What can you do with a Canon T4i? Look at this!

[ebiggs1]

Here is an amazing scene of the Milky Way. It is shot entirely with a Canon T4i and a 10-22mm f3.5-4.5mm Canon lens. The lens was set at 10mm.

This was done by a good friend of mine that I worked with at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City for nearly 40 years. His name is Tom Martinez. He was a master of the darkroom not to mention a great photographer.

Since retirement he has devoted his time to astro-photography. He gives lectures and classes on how to do it. He has built over a dozen telescopes of different designs culminating with the 30” at our Powell Observatory near Warrensburg, Missouri.

Tom is published in many star magazines but here is his “Milky Way”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_3jehZn7zQ&fmt=37

EB

[TCampbell]

Very nice job.  It's so hard to find dark skies that can show the Milky Way anymore.  I have to drive several hours to find a place with "ok" dark skies (not fantastic... but decent enough to see structure in the Milky Way.)

Even more amazing is that he managed to get three (mostly) cloudless nights in a row.  That's something that hasn't happened for me all year -- not that I'm bitter about it or anything.  😉  (The weather in Michigan has _not_ be kind to us astronomers.  Let's just say no parts on our telescopes are in any danger of wearing out due to excessive use.)

I appreciate that he put his exposure info at the end.   Last year I used a 5D II and the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM to take some Milky Way shots at the Great Lakes Star Gaze.  I found I could take exposures up to about 45 seconds with no noticeable elongation of the stars.  At about 1 minute I could see a tiny bit of elongation (stationary tripod... not tracking.)  This year I have a 5D III and am looking forward to using that to do more imaging. 

Thanks for sharing that.

[ebiggs1]

Tim,

Don't feel to bad as we have to travel a good deal into western Kansas to find "dark" skies. Star Parties. 

Tom likes the T4i because it has the articulated back and you don't have to stand on your head to see the screen when necessary. Sometimes when mounted on a telescope that can be quite challenging.

Keep looking up!

EB

BTW, here is his blog spot if you are interested. http://tomjmartinez.blogspot.com/

[Skirball]

I don't get it, so you're suggesting that you don't need the best camera, with the best lens, with the best software, to produce great images?

[ebiggs1]

Never did. Silly boy!

Could be why I have and still use three Xti's!