Flamingo Bay Milky Way

[Don Lacy]

Had a chance to play around with the new Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art lens the other night along with some new LCD light panels. I really liked the lens ( to bad my friend has to send it back to Sigma soon)the 1.4 aperture allowed me to shoot at ISO 3200 with a 15s exposure but it did have some coma issues along with vignetting but I ended up cropping this so its not really evident here. The new light panels are going to take some time to learn how to properly light the scene but they are so much easier then trying to light paint. Anyway the image was made at Flamingo Bay in the Everglades and the light s on the horizon are a mixture of buoys and boats.

Canon 6D, 20mm Sigma f/1.4 Art, 15s at f/1.4, ISO 3200.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Don, I like what you created with the lighting panels. I have not yet tried this but want to give a whirl soon. What size lighting panels are you using? I have a couple of smaller LED lighting panels that I use for night video of frogs but not sure if they are large enough for nightscapes.

[Don Lacy]

Hi Andrew here are the panels I am using https://www.amazon.com/Dimmable-Digital-Camcorder-Panasonic-Samsung/dp/B004TJ6JH6/ref=sr_1_3?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1483648998&sr=1-3&keywords=Neewer+160 and here is a website on lowlevel lighting for MW images http://lowlevellighting.org. Ithink you might be able to use your current panels if you can dim or diffused the light.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Thanks Don...it looks like I am all set because that light panel is one of the ones I own :)

[Adhika Lie]

The use of the low level lighting technique is exceptional, Don. So much more natural looking than the light painting result. Did you get a good copy of the 20/1.4ART? Sigma needs to have a better quality control on their ART line, I think. The lenses in their ART line is truly exceptional when you get a good copy.

[Don Lacy]

The use of the low level lighting technique is exceptional, Don. So much more natural looking than the light painting result. Did you get a good copy of the 20/1.4ART? Sigma needs to have a better quality control on their ART line, I think. The lenses in their ART line is truly exceptional when you get a good copy.
Wasn't my lens it was on loan from Sigma to a friend on mines to test. I really liked it the build quality was on par with my L glass and the contrast and color were really nice. The thing with Sigma lenses is you really need to buy the dock and fine tune them to the camera.

[Adhika Lie]

It's true. The dock is very important for this line. But the variation that I have seen has something to do with coma and element misalignments. The trick has been to exchange for a new copy until you are happy with it.

[Don Railton]

Hi Guys

Don, I agree the Fg lighting is very consistent and this is telling me I need to buy even more gear..(Sigh, currently have the 6D2 under consideration..) The image has beautiful colour in the sky. Dont understand the term "dock" or "buy the dock". Does this mean try all copies of the lens in the shop?

DON

[Don Lacy]

Hi Guys

Don, I agree the Fg lighting is very consistent and this is telling me I need to buy even more gear..(Sigh, currently have the 6D2 under consideration..) The image has beautiful colour in the sky. Dont understand the term "dock" or "buy the dock". Does this mean try all copies of the lens in the shop?

DON
Sigma has dock for their lenses to help calibrate them https://www.sigmaphoto.com/sigma-usb-dock

[Don Railton]

Thanks Don..