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I found a cheap way to cut down on star trailing in my photos
I kept getting blurry stars in my shots from my backyard in Tucson, even with a basic tracker. The problem was my shutter speed was still too long for my lens. I read about the '500 rule' but that gave me trails. After a bunch of tests, I switched to a '200 rule' for my camera. So with my 24mm lens, I now shoot for 8 seconds max instead of 20. My last batch of Orion shots came out sharp, with pinpoint stars. Has anyone else found they need to use a much shorter rule than the standard one?
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ericking5mo ago
Yeah, the 500 rule is basically useless on modern high-res sensors. I had to drop to a 150 rule with my 20mm lens on my A7IV to keep stars tight.
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noah_palmer424mo ago
Honestly, the rule itself is the problem. It's just math that ignores pixel density and viewing size. My a7R IV has more pixels, but I still use the 500 rule as a rough start. I check the shot at 100% and adjust from there. Getting hung up on a specific number like 150 seems like overthinking it. The real test is what looks good on your screen at the size you'll actually view it.
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linda_mason825mo ago
Wait, you had to drop all the way to a 150 rule? That's wild to me. I was shocked when I had to go to 200 on my old camera. I can't imagine cutting the time that much more. Your stars must be absolutely tiny dots, no blur at all. It makes sense with those high megapixel sensors, I guess, but man, that's a huge difference from the old advice.
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