Lens for Nikon D5200 astro photography

[Sudhir Shivaram]

You can get started with astro photography with your current equipment. You will need a tripod and a good tripod head.

🔧 Camera Settings

1. Mode: Manual (M)

2. Focus: Manual Focus (Switch the lens to manual focus, then set it to infinity. You may need to slightly adjust from the infinity mark for sharpness.)

3. Aperture: The lowest possible for your lens, which is f/3.5 at 18mm. This will let in the most light.

4. Shutter Speed: Use the 500 Rule to avoid star trails.

• Formula: 500 / Focal Length (in 35mm equivalent)

• For 18mm on a crop sensor (1.5x crop factor), equivalent is 27mm.

• So, 500 / 27 ≈ 18 seconds.

• Set your shutter speed to 15–20 seconds.

5. ISO: Start with ISO 1600 or 3200. Adjust based on the brightness of the sky and level of noise.

6. White Balance: Set to Daylight or 4000K. You can adjust later in post-processing.

7. File Format: RAW (for better post-processing flexibility).

8. Drive Mode: 2-second timer or remote trigger to prevent camera shake.

🌠 Shooting Tips

1. Tripod: Absolutely essential for long exposure shots.

2. Disable Image Stabilization (VR): Since you’re on a tripod, it may cause slight blur if left on.

3. Live View Focus: Use Live View and zoom in to a bright star to focus manually.

4. Noise Reduction: Disable in-camera noise reduction and handle it later in editing software.

5. Dark Location: Shoot in a place with minimal light pollution.

[Surya SatyPrasad Reddy Manda]

Thank you very much sir 🙂