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When you think about Milky Way photography, you probably think you need some specialized Milky Way photography gear. But the reality is that you can get some spectacular photos with even a basic mirrorless or DSLR camera.
Our post walks you through the best gear for Milky Way photography for all budgets. Click our links to more in-depth articles for more brand and price options to suit your needs.
Shot with a Canon EOS RP. 16mm, f/2.8, 30 seconds, ISO 3,200. Ruvim Kerimov (Unsplash)
What Is the Best Milky Way Photography Gear?
The best Milky Way photography gear depends on your budget and experience. But we recommend the best photography gear that covers all the bases:
The good news is that your camera isn’t as important as you may think. That’s not to say it doesn’t matter because it certainly does. But don’t worry if you have an entry-level camera. You can still take fantastic Milky Way pictures with one.
But you want to look for a few things if you buy a camera. The first and most obvious feature is a full-frame sensor. If you’re a beginner, and your camera body costs less than $1,000 new, then you more than likely don’t have one.
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This makes any movement in the stars more noticeable, which means you have to have a faster shutter speed—which isn’t ideal! But this is not as much of an issue if you have an ultra-wide angle lens.
You also want a camera with a good high-ISO performance. But that’s much less of an issue than it used to be. If your camera was built recently, your high-ISO performance probably isn’t an issue.
Sure, Milky Way images may still look noisy with older cameras. My full-frame Canon 5D Mark III DSLR looks noisy at ISO 3,200. But it’s to be expected and something you can improve with in-camera noise reduction.
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The stars are very far away, so you need a telephoto lens to see them better, right? Wrong. You want the opposite. You want the widest-angle lens you can find. (I recommend avoiding fisheye lenses because they produce an unnatural distortion).
The reason for this is that the earth moves. And as it does so, it causes the stars to look like they’re moving. Instead of stars looking like points in the sky, they look like lines.
This is because their position changes as you’re taking the exposure. So, the greater the zoom, the more noticeable this movement is. Using a lens with a longer zoom means you have less time to keep your shutter open before seeing the stars moving (e.g., longer zoom, shorter shutter speed).
Using a 14mm lens on a full-frame camera, you can take a 35-second exposure without worrying about seeing the stars move in the sky. But if you use a 200mm lens, you would have just 2.5 seconds before the stars start to move in your photo.
The Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 SP is a less expensive, high-quality, ultra-wide angle lens with a wide aperture. It fits Canon and Nikon DSLR lens mounts.
These wide angles are perfect for Milky Way photography to capture the stars without capturing motion blur. Their apertures are wide enough to get a good depth of field, should you choose to include a foreground interest. And they are wide enough to capture plenty of light.
If you have a crop-sensor camera, you may want a wider angle, around 9-10mm. There would be a compromise if you used this lens. You’d have to change from the standard f/2.8, 30-second, ISO 3,200 exposure to f/2.8, 20-second, ISO 5,000 exposure. (Not the end of the world.)
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Your tripod doesn’t have to be the most amazing, heavy-duty tripod in the world. There’s much to say about big study tripods and lightweight carbon fiber ones. But we’re just looking for a tripod that doesn’t move. You also want tripods with hooks, separate, adjustable legs, and ball heads.
Best Tripods
If you can find tripod legs with a weight hook, you can keep the tripod in place by attaching a weight. This prevents it from moving around between shots.
You also want to look for legs that aren’t affixed to each other. You want to be able to pull them out individually to different degrees from the center.
Tripod legs that are attached severely limit the angles you can set on each side. This means your tripod is far less adaptable to different terrain features at your Milky Way photoshoot location.
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We use a ball head for astrophotography to point the camera at the sky. Other tripod heads restrict our range of movement. These are our top three recommendations. Read our full article on ball heads for more options.
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Milky Way photography happens exclusively at night when there is no moonlight. So, as you can imagine, it’s pretty dark. I used to use a flashlight or my phone as a light source. But often, either would end up in my mouth as I tried to do something with my camera.
With a headlamp, you’re operating the light hands-free. With a red filter headlamp, your eyes adjust to the sky much faster after turning off the lamp.
3. Intervalometer
Many modern cameras have a built-in intervalometer. So, check your camera manual to see if it has one. Investing in one is a good idea if your camera doesn’t have one. JJC has excellent intervalometers for select Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Panasonic cameras.
An intervalometer lets you fire multiple shots in succession. You don’t have to worry about constantly clicking your camera. It’s great for Milky Way time-lapse photography. Heck, I’d say it’s essential for it.
You tend to shoot many of the same shots in succession with Milky Way photography. This is because of shooting stars, airplanes, satellites, etc., flying through your shots. So, having a tool that keeps taking photos without your input is great.
Shot with a Sony a7 II. 14mm, f/2.8, 13 seconds, ISO 3,200. Tom Gainor (Unsplash)
4. Camera Remote
As with all long-exposure photography, you want to reduce the amount of motion blur as much as possible. An unexpected blur source is pressing the shutter release button to take the photo.
If you use a camera remote, you don’t have to touch the tripod or the camera to take the photo, which minimizes motion blur. Many digital cameras also have apps that let you control them remotely.
I might be pointing out the obvious here, but it gets cold at night. And when your hands get cold, using your camera is harder. That’s why photography gloves are essential for Milky Way photography.
The SIMARI gloves are perfect for Milky Way photography. They keep your hands warm in winter weather. They give your fingers the dexterity to work without taking them off. Plus, the index finger pad works with camera touchscreens.
For more hand-warming options, you can check out our full article on the best photography gloves. And remember that shooting at night also means you must think carefully about what else you wear.
Consider lower night temperatures, especially if you plan to stay warm on long nighttime shoots. The best images come from perseverance and patience, which require you to be comfortable and warm.
6. Black Electrical Tape
This might seem like an odd accessory on our list, but it’s here for a good reason. It’s best to cover up lights on your camera that can affect your exposure.
We all have lights on our cameras, whether the assist beam or the card read-write light. These all affect the outcome of Milky Way photography.
It might not seem like much. But I assure you that light will leak into your exposure if uncovered. Take care of it with black electrical tape, and you won’t have to worry about it!
Essential Photography Accessories for Milky Way Photography
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Whatever you want to specialize in, you must invest in the right camera equipment to do it properly. And in comparison to most types of photography, Milky Way photography is not particularly expensive—it’s just very niche.
We’ve talked about the ideal Milky Way photography gear, but if you can afford to invest in just one thing, make it a wide-angle lens for your camera. Chances are you have everything you need (like a tripod) or can make do without the rest (like a cable release) for now.
