Nikon d5100

[stargazerkelly]

Hi i would like to image the night sky with this camera if possible, just images on the stars on a dark night. like costellations . not deep sky or planets.

I have a tripod as well. and this camera has come with a 18-55mm lense what sort of settings do i need to have it on

i dont even know if this camera will do the job

Kelly

[E621Keith]

It will do fine for constellation

Put it on the tripod, set your camera to ISO800 or 1600, manual exposure mode, shutter speed to 30sec, aperture to maximum, put the camera on 10 sec timer and then click the shutter. It should give you images of the constellation.

You can play with various aperture and shutter speed combination.

If you have some spare cash, I suggest you look for a 50mm f1.8 prime lens. It's a cheap and cheerful lens.

[Prador]

I am a beginner when it comes to widefield imaging but I do know that your Nikon d5100 is a capable camera.

To avoid star trails use the "500" rule. That is to divide 500 by the focal length set on your lens. This will give you a rough time in seconds you can expose for before star trails become too obvious.

When your camera is mounted use a remote shutter release or use the shutter delay settings. This will reduce/eliminate any camera shake imparted by you as you try to take the picture.

Try setting up on your target constellation and set the lens to approx 24mm.

You need to manually set focus (to infinity) on a bright object such as the moon and then not touch the focusing ring

Set your camera ISO to 800. I am not too familiar with your camera's specific settings but you need to expose for no more than 20 seconds. If you have a specific exposure setting for this, great. If not set it to bulb and take a 20 second exposure using a stopwatch to time it.

Review the image on the LCD and if its too dark increase the ISO level and try again. If its too bright either reduce the ISO level or reduce the exposure time.

I would be very grateful if one of the more experienced widefield imagers could do a drive-by on this info and correct any glaring mistakes

The main thing is to experiment with the camera and see what is best for you in the end. There are so many variables (levels of light pollution etc...) that will influence what settings to have on your camera. Have fun

[Guy Wells]

Point the camera towards the sky. Fire off 200 shots, or so at, iso 500-1000... Stack the images in Registax (free)...job done.

[Helite]

Hi i would like to image the night sky with this camera if possible, just images on the stars on a dark night. like costellations . not deep sky or planets.

I have a tripod as well. and this camera has come with a 18-55mm lense what sort of settings do i need to have it on

i dont even know if this camera will do the job

Kelly

I use the D5100 as well and have had reasonable results though I have the 18-105 lens but that wont make a difference, the biggest issue was getting focus as infinity is not marked up on the focus ring (oh and to remember and switch off the autofocus! ) Then it was just set to manual mode, 1600 iso and shutter to 30 seconds, then from that just play with the settings accordingly till you find what works in your location. I would suggest getting the small IR remote as well, its cheap and saves playing with the timer.

[SamAndrew]

I imagine the D5100 has auto dark frame subtraction like my D3100, so any exposure over 8 seconds will take twice as long as the camera will take 2 photos; the second on will be with the shutter closed to take a photo of the internal noise levels.

- just incase you wonder why 30 second exposure take a minute to appear on screen

[starman1969]

The D5100 is a pretty capable astro camera because it has the same sensor as the D7000 and the popular Sony NEX 5. This means it is pretty good at making faint objects appear brighter without a whole lot of noise.

It also has a flip out screen which can make it easier to line up shots. The 18-55mm kit lens will easily cover most wide constellations shots. Why not stick it on 18mm, point it at the stars and reel off frame after frame with a timer or manual release. This will give you star trails if you stack the images using free software.

To make sure of correct focus use the 55mm end and point it at a street light in the distance or something, hopefully the AF will be able to lock onto the light (may have to turn manually if not). When done flip the switch over to manual focus.

[Guy Wells]

Yes infinity. I take a test star shot. Zoom preview. Refocus if needed till i'm happy. Then start the run of exposures.

Built in dark frame subtraction. I don't use it. Once you have finished your, say 300, shots. Put the lens cap on. Continue taking shots at the same settings and focus as before and start to pack up. You'll have a load of dark frames. Registax is your friend...Add your subs and darks...and let it do its' magic!

(Not an expert!)

Skips

[Coco]

http://www.eprisephoto.com/galaxy

Antimorris has some nice samples with the D7000 ...

[Helite]

Built in dark frame subtraction. I don't use it.

Now I feel dumb, didn't know it could be turned off, have been standing in the cold like a plank for double the needed time!

[Guy Wells]

These things happen