Astro

FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | Ideal for astrophotography | Review by Jay Evans

Harriman — Thu, 18 May 2023 06:01:38 +0000

FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | Ideal for astrophotography | Review by Jay Evans

Harriman Thu, 05/18/2023 - 11:31

Article Categories

Reviews

Body Category

Alpha 7C

Lens Category

FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12mm | F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 6400

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12mm | F2.8 | 2422 sec | ISO 200

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12mm | F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 6400

Shooting for the stars: My beginnings in astrophotography

I got my first digital camera in 2008 and was fascinated by its time-lapse feature. My first few time-lapse shots were in the mornings and evenings, but after spending hours in darkness capturing cruise liners docking in Sydney Harbour, I was captivated at how I had also captured the movement of the stars in the dark night sky.

That led me to start photographing star trails, and while I was on a remote overnight hike in the Warrumbungles, realised that my camera could actually capture the Milky Way! I was immediately hooked.

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12mm | F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 6400

The stunning natural landscapes of Australia are a huge inspiration to my photography, but my passion for astrophotography truly stems from the thrill of finding a location devoid of light pollution – where I can capture natural features in a landscape, with the night sky as a gorgeous backdrop. This continually inspires me to plan, prepare and get out there!

Astro settings

Here's a quick start guide on general settings you can use to take great photos of star trails, the Milky Way and time-lapse shots.

Turn "Long Exposure Noise Reduction" off
White balance: Use a Kelvin setting of 4000
Shoot in RAW Uncompressed to maintain high bit depth for dynamic range and colour
Turn off Steadyshot/OSS (if your lens has it)

Mount the camera securely on the tripod

Astrophotography + zoom = A match made in heaven

The FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM is a sensational lens to have in your astro arsenal. Its constant F2.8 at 12 or 24mm is essential for nightscapes, letting in an extraordinary amount of light for a lens of this focal range.

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12mm | F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 6400

What's more, its ultra-wide focal length easily captures a huge field of view across both landscapes and night skies. You also get outstanding versatility and flexibility when it comes to composition, being able to zoom up to 24mm to compress a scene and capture details in the landscape – without much need to refocus every time.

The lens also enables you to get creative – shooting scenes like an "exploding" Milky Way (which you can create by twisting your zoom ring while the shutter is open).

Showcasing the flexibility of a 12-24mm zoom lens

With a zoom lens, your possibilities are endless. These are just some of the many varieties of shots that you can capture with this versatile lens.

12-24mm flexibility with a constant F2.8

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12mm | F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 6400

12mm

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 24mm | F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 6400

24mm

12-24mm zoom (same distance, various zoom levels)

12mm

16mm

18mm

20mm

24mm

The petrified tree of Megalong Valley

One of my favourite astro locations in the Blue Mountains is alongside a road deep inside the Megalong Valley, where a solitary petrified tree sits – beckoning to photographers who have ventured this far.

On this night, the moon was still setting as the Milky Way dropped to the west. This provided powerful lighting across the entire landscape and projected a shadow that cast a menacing image, which I just had to capture with my Alpha 7C and FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM!

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12mm | F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 6400

This tree was only 3 metres from the fence line where I could set up the tripod and camera, so having the versatility of a 12mm ultra-wide focal length allowed me to shoot the scene easily – even with the tree a distance away.

When taking photos when a 12mm lens, always consider just how wide your shot will be – and check your surroundings for distractions that you may not usually notice, especially in the dark.

Pro advice: Replicating subtle moonlight
Some moonlight can be good for your nightscapes, whether it's moonlight lighting up your scene from behind, or a sliver of the moon peeking out from above or below the Milky Way. You could also use a foreground object to "hide" the moon, while it lights up your scene and creates beautiful, dramatic shadows.

If the landscape is devoid of light (making it difficult to pick out details from shadows), try using low lumen LED lighting (also called low level lighting) to replicate subtle moonlight in your composition. And if you're in a pinch, you could also get creative and use the light from your mobile phone!

Time-lapse: Capturing a landscape, over time
One of the most beautiful aspects of astrophotography is the time-lapse video, which is made up of photographs taken over a period of time. In seconds, a time-lapse video can showcase the gorgeous changes that happen over an entire night – and captivate audiences.

Video Name

Astro | SEL1224GM Timelapse

The possibilities for your time-lapse shots are endless, but these tips can help you get started:

Compose your scene: Before starting your time-lapse sequence, look at the scene, compose it thoughtfully, and consider what is likely to change, what aspect of motion you wish to capture, and whether anything may interfere with your shots (like objects entering the scene)
Take a few test shots: Check your images for focus. Check for distracting elements that might not be obvious to the eye, and check your lighting to ensure that ou are capturing details in the foreground that can be pulled out in editing later.
Set the "Interval Shoot Func.": To maintain the movement of stars and the sky in your astro time-lapse, use the Interval Shoot Function on the camera and set the interval to the same time as your exposure. This ensures that as soon as the shutter closes on one frame, it immediately opens for the next.
Once complete: Export your frames, then import them as a sequence into Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premier, Davinci Resolve, or LRTimelapse. There are plenty of online resources available on how to compile your time-lapse sequences into a final video file.
Extra motion: You can introduce extra motion in your time-lapse by setting up the camera on a tracking mount, motorised rotator or motorised slider.

The "exploding" Milky Way

With its ultra-wide angle, the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM zoom lens provides you with plenty of opportunities to work with your composition – and in astrophotography, this versatility also expands your creative options, enabling you to take some truly unique shots like this "exploding" Milky Way!

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12<>24mm | F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 6400

In astrophotography and nightscaping, we often say that 24mm is the smallest usable focal distance when shooting the Milky Way (before you should consider switching to a panoramic shot).

Having a full range of 12mm to 24mm and a constant F2.8 aperture (with minimal need to refocus across the entire range) gives you the opportunity to work with your composition, compress features such as lighthouses, get low and close to objects on the ground, or get high up to shoot a broad scene across the landscape.

Pro advice: Be different
When out shooting, try to capture something unique. After all, lots of photographers have captured an image of the Milky Way or a star trail, and may even have combined it with a well-known feature in the landscape.

For your astro shots to stand out, try finding something unique to capture. Think about approaching the scene from a different viewpoint, focusing on an interesting foreground subject, including some macro and bokeh stars, or simply capture a different element of the night sky.

You can also use creative techniques, like light painting tools, to differentiate your photos from your peers. Look for "unicorns" that can really jazz up your images – for example, meteors, an aurora, zodiacal lights, satellites or iridium flares. Some of these, you can't plan for – others, you most definitely can!

Captivating long exposure shots

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12mm | F2.8 | 2422 sec | ISO 200

Here's an example of a long exposure shot. To set up such shots, make sure your camera doesn't move for the entire duration of the exposure. You can do so by fixing your camera firmly to a tripod, and ensuring the tripod is on solid ground.

Always open the tripod legs as wide as possible to create a more stable footprint. This will help to reduce vibrations from wind, as well as keep the camera stable.

Once again, the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM's wide angle is amazing for these shots. It offers a field of view that's simply perfect for capturing vast skies and beautifully detailed landscapes – captured with long exposure times.

Pro advice: Location, location, location!
When you're first starting out, it's good to visit locations that are well-visited by other photographers. Those make fantastic shots for your social media!

But don't just stick to these popular spots. Get out there and scout for interesting compositions. You might find new ideas when looking at buildings and structures from different angles, or you could find a wide-open view of a coastal rock formation, or more. Who knows, you may even discover a stunning waterfall that's perfectly placed for you to capture a shot of flowing water, with the Milky Way in the sky above.

There are so many interesting and unique locations out there, just waiting to be discovered! While exploring, do remember to respect the environment and private property – and always ensure you have permission to shoot at your chosen location.

The splendour of astrophotography

The breathtaking experience of gazing at a crystal-clear night sky is something often missed, especially if you live in a heavily light polluted area. But when you set out to capture the galaxy with your camera, everything takes on a whole new meaning.

These are my preferred astrophotography settings on the Alpha 7C, which you can use to get started (before finding your own sweet spot on your camera).

Don't have a remote? No worries, simply use the 2-second. But remember, the timer light on the front of the camera can cast an orange glow in someone else's photograph – so play nice by placing a piece of black electrical tape over it
Try using the Dynamic Range Optimiser (DRO) if your landscape is very dark. Remember, this only applies to JPG files – so your editing and control will be more limited, compared to having a RAW file.

RAW File. Shadows +50, Noise Reduction +25

DRO Level 5 (JPG Only). Shadows +50, Noise Reduction +25

If your landscape is too dark, you can also use a "Picture Profile". PP3 provides a huge gain in dynamic range, but at the cost of colour (gamma). However, this can be fixed (to a certain degree) in your editing workflow.
Focus Peaking can help with finding the optimum focus point of your stars – especially in wide open apertures – by highlighting stars (that you may have otherwise missed) in the focus magnifier.
Set the Finder/Monitor selection to a button. (I normally use the centre button on the dial.) This can help reduce battery consumption when shooting star trails or timelapse shots.

Enable Bright Monitoring to add more dynamic range to your Liveview. This can really help when composing a dark scene.

Use the Memory function of your camera to save your Astro setup. This way, you can switch it on a access it quickly – while also switching back to normal settings in a snap. This ensures you won't miss a wildlife shot or a family moment, while switching your ISO and exposure time back to your regular daytime settings.

Alpha 7C | FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM | 12mm | F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 6400

As you spend time under a blanket of stars, you learn more about celestial objects found at different times of the year. You study constellations, observe how the earth's movement creates the motion we see in star trails, and so much more.

All this knowledge augments the experience of astrophotography and transforms each experience into a unique and mesmerising affair. It's an addiction that's led me to explore the world from a new point of view, while expanding my photographic repertoire with new and exciting techniques.

And I capture all this, with my trusted Alpha 7C camera, FE 14mm F1.8 GM prime lens and FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM zoom lens.

Products

Featured

Alpha 7C

緊湊型全畫幅相機

FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM

G Master 全畫幅超廣角變焦鏡頭

SF-M64T

SF-M 系列 Tough 規格記憶卡

NP-FZ100 Z-series Rechargeable Battery Pack

Z 系列充電式電池組

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Astro

Travel

FE 14mm F1.8 GM | Shoot Milky Way and time-lapse shots | Review by Jay Evans

Harriman — Thu, 18 May 2023 03:06:02 +0000

FE 14mm F1.8 GM | Shoot Milky Way and time-lapse shots | Review by Jay Evans

Harriman Thu, 05/18/2023 - 08:36

Article Categories

Reviews

Body Category

Alpha 7C

Lens Category

FE 14mm F1.8 GM

Alpha 7C | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | 14mm | F1.8 | 15 sec | ISO 6400

Shooting for the stars: My beginnings in astrophotography

Alpha 7C | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | 14mm | F1.8 | 15 sec | ISO 6400

Astro settings

Here's a quick start guide on general settings you can use to take great photos of star trails, the Milky Way and time-lapse shots.

Turn "Long Exposure Noise Reduction" off
White balance: Use a Kelvin setting of 4000
Shoot in RAW Uncompressed to maintain high bit depth for dynamic range and colour
Turn off Steadyshot/OSS (if your lens has it)

Mount the camera securely on the tripod

The prime choice for astrophotography

A prime lens like the FE 14mm F1.8 GM provides a wider aperture, allowing photographers to capture more light.

Alpha 7C | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | 14mm | F1.8 | 15 sec | ISO 6400

While we can push our digital sensor to a high ISO, having a few extra stops of aperture can be the difference between capturing a dark landscape with the night sky in a single shot, or needing to snap multiple images and employ technical post processing techniques to create the image. This gives you more time in the field to consider composition and move around a scene, rather than focusing on stacking.

Alpha 7C | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | 14mm | F1.8 | 15 sec | ISO 6400

The outstanding resolution of the FE 14mm F1.8 GM means it can capture pinpoint stars when exposed (to account for the motion of the stars). Also, this prime lens has incredibly well controlled coma, so stars look really sharp across the entire image.

A moonless night in Australia's International Dark Sky Reserve

I set up my camera on the roadside next to a paddock of wheat, just after last light, and was facing west as the Milky Way set in that direction (at that time of year).

Capturing just after last light allowed me to get some residual colour of sunset on the horizon, with the stars and Milky Way visible above. A small low-lumen video light was waved across the scene for a few seconds while shooting to add some light to the foreground and tree. Venus is also visible in this shot.

Alpha 7C | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | 14mm | F1.8 | 15 sec | ISO 6400

Tips on distancing

The tree was approximately 15 metres away, inside the paddock. When composing astro shots and nightscapes with a wide-angle prime lens, it's important to consider your distance from your foreground subject. This not only ensures that your subject remains sharp in the hyperfocal range at a wide-open aperture, but also means that it'll work well in the composition.

Pro advice: Practise and safety

The biggest tip I can offer to any astrophotographer is to "just get out there" and shoot! You are unlikely to snap your "dream photo" of the night sky without getting some practice. So, even if you don't have a plan – on a clear night, just get outside, point your camera skywards, and see what you can capture!

Do remember that any outdoor photography involves an element of risk. This is accentuated at night, because of the darkness. Please ensure you are prepared, maintain a "safety first" mindset, and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Time-lapse: Capturing the beauty of the night sky

One of the most beautiful aspects of astrophotography is the time-lapse video, which is made up of photographs taken over a period of time. In seconds, a time-lapse video can showcase the gorgeous changes that happen over an entire night – and captivate audiences.

Video Name

Astro | SEL14F18GM Timelapse

The possibilities for your time-lapse shots are endless, but these tips can help you get started:

Compose your scene: Before starting your time-lapse sequence, look at the scene, compose it thoughtfully, and consider what is likely to change, what aspect of motion you wish to capture, and whether anything may interfere with your shots (like objects entering the scene)
Take a few test shots: Check your images for focus. Check for distracting elements that might not be obvious to the eye, and check your lighting to ensure that ou are capturing details in the foreground that can be pulled out in editing later.
Set the "Interval Shoot Func.": To maintain the movement of stars and the sky in your astro time-lapse, use the Interval Shoot Function on the camera and set the interval to the same time as your exposure. This ensures that as soon as the shutter closes on one frame, it immediately opens for the next.
Once complete: Export your frames, then import them as a sequence into Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premier, Davinci Resolve, or LRTimelapse. There are plenty of online resources available on how to compile your time-lapse sequences into a final video file.
Extra motion: You can introduce extra motion in your time-lapse by setting up the camera on a tracking mount, motorised rotator or motorised slider.

Observing the Milky Way at ACTA

Every month during the new moon, Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) hosts an open night for photographers at the Australian Compact Telescope Array (ACTA) in the Paul Wild Observatory near Narrabri.

Alpha 7C | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | 14mm | F1.8 | 15 sec | ISO 6400

On this night, we were treated to an incredibly clear sky to watch the setting Milky Way behind some radio telescope dishes. This was a dark moonless night, with some green airglow, and residual orange light of sunset lingering on the horizon.

Here, the F1.8 aperture was very helpful in capturing residual light in a dark foreground, while keeping the colours of the night sky incredibly detailed.

Tips on distancing

The telescope dish is much larger than it looks, towering 15 metres into the sky! For safety reasons, we were not allowed within 15 meters of the base. However, standing at this distance provided the perfect opportunity to use the wide angle 14mm to great effect – with the Galactic Core and Milky Way band stretching across the sky.

Pro advice: Shooting in the dark

In astrophotography, you'll need to know how to operate your camera in the dark. So you'll want to learn how to change important settings like white balance, ISO, aperture and exposure – even in very low light situations.

You should instinctively know how to switch your focus to manual, and practise manually focusing on stars. Other important skills to know are how to change your lens and battery in the dark, as well as setting up your tripod and mounting your camera when light is at a premium.

The more your practise – even in daytime – the better you'll become. Eventually, these will be second nature to you.

Your aperture matters: How aperture changes exposure

These are shots of the satellite dish, taken at different aperture settings.

F1.8

F2.0

F2.8

F4.0

F5.6

Mountains and meteors

The Warrumbungles National Park and its ancient volcanic remnants is an idyllic location for astrophotographers. Here, you can capture stars across the volcanic formations of the Crater Bluff and Bluff Mountain.

Alpha 7C | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | 14mm | F1.8 | 15 sec | ISO 6400

This shot was captured during last light. A pink airglow is visible in the sky, with the lights of the regional city of Dubbo in the distance. I focused the camera to capture the southern arm of the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds of Mensa and Hydrus, which are clearly visible in the southern sky.

I was also blessed with a few meteors in this shot, something you often don't see until you review your images on a computer screen!

Tips on distancing

When shooting night scenes, always think about all the elements you might be able to capture. Everyone can photograph the Milky Way or a star trail, but there is so much more in our night skies that our cameras can see.

This brings us to one of the biggest benefits of the FE 14mm F1.8 GM prime lens – its amazingly wide angle. What's more, 14mm is one of the best focal distances to capture the night skies, as it provides a beautifully sized view of the Milky Way and other deep space objects, along with the landscape you're shooting.

Pro advice: These apps are your astrophotography buddies

Apps have contributed to the rise in popularity of astrophotography. You can use these to help plan your shoots as you'll be able to locate the Milky Way, the moon and other objects in the night sky – from any given location, and on any given date!

Some apps even use augmented reality, so you can see what a location will look like with the Milky Way composed onto it. These apps are must-haves for any astrophotographer, whether you're an experienced professional or a beginner who's just starting out.

The splendour of astrophotography

These are my preferred astrophotography settings on the Alpha 7C, which you can use to get started (before finding your own sweet spot on your camera).

Don't have a remote? No worries, simply use the 2-second. But remember, the timer light on the front of the camera can cast an orange glow in someone else's photograph – so play nice by placing a piece of black electrical tape over it.
Try using the Dynamic Range Optimiser (DRO) if your landscape is very dark. Remember, this only applies to JPG files – so your editing and control will be more limited, compared to having a RAW file.

RAW File. Shadows +50, Noise Reduction +25

DRO Level 5 (JPG Only). Shadows +50, Noise Reduction +25

If your landscape is too dark, you can also use a "Picture Profile". PP3 provides a huge gain in dynamic range, but at the cost of colour (gamma). However, this can be fixed (to a certain degree) in your editing workflow.
Focus Peaking can help with finding the optimum focus point of your stars – especially in wide open apertures – by highlighting stars (that you may have otherwise missed) in the focus magnifier.
Set the Finder/Monitor selection to a button. (I normally use the centre button on the dial.) This can help reduce battery consumption when shooting star trails or timelapse shots.

Enable Bright Monitoring to add more dynamic range to your Liveview. This can really help when composing a dark scene.

Use the Memory function of your camera to save your Astro setup. This way, you can switch it on a access it quickly – while also switching back to normal settings in a snap. This ensures you won't miss a wildlife shot or a family moment, while switching your ISO and exposure time back to your regular daytime settings.

Alpha 7C | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | 14mm | F1.8 | 15 sec | ISO 6400

And I capture all this, with my trusted Alpha 7C camera, FE 14mm F1.8 GM prime lens and FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM zoom lens.

Products

Featured

Alpha 7C

緊湊型全畫幅相機

FE 14mm F1.8 GM

G Master 全畫幅超廣角定焦鏡頭

ECM-B1M

槍型麥克風

SF-M64T

SF-M 系列 Tough 規格記憶卡

NP-FZ100 Z-series Rechargeable Battery Pack

Z 系列充電式電池組

Article Theme

Astro

Travel

FE 14mm F1.8 GM | Capture intriguing timelapse shots | Review by Phong Yap Hui

Harriman — Wed, 17 May 2023 06:51:04 +0000

FE 14mm F1.8 GM | Capture intriguing timelapse shots | Review by Phong Yap Hui

Harriman Wed, 05/17/2023 - 12:21

Article Categories

Reviews

Body Category

Alpha 1

Lens Category

FE 14mm F1.8 GM

The magic of time-lapse photography

Time-lapse photography is a fascinating aspect of photography that compresses long periods of time into minutes and seconds – allowing viewers to see how a landscape or environment can change as the earth revolves and nature unveils its wonders throughout the day or night.

The principles of shooting time-lapses are simple, yet highly intriguing. The fundamental principle is being familiar with the duration of the phenomenon you plan on capturing. For instance, when shooting sunrise or sunsets, you would learn that the process of the sun rising or setting, lasts around one hour. This understanding will allow you to better plan your shots, settings, camera battery management, and more.

My personal favourite camera and lens combination is the Alpha 1 and FE 14mm F1.8 GM prime lens, which are perfect for truly captivating time-lapse shots.

Sunset in Changbin

Alpha 1 | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | F16 | 1/2s | ISO 100

Alpha 1 | FE 14mm F1.8 GM | F8 | 1/3s | ISO 100

When shooting the sunset in Changbin, I estimated that the shot would take around 45 minutes – starting 15 minutes before sunset and lasting until 30 minutes after.

This is where calculations are helpful. 45 minutes is equivalent to 2,700 seconds, which allows me to take around 900 time-lapse photos at a rate of one shot every three seconds. Remember that extending the exposure time can reduce light sensitivity in exchange for better photo quality. In the Alpha 1 camera settings, you can find an ISO AUTO setting with a minimum speed of two. The ISO AUTO range value can be set to your personal preference. Personally, I recommend a setting of between 100 to 3,200.

Before sunset, you can reduce the aperture to F16 in exchange for more depth of field. As the sun sets, the light will gradually weaken, and the exposure time will gradually increase to two seconds. When this happens, increase the ISO to 100 – 3200 to maintain the quality of your photos.

When then ISO exceeds 200/400, adjust your aperture from F16 to F11 and the ISO will be reduced by half. Keep doing so until your aperture goes down to F2.8.

The beautiful blue tears phenomenon

Alpha 1| FE 14mm F1.8 GM | F1.8 | 15s | ISO 2000

Blue tears is a phenomenon that happens as a result of bioluminescence, and is ideally captured in extremely low light – preferably during a high tide, when the waves hit the reef and the glow of the algae is accentuated. This phenomenon usually lasts around three hours.

To create a time-lapse video with a high frame rate, shorten the exposure time so you can capture enough photos during this limited timeframe. Note that shortening your exposure time will cause your photos to be underexposed, so choosing a high-quality, large aperture lens (like the FE 14mm F1.8 GM prime lens) Is essential.

These shots are scenes of the blue tears at Dongju Island, Matsu. This seasonal occurrence typically happens from April to June each year. I chose to shoot when there was no moonlight, and when the Milky Way was visible. In addition to these considerations, you’ll also need to consider the wind direction (southern wind is best), temperature (18 to 22℃ is recommended) and weather (clear and fog-free).

Because the shooting environment will be almost completely dark, I recommend using Manual (M) mode with settings at F1.8, 15s and ISO 2000. If there is a fair amount of light pollution, you can lower your ISO to avoid overexposing your shots.

Quick guide: Timeframes and intervals of popular shots

Alpha 1| FE 14mm F1.8 GM | F1.8 | 15s | ISO 2000

To help you get started on your time-lapse shots, I’ve listed the timeframes and recommended interval times of popular scenes.

Timeframes of popular scenes:

Dawn and dusk: 1 hour
Star trails and galaxies: 2 to 4 hours
Hanging sun: 20 minutes
Rainbows: 15 minutes

When programming interval times, you can use this formula:

Longest exposure time of the scene + 1 second = Interval seconds

For example, the longest exposure time for dawn and dusk is 2s + 1s = 3s, and the longest exposure time in the starry sky and the Milky Way is 15s + 1s = 16s.

Additionally, scenes that lasts a shorter time (like rainbows), can be shot using an exposure time no longer than 0.5 seconds, with the interval time being 1 second. This way, you can take 900 pictures within the 15 minutes that the rainbow is visible.

For scenes like a "hanging sun", the long focal length and slow shutter speed can lead to shifts in focus that result in blurry images. I’d recommend setting your shutter speed to no lower than 1/30s or 1/15 seconds, with your interval time being 1 or 2 seconds (depending on the focal length and the stability of your tripod). If your shoot requires a long focal length that must remain stable from day to night, long exposure remains a priority – but first, ensure that your tripod is very stable and prepared for horizontal stabilisation.

My thoughts on the FE 14mm F1.8 GM prime lens

To be honest, I had waited for a lens like the FE 14mm F1.8 GM prime lens for over three years! I usually shoot outdoors, which makes a lightweight lens is a priority for me. I also often prefer shooting in 8K, and the incredible 8K image quality of the FE 14mm F1.8 GM always gives me confidence that the shots will turn out excellent.

What’s more, the small lens diameter is ideal for use in mountainous areas. Under the low temperature and high humidity of these environments, the small surface area minimises contact with cold air, which is a common cause of mirror fogging – and something I’m happy to no longer worry over.

The FE 14mm F1.8 GM can also be equipped with a 100mm filter system. This lets me easily balance image contrast in advance, and extend exposure times to capture higher quality images.

When paired with the Alpha 1, which has a very strong latitude and saves 16Bit RAW files, this is an ideal combination for time-lapse photography at all times of the day – both mornings and evenings. With the 16Bit RAW files, details in dark areas can also be restored in post-editing, which greatly enhances the quality of the final time-lapse shots.

Products

Featured

Alpha 1

全畫幅極高解析度及高速相機

FE 14mm F1.8 GM

G Master 全畫幅超廣角定焦鏡頭

ECM-B1M

槍型麥克風

ECM-W2BT

無線麥克風

GP-VPT2BT

無線遙控拍攝握把

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Nature/Landscapes

FE 24mm F1.4 GM | Capture mesmerizing shots | Review by Stefan

Harriman — Tue, 16 May 2023 06:33:32 +0000

FE 24mm F1.4 GM | Capture mesmerizing shots | Review by Stefan

Harriman Tue, 05/16/2023 - 12:03

Article Categories

Reviews

Body Category

Alpha 7C

Lens Category

FE 24mm F1.4 GM

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F1.4 | 25 sec | ISO 2500

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F4 | 1/400 sec | ISO 50

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F1.4 | 20 sec | ISO 2000

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F3.5 | 1/2000 sec | ISO 100

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F1.4 | 1/20 sec | ISO 50

Creative inspirations, equipment selection

When photographing on travels, I try to capture stories - and do so by snapping aspects of a scene that have strong meaning and evoke emotions. This can mean capturing an entire scene or focusing on fine details either way, I'm always trying to simplify what's going on in the frame, so audiences can intuitively connect with the essence of the shot.

The lenses that accompany me on every trip are the FE 24mm F1.4 GM and the FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS.

3 reasons for choosing prime

What makes a prime lens an excellent choice for travel photography, especially if you'll be out in nature? The three biggest reasons why I love primes lenses are simply - more light, more resolution, more compact.

But it's more than just sensitivity, resolution and ease of carrying (and packing) that makes me a fan of the FE 24mm F1.4 GM. A lot of my photography style is derived from the advantages that a prime lens brings to my camera - like refined flare, sharpness, and a larger aperture for greater depth of field.

The 24mm sweet spot

Every photographer has a few favourite lens lengths, and for me, 24mm is one of my "must-haves". With the FE 24mm F1.4 GM, I can capture an entire scene with one shot - or I can get in nice and close for some intimate close-up snaps of my subjects.

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F1.4 | 1/3.2 sec | ISO 100

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F4 | 1/4000 sec | ISO 400

The lens gives me more room to play around with, and more angles to choose from. It's a great addition to any travel photographer's kit, and it barely adds any weight or bulk - which is a big plus for photographers who like travelling light.

Spectacular shots, even in low light

The large aperture of the FE 24mm F1.4 GM makes capturing handheld images in low light situations easy. In fact, with some ambient light (whether it's moonlight, a streetlamp or even candlelight), you can transform the feel of your shot dramatically, while retaining an incredible amount of texture, detail and colour.

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F1.4 | 1/20 sec | ISO 1600

Possibly the best lens for shooting stars

The FE 24mm F1.4 GM, with its F1.4 aperture is a "powerful little underdog" that can match up to larger-sized lenses. Travelling with this FE 24mm F1.4 GM presents me with opportunities to capture various scenes in great detail - perhaps most impressively, a scenic starry night sky.

F1.4 | 20 sec | ISO 3200

F1.5 | 20 sec | ISO 3200

F2.8 | 20 sec | ISO 3200

F4 | 20 sec | ISO 3200

F5.6 | 20 sec | ISO 3200

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F1.4 | 1/5 sec | ISO 5000

With this lens, you won't need to carry an extra lens in your kit to shoot these beautiful scenes - the wide field of view that the FE 24mm F1.4 GM provides, gives you an amazing perspective to capture not only the night sky, but the entire landscape as your backdrop.

The joy of travelling with my favourite lenses

To me, travel photography is all about embracing "change". That's because whenever you're travelling - and wherever you're travelling to - your surroundings are constantly changing. As a visitor and photographer, you are there to experience new things, and to test all of your senses.

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F1.4 | 1/80 sec | ISO 100

Alpha 7C | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | 24mm | F1.4 | 1/3200 sec | ISO 100

That's why I always pack my favourite prime and zoom lenses with me on trips. They make travelling - and photographing all the memorable moments I encounter on my travels - so much more enjoyable.