Originally posted by SointulArt I initially tried 30 seconds, but found the tracking wasn't very good, so dropped back to 15 seconds. One thing I have found with the O-GPS unit, is that it sometimes requires several calibrations to get it right, it is a bit fiddly that way at times. Sometimes I could do a standard and precise calibration and it would just work for the night. Other times the calibration would drift or it wouldn't work even for wide angle shots. I've never been able to make sense of what the variables are that differentiate a good calibration to a poor one.
Darryl
Yes, very nice shot Tiger!
I suspect that the O-GPS can only track up to four satellites at a time and if you are farther North as you and I both are, it is easy for trees and people to interfere with the signals being received at the GPS. Your car GPS probably tracks 4 to 6 satellites so has more built in error correction available than the Camera model. Accuracy will then suffer and if that happens for even an instant during an exposure, I suspect the default would be to hold the sensor in place if correction data is not being sent. So that image will have trails.
I have done a little astro with my K-50 but the weather over the last month has been horrible and I have found that wind can ruin a night out in the yard, even when you hang a weight under your tripod.
---------- Post added 03-22-18 at 11:32 AM ----------
Originally posted by scottab Incredible image, I would love to try something like this with my K1 and D FA 150-450.
I have never used the Astrotracer before.
I have taken multiple night images and stacked them for star trails. So I am somewhat familiar with that part of the process.
Where and when to aim the lens would be the area that I lack the needed knowledge.
Any suggestions to point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Scott.
Here is a link to a skymap site. Very handy!
Sky Map Online
This guy has some good info
Astrophotography 101: A Lesson Series on Photographing the Milky Way – Lonely Speck
And folks like to use Orion because it is easily recognizable in the Northern Hemisphere and there are multiple nebulas in the constellation
Here is one on Orion
Orion Constellation: Facts, Myth, Stars, Location, Star Map | Constellation Guide
Good luck!