Tried stacking with a cheap tripod vs my buddy's solid one and wow

I mean, I've been trying to get a decent shot of the Orion Nebula from my backyard for like two months now. I was using this old, wobbly tripod I got for maybe 30 bucks years ago. My shots were always a little blurry, no matter how careful I was. Then last week, my friend let me borrow his heavy-duty Manfrotto tripod for a night. I set up my same camera, same lens, same 30 second exposures. The difference in the stacked image was insane. The stars were sharp points, not little smears. I could actually see the dust lanes clearly. It's crazy how one shaky link ruins everything, even with good software. Has anyone else had a single piece of gear just totally change their results?

2 comments

2 Comments

ward.jamie3d ago

Honestly, that gear upgrade is a huge deal for sure. But sometimes you gotta work with what you have. My best shots came from just figuring out how to really weigh down that cheap tripod, like hanging a bag of rocks from the center hook. It forces you to learn the basics of stability without just buying a fix. A solid tripod is amazing, but it can also become a crutch.

the_stella3d ago

But what about windy days though?