[Rondec]

A couple more.

[Hattifnatt]

Couple recent shots. Cold weather down here.

[chiane]

Is there a brief guide or tutorial anyone's put together in how to get the best starbursts? As hard as I try, I am not getting squat. Are you taking longer exposures, using an ND filter, what?

[UncleVanya]

Is there a brief guide or tutorial anyone's put together in how to get the best starbursts? As hard as I try, I am not getting squat. Are you taking longer exposures, using an ND filter, what?

With the SMC (not HD) DA 15 I had little option except to starburst anytime I shot a pin point light source and I am stopped down to f/8 or f/11.

High contrast scenes with low I so and long exposures were the best.

[pakinjapan]

Is there a brief guide or tutorial anyone's put together in how to get the best starbursts? As hard as I try, I am not getting squat. Are you taking longer exposures, using an ND filter, what?

anything below f7... , i always get quite nice starts from da15 regardless of pointing my camera at the light source or not. even pointing at the sun (well, the sun is very bright) @ f6 something, the star-bursts will looks good.
Longer exposures doesn't seem to do much, but f8 or below + circle or rounded light source will guaranty nice startbursts, it doesn't have to be very bright either. one thing is to make sure you nail the focus.
i ofter go out at night and my problem, better say it is K5 low light focusing problem too. K5 just give up on focusing anything. i have to do manual focus and the infinity focus on the longer end of my da15 doesn't stop at the infinity sign. it is a bit before infinity just enough to mess up my photo because in the dark i have no idea if things are in focus or a bit off focus. my 4 eyes are not that good too!

Bridge photo: f7.1 | 30sec. | iso80 | k-5
Skyscraper: f8 | 13sec. | iso80 | k-5

[Rondec]

Is there a brief guide or tutorial anyone's put together in how to get the best starbursts? As hard as I try, I am not getting squat. Are you taking longer exposures, using an ND filter, what?

Set your aperture to f8 or f11 and shoot at a strong light source -- can be the sun, electric lights, whatever. The only thing with the sun is that it will cause a little bit of flare if you shoot right into it, unobstructed. But that's really all there is to it. I don't use filters with this lens very much and length of exposure is unimportant.

[bartolaki]

Is there a brief guide or tutorial anyone's put together in how to get the best starbursts? As hard as I try, I am not getting squat. Are you taking longer exposures, using an ND filter, what?

Hmm, I'd ask how to not get starbursts using DA15... Whatever I shot over f/6.3, I get nice starbursts. The nicest one however are in my opinion at f/11-13. It doesn't matter if it's day or night, what the exposure is, etc. This lens just should do the magic for you Whenever I shot city landscapes, streets at nights, all point light soruces are turned into starbursts.

Here are some 2 shots from my ski trip this weekend - The sun is the star Take a look at sun reflection in my goggles - it became a starburst as well

[UncleVanya]

The HD version has better flare control but the rounded aperture blades reduced the startbursts.

[Ameiji]

Got some rock last weekend

[Hattifnatt]

Got some rock last weekend

DA 15 for a concert ? never thought of that, guess you have to come really close?

[narual]

DA 15 for a concert ? never thought of that, guess you have to come really close?

It's fun for concerts in small venues, if the band doesn't mind you being near the stage:




Of course, it's also handy for good depth of field of the whole stage and crowd:



(not sure whether that's noise or I added film grain to it or something. It seems really noisy for just being 5000-6400 on K5)

[mattt]

We see lots of outdoor landscapes, and starbursts in this thread... Here is an up close and personal shot.. with some .. ahem... creative editing to clear out the terrible background from yesterdays trip to #CIAS2015

[Rondec]

Sunset.

[emalvick]

Rural Twilight Shot...



---------- Post added 02-17-2015 at 08:59 AM ----------

A little later further down the road as some fog was rolling in.

The image is quite a bit noisier due to lack of tripod and high ISO (6400). I should have run it through DxO, and I probably will at a later time. It's the time of day that reminds me that the Central Valley can be beautiful with all it's flatness.

[narual]

reminds me that the Central Valley can be beautiful with all it's flatness.

Speaking of places that look like Iowa/Indiana -- that could be a shot right out of the midwest. Except there would probably be less green and more white, right now.