A night spent in the mountains. Looking up, you can see a starry sky full of sky that is rarely seen in the world below.
The "Startrail" photographs the trajectory of a slowly moving star, which is a technique that allows you to increase the time to open the shutter or stack hundreds of photos to create a single photo. Star Rapse and Star Rapse, which make video footage of the movement of stars, are very attractive, but shooting Star Rapse and Star Rapse on a SLR camera takes a huge amount of effort.
In order to shoot, you had to keep pressing the shutter in the cold air, but as time went by, technology has advanced, it has become possible to easily shoot "Startrail" and "Star Laps."
The Insta360 X4 is recommended for filming "Star Trail" and "Star Lapse." The Insta360 X4 is an action camera that can take 360 degrees, but it can take Star Rapse photos, and you can just press the button, with just simple settings. I couldn't help but get excited at how easy it was to shoot.
In this article, we will explain some very specific ways to shoot Starlapse using the Insta360 X4. If you follow this article, anyone can take a photo of the spectacular starry sky with just a button.
table of contents
- What you need for filming
- Specific ways to make your filming successful
- After shooting, the app will edit it with just a button.
- Summary: Even though the image quality is inferior to that of single-lens reflex cameras, the Insta360X4 is the best in terms of ease! It's sufficient to record it as a social media or as a memory
What you need for filming
The essential items you need when photographing a starry sky
- Insta360 X4
- tripod
- Smartphone (free app)
- Spare battery
- Headlamp
- Micro SD Card
Filming for "Star Trail" and "Star Lapse" takes a long time, so it's safer to have a spare battery and memory card.
The Insta360 X4 has a battery capacity of 2290mAh, and has an extra capacity than the X3. (According to the manufacturer's official website, 135 minutes of recording can be done at 5.7K30fps.) However, when shooting Star Trail or Star Lapse, you will need to take at least one hour, and at least three hours if long, so bring a spare battery with you.
You can put a spare micro SD card in the original battery case.
The longer the shooting time, the more data the more. The micro SD card is used for the Insta360 X4, and the capacity ranges from 32GB to 2TB depending on the manufacturer (the maximum capacity available on the Insta360 X4 is 1TB).
If you are thinking about shooting Star Trail, Star Lapse or video, you can rest assured that 128GB or more is the best, and I use a 256GB micro SD card. When shooting videos, it is recommended to choose a micro SD card with a speed class of V30 or higher in addition to the capacity.
A tripod is better
You can quickly deal with any problems by waiting beside the camera while filming, but as it will take a long time to take a picture, you may have to leave the camera (I wait in my tent or car while filming).
If that's the case, it's best to choose a tripod that is as solid as possible. Because this is a lightweight tripod, it is easy to fall over in strong winds, and you need to be careful. Use a tripod that has a firm opening and is highly stable.
Choosing a tripod can be a challenge when climbing and taking photos on the mountains. It is difficult to find the right answer to whether to maintain stability or focus on portability, and the highly stable tripod also becomes heavier, which increases the load when transporting. The Leofoto tripod has a good balance between portability and stability. It is lightweight, weighing less than 1kg, but is highly stable and recommended.
Specific ways to make your filming successful
- Find a location
- Check the age
- Check the direction at the location
- Insta360 X4 settings
- Filming begins
Step 1: The first step to avoid making mistakes when finding a suitable location for photography
Dark places are ideal for starry sky photography, such as "Star Trail" and "Star Laps."
Dark places here refer to places that are less affected by "city lights." We recommend remote areas of the city, deep mountains, high altitudes, highlands, and the sea.
Although the sea is recommended, some locations may be affected by city lights, so you need to be sure to find a place. To find a place that is not exposed to city lights (light pollution and light pollution), use a "light pollution map" or something similar to find a place that is as unaffected by light as possible.
Source: Japan Hikari Map
The photo shows a light pollution map in the Kanto region, but the blue location is less likely to be affected. Looking at this map, even in the metropolitan area, many areas are affected by city lights, and mountainous areas such as the Southern Alps, Northern Alps, Gunma and Niigata are the best places to take photos.
I also said that the sea is recommended, but although the southern part of the Izu Peninsula is less likely to be affected, there are many places along the coast of Boso Peninsula and Shizuoka that are yellow or red, making them not suitable for starry sky photography.
The first step to avoid making mistakes in stargazing is to find the perfect location by comparing light pollution maps with mountain climbing maps, Google Maps, etc.
First, try at a campsite or something
Since filming time for "Star Trail" and "Star Laps" is long, it is desirable to have a location that is less susceptible to city lights, and to have a long waiting time.
Climbing a mountain with less light pollution and shooting in places where there are no people coming, the best way to take photos is to take, but you must assume that you will be exposed to cold and wind during long filming in the mountains (this is quite harsh).
First, choose a place where you can spend time in your tent while filming or wait in your car.
We recommend campsites at high altitudes and highlands, as well as designated campsites for mountain climbing, away from the city center. It is possible to take starry sky photos in parking lots on the highlands, but as cars may pass through during filming, locations that are slightly distanced from the parking lot to the observation deck are suitable for photography.
Step 2: Check your age without fail
The amount of light from stars is very small, so even the moon light can have a negative effect when photographing starry sky. The number of stars seen by the brightness of the moon will decrease, so be sure to check the age of the moon before going out to take a starry sky.
The closer you get to the full moon, the more the amount of light the moon will be, and the closer you get to the new moon, the less affected the moon will be. When I take a picture of the starry sky, I go out for about three days before and after the new moon.
Step 3: Check the direction at the location
Once you have checked the location and age of the film, all you need to do is check the direction. When shooting at a start trail, the direction is important for photographing a circular image, as it is taken to capture the trajectory of a star. If you want to create a circular composition, decide whether to point your camera towards the south or north.
You can check the direction using a compass, but it is now easy to check it on a smartphone app, so it's convenient to download it before you go out to take a photo.
You can get a certain degree of direction from the map when searching for a location, but there are unexpected obstacles at the location, so if you can check out the location while it is still bright, it will be easier to decide on the composition.
The top and bottom photos are taken at the same place and reframed into two photos.
The star's trajectory on the start trail changes dramatically depending on the direction you are photographing.
What's amazing about the Insta360 X4 is that it has a wide range of adjustments to the angle of view.
I mentioned checking the direction, but when shooting with the Insta360 X4, it's OK to be somewhat rough. The biggest advantage of the Insta360 X4 is that it can take 360-degree photos.
When shooting with a SLR or digital camera, you will need to check the direction and set the composition more severely, but you don't have to worry about detailed compositions, so you can easily take photos in your ideal composition by reframeting after shooting. However, be sure to check that there are no obstacles such as cars, tents, trees, or other obstacles in the direction you want to take, and make sure to set the direction you want to take is in front of the lens. The Insta360 X4 captures 360 degrees using two front and rear cameras. If you place the object you want to photograph (orientation in a starry sky) at the boundary between the front and back cameras, the image will be distorted when reframed. (The grey part below the photo)
If you set the camera facing forward in the direction you want to take, it will be easier to reframe as you compose.
By setting the object (direction) you want to take on the camera front, you can significantly reduce the number of mistakes (it can be adjusted slightly later).
Step 4: Set the shooting mode
The Insta360 X4 has a dedicated mode for filming Starlapse (Start Trail). Starlapse mode also has an auto setting, but auto cannot capture weak starry sky, so it is a must to take photos with manual settings.
Settings can be made using the device (or the smartphone app). Star Rapse photography, which is a long-term shooting, is linked to a smartphone, and it is much more convenient to take pictures, so here we will explain how to set it up using a smartphone app.
How to set up using the Insta360 X4 unit and smartphone
By linking it with your smartphone, you can control it from a distance while shooting
- Connect your Insta360 X4 to your smartphone via Bluetooth, open the settings screen using the "M" button, and switch from automatic (auto) to manual (manual).
- Set the shutter speed to be slower (there is no rule, but the slower the light is easier, so set it to 20 seconds or more)
- ISO sensitivity setting (over 1600, noise will be generated if it is set too high, so we recommend 2000-3200)
- When photographing a WB (white balance) starry sky, blue is better, so we recommend 3400K to 4000K.
- Swipe up on the LCD to decide when to take a picture (infinitely OK if you do not specify a time)
Before you start shooting on the Star Trail, take still images while changing settings, check the image of the stars before starting to shoot on the Star Trail, and it is more likely to cause mistakes.
Step 5: Start shooting
Once the settings are complete, all you need to do is take a picture. While shooting, turn off the lights and wait to make them less susceptible to light. You can leave it as is until the filming is over, but if there is a problem such as the shooting stopping halfway through or the tripod falling over, the filming will be ruined, so it is best to check the situation several times while filming.
The settings for the Star Trail and Star Rapse filmed by the author will be revealed.
Demo 1: Star Trail video taken in the Southern Alps
- Shutter speed: 25s
- ISO sensitivity: 3200
- WB: Auto
A start trail video taken at a tent site in the Southern Alps. You can place the tent set up along with the starry sky into the composition, and emphasize that human movements add to the stars slowly leaving a trajectory. I set WB (white balance) to auto, but if I want to create a more space-like look into the starry sky, set WB to 4000 or below to create a blue sky.
Demo 2: Starlapse video taken in Izukogen
- Shutter speed: 25s
- ISO sensitivity: 3200
- WB: 3600
A Starlapse video taken in Izukogen. Filming a starry sky is assumed to be sunny, but as clouds enter, the movement of the stars adds to the movement of the stars, making Starlapse videos more attractive.
As it is close to the sea, the lights of the city are affected, but even so, the photos were taken aimed at days when the moon was not affected, so the stars were clearly visible.
What's amazing about the Insta360 X4! No need to focus
Lens for SLR cameras. Adjust the focus ring little by little and adjust the focus
The most difficult part of photography in starry sky is focus adjustment. For cameras like SLRs, it is difficult to focus with the faint light of the starry sky using autofocus, so focus is adjusted using manual focus, but by turning the focus ring little by little, you search for a place where the focus is in place while taking pictures. This task is very difficult until you get used to it. Moreover, if you fail to focus, everything will turn into water bubbles, so failure is not permitted.
What's great about the Insta360 X4 is that it automatically adjusts focus even when shooting starry sky.
After setting the shutter speed and ISO sensitivity, all you need to do is press the start shooting button, so anyone can take photos of the Start Trail and Starlapse.
After shooting, the app will edit it with just a button.
You can easily export (save) Starlapse, Starrail videos, or stills on the filmed Starlapse using the app.
Open the Insta360 app and connect it to the Insta360 X4 via Bluetooth, no cord is required.
How to save Starlapse and Starrail
- Connect to Insta360 from the smartphone app and open the album
- Select the Starlapse video you filmed
- Decide which format you want to export (save) (Starlapse, Starrail, Starrail Photos)
- Start export using the export button on the top right of the screen
Starlapse and Starrail videos have a large capacity, so loading takes time when editing, but they are very easy to operate. I will skip it here, but those who want to be particular can add animations and edit the video in detail, allowing you to add more movement as you watch it.
Summary: Even though the image quality is inferior to that of single-lens reflex cameras, the Insta360X4 is the best in terms of ease! It's sufficient to record it as a social media or as a memory
After taking time to climb, we see a starry sky full of sky as we arrive at the mountains. I want to record it as a memory, not just burn it to my eyes. Everyone should think so. When it comes to image quality when shooting stars, SLRs are still the best, but it's difficult to climb with a heavy SLR on your back. (The effort and effort involved in filming)
Just remember the simple settings and you can easily take a starry sky and leave memories. Take a picture of the starry sky full of sky with Insta360X4!
Please consider paying memberships that allow you to support our website while enjoying limited articles and limited events!
Yosuke
People who act with just one backpack with the motto of "as light as possible" so that they don't get inconvenient.
From spring to autumn, I chase after char deep in the mountains and go fishing in the mountain stream. We walked the mountains in search of spectacular views that cannot be seen from the ground. Camping to be healed by the bonfire. Snowboarding is a floating mountain with a mountain of silver.
A freelance writer who has been enjoying the outdoors for over 20 years and enjoying the outdoors in his own way all year round. Based on my experience writing articles for more than dozens of outdoor web media, I will be sharing my own experiences and tools that I have been using.