Photography 500 Rule: An Easy to Understand Explanation
The “Photography 500 Rule” is a guideline that many photographers use to determine the appropriate shutter speed when taking photos of the night sky.
The rule states that to avoid star trails in a photo, you should use a shutter speed no longer than 500 divided by the focal length of the lens. While this rule may seem simple, understanding its implications and how to apply it in real-world scenarios can be tricky.
In this article, we will break down the 500 rule and provide an easy-to-understand explanation of how to use it in your own photography. We will also explore some of the variables that can affect the rule’s applicability and some tips and tricks for getting the most out of your night sky photos.
Whether you’re an experienced photographer looking to improve your night sky shots or a beginner looking to take your first steps into this exciting genre, this article will provide a valuable resource to help you achieve great results.
Table of Contents
Why It's Important to Understand the Photography 500 Rule
There are 5 key reasons why it’s important for photographers to understand the photography 500 rule when taking photos of the night sky:
The 500 rule can help photographers avoid star trails: One of the main challenges of night sky photography is that the stars appear as streaks in a photo if the shutter is open for too long. By understanding the photography 500 rule and using it to determine the appropriate shutter speed, photographers can avoid star trails and take more attractive photos of the night sky.
The photography 500 rule can help photographers make the most of their equipment: Night sky photography requires the use of fast lenses and high ISO settings. However, these settings can also produce noise in the image. Using the 500 rule can help photographers balance their shutter speed, ISO and aperture to get the best possible image.
The 500 rule can help photographers plan their shoots: Knowing the appropriate shutter speed to use when taking a photo of the night sky can help photographers plan their shoots and make the most of the conditions.
It help photographers to achieve the creative look they want: some photographer may be looking for the star trails effect, in this case they will need to use longer exposure times than the photography 500 rule suggests, understanding the rule give the photographer an idea of what the final result will look like and help the photographer to achieve the creative look they want.
Lastly, understanding the 500 rule is simply a basic knowledge for any night sky photographer and it could be a good starting point to understand how to take good pictures of the night sky and how to play with camera settings to achieve the desired effect, then photographers can experiment and find their own style.
The Photography 500 Rule Explained
The photography 500 rule is a guideline that can help you determine the appropriate shutter speed to use when taking a photo of the night sky.
It’s based on the idea that the earth is rotating, so as the stars move across the sky, they will appear as streaks in a photo if the shutter is open for too long. The 500 rule helps you determine how long you can keep the shutter open before the stars begin to streak.
To use the rule, you simply divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. For example, if you’re using a 50mm lens, you would use a shutter speed of no longer than 10 seconds (500 / 50 = 10). If you’re using a 20mm lens, you should use a shutter speed of no longer than 25 seconds (500 / 20 = 25).
For crop sensor camera, you need to multiply the crop factor (1.5x, 1.6x, 2x etc) and divide the result by focal length. For instance, if you are using a 20mm lens on a 1.6x crop camera, you should use a shutter speed of no longer than 15.6 seconds (500 / (20*1.6) = 15.6)
It’s important to note that the photography 500 rule is a rough guideline and that the exact shutter speed you should use may vary depending on the specific conditions of your shot and your own preferences.
For example, if you’re taking a photo of a bright object like the Milky Way, you may be able to use a longer shutter speed than what the 500 rule suggests without getting star trails. On the other hand, if you’re taking a photo of a dimmer object like a galaxy, you may need to use a shorter shutter speed to avoid star trails.
Another important aspect is the ISO setting, because the higher the iso, the more noise there will be in the photo, so it’s a trade off between iso, shutter speed and aperture.
It’s also worth mentioning that if you want to capture the star trails, instead of avoiding them, you need to use a longer shutter speed, usually around 20-30 minutes. This is a different technique called “startrails” and different from the 500 rule for avoiding star trails.
In summary, the 500 rule is a useful tool for night sky photography to get the appropriate shutter speed to avoid star trails, but it’s not the only thing to consider, and as always, practice, experimentation, and learning your gear will help you achieve the best results.
Additional Resources
Here are a few articles that are sure to be very helpful for anyone interested in astrophotography:
Best Nikon Camera for Astrophotography and Best Nikon Lenses for Astrophotography
Best Canon Lenses for Astrophotography
Check out our Gear page to read more articles just like this with up-to-date product reviews for gear across all photography genres.