All sky picture at Mt. Kinabalu

[universe24]

16mm diagonal fisheye attached on selfmade camera body.
Provia 100F 120format slide film
25 mins exposure

This is just test shot. Next time will do tracking photography with this setup.

[shahgazer]

nice one! got complete 360 deg view!

The 16mm lens same one with the one we planned to capture Leonids last year at Teluk Kemang?

[marowi]

Very happy to see some people still using film camera!! Tahniah
Rowi

[universe24]

Yes, the same 16mm fisheye lens.

Thanks Dr. Rowi.

Film still can performe good on star trail pictures.

[marowi]

Your image will be better if you could guide your mount, i like the film too. . Im still use film to teach the students about astrophotography so they would understand better. the only problem we have here in Kota Bharu is to get the 120 format film.

[marowi]

One more thing, what is the camera did you use to take this image.

[universe24]

I have mentioned the camera used in my first post...maybe the way I make the sentance is not that correct...

I have a 120 format film pack. I got help from a friend who very good in machining to make the camera body so that normal 135 format lens can be focus on 120 format film.

I will do this again on my next return to Mt. Kinabalu by using tracking method.

[mymoon]

nice pic of streaking stars with a blury milky way against a backdrop of a fixed horizon.

Can this be achieved with say a DSLR camera say with this method:

use the best JPEG setting, not RAW, and with the remote lock the camera into shooting continuous 30s exposures. then use the free Startrails.exe application  to merge the stack into a single frame. Shoot usually at ISO 200 or 400 with a 8mm Peleng  or the  Samyang 8mm fisheye lens.

The camera will continuously keep shooting until battery exhausted or card full whichever comes first.

There will be gaps. Gaps are going to vary based on card write times but you can always shoot a lower resolution JPEG setting to keep the speed up so that the gaps are within the ability of the Photoshop Diffuse filter, Anisotropic mode to fix.

Ahem....the three elements will be present foreground in this case the horizon, the star trails as midground, the milky way way as the backdrop/background just like the film picture.

Sayang no milky way to try here in Semenanjung.

Maybe Mr William would like to try with a 50mm or 24 mm lens on a film camera. I have no experience and camera lah.

BTW correct me if I am wrong what tracking mount will do to the picture is to fixed all elements; pointed stars, milky way and horizon.


cheers

[redzuan]

Something along this line?

[universe24]

Dear mymoon, I think no need to shot 30s each...can straight away shot at 5mins each frame (depend on sky background & foreground brightness).
I am not sure is there any circular fisheye for APS-C DSLR camera or not...but if there do, I would like to try.

BTW, I am just realized that, since I own this 120 format all sky camera in 2006/2007, I never shot the summer milky way either in star trail or tracking....this is my first trial...

[mymoon]

yes for Canon APS-C a Sigma 4.5mm f2.8 circular fisheye. 

If you lay the camera on it's back, you get a view of the whole sky with the horizon running around the edge of the circle!

This produces a circular image in the middle of the frame with a 180 degree view all around just like your picture.
 
It came out circa 2007 and was offered for RM5k...ouch. that time not interested in astrophotography yet busy with super telephotos. Otherwise would have bought it for all sky imaging sliced into 30sec images.

OT-used to do a trick with Nikon film cameras when taking pictures of waterfall. Take a long shot with a graduated filter and high speed shots with a UV filter and blend them in the darkroom. You will get a creamy waterfall with obvious water drops. Now very easy to do with DSLR.

Wonder how it will turn out for all sky picture;probably sharp star trails with sharp milky way and sharp horizon. Yes your picture but with a clear milky way. Should try with a DSLR and a 4.5mm circular fisheye. A RM5k for the lens plus airfare plus food and lodging ; a RM6k investigation then.

cheers

[shahgazer]

Wonder how it will turn out for all sky picture;probably sharp star trails with sharp milky way and sharp horizon.

From a technical point of view, that results will not be accurate as the foreground stars will be shifted westerly in respect to the 'clear & sharp' Milky Way. 

Buy then, will probably look interesting.. 

[mymoon]

Buy then, will probably look interesting.. 

in this hobby, more money is often the solution to most problems!


cheers