Milky Way with reposts

After seeing Tim's snapshot, I almost didn't post this :). I attempted photographing the Milky Way last night with my 30D, and Sigma 17-70mm lens, ISO 1600 and 20 sec, 17mm, f/2.8. Noise is obviously the big issue here, but I don't know if the 30D can do better under normal shooting conditions. Any input would be appreciated.

I think you have done a great job here Rob. The small touch of land with the trees makes a nice comp. Wish I could help with some advice for the noise. About all I can offer is that: B&H Photo has the Nikon D700 body for $2,999.95.
Thanks for sharing.

Brad

Did you have in-camera noise reduction turned on? I know the 5d has it, and I believe the 30d has it as well, but I don't know whether it would help significantly under these circumstances. I know I've taken exposures up to a minute or two long with a lot less noise than this.

Was the image lightened considerably in post-processing, by any chance? That will sometimes make noise a lot more noticeable.

ISO 1600 is out of the range of most Canons at the moment - you will always have noise. I'm sure their next generation will be better. And yes, in-camera long-exposure noise reduction is a must for any camera - it makes a huge difference, but also costs you time (if you do a 60-minute exposure then the camera will take a second 60-minute exposure and you won't be able to use the camera at all during that time, plus you must have enough battery power to last for two hours). Randy is correct - you can't push up the exposure any in post without increasing noise - that is a killer (same is true for normal photos as well, although with 14-bit and 16-bit captures it is not nearly as bad as with 12-bit captures, which is what your Canon is doing). You have to give it enough exposure to begin with for the best results.

The main thing is - wasn't it fun to be out there shooting instead of sitting on the couch watching TV? And you will WOW most folks with this photo who don't have a clue what noise is!

Rob

What a great shot it makes me want to try the technique. Also all the additional comments add to the wider picture just what makes this forum such a great place.

Thank you for sharing.

Barry

Milford Kansas ( So pleased to be here)

Nice shot of the stars Rob, I went back and checked the metadata on a few shots I took with my 30d in the Grand Canyon last year and the good ones were at 1600iso with my lense wide open to f4, pretty much the same parameters you used on the above shot.

Thanks for the input guys. I did have in-camera noise reduction turned on for these, but I did also bump up the exposure during RAW processing. Tim, I'm hoping that the 50D will be much better and will be affordable when it comes out. It was a beautiful, calm night at the lake, so I couldn't resist going out. Much more fun than being at home in front of the TV/computer.

Here are 2 new takes on the scene. For both, I used TK's luminonsity masks to darken the background and bring out a bit more of the good stuff. The first is a redo of the original, with the exposure bumped up. For the second, I went back and reprocessed the RAW, with no exposure bump. Any comments/suggestions would again be appreciated.

the second redo

The final redo is getting quite nice Rob. About the only night time shots I've made were at the CSNP Spring Gathering in 2007. Glenn Carter and myself were shooting a full moon lit barn in the meadow near Lost Valley. I do like being able to see the Milky Way in the shots posted by you and Tim. Thanks!

The second one looks pretty dang good to me! I always find the different colored stars fascinating, and the Milky Way is beautiful. Very nice, Rob.

I can see why you lightened up the image, as it makes the Milky Way show up much better, but the noise is much less apparent in the darker one, and I think I like it better for that reason.