When it comes to shooting the starry sky, as a starry sky photographer, we usually take out a large-aperture prime lens. If I want to shoot an ultra-wide-angle starry sky, I have a 14mm F1.4 DG DN | Art。 However, it has to be said that the only disadvantage of the excellent quality 14mm F1.4 is that it is slightly heavier and the price is slightly higher. Some friends may want to ask, which are more cost-effective 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art and 24mm F1.4 DG DN | How to choose Art?
Actually, I had a hard time choosing, but I recently got a "I want it all" zoom lens - 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art, I was very curious if it would be up to my job of photographing the stars.
Looking at the weather forecast, there were exactly two sunny nights. With it and leaving, my wife and I went to the beach near Sanya, Hainan Province to shoot.
Take out the 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN| The Art lens is mounted on the Sony A7M4. In order to get as much light as possible, this lens must have a large aspherical lens element and an integrated lens hood, commonly known as a "bulb" head. However, the overall volume and weight of only 795g are indeed a bit smaller than I expected. The switch button between manual focus and autofocus on the side of the lens body has a black and white logo when toggled, which can be quickly recognized in low-light environments, and the new AFL button can be set to your own habitual shortcut key through the fuselage customization function, making actual combat operation more convenient.
The lens mount part is made of brass and has a rubber seal around it, which can fit seamlessly with the body mount and is dustproof and splash-proof. The rear end of the lens is fixed with 4 screws, which ensures the stability and durability of the lens connection. The zoom ring and focus ring are made of soft rubber material, which is non-slip and feels good, and the damping when rotating is also smooth and delicate.
Today's moonset will be at 3:18 a.m., and the moon star is very unfriendly to starry sky photography, so we plan to wait until after the moon to start shooting. While waiting, it is also beautiful to shoot a time-lapse of moonset by the sea. So I set up a tripod, set up the camera to shoot every 5 seconds, and started the time-lapse shooting.
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This lens uses Sigma's latest coating technology to reduce flare, flare and ghosting. In the video, we found that even when shooting at the moon, there was no glare or ghosting at all.
焦距:14mm 光圈:f/2.8 ISO感光度:3200
Exposure Time: 30/1s Exposure Compensation: 0EV White Balance: Auto
Finally, when the moon set and the stars dawned, the constellation Orion was slowly sinking into the sea level. At this time, the Southern Cross and the ship's base were high, and my wife and I hurriedly took advantage of this moment to create a starry sky.
焦距:19mm 光圈:f/2.8 ISO感光度:3200
Exposure time: 20/1s Exposure compensation: 0EV White balance: Auto
I was worried that the maximum aperture of this lens at F2.8 would not be enough, but the moment it was shot, I was too worried. In the environment of the fourth level of night sky darkness, it may even be overexposed.
焦距:14mm 光圈:f/2.8 ISO感光度:3200
Exposure Time: 30/1s Exposure Compensation: 0EV White Balance: Auto
After taking a few photos of Hoshino, I started shooting starry sky portraits using 14mm. The 14mm ultra-wide focal length can accommodate the starry sky and the landscape as much as possible, showing the grandeur of the scene.
焦距:24mm 光圈:f/2.8 ISO感光度:3200
Exposure Time: 30/1s Exposure Compensation: 0EV White Balance: Auto
I then rotated the focal length from 14mm to 24mm, refocused, and continued shooting. The starry sky at the 24mm focal length is more detailed, and we can clearly see the South Gate II, the Horse Belly I, the Southern Cross, and the Grand Nebula of the Ship Base behind us. The coma of this lens at 14mm focal length and 24mm focal length is acceptable and does not fly outrageously.
焦距:24mm 光圈:f/2.8 ISO感光度:2500
Exposure time: 15/1s Exposure compensation: 0EV White balance: Auto
While Orion sank west and disappeared into the sea level of Sanya, Scorpio in the southeast had already begun to emerge. I asked my wife to stand in the middle of the reef and take a picture with the rising Scorpio. Although the light pollution in the east, where Sanya is located, is very serious, the "big hook" of Scorpio can still be seen in the transparent weather.
焦距:17mm 光圈:f/2.8 ISO感光度:2500
Exposure time: 15/1s Exposure compensation: 0EV White balance: Auto
At dawn, the constellation Scorpio is about 20° above the horizon, and the galactic heart of the Milky Way can be faintly seen in the summer. We took a photo with the shining stars of Venus and Scorpio on the reef by the sea, and we felt that it was another year of stars, and winter went to spring again.
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I set my camera up on the reef and used a 14mm focal length to shoot a time-lapse video of night to day. The stars shifted, the sky gradually brightened, the east appeared white, and the stars in the sky slowly disappeared, except for Venus, the brightest star in the night sky, did not disappear until the morning glow rendered the sky. Finally, the sun rises far above the horizon, and it's a fresh day.
Experience Summary:
Through this 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN| Art's actual measurement, I think this lens is also a powerful tool for shooting the starry sky. If you are struggling with the fixed focus of the three focal lengths of 14mm/20mm/24mm, then you can consider choosing this zoom: although it does not have a large aperture of F1.4 and F1.8, it is fully capable of shooting starry skies. From ultra-wide to wide-angle, it's a great lens for starry sky photographers, landscape photographers, and portrait photographers.
A good lens is a powerful tool for creating good works, and I hope everyone can have a good lens to take advantage of and shoot a work that they are satisfied with.