Sky & Telescope - December 2024 - 57

neighborhood of $25 for a wired model
and double that for a wireless one.
Star Tracking
Deep-sky astrophotographers know
that a polar-aligned equatorial mount
is a necessity for avoiding star trails in
long-exposure photos. But the large and
heavy equatorial mount that your telescope
rides on is usually overkill for just
a camera and a lens. Thankfully, there
are many smaller and more portable
options. A battery-powered star tracker
will keep stars from trailing in long
exposures. How long an exposure you
can do depends only on your sky conditions,
the accuracy of your polar alignment,
the quality of your star tracker,
and the focal length of your lens. Nothing
beats going deep and long when it
comes to night-sky shots. Take several
one-minute or so exposures (using your
brand-new intervalometer) and align
and stack them together to create a lownoise
image with deep details.
Star trackers are ideal for the traveling
astrophotographer as well. Most
units can easily go in carry-on luggage
or a backpack. You can hike to a remote
location, set up your camera, tripod, and
star-tracker, and shoot to your heart's
content - at least until the batteries die.
Once again, there are several models
to choose from, and you can pay around
$200 and up, depending on the model
and what accessories are included.
Classy Glass
For the big spenders out there, one of
the most impactful investments you can
make is a fast lens for your camera.
When we say " fast " what we mean is a
lens that lets in a lot of precious light
relative to its focal length. And more
light means shorter exposures and
cleaner images. If you're a nightscape
photographer struggling with your camera's
f/3.5 kit lens, an f/2.8 upgrade will
revolutionize your efforts. But the ultimate
is an f/1.4 wide-angle lens, which
makes capturing the night environment
about as easy as it gets.
Typically, such a lens will let you capture
the Milky Way in stunning detail
with only a 10-second exposure - short
LUNAR PRIZE Close-up shots of the Moon using the afocal method (aiming your smartphone
camera lens at the eyepiece of your telescope) can produce surprisingly satisfying
results, as this photo shows. The key is positioning your smartphone correctly over
the eyepiece - something a device such as the Celestron NexYZ 3-Axis Universal
Smartphone Adapter used for this image makes easy.
enough to avoid star trails even with a
camera mounted only on a tripod. Such
an optic makes constellation shots and
panoramas a cakewalk.
Of course, premium optics come
at a premium price, so you want to be
sure you get full value for your money. I
usually won't buy a lens without trying
it first - an approach I highly recommend.
Go to lensrentals.com and see
if they have the model you're interested
in. I rented my latest fast lens through
them and took advantage of their
" Keeper Test Drive " program, which
allowed me to simply buy the lens
instead of returning it - the rental fee
went toward the purchase price.
Buying brand-new photographic gear
is a lot like buying an automobile - as
soon as you pay for it, it starts to depreciate.
But that's also why used equipment
can be a good buy. A well-caredfor
lens can perform just like new, but
at significant savings. Shop around.
Hobby Happy Holidays
Every time I complain about astrophotography
being an expensive hobby, I
just remember my friends who are into
golfing, boating, or jet skiing. Now those
are expensive hobbies! Keep your budget
in mind and weigh the benefits against
the costs of any new gadget purchase.
Some of the items listed here can be
pretty inexpensive - and sometimes
" cheap and inferior " gear is far better
than no gear at all. Consider the kinds
of astrophotography you like to do - or
aspire to do - and let that guide your
buying decisions. If you do that, you're
more likely to end up with something
you'll actually use.
Just don't max out your credit card!
¢Contributing Editor RICHARD S.
WRIGHT, JR. loves the dopamine rush he
gets from astrophotography. But when
the weather is poor, he gets his dopamine
by shopping instead.
sk yand tele scope .o r g * DECEMBER 2024 57
http://www.lensrentals.com http://www.skyandtelescope.org
Sky & Telescope - December 2024

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