Best camera settings for night & astrophotography

Night photography is about gathering scarce light without ruining the shot. On a tripod you can use a long shutter and low ISO; for stars you balance a wide aperture, a high ISO, and a shutter short enough that the stars stay points.

Recommended settings

Mode: Manual

the camera's meter can't be trusted in the dark

Aperture: Wide (f/2.8) for stars; f/8 for cityscapes

stars need light; a lit city has plenty

Shutter (stars): 10–20s (the 500 rule)

longer and the stars trail into streaks

Shutter (city): Several seconds on a tripod

gathers light and smooths motion

ISO: 3200–6400 for stars; 100 for cityscapes

stars need amplification; a tripod lets cities stay clean

Focus: Manual, to infinity (or a bright star)

autofocus hunts and fails in the dark

Support: Tripod + timer / remote

any long exposure needs a steady camera

These are starting points. Want them dialed in for your exact camera and lens?Ask the coach →

Why these settings

There's very little light, so you spend a tripod and a long shutter first, keeping ISO low for a clean file. Stars are the exception: they move, so the shutter is capped (the '500 rule' — 500 ÷ focal length ≈ max seconds), which forces a wide aperture and high ISO to make up the light.

Beginner tip

Switch the lens to manual focus and set it to infinity before it gets fully dark — autofocus won't lock on a black sky.

Going further

For the Milky Way, shoot several frames and stack them to beat down noise, or use a star tracker to allow a longer, cleaner exposure.

Common mistakes

Leaving autofocus on and getting a whole card of soft frames.
Too long a star exposure, turning pin-point stars into trails.

FAQ

What is the 500 rule?

Divide 500 by your full-frame-equivalent focal length to get the longest shutter (in seconds) that keeps stars as points. At 20mm that's about 25 seconds.

What ISO for the Milky Way?

Usually ISO 3200–6400, paired with the widest aperture your lens has and a shutter set by the 500 rule. Stacking frames later cleans up the noise.

Learn more

shutter speed aperture iso noise reduction

Prefer a guided, gear-aware version? Open the night recipe →