Re: Milky Way photography --- September 2026 in USA/Canada
I’m in the Hudson Valley about 120 miles north of you in Brooklyn. Area is pretty rural and a reasonable distance from any light pollution. I shot quite a few Milky Way time lapses on the 5D4. I used the Sigma Art 14 and 20mm. Prefer the more concentrated effect of the Art 20mm.
Definitely want to avoid as much moonlight as possible. I’m not an astronomy expert but it seems to me like the Milky Way and the moon are on comparable paths and the moon’s light would definitely blow out the settings I use for Milky Way time lapses. Darker the better since the darkness doesn’t factor into the exposure. You’re settings are going to be geared towards capturing the light of the MW.
With a fast lens you can keep your ISO at a reasonable speed to not be overly concerned with noise. There’s a recommended formula available online for the right shutter speed to use for your chosen focal length. If you’re going to do time lapse just be aware of the sunrise. The sky starts to brighten before the actual sunrise and will blow out your tail end of video. Final thought is to include an interesting foreground to give the Milky Way some perspective
Dec 31, 2025 at 05:19 PM
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