Switched from a wide angle lens to a telephoto for sky watching and it totally changed things

I spent months using my 14mm lens to try and capture UFOs or weird lights in the night sky. Everything looked like tiny dots and I never got any clear detail. Last week I borrowed a buddy's 200mm telephoto and pointed it at the same area near Flagstaff where I usually see flickering lights. The difference was night and day - I actually caught a structured craft with blinking lights that moved in a way no plane or drone could. I'm saving up for my own telephoto now. Has anyone else had better luck with different camera gear for spotting things?

3 comments

3 Comments

marydavis1mo ago

The 200mm totally changed my night shots too, way more detail.

the_tessa1mo ago

I saw this video from a landscape photographer who tested the 200mm against a 70-200 zoom at night and the difference was insane. The primes just pull in so much more light at f2.8 vs the zoom at f4 or f5.6 when you're stopping down. He showed side by side shots of a lighthouse at like 1am and the 200mm had this clean detail on the rocks while the zoom looked muddy. I've been debating renting one for a trip to the desert since moonlit landscapes are my thing now.

riverdavis1mo ago

Oh man, that video sounds familiar. I think I watched the same one, the lighthouse comparison really stuck with me too. I had a similar moment when I borrowed a 200mm f2 from a friend for a weekend and took it out to this old pier at like 2am. The difference in clarity and how the moonlight just popped on the wood compared to my 70-200 zoom was honestly shocking. The prime just doesn't fight you the same way, especially with the extra light stops. I've been saving up for one ever since, really glad that video is out there convincing people.