Nikon 300 f4 E PF lens, disapointed on star shots.

[BobWorrell]

I tried my 300 pf last night with my Vixen tracker, and the flare was bad, I was looking forward to getting a more magnified look at the stars, prior to this I have been using the Nikon 50 mm 1.4G with good results,

I,m look at a few lenes that are inexpensive, Samyang and Rokinon 85 to 135mm F2.

I would like to stay around $500.00 (USD). if any of you have experience with these lens let me know, I want sharp pinpoints that I can stich in LR6.

Thanks Bob W

 

[ruifonikon]

Macro lenses are good for stars, here is an example with my Sigma 105mm f/2.8 Macro and D810:

https://flic.kr/p/sgPYLD

Please share samples shots with the 300mm f/4 PF. You made me curious about your results. Thanks.

 

[swimswithtrout]

I tried my 300 pf last night with my Vixen tracker, and the flare was bad, I was looking forward to getting a more magnified look at the stars, prior to this I have been using the Nikon 50 mm 1.4G with good results,

I,m look at a few lenes that are inexpensive, Samyang and Rokinon 85 to 135mm F2.

I would like to stay around $500.00 (USD). if any of you have experience with these lens let me know, I want sharp pinpoints that I can stich in LR6.

Thanks Bob W

There have been a few threads about the poor performance of the "P for plastic" lens' when used for AP


I love my Samyang/Rok 85mm but don't expect to shoot it wide open. It's "usable" at f2.8 and improves beyond that


I don't own it , but the Samyang 135mm is nearly legendary for being able to shoot wide open at f2.

 

[Tristimulus]

Phase fresnel lenses do produce flares around bright point like sources. The lenses should be avoided for astrophotography (the flaring is a part of the design of the lens).

The great advantage is a more compact and light weight lens, which generally can be very useful, but at the cost of excluding astro work.

So get the old fashioned bulky and heavy lenses for night time work...

 

[BobWorrell]

Macro lenses are good for stars, here is an example with my Sigma 105mm f/2.8 Macro and D810:

https://flic.kr/p/sgPYLD

Please share samples shots with the 300mm f/4 PF. You made me curious about your results. Thanks.

--
________________________________________
Flicker page:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruimc/
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/ruimc/popular-interesting/

This is a sample of my test shots I took about a dozen at different ISO and shutter speeds, all of them had the halo around the brightest star.

Thanks for your input, I have a 105 2.8 Nikon, but I'm trying to find something longer and lighter. there are some inexpensive 180mm f2 lens out there that I might try I was hoping someone had experience with them.

Bob W.

 

[BobWorrell]

Phase fresnel lenses do produce flares around bright point like sources. The lenses should be avoided for astrophotography (the flaring is a part of the design of the lens).

The great advantage is a more compact and light weight lens, which generally can be very useful, but at the cost of excluding astro work.

So get the old fashioned bulky and heavy lenses for night time work...

Yes I found that out.

the problem is I'm pushing the specified weight limit on my tracker, I'm looking for a long lens under 800 g.

Thanks for the input.

Bob W.

 

[Matt Fulghum]

try the AF Nikkor 180/2.8 D. I've been pretty happy with it on a D600. It's obviously not as long as the 300, but it's pretty darned sharp.

 

[BobWorrell]

try the AF Nikkor 180/2.8 D. I've been pretty happy with it on a D600. It's obviously not as long as the 300, but it's pretty darned sharp.

Thanks you I will look at it.

Bob W.

 

[hha]

This is a sample of my test shots I took about a dozen at different ISO and shutter speeds, all of them had the halo around the brightest star.

Have you tried adjusting the focus? The faint stars images look significantly out-of-focus. This condition would create the observed halo around bright stars.

hha

 

[atigun]

The tendency to flare at at very bright overexposed stars has to be weighed against other advantages of this lens - that is it has virtually no of purple fringing at the edge of stars and only moderate coma compared to the previous Nikon versions of this lens. The number of bright stars are few and a little pp can greatly mitigate the flare problem without much work. Comparison should be made to other 300mm lenses not shorter focal lengths. Examples posted in this forum show that other lenses at this focal length are not free of flare either.

If you already have this lens, give it a chance; On most astro subjects this is not an issue, and the number of stars causing issues are few so problems can be mitigated in post processing. It also helps to stop the lens down to f/4.5.

Nikon 300 f/4 PF @ f/4- comet 41P passing between the Owl Nebula and the Cigar Galaxy with Merak to the upper right.

Comet 41P a few days later with Nikon 300 f/4 PF @ f/4.5

Andromeda Galaxy with Nikon 300mm f/4 PF @ f/4.5

Bode's Nebula M81 with Nikon 300mm f/4 PF @ f/4.5

--
Atigun valley, a place north in Alaska

 

[astrograph]

I am happy with my 300 f4 E PF as an astro lens. It has no false color, the vignetting can be corrected quite nicely and the stars are sharp almost to the corners.

I found the 180mm F/2.8 AF ED to be of lesser quality for astronomical shots. The 70-200 f/4 is better than the 180mm in my opinion.

Here are two images shot with the 300mm:

Region around M16 and M17. 40x15s, Nikon 300mm PF, ISO 6400. Nikon D750 on Vixen Polarie

Region around Messier 8, the Lagoon Nebula. 40x15s, Nikon 300mm PF, ISO 6400. Nikon D750 on Vixen Polarie

Images with other focal lengths and crops from the images above can be found here: http://www.salzgeber.at/astrophotography/widefield/first-signs-summer-milky-way/



--
Philipp Salzgeber
www.salzgeber.at

 

[BobWorrell]

This is a sample of my test shots I took about a dozen at different ISO and shutter speeds, all of them had the halo around the brightest star.

Have you tried adjusting the focus? The faint stars images look significantly out-of-focus. This condition would create the observed halo around bright stars.

hha

I focused it the best I could, I need to try it in a dark sky area, my back yard has a lot of light pollution.

Bob W

 

[BobWorrell]

The tendency to flare at at very bright overexposed stars has to be weighed against other advantages of this lens - that is it has virtually no of purple fringing at the edge of stars and only moderate coma compared to the previous Nikon versions of this lens. The number of bright stars are few and a little pp can greatly mitigate the flare problem without much work. Comparison should be made to other 300mm lenses not shorter focal lengths. Examples posted in this forum show that other lenses at this focal length are not free of flare either.

If you already have this lens, give it a chance; On most astro subjects this is not an issue, and the number of stars causing issues are few so problems can be mitigated in post processing. It also helps to stop the lens down to f/4.5.

Nikon 300 f/4 PF @ f/4- comet 41P passing between the Owl Nebula and the Cigar Galaxy with Merak to the upper right.

Comet 41P a few days later with Nikon 300 f/4 PF @ f/4.5

Andromeda Galaxy with Nikon 300mm f/4 PF @ f/4.5

Bode's Nebula M81 with Nikon 300mm f/4 PF @ f/4.5

--
Atigun valley, a place north in Alaska

I would be happy with shots like that.

Thanks for the input.

Bob W

 

[BobWorrell]

I am happy with my 300 f4 E PF as an astro lens. It has no false color, the vignetting can be corrected quite nicely and the stars are sharp almost to the corners.

I found the 180mm F/2.8 AF ED to be of lesser quality for astronomical shots. The 70-200 f/4 is better than the 180mm in my opinion.

Here are two images shot with the 300mm:

Region around M16 and M17. 40x15s, Nikon 300mm PF, ISO 6400. Nikon D750 on Vixen Polarie

Region around Messier 8, the Lagoon Nebula. 40x15s, Nikon 300mm PF, ISO 6400. Nikon D750 on Vixen Polarie

Images with other focal lengths and crops from the images above can be found here: http://www.salzgeber.at/astrophotography/widefield/first-signs-summer-milky-way/

--
Philipp Salzgeber
www.salzgeber.at

Thanks for the input Ill keep trying.

Bob W.