Night Sky Rocket Launch- How?

[EminenceFront]

I went out to the causeway (beach) the other night to photograph the Spacex rocket launch. It was a cloudy night sky, so nothing for me to see, but even if it had been clear I was having great difficulty with my Canon SL3 camera.

I used the Manual mode on various settings, and an EF-S 55-250 4-5.6 IS STM lens. It was next to impossible to get it to "lock on" focus on anything. The LCD screen kept blurring, like it did not have enough light to take the shot. I had it focused near the horizon, where there were some lights. When I was able to take a shot or two, the camera froze up "BUSY" and I could not even turn off the camera without taking out the battery.

How can I effectively shoot a nighttime rocket launch? Does it have to be an exposure shot of 30 seconds or longer? Or can I shoot a regular photo with a quick shutter speed?

 

[Bassam Guy]

I went out to the causeway (beach) the other night to photograph the Spacex rocket launch. It was a cloudy night sky, so nothing for me to see, but even if it had been clear I was having great difficulty with my Canon SL3 camera.

I used the Manual mode on various settings, and an EF-S 55-250 4-5.6 IS STM lens. It was next to impossible to get it to "lock on" focus on anything. The LCD screen kept blurring, like it did not have enough light to take the shot. I had it focused near the horizon, where there were some lights. When I was able to take a shot or two, the camera froze up "BUSY" and I could not even turn off the camera without taking out the battery.

How can I effectively shoot a nighttime rocket launch? Does it have to be an exposure shot of 30 seconds or longer? Or can I shoot a regular photo with a quick shutter speed?

A quick google search of "photograph rocket launch at night" gave me https://www.miops.com/blogs/news/how-to-photograph-a-rocket-launch-at-night

Has a lot more detail than I could give you. I don't know why your camera froze up, perhaps it wasn't frozen but taking a long, multi-second, exposure.

Quick point:

• The night sky is big and dark yet the rocket is bright. A straight metering of the entire scene will yield too high of an exposure, as the camera tries to make the black sky brighter, so use exposure compensation to underexpose. A fixed amount depends on too much criteria (focal length, distance, etc.)

 

[Barry Twycross]

I went out to the causeway (beach) the other night to photograph the Spacex rocket launch. It was a cloudy night sky, so nothing for me to see, but even if it had been clear I was having great difficulty with my Canon SL3 camera.

I used the Manual mode on various settings, and an EF-S 55-250 4-5.6 IS STM lens. It was next to impossible to get it to "lock on" focus on anything. The LCD screen kept blurring, like it did not have enough light to take the shot. I had it focused near the horizon, where there were some lights. When I was able to take a shot or two, the camera froze up "BUSY" and I could not even turn off the camera without taking out the battery.

How can I effectively shoot a nighttime rocket launch? Does it have to be an exposure shot of 30 seconds or longer? Or can I shoot a regular photo with a quick shutter speed?

This sounds like a job for manual focus. Focussing on infinity is probably as good as anything, you can't get too close to a rocket launch.

A 30 sec exposure would probably get a very burnt out streak of rocket exhaust, it's difficult to say what the rest of the shot would be like.

If you actually want a shot of the rocket itself, it's going to have to be a short exposure. The one time I did shoot a launch (a shuttle), it was still back in the days of film. I loaded up 800ASA negative film, dialed in the fastest my lens could do (f/2.8 for a 200mm), and as long as an exposure I thought I could get away with, I forget what that was, maybe 1/60 or 1/125. Then I shot bursts with the motor drive. The results were vaguely useable.

The landscape gets considerably lit up due to the rocket exhaust. The negative film has the advantage it copes with over exposure well, so the exhaust wasn't totally burnt out. With a digital sensor it's going to be pretty tricky.

These days I might go for bracketing like crazy and continue shooting as the rocket goes up.

 

[EmmaNems]

I went out to the causeway (beach) the other night to photograph the Spacex rocket launch. It was a cloudy night sky, so nothing for me to see, but even if it had been clear I was having great difficulty with my Canon SL3 camera.

I used the Manual mode on various settings, and an EF-S 55-250 4-5.6 IS STM lens. It was next to impossible to get it to "lock on" focus on anything. The LCD screen kept blurring, like it did not have enough light to take the shot. I had it focused near the horizon, where there were some lights. When I was able to take a shot or two, the camera froze up "BUSY" and I could not even turn off the camera without taking out the battery.

How can I effectively shoot a nighttime rocket launch? Does it have to be an exposure shot of 30 seconds or longer? Or can I shoot a regular photo with a quick shutter speed?

Situations like this, and a million others, are the reason I've never embraced automation of any kind and never will. It has been my observation that in easy situations, you don't need it. In difficult situations, it fails.

 

[lehill]

I went out to the causeway (beach) the other night to photograph the Spacex rocket launch. It was a cloudy night sky, so nothing for me to see, but even if it had been clear I was having great difficulty with my Canon SL3 camera.

I used the Manual mode on various settings, and an EF-S 55-250 4-5.6 IS STM lens. It was next to impossible to get it to "lock on" focus on anything. The LCD screen kept blurring, like it did not have enough light to take the shot. I had it focused near the horizon, where there were some lights. When I was able to take a shot or two, the camera froze up "BUSY" and I could not even turn off the camera without taking out the battery.

How can I effectively shoot a nighttime rocket launch? Does it have to be an exposure shot of 30 seconds or longer? Or can I shoot a regular photo with a quick shutter speed?

Space launches are really hard because each one is different. It's best if you can scour the internet and find a space/rocket/photography group or club or website near your area. SpaceX maintains an official Flickr page and many of the night shots have EXIF info included.

I live ~140 miles southeast of Vandenberg AFB and I can see launches from my backyard if I know where & when to look, the launch isn't delayed (delays happen often), and the weather cooperates (example1, example2).

I only managed two attempts at shooting launches (one was a complete failure on my part) then SpaceX decided to move their launches to Cape Canaveral.

--
Lance H

 

[Jaccop22]

I want to thank the guys in this thread who shared a few useful tips. I'm a beginner in photography and want to shoot the next launch of one promising aerospace endeavor https://www.skyrora.com/. I don't know when it'll happen, so I have enough time to prepare for it and make high-resolution photos the company can boast of. I was inspired by the photos I've seen on the Internet, but couldn't take the same ones. Hope your tips will help me.

 

[stevet1]

I may be well off the mark here, but would shooting a rocket launch be similar to photographing fireworks? Would reading up on tips on how to shoot fireworks help?

Steve Thomas

 

[GLSmith9823]

Image above shot with Nikon D-850 & Nikon 600mm Lens

Settings 1/500 sec, F/7, ISO 400 Distance from focal plane to target 2.8 miles

Even though this thread is 3 years old, I'd like to add some value add as I am a credentialed photographer @ KSC & Wallops.

Step 1, Your focus on the horizen is a good idea, then you have to set it to manual from auto focus. The rocket is moving fast & depending on the trajectory is either moving away or closer to where you are at. When you go to manual, use LiveView (Nikon), enlarge a horizon target as much as possible & fine tune your focus & then tape the focus ring on your lens.

If you want images as it lifts off or is close to the ground, Start with 1/500 to 1/1200 sec, F/6.3 to F/8 ISO 320-400 WB 5000-5600

You're seeing variables....due to a few things...some rockets are brighter than others, distance from where youre shooting & also your sensor

I know of gals & guys who have used apeture control...I've tried it & prefer manual..(auto W/B is OK).

If you want a streak or time lapse at night these are some of the settings I have used

Bulb...2 1/2 to 7 minutes (depending on trajectory, F/16-F/22 again depends on type of rocket & ISO of 100