Finally figured out why my Milky Way shots were so soft compared to everyone else's

I've been using a kit lens at f/3.5 for months thinking it was good enough, but I borrowed a friend's f/1.8 prime last weekend and the difference in star sharpness was insane. Now I'm saving up for my own wide aperture lens. Anyone else have a moment where a single piece of gear changed their whole approach?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_nathan2d ago

Wide aperture helps, but a star tracker makes way more difference lol.

janarivera2d ago

OH shoot, I actually think vibration damping matters just as much as both of those things if you're shooting from a tripod with long glass. Even a tiny wind gust or ground vibration can blur the stars way more than people realize. A good dampening plate or hanging a weight from the center column can save shots that a tracker alone won't fix.

grace_campbell2d ago

The wind dampener thing jive with what @janarivera said about vibration too. Save yourself some cash and hang your bag off the tripod hook before dropping money on a new lens.