What gear do you need to photograph landscapes with the Milky Way? The good news is that you don't need the most expensive, fanciest gear to get amazing Milky Way photos.
This is a beginner's guide on how to photograph the Milky Way. Therefore, I am not going to list star trackers. While they are fantastic, they are not essential for creating beautiful Milky Way images or astro-landscapes. Also, I am writing with single-exposure Milky Way photos in mind, although you certainly can apply many of my suggestions for tracked or stacked photos as well.
Lenses for Milky Way Images
In my opinion, the lens is the most important piece of equipment for taking photos of the Milky Way. Why? For single exposures in particular, you want a lens with a large aperture. This lets in all that faint starlight that you can barely see. Also, in my opinion, if we are assuming reasonably modern equipment made in the past ten years or so, a great lens makes a greater difference in the quality of the image than a great camera.
Compositionally, we typically want to get a lot of the galactic core of the Milky Way as well as the surrounding landscape. To me, the most alluring Milky Way photographs are the ones that marry the earth and the sky. Sure, a photo of the Milky Way by itself is nice. But isn't it the overall context that makes our jaws drop in awe? When we photograph the Milky Way, we still must bear in mind strong composition.
Therefore, an ultra-wide angle lens or a wide angle lens is probably the most useful. Again, you want it to have a wide aperture to let in as much of that dim starlight as possible.
Here is a short list of suggestions (some of these are not mirrorless mounts and are just examples, so be sure to select the correct mount for your camera):
- Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens
- Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 lens (inexpensive, but sharp optics)
- Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 lens (more expensive, but fantastic optics, especially for a zoom)
- Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 fisheye lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S Lens (expensive but fantastic optics)
I have been using an Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens for Milky Way photographs since 2017. I was one of the first photographers in the United States to begin using it. I purchased it so early that Irix didn't have distribution in this country. I had to purchase it through eBay. I am recommending it because it has great optics, it's built like a tank, it doesn't have a large, bulbous front element like many ultra-wide angle lenses, and most of all, because it has a detent for "true infinity." Just twist this camera to infinity, and it locks in place. All your stars are super sharp, simply and easily. I say yes!
I use a Pentax 15-30mm f/2.8 lens for my Pentax K-1. I use the Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens or Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 fisheye lens for my Nikon D750 (discontinued) when photographing the Milky Way.
That's right, I did mention a fisheye. These are great fun, giving you an instant dose of creativity and weirdness.
Cameras for Milky Way Images
Almost any reasonably modern DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual controls is capable of photographing the Milky Way astonishingly well. In other words, you don't need the latest and greatest expensive cameras. An older camera such as the ones I use above is more than capable.
DSLR or mirrorless cameras that are, say, ten years old or newer are capable of excellent high-ISO performance. I've seen outstanding photos from many different kinds of cameras, including crop-sensor or full frame.
I purchase cameras used since they cost so much. This certainly hasn't stopped me from creating high-quality photos. I wouldn't get too hung up on the camera, although obviously, if you have the means and can purchase a beautiful new camera, go for it. Truly, just about every major camera manufacturer makes very capable cameras for photographing the Milky Way.
Some suggestions for newer mirrorless cameras include:
As mentioned, I use older DSLRs. This is not because I'm a Luddite. They work well, so I may as well keep using them! I use a Pentax K-1 and a Nikon D750 (discontinued).
Tripods for Milky Way Images
Obviously, you want your camera to stay still while you have the shutter open for 15, 20, or 30 seconds, common exposure times for Milky Way photography. I use two carbon fiber tripods, a Feisol CT-3342 and a larger Feisol CT-3372, which I've had since 2013. These have gone up in price a bit but are still a superb purchase.
While I prefer carbon fiber, it's not necessary unless you are going to do a lot of hiking. There's nothing wrong with an aluminum tripod. The heavier weight can often work to your favor for creating stability, especially in windy areas.
If you want stability and feel like you are going to be using your tripod a fair amount, I would urge you not to buy a cheap, flimsy tripod.
It really is an important piece of gear and can keep your camera safe and stable. After all, I'm not sure if it makes sense to have hundreds or even thousands of dollars invested in a camera and lens, only to perch it on top of a cheap, flimsy tripod.
But also, to give an example, since I purchased my tripods in 2013, I have owned numerous camera bodies. However, I still have the same tripods (and lenses). Hopefully that gives you some perspective on how important lenses and tripods are compared to camera bodies.
On the higher end, Gitzo and Really Right Stuff make outstanding tripods. They're durable, beautifully designed, and well-machined. They're typically more expensive than Feisol. I found that Feisol gave me a perfect balance of ease of use, quality, durability, and value, so I purchased them instead. I've used them extensively since 2013, so I think I chose well.
If you cannot afford the above tripods, check out Manfrotto, Benro, or Leofoto. They make inexpensive tripod models that still seem quite stable.
Regardless, make sure you use a tripod like a pro. Double-check that your legs are locked before proceeding. Then jam it into the ground. Doing this helps with stability. And it's another way of determining that your legs are locked firmly.
Tripod Ball Heads for Milky Way Images
Is a quality ball head more important than the tripod legs? Maybe! In some respects, I feel you could make a strong argument for this. I adjust the ball head more than I do the tripod. And it's responsible for keeping my camera clamped to the tripod.
I have two suggestions for high-quality ball heads. Neither one of them is typically considered inexpensive. There are other tripod ball heads that are quite good, and admittedly, I do have a tendency to "overdo" the sturdiness of tripods and ball heads. Regardless, the general rule of thumb among many night photographers is to get a ball head and tripod legs that hold at least three times the weight they are rated for.
- Acratech GP-s Ball Head (lightweight, has a load capacity of 25 lb / 11.3 kg, doesn't get dirt or grit in the ball)
- Really Right Stuff BH-55 (rather bulky but when clamped down, it feels like your camera is cemented into place, load capacity of 50 lb / 22.7 kg, elegant design. I told you I had a tendency to "overdo" tripods and ball heads!)
Great Accessories to Make Your Milky Way Photography Experience Better
Remote Shutter Release
A remote shutter release fires the camera without you having to actually touch your shutter release button. This is great for reducing vibrations. If you want to keep everything cheap and simple, this is a great choice.
Intervalometer
An intervalometer does more than a simple, cheap remote shutter release. It opens up your camera to a much broader world of possibilities. You have precise control over when your camera fires, how often, for what duration, and how much of a gap (interval) you wish to have between photos. This can be used for star trails, time-lapses, and more. A very sophisticated intervalometer can also do auto ramping and more to compensate for the stars.
With an intervalometer, you can "stack" photos to reduce noise and bring out the stars a little more. You can create star trails. Or you can take the photos you've taken in succession into GlueMotion or another app and create time-lapses of the Milky Way. Well, if you take many, many photos... otherwise, it's going to be a very short time-lapse! Cool, huh?
If a camera does not have an easy-to-use internal intervalometer, I strongly prefer a wired intervalometer. Why? I teach a lot of night photography workshops. I've found that many participants have trouble with wireless intervalometers. They seem to be inconsistent. Participants often feel like they are not sure whether their cameras have begun their sequence.
The Aream intervalometer is an excellent, inexpensive choice because it uses separate detachable cables. If your cable breaks, you can quickly swap it out. You can purchase different cables for different camera brands too—especially useful if you own more than one brand.
Headlamps
The common advice that people frequently receive is that you should get a headlamp with a red light so you don't blow out your night vision. And this advice is not wrong.
You should know, however, that if you are in the field with other photographers, the red light can leak into other people's photographs far easier than white light. Or at the very least, it can add an ugly red glow that is more likely to ruin a photo than the glow of white light.
If you choose a headlamp with a red light, just be aware of this when using it.
The Coast HX4 clip-on light is a good alternative to a headlamp, as you can clip it to your clothing, hat, or backpack. You can rotate the beam to direct it to where you want to look as well, hopefully keeping the beam out of other people's cameras and eyes. And yes, it has both white and red light.
Coast HX4 80 Lumen Dual Color (White & Red) Magnetic LED Clip Light with Beam Rotation
My Perspective for Photographing the Milky Way
Camera gear is important. We want good tools to do the job.
But photographing the Milky Way is less about gear, and more about wonder and curiosity. We are fortunate to be in a dark, quiet place, observing and photographing the night sky. There's a special connection that comes from looking at light that has been traveling for 100,000 years across part of the universe to be with us right now.
Take your time. Experiment. Relax. You're doing night photography!
You won't nail your compositions or photographs right away. None of us do, even if we know what we're doing. It takes time, patience, and creativity. But you're under the stars. Connect and enjoy the moment, knowing that whether you have modest or top-shelf gear, you'll be able to take photos of the glorious Milky Way—and more importantly, enjoy the starry night sky.
I've always been disappointed in the foreground details of a single shot night sky photo. I realize noise-reduction software has improved a lot the last few years, but I still wish there was more detail in the darkest areas of land. In my case, it's the rocks in the high-desert area of western Colorado and eastern Utah, and with my single shots, the rocks just look like blobs of black goop.
The only decent Milky Way images that I seem to make combine an evening twilight shot of the rocks with a later shot about 11 pm of the sky. Some people say the result looks artificially bright, although I could darken the rocks more if I had wanted. But I like it this way. Does the scene have to be a perfectly literal representation of the light on the rocks as the human eye would see it? If so, the eye can't see much detail at night. What do you think?
Ed, you ask a great question, and it's something that I suspect some of us wrestle with occasionally.
As you might be able to tell from my photos, it's a combination of things, including light painting as well as blending "blue hour" foregrounds with another photo for dark skies. Because otherwise, as you say, you get dark blobs. And I don't want dark blobs. And it doesn't sound like you do either.
With your nice-looking photo and ones similar to it, either a "blue hour" blend (which, as you point out, you can darken to your taste) or a long exposure/low-ISO photo should work. The lead photo in this article of Convict Lake is a long exposure/low-ISO photo, while the Double Arch photo with me standing in the foreground is a late "blue hour" blend (although it has a bit of light from other sources inside the arch as well).
So for me, the scene does not need to be a perfectly literal representation of the light on the rocks as the human eye can see it because I wouldn't like the image. After all, we're creating art. It's not photojournalism, travel or sports photography, or anything else expected to be documentarian in nature.
Another reason is a more practical reason. For example, I have four books published, have been in museum exhibits, and print my images elsewhere as well. If I create images that are as dark as they look to us in person, they're not going to print very well. So for this very reason alone, I want my skies and foregrounds to be brighter and retain some sort of definition and detail.
Not everyone will agree with this, and that's okay. That's part of the reason why it's art. And our art, not someone else's.
I suppose the whole image including the Milky Way itself is rendered a lot more brightly in a photograph than what would be seen with the human eye, in most places. Most people when they see my picture say something like "I didn't know you could see the Milky Way like that around here." Well... you can't. It takes a highly sensitive camera to capture the scene. So the rocks in the foreground naturally follow to be brighter than the eye would see as well. But still, some people can be such pests when it comes to photography, expecting a literal representation of the world as they see it.
I think that’s about right. And maybe the same people who complain about MW photos being too bright would complain if a photo looked like what we actually see, thinking it’s too dark.
Photography isn’t realistic. Waterfalls don’t freeze, things aren’t black and white, football players aren’t frozen in place, we can’t see infrared, and we cannot see what a macro lens sees.
P.S. On your page, your Grand Mesa National Forest photo as well as your piano with musical notes over it also look really cool. Nice job. Looks like you know your way around a camera.
Thank you. Claude Monet supposedly said once that he felt like he was only good for two things in life: painting and gardening. Sometimes I feel like I'm only good for photography... and that's open to debate. I hope you continue with playing the piano. There's no greater enjoyment from music, for me, than the piano. However, I certainly can't play any kind of musical instrument. My wife, daughter, and son are all talented musicians. I've never gotten beyond about page six in the "Older Beginner Piano Course" book. Our piano is the nicest piece of furniture in the house, and it's both a pleasure for the eyes and ears... but I am a hopeless case for learning to play myself. Hopefully in my next life, if one comes around, I will get started at a young age.
Let’s hope so!! And yes, I still play keyboards. Tends to mostly be weird ambient improvisational music.
Deleted User , you could try doing the inverse.. instead of combining an evening twilight shot, you could take a very long exposure low(er) iso of the foreground and a shorter (using the 500 rule) for the Milky Way and then combine both.. you may want to bring up the exposure in either during post
I know few others use light painting but didn't work for me
Used the above technique for this image https://priceloom.info/photo/677000%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
that was about 5 minute exposure for the rocks and 25 second for the Milky Way
Thanks, and great suggestion. I just wanted to mention that I also suggested this in my initial response, as this is how I did the photo at Convict Lake, CA. It’s difficult to light paint a distant mountain, after all.
I've tried that approach but still found the results less than satisfying. The long exposure, even at lower ISO, still produced a high level of noise. And without actual sunlight in the rocks, they had a muddy look. In your photo, you have the brightness of water to add life to your picture. With just rocks, my long exposure images looked dull and lifeless. Thanks for the suggestion. If I ever get better de-noise software, I'll revisit that approach.
Hi Ken Nice article and I'm getting ready to get out and give it a try, I'm all in for a Milky way panoramic this time so I have been doing some homework on the lens nodal point and it all makes sense when doing post work on adobe CC. The cost for a few extras was basically low for a nodal slide, pano base and leveling base, I'm going to pair my D850/14-24mm 2.8 Nikon and a Z9/20mm 1.4 Sigma art lens. I'm looking forward for the challenge.
Thanks, Karel! I’m glad it’s helpful. Sounds like you have some good equipment for that!!
I would make an addendum: Come to the Southern hemisphere. Or, at least, if you live in the Northern hemisphere and make a trip to some country in the Southern hemisphere, don't waste the chance to do some Milky Way photographs. Because of the position of the Solar System's ecliptic line relative to our galaxy's plane, its center gets way higher in the sky here in the Southern Hemisphere. This invites us to frame more sky proportionally to land.
I could not agree more, Tiago. In fact, my trip to the Atacama Desert in Chile was an enormous motivator. Looking at the awe-inspiring sky in the Southern Hemisphere made me think, "I've GOT to learn how to do night photography." Great comment. Hopefully your comment gets more people in the Northern Hemisphere to think about traveling there to get some outstanding experiences and photos.
Great article for those wanting to do some MW's. Just to add some important things. Get the PhotoPills app, it has a planner where and when the MW rises and sets, a Night AR at the bottom of the planner that allows a day view of a selected area with the MW over laid so you can see where it will be and how it will be straight across like a early February morning or even vertical from August to November and all in between months, the most very important is the Spot Stars Section where you select your camera model and lens MM and f/# this will help to keep elongated stars out of a capture there is Default and Accurate - Default will get you pin point stars BUT just to be sure Accurate nails it also good to get your focus perfect. With darkest of skies over the oceans an Gulf of Mexico any and all coastal areas are perfect for a dark sky as well as a lit foreground like a pier. So for coastal and planning a tide get Planit Pro for at the bottom in the time line will be a sine wave of high to mid to low and back again - is handy for starting at high tide and as it goes low you get a clean no foot print beach and for that always have tennis balls on the legs of your tripod to keep them dry and keep them from sinking in the sand also it is always cold in the early months of February to end of May so rubber boots and long handle underwear with gloves where your finger tip aloud to be exposed. You also may want get a lens warmer for a foggy night - Dehaze in post will cut through it.
I started in 2014 with the Sony A7SM1 doing a lunar eclipse in November but in Jan 2015 read MW article in a Magazine and the A7SM1 was listed as the best because mainly the 12MP sensor and full frame BUT over Time to Now I have found the A7SM3 and the A7RM5 to do equal as far as results. The main difference also to include lens of choice is due to the 62MP A7RM5 needs faster Shutter Speeds combine with 24 f/1.4 or 14mm/20mm f/1.8 or even the 12mm f/2.8 or the new 10mm f/2.8 those also require faster Shutter speeds due to the wideness and fast f/# even on the A7SM3 to get pinpoint stars. You will find a f/4 lens can be used at 25 to 30 sec and get the same brightness as a f/1.4 with also pinpoint stars to boot. A used A7SM1 (still have and use) with the unknown Sony 2013 E 10-18mm (15-27mm) f/4 OSS APS-C lens can be used in Full Frame mode at 12mm to 18mm (18mm if rear light shied is removed)
A bit of information about a single image and panorama no matter how wide 35mm or super ultra wide like a 10mm or even the old Fisheye lenses the MW will be horizonal even in June and perfectly vertical , somewhat in Aug to Nov for you have to be looking and position yourself that is where PhotoPills night AR comes in. The MW Arch is the panorama version where you take multiple images in a 225 degree pano going from southeast to northeast.
Lastly get rid of the Red headlamps use green or even blue the red is like everyone can see you for miles. You really reduce your night vision with red, You need your eyes to adjust to the night darkness that can take a half hour but every time you turn it off you need time to readjust.
1. 2015 A7SM1 - on the bottom of the camera LED screen there is a M.M. (metering mode) keeping at 0.0 it will bright as day with stars and at 0.7 even brighter.
2. A Feb new moon on the first with the new 10mm f/2.8 A7RM5
3. surprise look back to a 4/15/2014 image using my old Canon T2i and EF-S 10-22 at 10mm (16mm) ISO 6400, SS 25 sec, f/3.5. just to show it can be done with a mirrored camera.
For the MW Arch it is also very inexpensive due to new pano gear. I bought a panorama rig in 2017 for $800 on sell but today on Amazon the PH-720B under many names is mostly just over a $100. it has at its base a degree selector that you will have look up what degree setting for your lens MM. This where a 10mm, 12mm and 14mm should be at the 90 degree setting , still really not sure of but 30 and 45 setting will have plenty of overlap. You will be doing vertical portrait view and the reason for the degree setting is to just go to the next click. I did most in my early days using the back LCD rule of thirds and at night that is so slow staring at the bright screen and in the dark.
1. using the LCD screen
2. Using the click method.
A wide lens is only for height for a late season arch is very high over head it is kinda of in over your back.
Lrc has gotten good at merging the images the hard thing is the sky full of stars with only the ground for reverence
Panorama Studio 4 Pro did a great job when I used a 10mm lens at the 30 degree setting where PTGui failed.
just info how to do with any camera/lens on top of your tripod just learn what setting for lens. but this will give more ideas to think off and for just $100 vs $800. I have even tried those motorized types no joy for me.
4. you can also do high to heaven MW with just elevation at say another degree up.
Remember you do not need to go out west and play with the rattlesnakes either.
Just have fun with what you have and can afford!
Whooooey, I owe you a "high five," Ed! What a great bunch of information! I was already going long with this article, but yes, PhotoPills is invaluable out in the field and for planning. I used it last night for both star trails and Milky Way.
How do you like PlanIt? I've still never used that.
Tennis balls for your tripod at the beach sounds great. The few times I've photographed at the beach, I've jammed my tripod in super hard and deep to try and keep it from shifting and such, and that seems to have worked for, er, "short" long exposures (1-8 seconds). But I like your idea.
For panos, the Acratech GP-s Ball Head that I mentioned in the article also does panos, as it is a leveling pano head as well. I didn't mention this mostly because I was trying to have this more of an introductory guide to Milky Way photography. I feel like between the two of us, we could bang out an entire book on Milky Way photography, haha!
A dew heater is important in many parts of the world for doing night photography for sure.
And clothes. I've done clothing articles for another photography website before. Maybe I should bust out another one for the winter months.
Thanks so much for your comments, wealth of information, and photos (which look great!).
The PH-720B is put on top of your ball head no matter what it is. Most panoramas are done in daytime so using the rear LCD screen using the Rule of thirds selected you are able to go to the next degree just going to the next square or so but again another thing is doing the math for your lens degree separation you have to look down at the degree marks and count those tiny marks that takes some time. At night both can be very hard to take the time and the need to turn on and off your headlamp and a need for a magnifying glass.
As the PH-720B mounts to your leveled tripod head with all the bubbles, the PH-720B has a degree selector 15, 30, 45, 60 that will give you the feel of a click and or low sound, this is the true gold of this panorama rig. Well also a little more work is needed and that is to figure how many degrees to go to a click or a second or even third click. My first reg, VR-System Slim came with a chart showing lens MM ranges for Full Frame and APS-C lenses with increment in degree, total exposures per 350 degrees, adjustments at lever say 12mm , 4 and 16 selector is 4 clicks. Also another chart showing each selection point and how many clicks 2x to 5X with under that the degrees for each! Have I confused you yet?
At night I was just selecting 15 and then just going to each click but is to much overlay and PTGui made me work really long time but found Lrc did a great out put. I changed 30 and it worked with all my 12mm and 14mm. But you could use a 24mm or even 30 or 50mm. For the treasured MW Arch look you want to use a mm where the vertical view will be up and over your head doing a single row, and yes many do 2 or 3 rows but you will need to use a tracker on the bottom, not into trackers.
The advantage of using the (my) A7RM5 at 61MP and say the 14mm is the whole say 220 degree capture will take less than 90sec for capture of 10sec.and moving to the next click "During camera NR turned on". and using a off camera shutter control.
So that images appear to be in order from left to right start at the northeast and go to southeast, just my thing.
The best book and videos for Astro Photography is "Photographing The Night Sky by the late and young Alyn Wallace, I followed him on YouTube it seems like forever mainly for all his locations he went as well as cameras he would review for all not just one brand. The Book is thick and heavy BUT if it could be done he will show you how and gear he invented will help with low dollar needed. This history is like what I went through in 2014 with Sony and lenses as well as Rokinon and the many others. And your history Mr. Kin Lee it seams like both of us were on the same night road and the book is a story like my diary!
1. Trees Dancing the Night Away March 2016 the year I learned after leaving a high tide but going back was as the moon (crescent) rises the tide rolls out also 5 days before and after you can capture the MW avoiding stormy nights and the first glow of light the camera captures what you can not see.
Planit Pro's one thing that makes it an app those along oceans need to look at is the tides section there will be in the timeline at the bottom as a sinewave showing high to low and back. MANY More things like the size of the moon/MW and how many panorama captures with the lens you choose and the over lay. It has so many things it may take a month to find most all. you could write a long article on it while you find something new and use.
Thanks for the info!
I don't use a tracker either (even though I sort of have one built in to my Pentax K-1!).
Alyn Wallace was a beloved member of the night photographer community. We have both taught presentations at the Night Photo Summit. His unexpected death was a huge loss for our community.
Good information for any photographer starting out or wishing to improve their technique. I purchased the new Vello 4.0 Wireless Shutterboss intervalometer this week. Here is a test picture taken in my backyard last night. It is 5, 3-minute exposures.
The Canon R6 Mark II does very good as a night photography camera. It is a big improvement over the older EOS R, especially where noise is concerned.
Thanks for the information.
You are very welcome. I really hope this article inspires people to get into night photography of some sort, whether Milky Way or something else. Looks like your new Vello is working really well. I have a couple of their wired ones.
I just read an article in Forbes Google News where it listed the 15 places to see the Milky Way and when to see it and the writer has no idea where when and how. First I live in Jacksonville Fl. and on one of my first tries after going to the beach with great success and got home in a big neighborhood filled with white street lights and captured the Milky Way and a full Pegasus with it's yin and yang colors back in June of 2015. To boot anyone can go to anyplace up and down the east, west or gulf coasts from February new moon, one year it be in the beginning of the month the next year at the end of the month to October. It is like it has to be dark but no it does not.
I am just saying you do not need to go out west and play with rattlesnakes in the dark and when I went out to visit my dad in Az. every capture had a orange glow on the horizon, too much hype for the west by Photographers making money on tours.....!
A little more info you now do not need amber light filters for now all cities mostly have gone LED white lights so now you all get colors of plants that are perfect so good by to desert brown in landscapes.
I have been doing MW's where ever I have been from a Maine Lighthouse to a Mississippi Windmill and cattle pastures as well the east coast of Florida for the horizonal MW and the West coast for the vertical MW or anywhere facing west like the west coast USA to east coast.
Do not let those writers that just google stuff and never had a camera in their hand and NEVER EVER seen the yin and yang colors of Pegasus on the back LCD of a camera, like first time "What are those colors?" or Something must be wrong with my camera for the night sky is a baby blue like daytime but with stars or how come that hotel on the horizon is in focus and you can see the TV light and I am at f/2.8 or also f/1.4 should it not be all blurry way out there? You all know this so do not let the fool tell you where you need to see the MW!!!