My First Foray into Astrophotography with Fujifilm and Viltrox
It's amazing what you can capture when you point your camera towards the heavens! Recently, I saw some truly breathtaking astrophotography online and felt inspired to give it a shot myself. I decided to pair my Fujifilm X-T50 with the Viltrox 27mm F1.2 lens to see what the night sky had to offer.
Here's my first attempt:
The Initial Experimentation
My initial thought was to push the exposure time, thinking longer would always mean more light. I even tried a 2-minute exposure with a stopped-down aperture. However, this resulted in a darker image and noticeable star trails.
Learning from the Experts
After sharing my results, I received some fantastic advice! It turns out that while longer exposures capture more light, they also lead to star trails if the exposure is too long for the focal length and the Earth's rotation. For my 27mm lens on an APS-C sensor, around 10-15 seconds seems like a good starting point.
Key takeaways for future attempts:
- Exposure Time: Start with shorter exposures (around 10-30 seconds) to avoid star trails.
- Aperture: Use your widest aperture (lowest f-number) to let in the most light.
- ISO: Experiment with higher ISO settings (e.g., 800-3200) for increased sensitivity, but be mindful of potential graininess.
- Settings: Adjust one setting at a time to understand its impact. Stick to manual mode for full control.
What's Next?
I'm excited to put this advice into practice and experiment further. The goal is to balance capturing enough light to see faint stars and nebulae without introducing excessive noise or distracting star trails.
Stay tuned for more updates on my astrophotography journey!
