Scott Stoness wrote:
... Moon light is a killer...
It has killed my enthusiasm many times. But when I got myself to try, the images have been far better than expected. Our eyes are not at all as good as the sensor to see very dark light. Especially the red/magenta of aurora.
Appropriate Moon light can do magic on the landscape with aurora.
I’ve yet to find a better lens than the sigma art 1.8 14mm for aurora. Actually, not even a close 2nd place. I can list my other lenses and provide aurora images from them. Canons 20mm vcm is an adequate fill in if needed.
I believe all of these were with taken with the sigma art.. https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1889066/
Can I ask your thoughts on optimal shutter speed? Realize it will vary w the Aurora but how often are you below 3s vs above? Is there a shutter speed you are aiming for? Do you shoot wide open at 1.8?
2 1/2 seconds, 1600-2500, 2.0 is where I typically start off and adjust from there. But, you’re right, it certainly depends on the aurora (and moon/ foreground). The past week I’ve been from under 1/2 second to over 8; down to iso 800 to 4,000. If you’ve got active, dancing aurora overhead.. I’d go wide open, shorten exposure, and set iso just below blowing out your bright spots. Low bands on the horizon I typically go with a longer exposure, aim for 1600 @ 2.0-2.8 (goal here is to add texture to that band and sharpen foreground). You really need depth for your basic low horizon bands. Attached photo is 1600, 4, 2.0.
I am not saying my picture is better, but just posting side by side (above) to reiterate, I think shift lens - even if they are f4 - deliver nicer non warped trees, if you have trees in the foreground. In this case it was the laowa 15mm f4 macro shift shifted up modestly. It is a very inexpensive lens too. The laowa 15 shift would do similar at much more expense and not much more noticeable increase in iq.
Obviously the art lens is faster but warped trees are warped trees. For me to use this lens I would have to dewarp the picture, in software and it would end up being less iq, [but less noise because of lower iso too].
Pick your poison.
Laowa 15mm with FF camera shifted up modestly and vignetting cropped by 16x9
