I finally figured out why my night sky photos came out blurry after wasting $300 on a new lens

So I spent months blaming my old kit lens for those fuzzy star shots. Bought a nice Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 around $300 after tax. First time out with it at a dark spot near Flagstaff, still getting blurry stars. Took me 3 more trips to realize I wasn't tightening the tripod head down all the way. A little wiggle from the breeze was ruining everything. Feel like an idiot. Anyone else ever chase the wrong fix for a problem like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

lily_singh227d ago

Actually the tripod head being a little loose is never the real issue, you just need a heavier tripod. Those cheap aluminum ones flex in the wind no matter how tight you crank them. A $150 carbon fiber tripod would have fixed this from the start, but you're blaming the head instead.

king.derek27d ago

I mean, sure, @lily_singh2, a heavier tripod might help a little, but I feel like you're making this sound way more serious than it actually is for most people. Not everyone needs to drop a hundred and fifty bucks on carbon fiber just to take some photos of their cat or a sunset. And honestly, a loose head can totally be the real issue if you're just trying to get a quick shot and the camera droops a bit (which happens to me all the time with cheap heads). If you're not setting up in a hurricane, an aluminum tripod with a tight head usually works fine for everyday stuff. I'd say tighten the head and save your money unless you're actually shooting in a storm or something.

drew_park25d ago

Tbh that loose head thing reminds me of how I spent a week reinstalling my router software before checking if the cable was just half plugged in. It's always the simple stuff that makes you feel like a genius after you finally spot it.