cities or man made lights which tend to lean towards the more yellow side of the kelvin scale..
I hope that helps. 👍
Thank you ... best video
Thanks very much Sam. 😁👍
I love your tutorials... but when you’re showing the set up and other info it be great if you slow down a bit... to able do the settings or take notes 👌🏻🙏🏻 I have a a6400 Thanks again, stay healthy. 🙏🏻😉
Hey, thanks for the feedback...I'll take note of it for future videos and tutorials...I'm also working on a way to get some kind of PDF to go along with the tutorials...but it is taking a lot of time and work to do. In the mean time, you can slow the video down in the settings tab on youtube...but it does then make me sound a little drunk!! 😆😆😆
Thanks for watching. 😁👍
lol in youtube settings you can slow it down!
Hey! love the video.
I have a sony a6000 camera, and have bought the lens you have linked below the video, but when I put it on my camera I get a message that the lens does not fit properly, is it because you need an adapter?
Is not the kit lens of an A6000+ a matched APS-C e-mount lens? Would that not mean that at 16mms (at it's widest) would be equivelent to a 16mm FF lens on a FF camera. Unless you put the e-mount lens on a FF Camera.
Hi Gerald,
The kit lens is a lens designed for aps-c sensors, it still has a physical focal length of 16mm ... But with a crop. So imagine a full frame camera with a 16mm on it and then crop in on that image. The bokeh and the look will stay the same, but the framing will change because of that crop.
To match this crop between the two cameras, you would have to put a 24mm lens on a full frame camera and the 16mm on the crop sensor camera.
The only real difference between a lens made for crop sensors and a lens made for full frame sensors is the projected image size. This is why a 16mm full frame lens will tend to be bigger than a 16mm crop sensor lens. It has to have more glass to be able to project a bigger image.
I hope that makes sense. 👍
@@mikesphotography Thanks. Still a bit confused. Isn't it simply that the 'field of view' for a 16mm APS-C combination is 1.5 x narrower than that of a 16mm "Full Frame" combination? The focal lengths being exactly the same, yeah?
Exactly. The crop sensor will be 1.5x narrower and shorter than the full frame equivalent for a 16mm focal length. 👍
@@mikesphotography Thanks. It's not so much a crop sensor then; but a 'cropped field of view' from the APS-C combination. You pointed out earlier that the only time an APS-C sensor actually crops a projected image from the lens is when a "Full Frame" lens is used on an APS-C camera. Which makes perfect sense.
Kind of...it only uses part of the projected image from a full frame lens because that lens projects a bigger image with the bigger lenses in it. A lens designed for a crop sensor camera just doesn't need all of that glass in it as it only has to project that smaller image, and this is why aps-c lenses can be smaller.
If you put a 16mm full frame lens on a crop sensor, it will give exactly the same image as a 16mm lens designed for a crop sensor on that same camera body ... as they are both lenses with 16mm focal lengths.
You just earned a sub. Great video
Thanks so much Alex! Glad you liked it, and welcome to the community. 😁👍
Is it okay to go for sony 24mm 1.4 lens is okay for astrophotography for sony alpha 6500?
The 24mm on a crop sensor would be a little tight with the framing, but it definitely would work. The better one for astro for the A6500 is the sigma 16mm 1.4...I've got some great shots with my A6600 and the 16mm from sigma.
Hi, when i am switching to incadescent mode for white balance, my photograph is turning too much blue in color. Why so? How to capture natural night color?
If you shoot in raw, you can easily bring it back when editing...otherwise, go to your Kelvin setting and dial in the Kelvin number to give you slightly less blue colours.
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Very informative video .
Thanks so much. I hope it has helped. 😁👍
Many thanks Mike- you made that explanation so clear! I now realize that I have all I need to try this out. I have the Sigma 16 f1.4, and the Sony 10-18 f.4 lens. Which lens would you suggest to take along with the a6500 on my next dark sky trip?
Thanks so much!
I’d take both if possible...the 16mm will be fantastic and the 10-18mm did surprisingly well...so they will both do a great job. 👍
@@mikesphotography Thanks Mike. I think I better pick up a headlamp too so I can see where I am in the dark!
Sounds like a good plan 😁👍
Thanks for the great video. I’m using the a6500 & a7r3 to shoot the MW and seem to be using similar settings you described except for turning off steady shot. What does turning it off do?
Thanks Carmen,
I do it out of habit. I used to shoot with the canons and you had to do it when shooting form a tripod to get sharper images. I actually did a test with IBIS and a tripod...check it out when you get a chance: th-cam.com/video/ftlkLT5iG2w/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching! 😁👍
Great video. I come from Olympus and want to switch to Sony possibly full frame. I found a refurbished a6000 with kit lens for about 330usd with kit lens. Would it be a good idea to get this while I wait for a deal on the a7c or a7iii? So in the meanwhile I cpuld start getting some lenses like the 12mmf2.0 or the 16-28 Tamron
That's an ok price, but the a6000 is limited in features...if I was you I'd also look for a second hand A6000...you could probably get it a little cheaper and it stil would be just as good.
@@mikesphotography really? In Australia I only found used ones for the same price. The refurb has a 1 year warranty. What do you think I'll miss the most with the 6000? Cheers
It sounds like the UK market is a little more saturated than the Australian market. The refurbished one sounds like the best option for you at that price. 👍
Hey Mike, do you know the exact settings for A6000 to take the Northern Lights? Thanks
Hello,
I'd start with a wide open aperture and shoot 15 seconds with iso set to about 800.
Then play with the settings from there.
If it's too dark, increase the exposure time to 30 seconds, it's too bright, drop the exposure time to 5 seconds.
If you get to 30 seconds and it is still too dark with a wide open aperture, then start to increase your iso, until you get a good exposure.
I hope that helps. 👍
@@mikesphotographythanks Mike! I’m gonna check this now 😊😊
I recently picked up a a6300 for £180 new with warranty :) Always loved the stars and can't wait to find a lens so I can try this out. Down side is in the UK, in a Bortle class 5 area, can I still get any experimental shots? before April arrives :) Been very useful vid, need to learn more about my camera and saving settings etc. so I can switch quickly
Hey Matthew, that's a great price for the A6300! You can definitely take some shots in a Bortle 5 area. I used to live in Bournemouth (bortle 5) and got some half decent photos from the beach looking out to sea.
And if you're looking for a decent lens for the A6300, try the sigma 16mm f1.4, it's pretty cheap as lenses go and is great for astrophotography.
th-cam.com/video/RqZREEBscDY/w-d-xo.html&t
Thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Thanks Mike, good to hear - I was thinking the samyang 12mm f2.0 as it's cheaper (around 150 second hand) ? And as this is just a bit of fun for me, can't tell the wife how much I'm spending (hehe) Ah man, after watching the vid...!!! MIKE!! Arg!!
Haha! We can never tell them how much it all actually costs, that's the unwritten rule!! 😆😆
The Samyang is also another great lens...and a little one too, so not much extra weight to the camera bag. 😁👍
👍Chock full of good info, Mike! Great cheat sheet. Don’t recall your vids having cheat sheets before, unless I missed it. Expanding to APS-C cams could well boost your subs. Haven’t heard the good-in-low light claim before for these models. So, if you wanted to cheat on the Mrs., say you’ve got to drive for several hours (get to dark sky out of town venue and all that), sleep overnight (under the skies) , and be back (hopefully with images that are not time-stamped). What a racket!😂
Hahahaha!!! You gotta watch the metadata if that’s the plan!! 😁
Just started putting cheat sheets in as I thought it might help. 😁👍
I started with aps-c cameras so thought it would be interesting to try and use one after shooting with a full frame camera for years. 😁👍
Thank you! Great video
And thank you for watching. 😁👍