Skip to main content

DSLR Star Trails Calculator for Android Promo Video (K-7 at 720p)

I just made a second promo video for an Android application called DSLR Star Trails Calculator that I just completed yesterday. It’s a simple yet useful application to give estimates on how to avoid or gain star trails in photos. This application is under my personal business of sorts with a focus on photography. I’ve been wanting to make simple but useful applications that I can utilize in the field to get the shots I want to make.


The promo video on YouTube.

This was taken with the K-7 at 1536×1024 in 30fps mode (My K-5 is being serviced). That’s one of the reasons I love blogging because I make tutorials like that, which allows me to just follow my previous directions to get a result I’m after. If I had not written down directions I probably would have spend extra time on this video trying to remember what the specific steps were. Even if you don’t write for a blog like I do, you should start writing down important processes somewhere. It helps you stay consistent and improves your efficiency in the long run.

Here is the application’s description:
Calculate to avoid or gain star trails with your tripod and DSLR camera. Are you interested in having a helping hand when doing astrophotography with a stationary tripod and DSLR camera? This application can help you calculate estimated maximum exposure times to avoid star trails without the need for a tracking mount. It also has a calculator that you can use for creating star trail photographs by giving you an estimation of how long the trails will be in pixels given inputs about your camera, lens, and exposure time. The three calculators range from a simple two input calculator to one for advanced astrophotography camera users. Also included are some tips and help screens to improve your understanding of the process and to describe each required input for the calculators. This application does not use any advanced features like Internet, so you don’t need to worry about the safety of your personal information. It’s simple, yet does exactly what you need. Here is to amazing astro-photos on a budget!

This time with the kdenlive video editing program, I had to use the 720p at 30fps profile. The program automatically resized the source video to fit within the profile format. For whatever reason I could not figure out how to make a video project in the program that would use the odd video size of 1536×1024 that the K-7 has in maximum quality mode. In retrospect it is probably better to use a standard aspect ratio of 720p to minimize any issues with sites like Youtube.

Edit: the video was updated, so I just used a Kdenlive title that can be semi transparent.

For my logo and application name overlay I used bright fuschia (R: 255, G: 0, B: 255) as the key color, which seems to work a bit better than blue or green.

The promo images I used on the Google Android page were taken last year when I was using my 10-17mm Fisheye lens to do some simple astrophotography of which I also wrote an article on in the past.

Popular posts from this blog

Nikon Z5ii Announced and My Thoughts vs the Original Z5

The Nikon Z5ii was announced recently. I haven't actually used this new camera myself, so keep that in mind. This is going to be mostly me looking at the specs and comparing it to the original Nikon Z5, which I've been using for a few years now. Check out the full video on YouTube:   The original Nikon Z5 camera. Overall, the original Z5 isn't a bad camera. I've gotten it to a point where it works how I want it to and it's reliable for what I do.  My main use case is often anime and comic conventions, going there and taking photos of people in cosplay. I usually use the 40mm f/2 lens on the Z5, and it works well for that.  First-person view using the Nikon Z5 at an anime convention. Nikon Z5ii vs Z5: The Spec Sheet Comparison  Nikon has a handy comparison section on their Z5ii page, so let's break down some key differences based on that and my experience with the original. Nikon's website comparing the Z5ii and the original Z5 specifications. First up, the ...

EF-M Sigma 56mm vs. Viltrox 56mm

I was curious how the two native Canon EF-M 56mm f/1.4 lenses compared. Is one better in image quality or features than the other? At least right now there is a significant price difference between the two. Check out the embedded video to see how it goes!  Sigma and Viltrox 56mm lenses Check out the YouTube video here : Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Canon EF-M: B&H: https://bhpho.to/3bNQUjk Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cC8pUb ebay: http://ebay.us/5Q3NxW Used on KEH: https://shrsl.com/2b947 Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 AF lens for Canon EF-M: Amazon: https://amzn.to/39sl5Pa B&H: https://bhpho.to/3nXMoF0 ebay: http://ebay.us/b4IRWE As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!  Here are the notes I wrote up while compiling data and deciding what I should mention in the video. Physical properties of the lens: The Sigma lens is shorter but thicker than the Viltrox.   Weight is 280g for the Sigma and 290g for the Viltrox. Sigma: 66.5mm x 59.5m...

Brightin Star 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro Lens Overview

In this article, I'm going to go over my experience using the Brightin Star 60mm f/2.8 2:1 macro lens. Brightin Star sent me this lens based on my collaboration terms . They had no say in the article or videos I've produced and have not previewed anything before publishing it.  The full video I produced about the lens: Build Quality The lens in hand. The Brightin Star 60mm f/2.8 lens feels solid. It features an all-metal casing, including a metal mount, which gives it a weighty feel in hand. This is a completely manual lens, meaning the aperture and focus are both mechanical. You won't get any electronic data transferred to your camera, which is generally fine for macro lenses since you'll typically be using manual focus anyway. However, not having any EXIF for aperture settings saved in the camera is something to consider.  The metal mount with no electrical contacts. The aperture ring is smooth with no clicks, which is useful for video situations. But for photography,...