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<blockquote data-quote="WayneF" data-source="post: 495823" data-attributes="member: 12496">There are three ways to do the long exposure of star trails.Bulb shutter for a very long time.&nbsp; 3 hours is often suggested (1/4 of a hemisphere revolution).&nbsp;&nbsp; However, if the battery should run down during this long exposure, I'm not at all sure that the image can get saved then (if the battery quits).&nbsp; It possibly may not work then, unless you are able to stop it before the battery goes? Or the shutdown firmware could know to save the image first? The camera OFF button does know that, maybe it is the same code?&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It could be a few stacked one hour exposures, with fresh batteries each time.&nbsp; You can watch the battery status meter while it runs.An interval timer, taking many 30 second images stacked.&nbsp; Your timer should do these intervals, there are several such knockoffs of the Nikon MC-36 timer, which it basically is.&nbsp; Important to realize 30 second shutter means 32 seconds actual though, so the interval must be 33 seconds (else you miss frames and get trail gaps).&nbsp; You will need software to stack them.Or just a simple remote cord with a holding slide switch on the button is all that is needed.&nbsp; Use maybe 30 second shutter with CL or CH continuous shutter.&nbsp; Use the cord slide switch to keep the cord button depressed, and it will continue taking pictures until you stop it, or the battery runs down.&nbsp; Simpler than the interval timer (but no automatic stopping point).I am not much into star trails (don't know much), but it is generally considered that there are noise improvements by stacking many images, because it sort of averages out much of the noise.There is some good info online...<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=star+trails+bulb+interval" target="_blank">star trails bulb interval - Google Search</a></blockquote>

[QUOTE="WayneF, post: 495823, member: 12496"] There are three ways to do the long exposure of star trails. Bulb shutter for a very long time. 3 hours is often suggested (1/4 of a hemisphere revolution). However, if the battery should run down during this long exposure, I'm not at all sure that the image can get saved then (if the battery quits). It possibly may not work then, unless you are able to stop it before the battery goes? Or the shutdown firmware could know to save the image first? The camera OFF button does know that, maybe it is the same code? It could be a few stacked one hour exposures, with fresh batteries each time. You can watch the battery status meter while it runs. An interval timer, taking many 30 second images stacked. Your timer should do these intervals, there are several such knockoffs of the Nikon MC-36 timer, which it basically is. Important to realize 30 second shutter means 32 seconds actual though, so the interval must be 33 seconds (else you miss frames and get trail gaps). You will need software to stack them. Or just a simple remote cord with a holding slide switch on the button is all that is needed. Use maybe 30 second shutter with CL or CH continuous shutter. Use the cord slide switch to keep the cord button depressed, and it will continue taking pictures until you stop it, or the battery runs down. Simpler than the interval timer (but no automatic stopping point). I am not much into star trails (don't know much), but it is generally considered that there are noise improvements by stacking many images, because it sort of averages out much of the noise. There is some good info online... [URL="http://www.google.com/search?q=star+trails+bulb+interval"]star trails bulb interval - Google Search[/URL] [/QUOTE]

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