How do I switch Viewfinder Info Light off?

[Horoscope Fish]

But of course, investment is needed when you are up against the barriers, and with astro work there are time constraints, with modern Nikon lenses there are aperture constraints, and with digital work there are sensor constraints. I really need a full frame camera with better low light (eg D750) but first I shall get a brighter lens which will also work on my DX camera until I can afford the FX model.

You might try posting in the Low Light & Night Photography sub-forum. I have a friend who posts there semi-regularly who uses a D7000 and gets some pretty amazing shots. He's using a 6" reflector scope as well so there's that, but he also does exposures that last two or three MINUTES at a time. My overarching point being, posting the Low-Light & Night sub-forum might get you better answers.
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[Basilisk]

Can you show us an unedited image with exif in it please.

Not exactly the same shot but one taken very soon after with identical settings:



This one is probably one stop underexposed as the light was fading fast and I was aiming to get detail in the surface of the ice with the reeds as a curtain silhouette. I was NOT trying to get detail in the shadows but wanted them to remain black.

EXIF: 1/30s f/3.5 ISO 800 Hand held

 

[Basilisk]

You might try posting in the Low Light & Night Photography sub-forum. I have a friend who posts there semi-regularly who uses a D7000 and gets some pretty amazing shots. He's using a 6" reflector scope as well so there's that, but he also does exposures that last two or three MINUTES at a time. My overarching point being, posting the Low-Light & Night sub-forum might get you better answers.
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Thanks for that. It's not so much my astroscape technique I was asking about, more the technical question about how to switch the Viewfinder Info off. Since it appears that cannot be done my question has been answered. Do I need to mark something somewhere so people know I am OK with the answer so far? I've been shooting astroscapes for a couple of years now and at the camera settings end of things I'm fairly OK. It's probably my post processing that needs improving.

 

[Basilisk]

This is what I was aiming for (same EXIF settings):

 

[Scott Murray]

Well looking at those last images I would say that you pulled the blacks up too much which caused the colour cast. I also would recommend covering the eye piece on your camera during long exposures to prevent light leakage.

 

[Basilisk]

Well looking at those last images I would say that you pulled the blacks up too much which caused the colour cast. I also would recommend covering the eye piece on your camera during long exposures to prevent light leakage.

Not sure what you mean by "pulled the blacks up too much"?

With astroscape work (ie landscapes with stars, as opposed to close ups of distant constellations) most photographers usually add two or three stops exposure in post, I had assumed that doing this then showed the internal light leakage from the internal Viewfinder Display and wanted to know if it could be switched off. Now the consensus appears to be that it is a sensor issue or light leakage on long exposures. Logically, if it also occurs with short exposures the light leakage theory is less likely since the amount of degradation is the same, if it was light leakage a 30sec exposure would have 60 times as much of an effect as a 1/30 sec exposure, but they are the same. This then points to it being a sensor issue - either an inbuilt inability, or a fault.

 

[Scott Murray]

Not sure what you mean by "pulled the blacks up too much"?

With astroscape work (ie landscapes with stars, as opposed to close ups of distant constellations) most photographers usually add two or three stops exposure in post,

I know this as I too do Astrophotography... But bringing the exposure up too much will cause this magenta colour cast.

 

[480sparky]

Have you tried taking a long exposure (using the same settings as your 'problem' image) with the lens cap on? Do you still get the same magenta banding? What happens to the black image when you apply the same post-processing to it?

 

[Basilisk]

I know this as I too do Astrophotography... But bringing the exposure up too much will cause this magenta colour cast.

That's good to know. In your experience how many stops does it take before you suffer from it?