Milky Way Lenses - What do I recommend and use
I wanted to chat about what lenses I recommend for shooting milky way and nightscape photography. In this video I'll show you dozens of examples of images taken with a wide variety of lenses ranging from 14mm to 85mm.
As always I'm always interested to read your comments down below.
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Photography
Nikon Z6ii amzn.to/2UXHY7y
Nikon Z6 amzn.to/2LWpSvH
Nikon 20mm f1.8S amzn.to/3rk5aJj
Nikon 14-24 f2.8S amzn.to/3Phg0dN
Nikon 24-70 f4S amzn.to/2EkWZF0
Nikon 35mm f1.8S amzn.to/36GTVkX
Nikon 50mm f1.8S amzn.to/36J7twe
Laowa 15mm f2 amzn.to/3SFpoKZ
Sirui W2204 Tripod amzn.to/2YTg2Qf
Timelapse+View Intervalometer timelapseplus.com/richard-tatti Discount Code: NIGHTSCAPEIMAGES
Yongnuo RF603nii remote triggers amzn.to/35ppbCD
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone amzn.to/35ocjNc
DJI Air 2 S Drone amzn.to/3xRiGqk
Yongnuo Flash amzn.to/2qUaYyH
Yongnuo Flash 2 amzn.to/35pqNMF
LED Lenser P7.2 torch amzn.to/34l2rlV
Z96 continuous light amzn.to/2LYYey6
Ulanzi VL49 Led RGB Panel amzn.to/3QCBbIk
Syrp Genie Mini amzn.to/35y0MuV
Sky Watcher Star Adventurer amzn.to/35qf68G
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Zeapon PONS Pan/Tilt amzn.to/3QDuu8y
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Video Equipment:
Sony A7siii amzn.to/3z7LZ8q
Sony 20mm f1.8 G amzn.to/3Bc9sam
Sony 24mm f1.4 GM amzn.to/3xMTMYY
Tamron 28-75 f2.8 Sony amzn.to/3es44Gw
Tamron 28-200 Sony amzn.to/3zeqtz1
DJI Pocket 2 Gimbal amzn.to/3z9y8yl
Z96 video lights amzn.to/2LYYey6
Yongnuo YN300 video lights amzn.to/2qTfU6V
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Loved it all as usual Richard!
Very kind of you to tune in Les, many thanks.
All good information, as usual. Luv ya ❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks again Carole, hope you're well.
*This was a good show, thank you for sharing.* *Smiles*
Thanks so much for watching my friend.
Yes. This is the perfect video for me at the moment. Thankyou Richard
I'm so pleased you found it helpful, thank you.
I enjoyed this video very much Richard! I totally agree with you on the Z mount prime lenses! Your pictures are outstanding in this video...great work!
Many thanks indeed my friend. Appreciate you watching.
Once again Richard you have excelled yourself. What a fascinating insight in to what equipment you use to produce your masterfully brilliant nightscape photography. You are definitely a Jack of All Trades and Master of every single one of them. I love your content which is always so entertaining and expertly presented. You know your stuff, keep 'em coming Richard! Car'n Tigers, Matty Knights, KB, utter champions.👍
Haha, thanks heaps. I was just talking about Richo the other day with another Tigers supporter ...!!!
Thanks Richard. I love seeing how new equipment can/can't change the quality, workflow, and working output. Lots of that here.
Yes you are so right. It all comes down to how we think and then choosing the lens that best fits our desired outcomes. Appreciate you watching.
Great video mate, have to watch it again. Thankyou
Thanks so much Phil. Sorry I didn't mention the Olympus system .. but they have some awesome lenses also.
@@nightscapeimages.richard I listened think the olympus 25 might fit , ill let you know
Such stunning images mate. Can't wait to get back to Australia
Thanks for watching Markus.
Great video Richard. I do love the longer focal length images these days and I feel it really fills the frame with the best of the core.
Thanks as always for watching Gavin. Yes it does become more difficult to compose a foreground with the longer lenses but I reckon the extra effort is worth it.
Very nice video as always . Very nice lenses
Thanks as always for watching Luis
Thank you Richard, excellent lens review based on your field experience, as always your videos are highly educational, continuation of Clear skies, here in Lisbon PT it is still very cloudy👌👍🙏
The clouds are a consistent problem for a lot of people Mario. I appreciate you watching.
That's a great rundown Richard! I've been shooting mainly with Sigma 14-24 f2.8 but am getting more and more interested in primes.
Well you're doing very well with your 14-24 Jeroen .... always love your work.
Richard I also luv my Nikon 1.8 20mm and looking forward to another season of night shooting. Also looking forward to more of your vids in 2024. Hope you and Glenys have another great year. Deb and I are going to Iceland in August to tackle the Laugavegur trail then into a motor home to tour the ring road. Unfortunately the wrong time of year for the northern lights but you never know. Stay safe out there.😊
Thanks as always for watching Andrew. I'm sure you'll love Iceland . .have fun you guys.
Thanks! This is so informative. "Buy cheap and you buy twice!" I can relate to that. In my case it means buy too much 😊Beautiful and inspiring images! 😍
Thanks so much for watching, really appreciated.
Thanks for sharing Richard, because of you I began to use longer focal length lens and enjoy the challenge, however, I too love the 20mm prime. I can't wait until the Milky Way is visible again in the night skies here in Texas, USA.
Yes those longer lenses are very tempting for sure. Thanks for watching.
Amazing video!! This encourages me to go out and shoot at night! Greeting from NZ🎉
Thanks so much for watching Jimmy, really appreciated.
The 20mm Z mount is my go to lens as well. Absolutely love it.
Can't beat it I reckon.
Great advice and images, as always! As a Canon RF shooter, we are short-changed for high quality wide angle primes until such time as Canon finally releases their long rumoured fast RF primes. Or they allow Sigma to release RF versions of their Art lenses. But the Canon RF15-35 zoom is very good and versatile, though f/2.8. Faster would be nicer! Just as you say. Keep cool! We had a spell of -40° nights a couple of weeks ago here in Alberta. No mozzies though!
Thanks as always for your great and insightful comments Alan. I know you have released some wonderful reviews on lenses over the years .. and also other camera gear, which we all enjoy. It's actually been a fairly mild and wet summer here so far. But still pretty warm. Hopefully you're right about Canon letting Sigma get involved with the RF mount.
Really enjoyed your video!!!
Thanks so much for watching Sam
Great video, Richard. Lots of food for thought there. I must admit, I use the 14-24mm f2.8 F mount on my D850, and it is still superb, despite its age, particularly stopped down to f3.5 and beyond, but I do tend to keep the lens at the 20mm focal length for exactly that reason of perspective distortion. On a recent holiday trip to Japan, I took the Nikon Zfc (APS-C sensor) with the 16-50mm kit lens in order to cut down weight and bulk. I was blown away at how well this lens and sensor did with night sky photography. I was expecting to be disappointed, but wasn't!! Thanks again, Richard, for all this wonderful content. Cheers.
Thanks again for watching Simon. Yes I love what Nikon have done with all their mirrorless range of cameras .. they are all excellent.
Fantastic video Richard, my personal favourite is the Sony 24mm 1.4GM, I absolutely love this lens. I have recently picked up a copy of the Viltrox 35mm 1.8 for the Sony and waiting for clear sky's to try it out on the MW. I do like the longer focal length also, hopefully will get to try it out soon. Cheers again Richard for a great episode. 👍
Thanks again for watching Dennis. I tested the Viltrox 35mm and it was really good.
Thnx Richard! Found your website and payed you a coffee. Keep on! Thank you. Reimund
You are very kind my friend, thanks for your great support.
Very nice Richard, some good points made here. Due to money constraints I use a Tamron 15-30 with my Canon EOS R for nightscape which gives me pretty good results. My favorite targets are the auroras that we frequently get here.
Thanks for watching Mark. Canon have made it a little difficult with the RF mount as it isn't easy to get third party lenses for them. Nothing wrong with the 15-30 though.
Great video Aussiemate, have a great weekend.
Thanks as always for watching Rob
I agree with you on the Nikon 20mm f/1.8. Its an amazing lens ! I also like to shoot wide open with the 14-24 on the D850.
Both excellent lenses. Thanks for tuning in.
Another great vid
Thanks again for watching.
Great video talking about focal lengths Richard. I really love the 20mm Nikkor Z for my Aurora shooting. I love both the Nikkor 20mm and 24mm Z lenses. I will on occasion use the 14-24mm f4 Nikkor Z for timelapse where I need to get a wide angle in the frame with great results on the Z6ii, I can't afford the f2.8 version unfortunately.
Yes that's such a common story Les. I think all of the Nikon Z lenses are wonderful.
Always informative and engagingly presented, Richard - thank you. It definitely prompts the question “do I have the tools I need for what I’m trying to produce?”. My backpack gets heavier and heavier!!
Haha, well we do have to ask that question every now and then Paul. But I think you're doing quite ok with what you have my friend. I know all about the heavy backpack issues ..!!!
Nice to see another video. I love my 24mm f1.8 Z lens which is great for astro but also very good for landscapes. Must say I don’t envy you going out under full moon, that’s when mozzies and midges are worst.
Haha, yes I sure did find that out the hard way Laurel. Thanks as always for watching.
Thanks for the video Richard. The Nikkor Z 20mm f/1.8 is my favorite lens on the Z6II. On DSLR, Nikon D750 used the Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8.
Yes both great choices Rogerio.
Great video Richard as always! Was out last night with the NIKON Z20 mm f1.8 as it is beginning of Milky Way season in NZ and Southern Hemisphere. Am interested in trying the 50mm this year at some stage. I got the Z20mm on based on hour enthusiasm for the lens a while back. It is a brilliant lens and see why it is your favourite. 😊
Thanks so much for watching Dianne. Yes I have plenty of lenses in my bag but I always come back to the 20mm. I went out last night in search of the early morning rising galactic core. . it was magnificent ...!!!!
@@nightscapeimages.richard it sure was, went out myself after a few months break and was in awe.
We primarily chase auroras when we are traveling northbound to Finland, Sweden and Norway. In the past I have been using Zeiss prime lenses for our DSLRs (15mm 2.8, 25mm 1.4, 35mm 1.4, 50mm 1.4) and with me slowly moving into mirrorless I am considering at least the Nikon 20mm 1.8 Z-mount.
You will love the Nikon Z 20mm Peter .. it's a wonderful lens.
Thank you very much 👍
As always I appreciate you watching my friend.
Hi Sir Aditya amazing and very educational video like always. I just love your art style so creative is your style of teaching to people like us. I know you have heard this from me very often but I hope to meet you and learn from you. I'm a big and huge fan of yours. Thank you so much sir again for this beautiful educational video. Hope to meet you soon and learn and be a successful nightscape like you one day. Cheers Buddha bless you and your sweet family always 😊❤❤❤
Thank you so much for your kind support my friend.
I love my Z 20mm f1.8, it’s definitely my favourite Astro/landscape lens that I use since upgrading to the Nikon Z6ii. Prior to that on Canon crop sensor, I was using the Tokina 11-20 f2.8 and had great results. I still use my Canon 70-200 on my Nikon via the Fringer EF-NZ adapter as well.
Thanks for that Andrew. I didn't mention Tokina .. but they make some good lenses.
I love my 20mm Z mount lens, it is one of the most capable lenses I have ever used. I may as well bite the bullet and get the 14-24 f2.8 too. I also use the Samyang 14 f2.8 for the Z mount but only on a star tracker at f4, but I simply cannot handle the distortion that this lens has. Excellent overview Richard!!
Yes I agree with your thoughts. One thing I didn't mention was that the Laowa 15mm f2 has less distortion than the Samyang 14mm lens.
A very informative video Richard,as always. I shoot Sony and I have three G Master primes,1.8 14mm,1.4 24mm and 1.4 50mm,all excellent lenses.The 24 would be my favourite for nightscapes.I call it my goldielocks lens because,as you said,it fits a lot in the frame without the distortion of a wider lens but with a big sky view,just right.The 50mm is new and I've not had a chance to use it at night but daytime comparisons lead me to expect just as good image quality as the 24mm.The 14mm is great for capturing panoramas in less shots than a longer lens,still with plenty of overlap for clean easy stitching.Distortion is not too bad for such a wide lens.You have to get pretty close to objects to see unfavourable levels of leaning trees or walls.Overall I'm quite impressed with these lenses as they produce crisp sharp images night or day. Thanks for the knowledge Richard.Between you and Alyn Wallaces guidence my nightscape photography is improving in leaps and bounds.
I really appreciate your comments my friend. You have some really nice lenses there for sure.
Hi Richard, I love your videos, both for the tutorials and also for giving me the means to escape when I need to. What I would love to see is...... when you show your photos with the settings you used, maybe you could also include the date taken and the approximate direction the shot was taken. This will help me get a grip on where to shoot at different times of the year. Ill totally understand if it's inconvenient for you. As with every other successful Aussie, I'm proud of you Richard. Good on ya mate!
Thanks so much for your very kind comments Neil. I usually don't want to clutter the screen over photos with too much text. This video might help from about the 9:57 mark. kzhead.info/sun/drildJeoip5ndHk/bejne.html
Great information, Richard. I shoot Canon Mirrorless, and currently I use the Rokinon14MM F2. 8 lens. I saw your image using the 50MM F1.4 lens - I have a Canon version and I like it, but it has way too much coma in the corners (It is the older version of this lens though!) In the upcoming Solar Eclipse, I will be using my Sigma 150-600 and, on my tracker, (mainly to keep the sun from drifting out of the frame as I do a time lapse before totality! Thanks again for your insight and knowledge - I really appreciate it!
Thanks as always for watching Gary. I hope you go well with the eclipse my friend.
thanks for your video as now alot of new lenses as i am looking into add some new wide angle lens. I am not so happy about Viltrox 24mm f1.8 due to not wide enough and have to add 1 stop to get corner sharpness better.
Yes I do find the 20mm focal length a little easier to manage than the 24 for general astro landscape use.
Glad you pointed out the Tamron 35mm f/1.4 Richard, seems to fly under the radar as a pretty epic lens for astro. In the shadow of the Sigma 40mm perhaps? Only lenses I'd add to your lineup for consideration is the Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 (great Sony 14mm GM alternative) and the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8.
Thanks as always for watching Dominic. I'm waiting patiently for the release of the Viltrox 16mm f1.8 Nikon Z mount. It is coming. The biggest issue with the excellent Tamron 35 and Sigma 40 are the sheer size and weight.
Thanks Richard. As i wanted to avoid the extra cost of an startracker i opted for the Pentax Astrotracer option, it gives of course not the full spectrum of a startracker, but instead of 16s on 18mm APS-C it offers up to 300s on 18mm APS-C, and it is very easy and fast to set up, with longer focal length ofcourse also the available time on astrotracer lowers. But the Astrotracer offers you approximate 18times longer exposures than without, i personally would limit it to max 10 times to have a usable foreground and less streaks in the edges. If 10 times the exposure is not enoughthan of course an astrotracker would be the next investment. But as with the lenses, of course you get what you pay for, but on the other hand don't pay for something you don't need or isn't limiting you, the prices increase exponentially from level to level.
It sounds like you're getting the best possible results with that gear Tom. It's really good thinking by Pentax.
Awesome to even just listen too.... My go-to are the 24GM & 35GM on the Sony A7Riii & A7. I sometimes shoot a 24mm foreground & a 35mm sky too as I just like the look it gives especially with something like Orion. I do want to try some 85mm stuff though at some point.
Thanks so much for watching Lee. Sounds like a great combination you've got there.
Great stuff Richard. I battled away with a 16-35mm f2.8 for years. Grabbing a much cheaper and lighter 20mm f1.8 has been amazing. Both Sony native lenses.
Yes I think it makes a lot of sense. Appreciate you watching.
Thanks for the timely video Richard. I'm considering the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM ART Lens because, while I like astro landscape photography, its only one genre of photography I enjoy and I'm looking for a more versatile lens for the nights I go out under the stars.
Thanks for watching Rory. The Sigma 18-35 f1.8 is a crop sensor lens and it's been around for a while. Although I think it's very good.
Can you go over video settings for Astro photography? I just started enjoying AP and would love to add video. Been a professional Real estate and commercial photographer for 14 yrs now and cannot believe I waited so long to do AP. I love your channel and that you light paint. We do that in Real estate photography too when doing twilight photos. You do very beautiful work. Thank you for being so thorough with your teaching!
Thanks so much for your very kind words Marnie. Shooting video at night is extremely difficult and so I use a Sony A7s3 camera with a Sony 24mm f1.4GM lens. I shoot at 25 frames per second at iso64000 I do add a touch of lighting on most occasions. I like to be able to see the stars in the background and give the viewer the real experience of being out there under the stars.
Great Video. Waiting for Benro Polaris long term review.
I'll get to that at some stage. I need to use it more.
Stunning images as always!! BTW do you have any input on sigma art 85 f1.4 and sigma art 105 f 1.4 lenses ?
Thanks for watching. I've not personally used those lenses but I know a few portrait photographers who love them.
Great information and I have been using my Nikon 14-24/20 mm on my D850 and just recently bought the Z version of the 14-24 to go with the Z9. Looking forward to trying it out and I will try the 85 1.8 as well. I never thought of using anything more than 24mm for Astro, but your suggestion on loner primes looks promising! Great info videos for NightScapes!! Any recommendations on trackers?
Thanks so much for watching Mike. I really like the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer Mini .. but also the standard Star Adventurer 2i. I also have the ioptron Sky Guider Pro which is a solid machine.
I've been enjoying my Irix 15mm F2.4. There's virtually no barrel distortion, but the tradeoff to achieve that is an angle of view that is considerably less than other wide angle lenses at that focal length. Obviously, it still suffers from exaggerated angles on buildings unless pointed straight on. I did a star trails image last year. Straightening the buildings had two effects: 1) significant cropping on the sides, and 2) elongation of the star trails into an oval, which I kinda like how that turned out. Otherwise, I've gravitated recently toward 50mm. One of my few opportunities to shoot last year (Canadian wildfires screwed up the skies for months) was at a fairly long wooden footbridge to do some light painting, remembering and utilizing many of your methods. I tried every lens I had from 12mm to 85mm, and 50mm was the one I liked the best. It gave me the best rendering of what my eye saw that night. It's a Yongnuo 50mm F1.4 - who knew, right? I like everything about it, except that there's a little bit of a magenta cast to fix in post. I just got my hands on a Nikon brand 50mm F1.4 just this past weekend, so I'll look forward to trying it out as soon as the winter clouds leave Michigan.
Thanks heaps for watching Derek. I've not had a chance to try out the Irix lenses but heard good reports about them. Yes I always love the 500 mm lenses.
Great images!!! Yes any maker of cameras' and lenses today are superb. I started Astro MW in 2015 and the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 (no contacts) was terrible and not even Lr had a LC for it for a couple years, that was then! I capture with the Sony A7SM1/2/3 and the A7RM2. IF you are just starting the E 10-18mm (15-27mm) APS-C f/4 OSS is great came out in '14 before the A7 line BUT it will work in full frame mode 12-18mm (18mm if you remove the rear light shield) the positive is treads for filters if you want. Smaller than the 12-24mm f/4 or f/2.8 and even the 14mm f/1.8 even needs a filter holder. Ok all ultrawides the reason is you can do a MW ARC in July and Aug in a single row of a pano. Just for info yes the 16-35mm f/2.8 or f/4 are great no filter holder needed. f/4 is great and 25s image. Learn to do panos and it will save you from buying a lot of lenses. Lastly the Sony Mod 1 and 2 you can put apps on cameras and the app "Digital Filter" will allow capturing with any and all camera setting separate for sky and foreground.
That's all fantastic information. Thanks heaps for watching.
Excellent review and good timing as I was going to pick your brains about the nikon 20mm 1.8 s. Now I'm thinking about that lens in the future. Did buy the Megadap and was slowly moving towards Sony lenses with my Z6 but the Megadap stopped working and the 2 year warranty they offer is obviously a no go because they have never replied back to all 5 emails, so look after your copy. Mine stopped working after an update😢. Going to buy the Neewer adapter version soon but definitely that Nikon 20mm
Sorry to hear about the adaptor fail Carl. To be honest I don't use mine much as most of those lenses are covered with my Nikon one's anyway.
@@nightscapeimages.richard yes unfortunate but I also have a Sony Camera now also. Loved video mate. I think you just like going out getting eaten alive 😂. Look forward to your next one 👍
I think I have mozzie attracting blood ...!!!@@carljames7562
Hello Richard. Great video! The fastest super wide angle is the Sigma Art 14mm f/1.4, not yet available for Nikon and Canon. There are only versions for Sony and Leica, unfortunately. Hug.
Thanks so much for watching Jorge. Yes a great lens although big and heavy.
Hi Richard get video I use 2 lenses. I shoot with a d850. Both lenses are tamron 1 tamron sp 15-30 2.8. 2 Tamron sp 24-70 2.8 g2 I’ve enjoyed my results The 24-70 is my general go to lens
Yes they are really good lenses. I used to use the Tamron zooms with wedding photography etc a while ago.
Great video as always! I’ve been following your channel for years and I’m always impressed by your knowledge, enthusiasm and beautiful photos! I’m primarily not an astro photographer and I shoot mostly black and white. What’s your opinion on black and white milky way shots? I know many of your photos, especially the ones with light painting, would look amazing even with the colour stripped away! Give it a try and share your thoughts with us! Love from Sweden🔭
Thank you so much for your support of my channel. I have done a few black and white nightscapes, but generally I prefer the colour versions.
I owned all the 20mm you mentioned on your video, plus the Sigma 20 1.4 DG DN, and the Voigtlander 21 F1.4, and I found the Sigma 20 F1.4 DG DN wins hands down in every category. For the 24, I totally agree with you the Sony 24GM is really the best of the best for Astro. the Samyang 24 1.8 comes next, Nikon really have nothing that can compete with them whether in F or Z, in fact, other than the new 20 F1.8Z, Nikon really got nothing to compete with E-mount for Astro in the wide end. . yes, I pretty much only use E-mount lenses on my Z body for landscape and Astro. I also agree with you that Sigma 40 1.4 is just fantastic which Nikon don't have any answer to that either, I am surprised I don't heard a lot of people mentioned this Sigma 40 F1.4, but after playing with it it became my favorite lens right away, I now have Sigma 40 1.4 , Sony 35GM , Voigtlander 35 F2 APO, Sigma 35 F1.2, and Zeiss 35 F1.4 Milvus in ZE mount, I really have hard time to name which one is the " best", I guess for Astro specifically, I would vote for the Sigma 35 1.2 and Sigma 40 F1.4, but the Sony 35GM I just as good. unfortunately again, Nikon has nothing to compete in this area either, I have the 35 1.4G but it's pretty horrible in Astro, the new 35 1.8 Z is much better but still not in the same league as the Sigma and Sony. You also mention you would love to have the Sony 14GM, but have you tried the Sigma 14 DGDN? after I received my Sigma 14 F1.4 DG DN, both my Sony 14GM and Sigma 14 F1.8 Art lost their love from me and they are no longer my favorite 14mm, again the 14 1.4 DG DN wins in every category just like the 20mm, that manual focus lock is a really a killer feature for astro, and that alone makes lens heater use so much easier, just a fantastic lens. we are really living in a great era with some many awesome choices.
That's a great comprehensive insight Danny, really appreciate it. I know quite a few people who love all the new Sigma DG DN lenses as you have suggested. The only thing I don't like about them is the size and weight.
Great review, asl always Richard. Hope you survived those mozzies.
Haha, yes I did survive the mozzies Eric . .although a few did last in the car for a day or two.
Thanks for this nice compilation of lenses and your thoughts around these lenses. These were some very impressive images as well. I just got my 20mm f1.4 Sigma Art DG DN and I am lovin it. It has such a nice sharpness and the amount of light at f1.4 is insane.
Thanks for watching Markus. Those Sigma art lenses are wonderful.
For nightscapes I use Sony 14mm 1.8 GM, Sony 24mm 1.4 GM and Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical, all great Lenses which I highly can recommend.
Yes they are amazing lenses. Thanks for your insights.
The Tamron 35mm 1.4 is definitely one of the best lenses in it`s range ! ONly it is big -- but nowadays quite cheap second hand ! OF course there are so many more options when taking manual focus lenses into account ! The Voigtlander 50mm f2 Apo comes to mind😉 ( maybe just a view lenses might be better than the Nikon z 50mm 1.8 when looking for a 50mm for astro, but of course some are, I guess the Milvus series might be extremely good , the 50mm and the 85mm 1.4 ! )
Yes you are right. And obviously for astro the manual focus is no issue. I've not tried a lot of the newer release lenses except for the Viltrox.
Hi Richard, thanks once again for a great video. The quality of your nighttime videos is truely amazing, I actually thought you shot it in a studio and threw a nighttime background onto it! I pretty much agree t all yo said. My absolute favourite is also the 20mm 1.8 and I too have tried 14-16mm but was never really happy with them. As a result of watching your channel for years, I also tried the longer lenses, well 35 & 50 mm and was truely amazed at the results. It's something I would probably not have done off my own back, so thanks for that. In your conclusion, you mentioned a few disadvantages with star trackers, but realistically, with all the tech and apps now available, they are not so difficult. Lets face it, you can set one up accurately, even in daytime in just a few minutes. Looking forward to your next video.
Thanks so much for your great insights David. Yes you are correct about the star trackers . .but not everyone will be bothered to take the time to research all the wonderful tools to make the job easier.
Hi Richard, very good review of all the options, I enjoy your videos very much, thanks for sharing your expertise and knowledge. I have one question about the Nikkor Z 20mm lens. My main lens for landscapes in general is the Z 14-24mm lens. But I am hearing from you and many other Nikon Z astrolandscape photographers that the Z 20mm is the one that everyone prefers. The question I have, how often you actually use it at f/1.8? Because if you stop it down to, say, 2.8, I could get the same result with the Z 14-24mm at 20mm, right? So do you really use it at 1.8 and do you see any difference in the corners when compared to 2.8 aperture? thanks, Miklos
Thanks so much for watching Miklos. A very good question. I do often shoot the 20mm at f1.8 when wanting lots of light gathering power .. mainly for ambient lit foregrounds. The other thing is that when you stop the f1.8 lens down to f2.8 you clean up the outer portion of the image quite a bit. I think there's also less vignetting and more light transmission with it compared to the Z14-24. Nothing wrong with the 14-24 f2.8 .. it's an awesome lens. The other thing I'd mention is that I rarely like to shoot at 14mm focal length . .I prefer that little extra zoom.
I've been thoroughly enjoying your videos and have been inspired to say the least. My newest addition is the Sigma 20 mm f/1.4 E mount lens along with the Megadap. I plan to put it through its paces in Arizona soon-- I'm escaping the winter clouds of southern Ontario. I have a feeling that it's the one I'm going to use the most. I also switched my original 24-70 mm kit lens, a surprisingly impressive lens optically although slow, for the new 24 - 70 mm lens (f/2.8 but I can't afford the fast 14 - 24 mm lens), My other go-toa lens is the Z mount 35 mm f/1.8 Nikkor. I have to keep in mind that I do a lot of daytime nature photography too!
Thanks for watching Crawf. Yes it is hard to balance the various shooting requirements of all the gear isn't it.
24mm is my jam. The 20mm distorts too much, but not enough at the same time. I got a 14mm recently too and I like it, because it distorts SO much, that it's fun, know what I mean? It's so extreme that it's artistic,whereas I find the 20mm distortion just not enough to be artistic, but not as clean as 24mm provides. This is of course personal preference. I mean look, they make 28mm because some folks claim they don't like the distortion of the 24mm! I personally, can't see what they do with the 24mm, so this is why it's my go to focal length. I think it's wide enough and provides nice sharp, straight sides. I just upgraded my main 24mm lens from a Rokinon 24mm 1.4 to the Sigma art 24mm 1.4 It's great having the auto focus for daytime shots and I can't wait to try it out this summer during Milky Way season. I have a sigma art 35mm 1.4 which I love for regular photography and have used it for Milky Way too, when I can, I'll use that to help pull in the sky. I have the common 50mm 1.8 Nikon which is great for smaller scenes to really pull the sky in. The larger the Milky Way looks, the better, so long as good subject can fit in there too. Also good for pano's. Next focal length I just picked up a Rokinon/Samyang 85mm 1.4 I'm not sure yet how it will do for stars but during the day, I got a nice clean copy and this thing is impressive for a little over $100 USD used. Super sharp, so I hope to get some Milky Way pano's with it. Then of course, like I said I just picked up a 14mm, also the Rokinon/Samyang 14mm 2.8 I got it for some fun, out of the norm artistic shots but the first time I used it, I was out on a beach with a wide open scene and all it did was take a great big, clean shot hahaha just like you said in the video, if it's a wide open landscape, it works without distortion there. So I used it in the wrong place for fun artistic style, BUT I learned what you mentioned; it can be a great "normal" view in such cases too, so it's good to have on hand. Especially considering the low priced used. I also recently picked up Nikon's old school 16mm 2.8D fisheye. I think that could make some fun, silly, artistic shots of the night sky too. Like the 14mm, I don't expect to go out, and take my best shots with these, but where there's still time, yet not enough time to move to another location, pull out one of these for some shots after taking the more serious, 24mm-50mm main shots. Still rocking the, now old school D610 DSLR with no desire to move on from it anytime soon. I love this old girl.
Lots of people agree with you regarding the 24mm focal length. Wow, you sure do have a lot of lenses.
I am a Sony Shooter I mostly use Sony 20 mm f1.8 G and Voigtlender 50mm APO Lanther f2 for my night scapes. You should try Voigtlander.
Thanks for watching. I've heard good things about them.
Thank you Richard! I am wanting to buy a lens for the purpose of time lapses, and wondering whether I should try the new Sigma Z range at 16mm.
Thanks so much for watching. The Sigma 16mm f1.4 is a very good lens, but it is made for crop sensor cameras. You didn't mention which Nikon Z camera you're shooting with. But if you use this lens on a crop sensor camera the actual field of view is 24mm . .which is starting to get a bit tight for timelapse . . especially given the cropping that takes place.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Thanks for pointing that out. I actually changed to a mirrorless Nikon Z7ii which is a full frame (thanks to you 😊), so the 16mm may not work. I have been struggling to find the right lens for time lapses, and unsure if I want to use the 15mm you have.
Yes it is a problem. Other people have had good success with the Laowa 15mm f2 but for me it's just not quite right. Viltrox are going to release a 16mm f1.8 for the Nikon Z system soon. They will be sending me one to test when that happens. I wouldn't use the Sigma 16mm on your Z7 though. @@moraltraveller1166
My favorite lens is the Sigma18-35 f1.8 S mount. I bought it when I was using my Nikon D5600. When I moved up to a Nikon Z6II, I got an adapter for it. I have a couple other lens mentioned in this video, but my Sigma lens seems to give me the sharpest pictures. The only negative is that it's a heavy and long lens. But my thinking is that weight means more glass, and sharper pictures. I do have an off topic question. What "Picture Control" settings do you use in your Nikon Z6II? I'm currently using Landscape. But would Auto, Neutral, or Standard, or Custom be better for nightscape and Milky Way? Thanks for what you do, Richard. You've taught me a lot and keep me motivated.
Thanks for watching Mike, really appreciate it. The picture profiles are irrelevant when shooting in RAW file format. They relate to jpeg images. I use standard. The Sigma 18-35 f1.8 is a great lens but it's designed for crop sensor cameras . .so when you use it with the Z6ii it will crop into the final image to fit. You are right about many of the best lenses being large and heavy.
Great video! Did you try the Viltrox 20mm 1.8 manual lens?
Thanks for watching. No that's one I haven't tried . .but from all reports it's a pretty good lens.
Hi Richard, luv your work. You didnt generally talk about using truley ultawide, eg 10mm I have been learning my RF10-20mm f4 for 2 months now. Trust me, it can be difficult, but not impossible, to make great shots @ 10mm on this lens. Lots of learning to do. I call 10mm retilinear UUW ultra ultra wide. One benifit of 10mm is being able to aim the lens completely horizontal to avoid tilting buildings. Beware of stretched objects at the sides. 10mm is certainly worthy of astro landscapes, especially from a lookout or clifftop. The other lens worthy of discussion is the RF85mm f1.2. Mine is tack sharp at f1.2 across most of the frame (I use tbis lens every week at f1.2 for all sorts of subjects, inc sports), and for milkywaycore, stopped down a little to f1.6 = sharp and no ca accross the entire frame. 2 sec shot @ lowish iso didnt need tracking. The othe
Thanks heaps for watching. That RF10-24 looks like an amazing lens. I guess the downside for astro landscape is the f4 aperture. There's no doubt the RF lenses are excellent quality.
Great video. I appreciate your thoughts about the different lens. I am a zoom lover for most things until it comes to astro. Here I prefer primes for the fast aperture and less risk of messing up my composition. Currently using a Sigma 24mm prime but would like something wider for my Canon R mount.
Canon are not making it easy for third party lenses on the RF mount. I suspect that will change in time.
Hello Richard, and thanks for the video. When you used the Sony lens on the Z6 (for stills), did you find it easier to focus as compared to the Z lens? I ask because I own the Z6ii and a few Z primes, but I have a REALLY tough time focusing on the stars and getting decent results. I am pushing 70 years of age, but in theory it should not be that difficult to focus these lenses. I thought maybe the Sony might have been easier. FWIW, I did purchase a used Nikon F 50mm 1.8G, and it is a bit easier to focus, but the coma is really bad even stopped down.
Thanks for watching David. The Sony lenses are pretty easy to focus I think. But to be honest when using native Nikon Z lenses I let the camera do the work of focusing. See this link: willchaney.com/2022/01/07/nikon-z-camera-easy-trick-to-focus-on-stars-and-the-milky-way/
Thanks for sharing such informative insights Richard. As I have opted to use Canon RF I am a little limited in lens options as Canon have chosen not to allow third party lenses for RF mount. I have however recently bit the bullet and purchased an ef to rf adaptor and look forward to getting the Sigma 20mm f1.4 and then the Sigma 40mm f1.4 both in EF mount. Can’t wait to see what’s possible with those lenses. Also I was amazed at how much HA data I was able to capture in a bortle 1 sky using the Canon RF 50mm f1.8 kit lens on a Canon EOS RP (not modified) using the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer GTI even without a HA filter. Stopping down to f5.6 ISO 2500 and 2 minute exposures. I was surprised to see some beautiful HA appear revealing Barnard’s Loop as I begun to stretch. 🤩
I think the Cano R series of cameras are excellent for nightscape photography .. I agree it would be great to see Canon letting third party makers join in on that RF mount though.
Next time we meet up, you could try my Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM lens on your Sony a7S3 and see if you like it. I am impressed by this lens for wide nightscapes combined with the Sony feature of "Bright Monitoring" which makes compositions so easy. 😎👌👍
Nice tip on the Bright Monitoring Geoff,that will come in handy.
Thanks Geoff. Yes the Sony 14 is wonderful for sure. There will be a Viltrox 16mm f1.8 for Nikon Z mount released soon . .I'm keen to try that one.
If you have a Sony camera, then the bright monitoring feature is able to be programmed for night compositions. I have a Sony a74 and I can literally see the Milky Way Galaxy and my foreground subject easily on the LCD. It is a great feature!@@PTCX
Hi Richard, Great vid and, I'm pretty you had all bases covered ! :) Last year I decided to make the change to Z, had the Z9, now it was time to change, had the holy trinity, plus a whole lot of other longer lenses , now holy trinity is Z, plus, on your advice, Z 20mm 1.8..................very good advice, plus got the Skywatcher 2i Pro .............. Cry once they say :) Definitely , no regrets Regards, ...................... Gary .........................AU
Good on you Gary. You won't go wrong with that hear mate. Thanks for watching.
👍
Thanks for sharing. What made you spend the extra money for the 20mm Z mount lens, since you have the F mount? Is the 20mm f1.8 for F mount not as sharp as 20mm Z mount? Kindly share what you think.
Yes it's a lot sharper than the F mount version. The Nikon 20mm f1.8Z is the best lens I've ever used.
Mosquito = Like Button
Haha, they were out there in droves ..!!!
When I lived in North Dakota and Minnesota, when the little buggers came out, we used to say “feels like the Air Force is practicing dive bombing again tonight!”
@@easy56wedge Haha .. yes.
Excellent video. I'm a Sony person and have some of those lenses! Out of interest what was the lake?
Thanks so much for watching Megan. Which lake are you referring to ..??
@@nightscapeimages.richard at 8:05.
That's Lake Eildon @@megandarcy937
I ise my Lawoa 12mm D-zero for time lapses and meteor showers. I have 20mmf/1.8 G, Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 excellent and with the best focus ever and with DOF shown in a LCD at its top varying according to focal poin and apperture so even at the dark we know de minimal and maximum distance in focus, 35mm f/1.4 GM, Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 (extremely sharp), 70-200mm f/2.8, redcat 5.1 250mm f/4.9, William Optics GT 81mm (478mm with 1x flattner) and SVBony 854mm f/7.
You certainly have some excellent gear there Raphael. Thanks so much for watching.
I agree with the shortcomings of ultra-wide focal lengths. By letting one fit a whole heap into of sky into the frame, they make it easier for astro rookies like myself to shoehorn the galactic core into the capture. :) The distortion though, is generally terrible. One point that wasn't mentioned was how much more light a 35mm or 24mm lens will capture compared to an ultra-wide given the same aperture. I'm betting the farm on a Zeiss Milvus ZE 25mm f1.4. That pig of a lens will be used on a tracker to produce "vertiramas". Richard, thank you once again for a very informative and entertaining video. Mossies suck.
Thanks so much for watching Jim. Yes you raise a very valid point about the extra light transmission from those longer focal lengths. Added to the extra aperture .. it's a win win situation for sure.
I love your images but, as an architecture photographer, the keystoning effect is something I just cannot unsee. I'm curious why you haven't experimented with tilt shift lenses. They are typically freakishly Sharp- the new ones- and also go extremely wide. Anyway thanks again for the video and enduring those hellish Australian mosquitoes.
Thanks so much for watching David. Yes the mozzies are really bad here sometimes. I'm pretty sure most tilt shift lenses are about f4 at widest aperture which is a bit slow for me. Also pretty expensive and no native Nikon Z mount.
For full frame, there are a few companies, including IRIX that make a 21mm f1.4 lens. For crop, Sigma makes the excellent 18-35 f1.8 Have you tried either of these?
Thanks for watching. I've not tried any Irix lenses at all. The Sigma 18-35 is also a very popular video lens.
WOW your the best at explaining the camera lens that will fit into our budgets Richard. I have always bought the better lens so I dont have to buy it twice. I actually save money on the long run. Cheers
Thanks for watching Frank. I think we've all leant that lesson over the years.
Hi, Richard! I think I'll upset you. In the spring, I bought a Sony 14mm 1.8 and used it on my Nikon Z5 via Megadap ETZ. For six months, I observed tangential astigmatism up to f2.8 on a lens worth more than $1,000. I couldn't stand it and sold it to a neighbor, and it turned out that there were no aberrations on his old Sony A7R. Apparently it is better to use lenses only for the native mount...
I think that's always a possibility with adaptors. I'd still like to try it though.
I'm wanting a 20mm Sigma Art lens for Canon. But, unfortunately, prices are so expensive in Brazil that I am discouraged from buying. The same for any startracker. Importing the lens would be an option if there weren't so many taxes. It’s difficult to be an astrophotographer in Brazil... Best Wishes, Richard!
That's not good Rafael. I appreciate you watching my friend.
Sony 14mm is a fantastic lens ( am a Sony shooter) currently sits in my bag waiting for that aurora to happen.
Yes I think that's a common story. Alan. Thanks heaps for watching.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Is my pleasure to watch as I get that inspiration needed and to see what is possible here in this big country of ours. After-all you learn from masters and you are up there Richard.
I have the 14mm F1.8 art for canon EF. Its amazing BUT heavy
Yes it's a great lens . .but as you say, heavy.
A very interesting video Richard I'm gonna have to re assess my lens range for astro that are compatible with my Olympus M4/3 camera. Since astro isn't my prime interest due to our unpredictable UK weather I have some great lenses but slow at f/4, I need to get out and try them
Thanks for tuning in Peter. There are some really good f1.7 and f1.8 lenses from Olympus and Panasonic that work well for nightscapes.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Yep I know, I have the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 which as you say can be a bit too wide and distorts when raised against close objects, I have the Pany 12-35mm f/2.8 which does not have manual focus and this is where I struggle, getting those stars in focus on the screen is real hard and every time you turn the camera off you need to start again. Now the Olympus Pro lenses and I have the 8-25mm f/4 has the option to set the focus manually, the glass is excellent and this is what I need to try for astro and balance the higher iso with the increase in noise. Your video was very useful and made me challenge what I am doing at the moment so thanks
Hi Peter, have a look at Olympus 12-40mm 2.8, Olympus 7-14mm or Panasonic's 12mm 1.4. They work beautifully with my Olympus/OM-1.
@@ivan7453 My EM5MKIII doesn't have an auto star focus facility, do you use that with the Panasonic 12mm 1.4 or do you manually focus using the rotating focus ring?
@@peterkennington1043 I simply use manual focus using the focus ring on the lens. As well, I use focus peaking. I do this with all lenses.
Great video, Richard I use a roken on 10 mm 2.8 and a Sigma 18/35. 1.8 on my Pentax K3 mark 3 seems to get the job done.
Yes it certainly does get the job done for you Jeff. I suppose you're happy to be home from your world travels ..??
@@nightscapeimages.richard We're still traveling we're in Mexico now. Enjoying a nice hot weather.
if i have APS-C camera should i buy a 16mm lense or 24mm lense? like you said in video around 20mm is a sweet point, i heard in crop sensor you have to multiply it by 1.6 and then it shows you a real angle. so when i have a aps-c i should buy wider lense like 16mm to get a reasult of ~24mm? and a 24mm to get ~38mm? a Or am i wrong? Greetings from Poland!
Yes the crop for Canon is 1.6 .. Nikon & Sony 1.5 I'd go with 16mm over 24mm in that case.
Have you compared the Sony 24mm f1.4 G-master with the Nikon 24mm f1.8 S lens? I've had two copies of a Sony 24mm f1.4 and both had chromatic aberration when in focus. Ever so slightly out of focus, the magenta color aberration disappears. Somewhat annoying for a $1400 lens.
Thanks for watching. I've done a fair amount of shooting with the 24mm f1.8S .. it's a good lens. To be honest I hardly ever use the Sony lens for shooting still images so I can't categorically compare the results .. it's my video lens.
I used to have a crop sensor camera and loved to use the Tokina 11-16mm f 2.8 lens with it for photographing the Milky Way. It's a budget friendly lens and it didn't weigh much (I like to go hiking in mountains so weight is always an issue). In 2021 I switched to a Nikon d780 (full frame) and used the Tamron 17-35mm f 2.8-4 lens a lot. I believe that the lens has f 2.8 till 20/21mm, which was already the focal length I normally used. It may not be as sharp as a prime lens or as fast, but once again given the fact I like to do a lot of hiking and I don't only do astrophotography, it's been a great lens for me. Sometimes I like to experiment with the 50mm F 1.8 to get a bit more compression. Now I'm looking for something like a 14mm to have for ultra wide shots and maybe in the future I'll buy the Tamron 35mm
Thanks so much for watching. Yes it sure is a balancing act to accommodate all the other areas of photography that we like to pursue.
Interesting update. I followed your initial path to the 14mm Rokinon for exactly the same reasons. However, the field of view was too wide, I wanted to get lower than 2.8, and there was way too much coma in the corners. Thus, I went to the Nikon F 20mm 1.8 and never looked back. So far I have not switched to the Z lens because the impact would be minimal and there are other Z lenses I want more.
Yes that's such a common story. I love the 20mm Nikon lenses.
always luv your videos. As a Sony Shooter except of the 14 GM lens from Sony Sigma Art native emount lens are better for astro . I have the 24mm,35mm and 50 and compared against my GM lens from Sony and as said they beat GM lenses apart from 14mm Sony
Thanks heaps for your insights Steve. I think the latest Sigma offerings for Sony E mount are excellent .. a cut above the previous generation for sure. I'm hoping they broaden the range to include other makes of camera.
I assume this is for full frame cameras? What about apsc cameras?
Yes these are all for full frame cameras. I did mention in the video that there are a lot of good apsc lenses but I don't use a crop sensor camera so I don't have first hand experience with them.
Great video. Cant make my mind up about getting z20, 24 or 35..
They are all good but as mentioned I like the 20 the most.
@@nightscapeimages.richard 👍 Yes I know. That one is rarely on sale here .
Please try the 135mm plena
Itl ooks like a good lens but I can't really see a use case for me.
@@nightscapeimages.richard I think with this lens I can get more detail without much effort. I'll try soon. My tracking (i-Optron) was overloaded with the 400mm f2.8 for a Milkyway Panos. The 135mm f 1.8 should work. Thank you for your videos, they are very inspiring
Zeiss Batis 18mm
From all reports a very nice lens indeed. Thanks so much for watching.
Richard, is there anything “unethical” about shooting the sky at 50mm and the ground at 24mm - as long as you divulge the truth? I like to do this and I don’t lie about it. Do you feel this is inappropriate? You can’t imagine how much you have taught me and I am doing very well with stock time lapse sales thanks to you.
You cheater! :D I've thought about trying this too. Take like what, a 4 shot pano with the 50? to get enough sky for it? Pull that Milky way right on in, nice and large but then do all the landscape light painting with the 24mm on. I've got to try it. Only problem is, if you want to stack for noise, you've got to take all 4 pano shots, about 10 snaps each hahaha, stack 'em all, then stitch 'em for the sky background. I bet the results are worth it though.
I've been thinking about going out this year and taking sky shots of the Milky Way in all focal lengths including pano's to keep them to use as sky replacements so I can go out and take snow covered, night landscapes with the Milky Way. The sky is so overcast in the winter but the landscape is till pretty, so rather than stopping going out to take nightscapes, this could make for some super cool shots that you can't take here in reality. Just because it's not "real" doesn't mean it can't be art, right? And even if it's not "real" it doesn't mean it's still not fun either, right? Those who go outsides the "rules" and make their own art, are the ones who get noticed. ;) I think as long as your not passing something off as something it's not, then it's not unethical....It's still art. It's still photography. It's still a fun hobby.
As far as I'm concerned that's perfectly fine Boyce. You can certainly do whatever you want with your own photography .... many people get carried away with ethics that don't really exist.
Only photographers ask or care about technique or how an image was made - most people do not care and enjoy an image for what it is. How many people ask an artist, say painter, what type brush he uses??@@nightscapeimages.richard
I love the field of view the 20mm gives me but after buying the amazing 40mm from Sigma it really shows how much coma the 20mm has ( Both are Sigma ef mounts)! You have me wondering if I should be looking a Nikon or Sony 20mm and using an adopters to EF mount ? And having a 12mm lens I borrowed a friends Sigma 14mm and was surprised by how much that 2mm of width changes the field of view!
It's a fast moving landscape John. The newest Sigma art lenses are a step above the original ones . .but alas many of them are only Sony E mount at this stage. I don't know how good they would adapt to Canon mount.