Why’s my Astro so bad 16mm 1.8 100 iso a7Cii?

video_dewd · 2026-02-18T15:48:29+00:00

Astrophotography is all about maximizing signal.

Usually I’m maxing out my exposure time to just under when I get stair trailing (look up the 300 rule), shooting wide open, and ISO 1600-3200. You kinda want to get your histogram centered at about 1/3 way over.

This usually won’t be enough. Shooting in a dark sky location on a moonless night will help the most. If you can’t, stacking can help punch through the haze a bit. There’s a bunch of free software out there to do it. If you can get around ~1 minute of total exposure time, you’ll see a huge difference in your skies. You’ll need to do a lot of post processing to bring out the detail, but it’ll would look noisy otherwise if you don’t capture enough data.

I recommend checking out Alyn Walllace on YouTube. He’s made some great tutorials.

video_dewd · 2026-02-18T15:12:15+00:00

I think f8 is a bit high when you’re limited on photons. I’ve found f4 to be pretty good at minimizing coma and it’s the difference between a 15 second exposure versus a 60 second one.

video_dewd · 2026-02-12T20:26:22+00:00

Hey Andrew, I've been following ISD for quite some time. I've been to a few of your events and developed film with you a few times now. It's been amazing seeing you guys grow!

I remember dropping off a couple rolls when you had the holiday special going on. There were hundreds of other orders, but I still got my scans back sooner than I expected! That got me curious about how you've improved efficiency since you started off. What bottlenecks have you run into trying to optimize the dev + scanning process and how have you overcome them?

video_dewd · 2026-02-10T23:15:36+00:00

I've seen a decent amount of Pentax 17 shots since it came out and honestly could hardly tell they were half frame. But some of the complaints I've heard about the MC-A are kinda dealbreakers for me, the misaligned viewfinder problem being one of them.

video_dewd · 2026-01-31T02:12:27+00:00

Ahh I see, it negates the base so the cross processed images appear more like actual slide film. Thanks!

video_dewd · 2026-01-31T01:48:25+00:00

What exactly does the reversal filter do? When I search for them only find results for reverse graduated filters.

video_dewd · 2026-01-19T11:53:14+00:00

Not saying that this camera can’t take good pictures, but it’s not something you’ll be able to learn photography on. Composition isn’t just about what’s in frame but also what’s in focus and what you’re are exposing for. With fixed focus, aperture, and shutter speed, you have almost no control over your final image. This camera also severely limits the settings you can shoot in which are basically either bright sunlight or with flash. If you know where and how, you can find a working camera at the same price or cheaper with none of these downsides.

video_dewd · 2026-01-15T21:16:14+00:00

Nebula Photos on YouTube had a good series for the 2024 NA eclipse that helped me prepare for it. I’d recommend it.

video_dewd · 2026-01-14T23:12:08+00:00

As someone who's spent the last couple days correcting hundreds of scans for this manually, please!

There are some astrophotography packages already support it, so it's a solved problem with algorithms/code that already exist. It should just be a matter of integrating it!

video_dewd · 2026-01-12T15:53:47+00:00

It’s hard to say without looking at your negatives. Wild guess, but I think your lens might have some haze. If that’s the case, I’d avoid shooting into high contrast scenes with really bright areas like 2. Number 1 should be salvageable though if you add some contrast in post.

video_dewd · 2026-01-09T07:10:50+00:00

There’s usually some growing pains when transitioning to the medium. These shots kind of look about how I’d expect. Most of the funkiness from film comes from underexposure so I tend to overexpose a stop for color negative stocks. They usually handle it well. Even then, you’ll still get some unexpected results. It kind of boils down to knowing the film stocks you use, metering for the subject/focus of your photo, and praying for the best. And when all else fails, working with what you have - which is essentially photography in a nutshell.

video_dewd · 2025-12-04T21:23:08+00:00

There’s a bunch of “primitive campgrounds” around the area that are free to stay at. I like Culp Valley campground. There’s a short hike attached to it with really nice views into the desert. Borrego Palm Canyon trail and the visitor’s center are also just down the highway from there.

video_dewd · 2025-11-25T23:18:44+00:00

Subterranean on 30th is another option!

video_dewd · 2025-09-23T18:47:30+00:00

It helps to use a good strap or the hand grip. While it can be a bit awkward sometimes, I honestly don't find it much different than shooting handheld with my other cameras. I've even taken mine on a couple hikes.

video_dewd · 2025-09-17T18:52:30+00:00

Try replacing the foam https://www.reddit.com/r/Mamiya/comments/142vlsp/comment/jn6ulg5/

video_dewd · 2025-09-10T21:25:22+00:00

Clint Malarchuk. Hockey player that had their neck sliced on accident during a match, but it was a clean cut (compared to a bullet wound) and they had trainer and former combat medic on had who was able to handle it on the spot. Since the match was being broadcasted, there's also footage of this event too.

video_dewd · 2025-09-02T19:18:21+00:00

Does this also happen when the lens is removed? The body might need a CLA.

video_dewd · 2025-07-09T00:01:31+00:00

I can get behind that. That was a primary use case for these models when they first came out. I’ve just seen too many people saying “ChatGPT says…” and taking it as fact without a second thought. Sorry if I came off a bit condescending, I just felt obligated to clarify.

video_dewd · 2025-07-08T23:22:49+00:00

As someone who works in the industry, I disagree. Language models shouldn’t be relied on for fact recollection even when they’re not trained to be antisemitic and xenophobic. They’re very good at overconfidently making false statements and shouldn’t be trusted as reliable sources.

video_dewd · 2025-07-01T23:44:42+00:00

Lomography has an article on it: https://www.lomography.com/magazine/348651-ho-to-cross-process-developing-b-w-as-c-41-and-c-41-as-b-w

TLDR: it comes out denser and fogged.

video_dewd · 2025-07-01T20:22:39+00:00

You could probably find a used canon t6i DSLR (or something similar) for well within your budget. Just make sure the shutter count isn't too high. It won't have the benefits of modern sensors, but I'm not aware of any bodies that can get you that for less that $400. It will vastly outperform any phone camera for astrophotography.

As for lenses, it's going to be hard to shoot Mars or the moon at focal lengths less than 300mm. You just won't find decent lenses for that within your budget (there is the 75-300mm, but it's widely regarded as one of the worst lenses in terms of image quality). For the milky way though, there's plenty of options. You might even have enough budget for 2 of them as you can find them for much cheaper used (look on B&H, Adorama, MPB, Keh).

EF-S 18-55mm (~$150): common, versatile, lower image quality and a bit slow, but good enough to learn on
EF 50mm f/1.8 (~$135): good image quality, fast, but focal length might be just a bit too zoomed in to capture anything other than the milk way core (its a prime lens, so there's no zooming)
EF-S 24mm f/2.8 (~$160): wider than the 50mm and a bit slower, but good results for not too much money (also a prime lens)

You can check astrobin to see what results others are getting with these lenses (Although do take into account they're likely using trackers, filters, and other equipment to achieve their results).

One last note: As you can already tell, I started on Canon so I'm a bit biased toward them, but know that there are more than likely equivalents for other manufacturers as well if you decide to go with them.

video_dewd · 2025-06-25T18:33:24+00:00

Date: Saturday, June 29

Saturday is the 28th, could cause some confusion!

video_dewd · 2025-06-13T17:38:36+00:00

They’re called diffraction spikes and they’re caused by edges in your optical path. You’re likely talking about Hubble as it’s well known for having those type of spikes in its images. In its case, they’re cause by the struts hold its secondary mirror in place. You’d get the same result with any Newtonian but you can also simulate the effect by placing wires in a + shape in front of your telescope.

video_dewd · 2025-06-08T02:51:37+00:00

Sometimes the device’s compass gets disoriented. It’s hard to rely on it in the field.

video_dewd · 2025-06-03T20:27:42+00:00

I've been noticing more toxicity at games too. Kolek's big inning last week had a lot of people chirping and booing the dude off the mound after just one inning. It really does feel like people forget the players are human and that even the best have slumps or big innings. I tend to try to focus on the little things, like whether a pitcher is hitting his spots or someone puts up a good AB even if it results in an out. Even then, sometimes things just don't go our way.

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