Australian Sky & Telescope

Beyond your camera's kit lens

MOST INTERCHANGEABLE-LENS cameras come with an inexpensive ‘kit lens’ that works well for everyday photography. In our Jul/Aug 2021 issue, I showed how you can use basic equipment to create some compelling night-sky images. However, as your experience grows you may begin to feel limited by having just the one lens. But with so many options available, how do you choose the best second lens? The answer largely depends on what kinds of photographs you want to make.

Speed limits

If you're shooting with a camera on a stationary tripod, then a fast, ultra-wide model is a great choice. A ‘fast’ lens (one with a low f-stop number, such as f/1.8) delivers more light to your camera's sensor, which is critical for keeping exposure times to a minimum. The lower

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Australian Sky & Telescope

Australian Sky & Telescope11 min read
DAWN Of The Milky Way
We live in a great galaxy, one that’s far larger and brighter than most others in the cosmos. Abounding with countless stars and surrounded by dozens of satellite galaxies, the Milky Way is a giant barred spiral with a dark matter halo spanning some
Australian Sky & Telescope3 min read
Long Time Coming
EXPLORING THE SOLAR SYSTEM is a long game, with travel times measured in years. And the time from when we first propose a mission to when our spacecraft sits on the launch pad, ready to leave Earth or die trying, is often much longer still. In a way,
Australian Sky & Telescope8 min read
One-dimensional Apodising Mask
Observers use aperture masks to improve the view through a telescope, particularly under unsteady seeing. Such masks tend to fall into one of three categories. The first is off-axis, or stop-down, masks. These reduce the aperture to minimise the blur

Related Books & Audiobooks