In this video post, I talk about the gear I decided to bring on a short overnight trip to Trona Pinnacles, California. Trona Pinnacles is arguably my favorite place to shoot astrophotos and it’s where we’ll be for the first-ever Lonely Speck Meetup. Let’s take a look at a pretty typical kit that I use for astrophotography.
Featured in the video:
- The Bag: Patagonia Mini Messenger Bag
- The Camera: Sony a7S
- Tripod L Plate: Neewer L Bracket
- Wide Angle Lens: Voigtländer 21mm f/1.8 Ultron
- Standard Lens: Sony Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8 Sonnar T* ZA
- Filter: Hoya (Red) Intensifier
- Headlamp: Petzl Tikka XP
- Bulb Blower: Small Giottos Rocket
- Filter System: 85mm Formatt Hitech
- Filters: 10-Stop, 4-Stop, 3-Stop Graduated, Filter Wallet
- Filter Cleaner: Microfiber Cloth
- Smartphone Tripod Clip: RetiCAM Standard Plus XL
- Smartphone: OnePlus 2
- Tripod: Sirui T-025X
- Laser: Green Pointer
- Cleaning Brushes: Synthetic Flat Eyeliner, Washed
- Extra memory Cards: Sandisk Extreme Pro
- Remote Trigger: Foto&Tech IR Trigger for Sony Cameras
- Gaffers Tape: Pro Gaff, Wrapped Around an Old Credit Card
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Thanks so much for being a part of our astrophotography adventure.
-Ian
Ian, when are we going to see a review for Vixen Polarie or iOptron smaller trackers?
Thank you!
Sky wather – star adventurer is also small and even holds some options for upgrading. But if I remember correctly Ian once said, that he likes doing astro without tracking mounts.
Ian,
Did you like the 21mm Voigt?
It’s not quite the best for astro from my initial tests. It has pronounced field curvature. Capable of good results from about f/2.8 and higher but I expected better. Love it for general daytime use… just not my top choice for astro…
Ian, You sold me on the Intensifier Filter. However, Adorama offers them in four different colors;
http://www.adorama.com/als.mvc/nspc/revisedsearch?searchinfo=hoya+intensifier&category=4294916027
Which do you recommend for Astro-Photography?
Red is what you want.
Are you transitioning away from the 24mm Rokinon in favor of the 21mm Voigtlander? I would love to see a review of the Voigtlander. Trying to decide which one to pull the trigger on.
Working on the Voigtländer review… not quite as good as I wanted from initial tests.
Great article as always.
You mentioned that Sony remote you use to trigger self portraits and whatnot. Is there any trick to getting it to work when you’re more than a few steps away from the camera? I have that same exact one with an A7r and unless I have it about 2 inches from the camera it doesn’t seem to work, and if it’s windy out it often won’t work even then. I thought I might have just gotten a bad one so I exchanged it but same thing with the replacement.
It does require line of sight to the camera grip where the infrared sensor is (it’s that little pill shaped mark on the camera grip). That’s the first thing I would check. Make sure that you’re pointing the remote at that sensor. Other than that, perhaps make sure the battery is new?
Hey Ian great article. What’s the bracket on the A7S? Need to get one 🙂
Thanks Yusuf, it’s the Neewer Bracket here: http://amzn.to/1XoclvO