Clear night, moon down. The Drakensberg is properly dark. Optional — only if the sky is clear.
18-150 · 18mmNo filterHood onTripod
- Mode
- M
- Aperture
- f/3.5 (widest)
- Shutter
- 15 seconds
- ISO
- 3200
- Drive
- 2-second timer
- Focus
- Manual: Left key → MF, ★ button to magnify, turn the focus ring until a bright star is a sharp point
Do this
- Tripod, 18mm, M mode, ISO 3200, f/3.5, 15 seconds. Stabiliser off.
- Focus is the whole game: Left key → MF. Point at the brightest star, press ★ to magnify, turn the front ring on the lens until the star is a tiny dot. Focus peaking (AF menu, page 3) helps.
- 2-second timer. Shoot. Check on screen with ★ magnified — stars should be points, not streaks.
- Put something on the horizon: the wall, a tree. Sky alone is science; sky over a mountain is a photograph.
If it goes wrong
- Stars are short streaks
- Too long. 15 seconds is the limit at 18mm on this camera; try 13.
- Everything blurry
- Focus. Redo the magnify-and-turn step. It's fiddly; that's normal.
- Battery died
- Cold. Keep the spares in an inside pocket and swap.