Shooting the night sky (Milky Way) with EOS cameras...
GilbertNeyens wrote:
I am trying to take a picture of nightsky (Galaxy/stars). But it seems when there is not enough seen on the screen (too black) it will not take a picture when I press the button. There is no click.
When I point the camera toward a light source then it does take a picture.
It seems that er is a configuration that does not allow to take a picture when the area that I am trying to take a picture off is too black.
What I am trying to do is use ISO and shutterspeed configuration to take pictures of the Galaxy. But every time I point the camera to the night sky and press the button, nothing happens.
Andy01 has offered a detailed suggestion and explanation. Set your camera on a tripod, switch your camera/lens to Manual Focus, focus on a star, use the self timer and the following settings to take your pictures. Also, you can set your camera up in Manual Mode before you leave the house, then just turn it on when you get to a place with clear/dark skies and take your pictures with the self timer after focusing on a bright star. Essentially, you only need two things: The camera + lens + tripod. Whichever lens you use will be important in how bright or dark your shots will look. If you have the Auto Focus turned on instead of Manual Focus, the camera will try to focus but it usually won't allow you to take the picture. Turn it to Manual Focus (might be in the menu on the M10) and you're ready to shoot.
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EOS M6 + EF-M 22mm f/2 Lens. This was taken as I prepared to shoot the night sky and was waiting for the light to drop. This is all you need: Camera+Lens+Tripod. The original EOS M also performs very well with this lens. .
You will want a "fast" (bright) lens like the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM. Slower lenses with apertures like f/3.5 or f/4 can still capture the Milky Way but they're not ideal. it will also help if you get away from the city to where the skies are darker.
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Put your EOS M10 on a tripod of any size) with the following settings:
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MANUAL FOCUS:
Camera should be set to Manual Focus when using EF-M lenses.
* If you are using an EF lens with an adapter, set the lens switch (on the side of the body of the lens) to Manual Focus (MF)
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MODE:
Set Camera to 'M' (Full Manual Control/M-Mode). This will then give you access to the settings below
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SELF TIMER:
Use Self Timer (2 seconds is fine if your have a sturdy tripod)
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ISO SETTING:
Try between ISO 1600 and up to ISO 3200.
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APERTURE SETTING:
Aperture should be wide open to start with (eg f/2)
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SHUTTER SPEED:
Shutter Speed for a fast lens that is around 22-24mm wide should be set to around 20 seconds. Longer than this and your images will likely contain star trails. With VERY bright lenses (eg EF-M 32mm f/1.4) that have longer (rather than wider) focal lengths, you will need to keep the exposure to around 13 seconds.
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WHITE BALANCE (WB):
Set your White Balance to Tungsten for Blue colored skies but be aware that a lot of astronomers dislike this.
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To FOCUS:
If you can see a very bright star or planet in the sky, use the Magnify Setting on your camera to "zoom in" and if it is out of focus, turn the focus ring on your camera each way until the star is tiny. I find that it helps to use a jeweler's loupe or those $3 magnifying reading glasses you can get from the truckstop or service station. You can also use the moon to assist in focusing your lens but if the moon is more than a thin crescent, it will wash out your sky. Most people prefer to shoot the night sky when the moon is not visible. You can also focus on a distant street light if it is far away.
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Using a program on your computer/tablet/phone, you can see where the bright parts of the Milky Way will appear in the night sky.
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TOOLS:
* Insect Repellent (if needed)
* A flashlight (two if your have two... in case you drop one in the dark).
* Tripod
* Download a FREE starguide for your computer like "Stellerium" to help locate where the best parts of the sky are going to be. You may not easily see the Milky Way with your unaided eyes but your camera can.
* Alternately, download "STARWALK" which is similar to Stellerium but for your Smartphone. Use either of these programs to find where the bright areas of the Milky Way are going to be.
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These settings with four different EF-M lenses gave me the JPEG images from my M6 camera... but the M10 and even the original EOS M can produce nearly identical results with these lenses and these settings. Note that it was still possible to capture the Milky Way using HIGHER ISO settings with darker (slower) lenses. But the results weren't ideal since some Milky Way details were a bit soft. I used a Tungsten White Balance here. Most folks on the Astro forums feel that a natural Auto White Balance looks more accurate.
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