Lesholoago Campsite, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Mabuasehube, Botswana

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ElenaH

ElenaH

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I had two astro-lenses for my Africa trip. One was a older Sigma 24/1.4 F-Mount and the other was Zeiss Batis 18/2.8 for Sony E, which I used with Magadap adapter on Nikon Z. I always wanted to buy Z 14-24/2.8 but then decided to work with what I have...
And I had those two.
24/1.4 is a sharp lens but it is too long for Astro-Photography in Africa. We were close to equator there and I must use shorter shutter speed to get the stars in focus. Sometimes I shoot a few photos for pano but I am not really patient for that especially when lions are not far away.
The Zeiss 18/2.8 gave me a better wide angle, I could get more in the picture. That lens is also very sharp and produced nice colours but it ate the battery of Z cameras even when they were switched off. I noticed it before I travelled to Africa. I don't know how to explain it. Something in combination of E-Mount Zeiss with OLED display and Megadap made the battery of Z9 camera empty. So, that meant I need to be quickly with that lens as well (so, independently of lions ;-)

The campsite lies at Lesholoago pan in Mabuasehube region of Kgalaagadi Transfrontieer Park, in its Botswana's part. There are two campsites at the pan but the other one was empty. The next campsite is approximately 25km away at the other pan and could be also empty... So, somehow you are in nowhere. There was also no water. It was a waterhole in the pan but it was dry. The campsite didn't have any water.

D850 with Sigma 24/1.4 and xeon torch to lighten the tree:

_D8E0202-NEF-DxO_DeepPRIME XD2.jpg
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Reed Enhancer and Double Fog filters:

_D8E0206-NEF-DxO_DeepPRIME XD2.jpg
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Zeiss Batis:

_Z9E2361-NEF-DxO_DeepPRIME XD2.jpg
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_Z9E2356-NEF-DxO_DeepPRIME XD2.jpg
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ricardo00 said:
So if you were going to buy one lens for astrophotography, would you buy the 14-24 f/2.8 Z lens? I debate between that lens and the Nikon 20mm f/1.8 Z lens.
Click to expand...
I would definitely buy 14-24/2.8 because it is wider. I take astro-photos in Africa normally and there 20mm is too long, IMO. I cannot use more than 13-15sec to get stars as points. Otherwise I need to use a star-tracker. I also don't need to shoot a pano ;-)
But on the other hand 20mm/1.8 is a very good lens with a 77mm filter thread what is very convenient, because many lens have 77mm.
Both are very good lenses! It is not easy to pick the one. I think you need to think over what you are going to shoot with that and where. So, astro photography - where? By equator or not? Will you walk with backpack? 20/1.8 is lighter. Or do you need a versatility of zoom? And more wide-angle?
 
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ElenaH said:
I would definitely buy 14-24/2.8 because it is wider. I take astro-photos in Africa normally and there 20mm is too long, IMO. I cannot use more than 13-15sec to get stars as points. Otherwise I need to use a star-tracker. I also don't need to shoot a pano ;-)
But on the other hand 20mm/1.8 is a very good lens with a 77mm filter thread what is very convenient, because many lens have 77mm.
Both are very good lenses! It is not easy to pick the one. I think you need to think over what you are going to shoot with that and where. So, astro photography - where? By equator or not? Will you walk with backpack? 20/1.8 is lighter. Or do you need a versatility of zoom? And more wide-angle?
Click to expand...
Thanks Elena! As a person who rarely shoots astro-photography, not sure what I will shoot! The lighter weight of the 20mm is very appealing even though I probably wouldn't hike with it, it is just easier to add to my travel gear. And its ability to gather more light was appealing though did prefer the wider 14-24 lens. Hence my question about what you would choose as a person with lots of experience in astro-photography.
 
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MikeA said:
Wow Elena - beautiful 😍 and with the comet
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Thank you, Mike! To be honest I haven't realised during the shooting that there was a comet! I saw it later by processing the pictures. Otherwise I would position a bit differntly trying to bring it into the first picture, too. So, I wasn't really prepared ;-) Now I bought a book about stars at Southern Hemisphere ;-) Do you know how long the comet will be seen? weeks? Months? Years?
 
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ElenaH said:
Thank you, Mike! To be honest I haven't realised during the shooting that there was a comet! I saw it later by processing the pictures. Otherwise I would position a bit differntly trying to bring it into the first picture, too. So, I wasn't really prepared ;-) Now I bought a book about stars at Southern Hemisphere ;-) Do you know how long the comet will be seen? weeks? Months? Years?
Click to expand...
Normally, really bright comets like these are seldom and they have to be in an orbit near earth in order to be seen with the naked eye. Then they move out into space again and you would need a telescope to see or photograph them. I believe the comet from your picture is probably C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) and you took your picture in October? It then moved into the Northern Hemisphere, where I could also bag a shot. It was a bright object in the sky for about a week here, then dimmed quickly as it moved away from earth again.

Komet Klein.jpg
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ricardo00 said:
And its ability to gather more light was appealing though did prefer the wider 14-24 lens. Hence my question about what you would choose as a person with lots of experience in astro-photography.
Click to expand...
Actually, I don't have much experience in astro-photography but just an occasional shooter ;-) I just take an opportunity provided by Afican skies without light pollution. And this is also what you need to consider. You need to know where you are going to shoot and how you will get there. If you are from US, Australia or Africa then it can be easier to find a place without light pollution. But if you are in Europe you need perhaps go to the mountains...
For astro-photography we don#t even need a AF lens. I had a look at some but Nkon 20/1.8 and 14-24/2.8 are just of a better image quality! I always read reviews or look at pictures of particular lens (fo example in Flickr there are groups per lens - you can check how the pictures look like) And where I need to pay 500-900€ I cann also add more and buy the Nikon lens. And will be definitely happy.
Z 14-24/2.8 is almost the same weight like my Sigma 24/1.4 ! So, they both 14-24 and 20/1.8 are relatively light. I like 14mm because I want to be faster ready with shooting and don't want to take panoramas becasue it takes more time. As I said I do take photos in Africa and there are a lot of wild animals and I need to stay without light for some time ... It is a feeling that someone is behind your back ... 😅
Look at this channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nightscapeimages.richard
Richard Tatti has is shooting with 20/1.8 as far as I know. It is a god channel to learn.
 
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MikeA said:
Then they move out into space again and you would need a telescope to see or photograph them. I believe the comet from your picture is probably C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) and you took your picture in October?
Click to expand...
WoW! great! I am very impressed with your knowledge! You even found the name of it! C/2023
Yes, I took pictures in October, There is the other post of me with pictures of the other campsie in Mabuasehube. There is also that comet.
Now when I am reading it I think I must have been more concentrated on nightscape shots than on lions shots!! Because lions are not so rarity! But that comet was a big opportunity to see and photograph! And I even didn't check for special occasions! :-(
It will not come back, right? It is not making turns aroung the sun, right? It is already gone from a solar system?
 
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ElenaH said:
WoW! great! I am very impressed with your knowledge! You even found the name of it! C/2023
Yes, I took pictures in October, There is the other post of me with pictures of the other campsie in Mabuasehube. There is also that comet.
Now when I am reading it I think I must have been more concentrated on nightscape shots than on lions shots!! Because lions are not so rarity! But that comet was a big opportunity to see and photograph! And I even didn't check for special occasions! :-(
It will not come back, right? It is not making turns aroung the sun, right? It is already gone from a solar system?
Click to expand...
Yes, it is very far away already and I think it will return again in something like > 70.000 years if I remember correctly, so it is in an elliptical orbit.
 
Member's gallery
ElenaH said:
I had two astro-lenses for my Africa trip. One was a older Sigma 24/1.4 F-Mount and the other was Zeiss Batis 18/2.8 for Sony E, which I used with Magadap adapter on Nikon Z. I always wanted to buy Z 14-24/2.8 but then decided to work with what I have...
And I had those two.
24/1.4 is a sharp lens but it is too long for Astro-Photography in Africa. We were close to equator there and I must use shorter shutter speed to get the stars in focus. Sometimes I shoot a few photos for pano but I am not really patient for that especially when lions are not far away.
The Zeiss 18/2.8 gave me a better wide angle, I could get more in the picture. That lens is also very sharp and produced nice colours but it ate the battery of Z cameras even when they were switched off. I noticed it before I travelled to Africa. I don't know how to explain it. Something in combination of E-Mount Zeiss with OLED display and Megadap made the battery of Z9 camera empty. So, that meant I need to be quickly with that lens as well (so, independently of lions ;-)

The campsite lies at Lesholoago pan in Mabuasehube region of Kgalaagadi Transfrontieer Park, in its Botswana's part. There are two campsites at the pan but the other one was empty. The next campsite is approximately 25km away at the other pan and could be also empty... So, somehow you are in nowhere. There was also no water. It was a waterhole in the pan but it was dry. The campsite didn't have any water.

D850 with Sigma 24/1.4 and xeon torch to lighten the tree:

View attachment 101835

Reed Enhancer and Double Fog filters:

View attachment 101836

Zeiss Batis:

View attachment 101837

View attachment 101838
Click to expand...
Elena….In looking at these spectacular images my eye is drawn to the upper corners (and every one in the sky) and I am seeing the stars as they should be…bright dots, not blobs Which I think is called “coma”…? That Zeiss lens must have an aspherical element(s) to deliver this amazing image… Wow!🤩
 
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