Taking pictures of the galaxy

Question

I am using a Nikon d3400. I have 3 lens types: - a 55mm slr f/1.8 - a 18-55mm f3.8/5.6 - a 70-300mm

now, it is recommended to use a wide angle lens to take photos of the galaxy, however they tend to be a bit expensive for my taste. I was contemplating on renting one. For the price of renting you might as well just buy it.

Would my 18-55mm lens be good enough? I could buy an inexpensive auxiliary adapter to add a wide angle lens effect.

What would the best course of action be for a budget photographer?

Possible duplicate of How do I get started in Astrophotography? — Philip Kendall, Jul 12 '17 at 14:07
i know how to do it. I am just talking about my lenses and a solution. — schnipdip, Jul 12 '17 at 14:25
Renting should be much much cheaper than buying. A $2000 lens often rents for $50, maybe up to $100. — Itai, Jul 12 '17 at 14:27
yeah but i don't need a high end lens. like a $150 one is good enough — schnipdip, Jul 12 '17 at 14:30
If you already know what you need to know about astrophotography, then you don't seem to have a question, other than asking about opinions on budget, which is off-topic here. — scottbb, Jul 13 '17 at 14:49
Let me ask a leading question or two: what do you think are the biggest issues that astrophotographers face that other photography isn't as challenged by? Why do you think wide angle lenses are recommended for astrophotography? Why do you think certain more expensive wide angle lenses are recommended for astrophotography over cheaper ones (i.e., in your understanding, what do the expensive ones offer to astrophotographers that cheaper ones don't)? It might help to try to answer these questions, to determine your understanding of the issues involved. — scottbb, Jul 13 '17 at 14:54
Possible duplicate of How do I choose a lens to photograph the Milky Way? — inkista, Jul 27 '17 at 18:49

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 12 '17 at 13:35

On a budget I'd suggest you first and foremost try using your 18-55 and see if that's "enough" for your needs.

If it's not wide enough for you, then at practically no cost (if you have a computer) you can try creating a panorama from several shots. You might want to read this page to get some ideas. You can use free software (like Hugin) to build panoramas. The main trick when building a panorama like this is to ensure you have plenty of overlap - say 35%-50% - on every shot. If you try using less you often can't get the software to align objects automatically.

Stitching also works best when the lens used demonstrates very little geometric distortion.The 55mm f/1.8 might actually be better for that, even though it would require more shots to stitch together. — Michael C, Jul 12 '17 at 21:42

Taking pictures of the galaxy

1 Answers1