Astrophotography is unique. It’s the art of beholding the beauty of the stars beyond our reach. However, the key word here is “beauty” and not “blurry,” meaning your astrophotography settings are essential for capturing illuminating images of the Milky Way. Producing a mediocre shot after spending hours trying to capture the perfect night sky essence is no fun. So, today’s post will cover some critical, easy-to-remember tips regarding good camera settings for astrophotography.

Astrophotography doesn’t have to be complicated, but working in lowlight situations with long exposures can lead to undesirable results. That’s why it’s crucial to have a good grasp on appropriate camera settings for astrophotography. Some variables will change depending on your camera, but here’s everything we’ll cover to ensure you’re prepared to shoot the Milky Way the right way.

Table Of Contents

• Exposure Triangle
  • • Aperture
    • ISO
    • Shutter
• Lens & Focal Length
• Auto-Focus
• White Balance
• File Format
• Extra Tips & Important Gear
• Rules to Help You Improve
  • 500 Rule
  • NPF formula

First, let’s cover the vital three pillars of exposure (also known as the exposure triangle), especially when it comes to long- exposure. This will include aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. You’ll need to manually adjust all these to get well-exposed and clear-cut images.

Aperture

Aperture refers to how wide or narrow your lens will open, affecting the amount of light being let in. The number is represented in “f/stops”. For example, the NIKKOR Z 28-75mm f/2.8 lens has an aperture of f/2.8. The higher the number, the less light is let in (or, the narrower the lens gets). The lower the number, the more light it lets in (or wider the aperture opens).

Regarding astrophotography settings, you’ll want a wider aperture (or lower f/stop) due to the dark nighttime conditions. This ensures you capture an efficient amount of light to see the image. A good number for this is f/2.8. However, if your lens doesn’t go that low, it’s not the end of the world, but it will be more difficult to see (f/4 is also an ideal aperture).

ISO

ISO (International Standards Organization) affects the sensitivity of your camera to light. But rather than doing this through opening and closing (like the aperture), it controls the sensor sensitivity (try saying that 5x fast). In this case, the number scale works opposite to the aperture; the higher the number, the brighter the image.

Once again, you’ll want to bump this number up because it’ll be dark out. A good starting point is around 1600 ISO for your camera’s astrophotography settings. Depending on your situation, between that and 800 or even up to 3200 can work. However, it’s important to remember that a high ISO will add “noise” to your photo and can ruin your image. You want to be able to see the night sky, but you also want a clean picture.

Shutter

The shutter speed refers to how long the camera’s shutter will stay open (like your eyelids when you blink). This is measured in seconds or fractions of a second. In the case of astrophotography settings, you’ll want your shutter open for much longer than usual. Rather than 1/100, 1/60, or 1/30 of a second, we’re talking 15, 20, or 25 seconds long. There are a few ways to approach this. If you want simple and aren’t obsessed with the perfect number, anywhere from 20-30 seconds should be good.

However, there are two other methods that you can use to find a more accurately calculated shutter speed called the – 500 Rule (sometimes also known as the 400/600 rule) and the NPF formula or NPF equation. I will elaborate more on these photography formulas further down in the post.

Lens & Focal Length

To capture the sharpest image of the Milky Way possible, you’ll want to go for a short focal length of ideally around 16mm -24mm. A wide or ultra-wide lens will allow you to capture a large chunk of the landscape and stars for an authentic nighttime shot. These lenses will help give you a greater depth of field, keeping your foreground and background of the landscape in focus.

That said, if you don’t have a wide-angle lens, you can still use a longer focal length. Sometimes this can be used to purposefully create star trails adding motion and creativity to your picture.  The wider the lens, the more information in your image, so be aware of shot composition. If you go lower than this focal length, you’ll also need to be mindful that distortion can start to take place.

Auto-Focus – Turn Off

For astrophotography, you’ll want to turn off AF. Due to the lack of light, your camera will struggle to find a point of focus. To avoid this, you will want to manually focus on the brightest star, the moon, or the next distant object in view (like mountain tops or trees).

White Balance

White balance will adjust for the color temperature displayed in the camera image. There are warm colors like orange, yellow, and red or cool colors like purple or blue. To keep things short and simple, you’ll want to shoot in Auto-White Balance (AWB) in most scenarios. However, you may want to adjust due to other factors such as light pollution, in which case 3,200K or a neutral white is an excellent place to start.

File Format

You will want to shoot in RAW for the best results in terms of file format. This will ensure you capture as much color detail as possible, in addition to reducing image compression and noise. You’ll also have more post-production capabilities with adjusting aspects like dynamic range.

Extra Tips & Important Gear

• Long exposure noise reduction – Turn off (if applicable)
• Flash – Turn off
• Tripod – long exposure makes it easy to ruin your shot with the slightest movement. Using a tripod will play a crucial role in securely locking your camera in place.
• Remote shutter release – once again, you don’t want to have to touch the camera when taking your shot. Using this or a timer for your shutter will be crucial.

Helpful Photography Formulas to Know

What Is the 500 Rule Of Photography?

The 500 rule (also known as the 400 rule or 600 rule) is an excellent template for photographers who are new to astrophotography or can’t figure out what shutter speed to put. It is designed to help you find a reasonable shutter speed range for your best shots.

However, it should be noted that this equation isn’t an end-all to astrophotography shutter speeds because it doesn’t account for all factors while shooting.

Alright, ready for some fun math class nostalgia?

To use the 500 rule, you simply take 500 and divide it by the focal length of your camera. For example, if your focal length is 24mm, you would do: 500 ÷ 24 = 20.83. This means you would set your shutter speed to about 20 seconds. Nice and easy.

500 ÷ (Focal Length) = Shutter Speed 

What is the NPF Rule/Formula?

For those of you who’re looking for more of a mathematical challenge, you can use the NPF formula for even sharper images. The NPF formula is another equation created by Frédéric Michaud to find a more accurate shutter speed for your night shots. The only exception is that the formula is much more complicated because it factors in more elements such as pixel density, width, aperture, and focal length (shown below).

The equation requires you to know: F-stop or aperture, focal length (mm), pixel pitch (micrometers/μm).

• N = Aperture.
• P = Pixel density (pixel pitch), the distance between the pixels on the camera sensor.
• F = Focal length.

First, you need to find the pixel pitch, which is the distance from the center of one pixel to the next nearest pixel. To find this, you need to divide the width of your camera’s sensor (mm) by the total number of pixels within that width. After, multiply that number by 1,000 to get your answer in micrometers/microns (μm).

Here’s an example for the Canon EOS R6: the senor is 36mm x 24mm, and the pixel dimensions are 5472 x 3648. So the equation would be:

36 ÷ 5472 x 1,000= 6.57 μm

Now, all you do is add your pixel pitch to the complete equation. To make things easier, we’ve used a simplified version of the equation, which uses averages for factors like declination and latitude (shown below):

(35 x aperture + 30 x pixel pitch) ÷ focal length = shutter speed in seconds

Using the Canon EOS R6 + Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens:

(35 x 2.8 + 30 x 6.5) ÷ 15 = 19 seconds

Now, for anyone whose head hurts as much as mine from looking at too many numbers for too long, you can also just use an NPF calculator site. It helps to download these apps on your phone or computer when you’re out shooting and need quick assistance.

Conclusion

Your camera settings for astrophotography do matter, but not everything has to be perfect. After all, it is your work, and you have complete control of what you choose to do with it. Finding the settings you’re most fond of will take time, and as long as you’ve established the basics, the rest will come over time. Finally, have fun.

Tell us how your astrophotography is going. Have you discovered any neat tips and tricks along the way?

Blue Yeti microphones are great for streaming, podcasting, YouTube videos, and online calls. However, to get the highest sound quality, it helps to know the best Yeti microphone settings and practices. This post covers good recording tips and techniques, including the best Yeti microphone modes and great Yeti software options.

Yeti Microphone Setup & Software

Unlike most traditional mics, this microphone is very easy to set up. You pull it out of the box and plug the Yeti mic USB into your computer or console. What about Yeti mic drivers? There are none; after it’s plugged in, you simply load up your favorite software and select a mic input.

Regarding Yeti mic software, there are many compatible services such as Audacity, iMovie, Skype, Garageband, Ableton, and more. In terms of streaming services, you can use Discord, XSplit, Open Broadcast Software (OBS), and Gameshow. Moreover, now that Logitech G has obtained Streamlabs, we’ll cover what makes this a big deal for streamers in tip #6 (below).  

How To Use a Yeti Microphone 

After setting up your desired software, it’s time to place your mic in a comfortable location and start recording or streaming. New (and sometimes veteran) content creators will make a few common mistakes when recording audio. It could be as simple as positioning the microphone wrong to using the wrong Yeti microphone settings. The good news is, these errors are easy to spot and even easier to fix. 

Common Microphone Errors:

• Using the wrong Yeti mic mode (pattern).
• Being too close or too far from the mic.
• Incorrect use of mic gain.  
• Incorrect positioning of the mic.
• Not using the proper equipment to support the mic. 
• Not using the best Yeti software options.

Now that you’ve got your setup down let’s cover the best Blue Yeti microphone settings and tips to improve your content’s sound quality. 

1) Which Yeti Mic Mode Should You Use

The Yeti microphone settings for picking up sound include four patterns that can be interchanged. These patterns are – cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional, and stereo mode. The graph shows the symbols representing each Yeti mic mode, their purpose, and how the sound is picked up.

When you are simply talking into the mic for a stream or podcast, your best option is the cardioid mode. This mode does more than just help pick up sound directly in front of the microphone. It eliminates background noises around you, like your fan, pets, or console. Plus, it will give your voice that professional “boom” you typically hear on the radio, garnering full attention from your listeners.

2) What’s the Right Distance From the Mic

Yet another common problem among Yeti mic users is bad quality sound issues. Recording an hour-long session just to play it back and hear the unbearable sound quality is an awful experience. One, you should always do a few test runs before going into your dialog.

Second,  Blue Yeti mics have a “proximity effect,” emphasizing low-end frequencies like the pronounced bass in broadcasters’ voices. The problem is usually being too close or far from the mic, which can cause unwanted sound issues. Being right on the mic will cause undesirable “hissing” and “popping” noises. While being too far away will be hard to hear. The key is to be around 6 inches away from the mic for ideal use.

3) How to Use the Mic Gain

Many people may mistake microphone gain for volume. Yes, turning up the gain will make you louder, but that isn’t exact volume control. Instead, the gain controls how much sound the mic picks up (or takes in). This means turning up the gain will also cause the mic to pick up background noise, while turning it down will force you to project more.

The gain nob should be at a low to medium level if you stand close enough to the mic. This will prevent the background from becoming too loud and your voice from being distorted. Always play around with the gain to find a sweet spot before recording.   

4) How to Position the Yeti Mic

When you watch a podcast online or a television series, you may see some host speak directly into the top of the microphone. Naturally, you’ll want to do the same with your microphone, but this will produce lousy sound quality. The Yeti mic is a “side-address” microphone meaning the sound is picked up along the side and not the top. 

To hear your voice clearly, you’ll want to speak into the microphone’s sides and ensure the “Blue” logo is facing you (as shown below).

5) What Equipment Can You Pair With The Yeti Mic

The good thing about the Yeti microphone is you can plop it on your desk, and it’s ready to go. Although this is very convenient, it can also create a lesser quality sound for your stream or podcast. Since sound is vibration, having the mic on your desk will pick things like you typing on your keyboard or bumping into your computer desk. 

To eliminate this problem, you’ll want to consider investing in a boom arm stand. This will not only lessen unwanted noises but allow you to position your mic closer and more comfortably. It’s also worth it to add a pop filter in front of your mic, helping to soften harsh sounds like when you pronounce words with “k,” “t,” or “p” sounds (also known as plosive sounds). 

6) What Is a Great Yeti Software to Use

When it comes to Yeti software, there are plenty of different programs you can work with (mentioned earlier). However, an excellent software recommendation for the best on-stream functions is Blue VO!CE.

For starters, you can acquire Blue VO!CE free through Logitech G-Hub software. It allows you to use audio samples and morph your voice with modulations and filters. For instance, you can use a high-pitched Chipmunk effect or easily switch to a deep narrator-type voice for theatrical effect.

You’d be surprised how much a few audio samples and voice effects can add a professional aesthetic to your stream. The collaboration of Logitech G, Blue Vo!CE and Streamlabs give you an exceptional amount of Blue Yeti microphone settings to create a powerhouse stream. You can use personalized themes for your streaming visuals, stream to multiple platforms at once, and add filters and effects – it’s a win-win for streamers. 

Take Away

Now that you’ve gotten a handle on a few podcasting and streaming tips, the only thing left to do now is go out there and make lots of content. Remember, trial and error is key to learning from your mistakes, and there are always ways to improve your content. So, go out there and sound like a pro.