500 rule

One of the best ways to combat star-trailing when capturing astrophotography images on a stationary (non-tracking) tripod mount, is to use the 500 Rule. What is the 500 Rule? The 500 rule is used to measure the maximum exposure time you can shoot before the stars become blurry or before star trails appear. Learn how to balance star movement and noise in your Milky Way photos with the 500 rule and the NPF rule. Find out the factors influencing motion blur, the optimal shutter speed for different focal lengths and directions, and how to eliminate star trails completely. The 500 Rule is a guideline for photographing stars at night with a fast shutter speed. It calculates the longest shutter speed you can use without noticeable star streaking based on the focal length of your lens. Learn the formula, the importance, and the exceptions of this technique in this article. Implementing the 500 Rule; Enter the 500 rule: a straightforward mathematical equation designed to address this challenge. It factors in the sky’s 15-degree-an-hour movement, the camera lens’s focal length, and the camera’s sensor. The rule helps determine the optimal shutter speed to capture stars crisply before any blurring occurs. Basically, to determine the optimal length of exposure, you take 500 and divide it by the effective focal length of the lens (Exposure time = 500/ [crop-factor × focal length]). Thus, the shorter the focal length the longer the shutter speed, and the better images you’ll get. The 500 rule for a full frame camera requires you to set your camera to ISO 3200 or 6400, your Aperture to f/2.8 (or as wide as possible) and your shutter speed to 500 divided by the focal length of your camera. For example, if you are shooting with a 50mm lens, your shutter speed would be 10 seconds (500 / 50 = 10). The 500-Rule states that to obtain a clear image of stars without trails, take the number 500 and divided it by the focal length to get your exposure time. For example, a 20 mm lens would call for an exposure of about 25 seconds and theoretically, still obtain the stars without trails. The 500 Rule states that you should use an ISO of 3200 or 6400, an aperture of f/2.8 (and as wide as your lens will allow), and a shutter speed of 500 divided by that of the lens's focal length. Since a crop factor is unnecessary, just divide 500 by the focal length to get the appropriate exposure. 500 Divided By the Focal Length of Your Lens = The Longest Exposure (in Seconds) Before Stars Start to “Trail”. For example; let’s say you’re taking a shot with a 24mm lens on a full frame ... Razor-sharp stars with the 500 rule. The trick with night photography is that you’ve got to make some sacrifices with image quality. There’s no getting around the fact that you need a high ISO and open aperture to get sharp stars. While star trails can be an interesting technique from time to time, there’s one thing you want to avoid at ... The “Photography 500 Rule” is a guideline that many photographers use to determine the appropriate shutter speed when taking photos of the night sky. The rule states that to avoid star trails in a photo, you should use a shutter speed no longer than 500 divided by the focal length of the lens. While this rule may seem simple, understanding ... Just half whatever you got with the 500 Rule. So the 50mm lens exposure time becomes 5 seconds. APS-C format cameras have a crop factor of 1.5 (or 1.6 for Canon) so you’ll want to get out a smartphone or a notepad. Here are some calculations for common APS-C format lenses: 18mm lens: 500 ÷ (1.5 x 18) = 18 ½ seconds.