Shoot the stars: The best gear for night sky photography

拍摄星星：夜空摄影的最佳装备

We’re witnessing a surge in the popularity of astrophotography, with Gen Z and beyond embracing the hobby as never before, but it comes with a steep learning curve. As the sun goes down and the stars come out, the familiar rules of photography radically change. Those comfortable with staying on auto in daylight are suddenly faced with manual settings and long exposures, an obsession with staying in focus and a subject — the night sky — that’s constantly in motion.

我们正目睹天文摄影热潮的兴起，Z世代及更年轻的一代正以前所未有的热情投入这项爱好，但其学习曲线颇为陡峭。当太阳落山、繁星显现时，熟悉的摄影规则便彻底改变。那些在白天习惯于使用自动模式的人，突然要面对手动设置、长时间曝光、对保持对焦的执着，以及一个不断移动的拍摄对象——夜空。

Astrophotography is not a single technique but many, ranging from simple tripod-mounted nightscapes — where at least the usual rules of composition apply — to highly technical deep-sky imaging rigs using telescopes. Some approaches to astrophotography emphasize simplicity and portability, while others reward patience and precision. Knowing which approach will suit you best depends on what you want to photograph, how much gear you’re willing to carry and how much time you want to spend learning.

天文摄影并非单一技术，而是多种技术的统称，从简单的三脚架固定式星空摄影——至少常规的构图法则在此适用——到使用望远镜的高度技术性深空成像设备。有些天文摄影方法强调简洁和便携性，而另一些则回报以耐心和精准度。了解哪种方法最适合你，取决于你想拍摄什么、愿意携带多少装备，以及你愿意花多少时间学习。

Here are five common ways to shoot astrophotography, followed by a practical guide to getting started with any mirrorless or DSLR camera.

这里有五种拍摄天体摄影的常见方法，接下来是一个实用的指南，让你开始使用任何无反光镜或DSLR相机。

If you want to dip your toe into the world of wide-field astrophotography, begin with the device you already have. Flagship smartphones have quietly become capable of astrophotography, with ‘night modes’ often excelling at revealing stars, the Milky Way and aurora. For the latter, often viewed in icy conditions, a smartphone can produce excellent results without the painful setup of more complex photography equipment.

如果你想涉足广域天文摄影的世界，不妨从你已经拥有的设备开始。旗舰智能手机已悄然具备天文摄影能力，其“夜景模式”通常在呈现星空、银河和极光方面表现出色。对于经常在严寒条件下观测的极光摄影，智能手机无需复杂摄影设备那繁琐的设置过程，就能拍出极佳的效果。

If you use one of the best camera phones for astrophotography at night, always shoot in RAW if that’s an option, and know that you’ll be limited by a relatively small sensor and a fixed lens. It’s also highly recommended to find a universal smartphone clamp and a tripod, which will massively improve results, though few smartphone users ever do this. Smartphones offer a surprisingly capable starting point for astrophotography, and serve as a reminder that the hobby is at least as much about technique as it is about equipment.

If you use one of the best camera phones for astrophotography at night, always shoot in RAW if that’s an option, and know that you’ll be limited by a relatively small sensor and a fixed lens. It’s also highly recommended to find a universal smartphone clamp and a tripod, which will massively improve results, though few smartphone users ever do this. Smartphones offer a surprisingly capable starting point for astrophotography, and serve as a reminder that the hobby is at least as much about technique as it is about equipment.

This is where most astrophotographers begin, and it remains one of the most versatile and rewarding approaches. With one of the best cameras for astrophotography, whether that's a mirrorless or DSLR camera, a wide-angle lens on its widest aperture and a sturdy tripod, you can photograph starry skies and, if you get the timing right, the Milky Way (generally April through September).

这是大多数天文摄影师开始的地方，它仍然是最通用和最有益的方法之一。有了天文摄影的最佳相机之一，无论是无反光镜相机还是DSLR相机，最宽光圈的广角镜头和坚固的三脚架，你可以拍摄星空，如果时机合适，还可以拍摄银河系（通常是4月至9月）。

Since Earth rotates, the time you can expose for is limited to 25-30 seconds (the wider your lens, the longer), but it’s possible to get some exquisite shots. It’s wise to emphasize composition, pairing the sky with a landscape, foreground interest or city skyline — and to always shoot in RAW to make post-processing easier — but once you’ve mastered the basics, the same techniques will allow you to image aurora and even meteor showers.

由于地球自转，你可以曝光的时间被限制在25-30秒（你的镜头越宽，时间越长），但有可能拍出一些精致的照片。明智的做法是强调构图，将天空与风景、前景或城市天际线配对——并始终以RAW拍摄以使后期处理更容易——但一旦你掌握了基础知识，同样的技术将允许你拍摄极光甚至流星雨。

Once you’ve learned the fundamentals of night-sky photography, you can begin experimenting with specialist equipment — and it’s one of the best star trackers that is often the first significant upgrade for astrophotographers.

一旦你学会了夜空摄影的基础知识，你就可以开始尝试专业设备了——这是最好的恒星跟踪器之一，通常是天文摄影师的第一次重大升级。

Compact motorized mounts that rotate in sync with the sky to compensate for Earth’s rotation, star trackers allow much longer exposures without star trailing. That means brighter, more colorful stars and much more light and detail from faint objects, such as the Milky Way and nearby nebulae. Exposure times can stretch to minutes, and ISO can be lowered to create cleaner images that allow much more post-processing. Sounds simple? Unfortunately, it’s not, with polar alignment required before you begin shooting, which can be challenging in the Northern Hemisphere if you don’t know where Polaris, the North Star, is (and even harder in the Southern Hemisphere, where there is no South Star). However, with a bit of practice, these fairly portable (though often heavy) contraptions bridge the gap between casual night photography and more serious astrophotography.

如果您在夜间使用最佳的天文摄影拍照手机，请务必在可用的情况下选择RAW格式拍摄，并意识到您将受限于相对较小的传感器和固定镜头。强烈建议您配备一个通用手机夹和三脚架，这将大幅提升拍摄效果，尽管很少有手机用户会这样做。智能手机为天文摄影提供了一个出乎意料地强大的起点，同时也提醒我们，这项爱好与其说关乎设备，不如说同样关乎技术。

These all-in-one systems — which can be as small and portable as a camera body — combine a small telescope, an image sensor, filters, a motorized mount and image-processing software into a single unit controlled by a smartphone or tablet.

这些一体化系统可以像相机机身一样小巧便携，将小型望远镜、图像传感器、滤镜、电动支架和图像处理软件结合到一个由智能手机或平板电脑控制的单元中。

Rather than taking a single long exposure, smart telescopes capture many short exposures and automatically stack them to reduce noise and increase detail and color, gradually revealing a color image of a galaxy, nebula, star cluster or the moon and sun (planets are largely beyond their skill).

与拍摄单次长时间曝光不同，智能望远镜会捕捉多次短曝光，并自动将它们叠加，以减少噪点、增加细节和色彩，逐步呈现出星系、星云、星团或日月（行星在很大程度上超出了它们的能力范围）的彩色图像。

Alignment, tracking and processing are automatic, making them so easy to use. Some are so small that they are ideal travel gadgets. However, their stacking and filters make them perfect for revealing deep-sky objects from light-polluted cities and suburbs, where astrophotographers are often left frustrated.

对准、跟踪和处理都是自动完成的，这使得它们非常易于使用。有些型号非常小巧，是理想的旅行设备。然而，它们的叠加技术和滤镜使其非常适合在光污染严重的城市和郊区呈现深空天体——这些地方常常让天文摄影师感到沮丧。

For beginners who want results quickly, or observers short on time, smart telescopes can be an effective solution — but creative control is mostly sacrificed.

对于想要快速获得结果的初学者或时间紧迫的观察者来说，智能望远镜可能是一个有效的解决方案——但创造性的控制大多被牺牲了。

If you want complete creative control and the ability to shoot exquisite images of deep-sky objects, arm yourself with a telescope, an astronomy camera and a laptop — then find dark skies and hope for favorable weather. With a camera attached directly to a telescope, small, faint objects — such as distant galaxies and planetary nebulae — come into view, though the equipment required can be daunting. As well as choosing a telescope, these setups typically involve an equatorial mount, guiding systems, filters and specialist software. They reward patience and careful planning with highly detailed images, but demand significant time, money and technical knowledge.

如果你想要完全的控制权，并能够拍摄精美的深空天体图像，那就需要配备望远镜、天文相机和笔记本电脑——然后找到黑暗的天空，并祈盼有利的天气。当相机直接连接到望远镜上时，遥远星系和行星状星云等小而暗淡的天体便会进入视野，尽管所需的设备可能令人望而生畏。除了选择望远镜，这类设置通常还涉及赤道仪、导星系统、滤镜和专业软件。它们以高度精细的图像回报耐心和周密计划，但需要投入大量的时间、金钱和技术知识。

With the right settings and a little patience, almost any mirrorless camera can capture the night sky — but mastering its basics takes a bit of patience. Start by switching to manual mode and shooting in RAW.

有了正确的设置和一点耐心，几乎任何无反光镜相机都可以捕捉夜空——但掌握它的基础知识需要一点耐心。首先切换到手动模式，用RAW拍摄。

Armed with one of the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astro (14mm to 24mm are favored), put the camera on a tripod (use the camera’s self-timer, a shutter release cable or an intervalometer to reduce vibrations) and set the lens to the widest possible aperture — usually between f/1.4 and f/2.8 — and focus manually on a star or a distant light using live view, zooming in until it appears as small and sharp as possible.

配备一台最佳天文摄影相机和最佳天文摄影镜头（焦距14mm至24mm为佳），将相机置于三脚架上（使用相机的自拍定时器、快门线或定时快门遥控器以减少震动），将镜头调至最大光圈——通常在f/1.4至f/2.8之间——并使用实时显示功能手动对焦到一颗恒星或远处的灯光上，放大直至图像尽可能小而清晰。

Now comes the fun part — finding a balance between ISO and shutter speed. A good place to start is ISO 800 (for the cleanest possible shots), but depending on your camera, you can go way higher, beyond ISO 6400 on newer models. Shutter speeds typically range from 10 to 25 seconds when using wide-angle lenses, depending on focal length (longer lenses require shorter exposures to avoid star trailing).

现在进入有趣的环节——在ISO和快门速度之间找到平衡。一个好的起点是ISO 800（以获得尽可能纯净的画面），但根据你的相机，你可以设置得更高，在新款机型上甚至可超过ISO 6400。使用广角镜头时，快门速度通常在10到25秒之间，具体取决于焦距（较长的镜头需要较短的曝光以避免星星拖尾）。

Once you’ve found the ideal settings, you can move the rig around as you search for the perfect composition, remembering that images of stars are rather dull — it’s a fabulous foreground that you need for a great shot. Think of a starry sky around a building, a mountain or a tree.

一旦找到理想设置，你就可以在寻找完美构图时移动设备，但要记住，单纯星星的图像是相当乏味的——一张出色的照片需要精彩的前景。想一想建筑物、山脉或树木周围的星空。

Astrophotography doesn’t need to mean a complex, expensive setup that’s only good for one thing. For photographers who want one kit that works day and night, a mirrorless camera, a fast wide-angle lens and a tripod form an excellent hybrid setup that’s inexpensive and portable. When you’ve mastered the basics, progress to a star tracker and gradually progress into deeper astrophotography without abandoning everyday shooting.

天文摄影不一定意味着复杂、昂贵且仅适用于单一用途的设备。对于那些希望拥有一套昼夜皆宜的设备的摄影师来说，一台无反相机、一个快速广角镜头和一个三脚架构成了一套出色的混合配置，既经济又便携。当你掌握了基础之后，可以升级到星野赤道仪，在不放弃日常拍摄的情况下逐步进入更深层次的天文摄影领域。

Whether you start with a smartphone, a tripod-mounted camera or a smart telescope, the ingredients of great astrophotography never change — dark skies, patience, composition and time spent practicing under the stars.

无论你是从智能手机、三脚架相机还是智能望远镜开始，伟大的天文摄影的要素永远不会改变——黑暗的天空、耐心、构图和在星空下练习的时间。