Okay how would I photograph this

[stone_family3]

I want to take pictures of stars, I want the shot to only have sky no trees/mountains/houses/etc.

I tried it last night but couldn't really tell if it was in focus.

Suggestions would be good if you have any.

 

[KmH]

Having trees/mountains/houses in images of the stars gives context.

Otherwise, it's difficult to know it's stars.

To focus, simply set the lens to infinity focus (∞)

There is so little light from the stars your exposure will have to be long enough they will leave trails, not dots, because Earth is turning on it's axis.

You can avoid star trails if you have an equitorially mounted motor drive to counter the Earths rotation.

 

[keith foster]

I have a friend with a telescope that connects to his laptop that allows you to follow stars or other heavenly bodies. It has a mount for a camera that allows you to take the picture with long exposures. As Keith suggested I don't know how else you would do it. I think he spent about $2500 for the telescope and software.
I would personally rather have a 70-200 f2.8 IS.

 

[stone_family3]

I don't mind the star trails I'll try that. I attempted to photograph a meteor shower over the summer but have yet to develop the film. It's on the to do list.

 

[sinjans]

Pick this one up and you should be fine.
Used Canon | Super Telephoto 1200mm f/5.6L EF USM | 2527A001

 

[nemopaice]

I've seen plenty of pictures of things like say, the Milky way, taken with a 50mm lens and 10-20 stacked images of 20 second exposures that came out absolutely breathtaking. One of the most important things is to shoot somewhere far enough away from the city lights so you can avoid the risk of any light spill from the surrounding area. On a clear night, look up in the sky, then drive straight out into an area away from the city, far enough that you can't see any city lights and then look up again. You will see a lot more stars and so will your camera, allowing for shorter exposures.

Here is a link to a video interview of a photographer with a pic she took of the milky way with a 20 sec exposure and a 24mm focal length. Give it a view. Episode 0014 - Interview with Jennifer Wu, Canon Explorer of Light! on Vimeo

 

[astrostu]

What are you trying to do? Star trails or wide-field starscapes? The advice varies.

Unfortunately, something that no one pointed out is that in this forum's Articles of Interest section, I posted a 4-part guide to astrophotography that includes how to do both.

 

[KmH]

Sorry about that astrostu. :blushing:

 

[TJ K]

Pick this one up and you should be fine.
Used Canon | Super Telephoto 1200mm f/5.6L EF USM | 2527A001

Wow added that to my cart and just for fun calculated the shipping to my house. 750 dollars for ground and like 1200 for 2day or something. It should be here friday.