Accessories
There are so many extra things that can make life easier shooting out at night.
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Shooting Accessories
These are for helping your camera take photos and run better.
Lens Heater
This is absolutely necessary. Nothing says sh*tty night like having your whole lens condense and not being able to take any more photos the whole night.
No, you won’t be able to wipe off your lens no matter how many lens cloths you bring- unless you like the "dreamy, out of focus” look.
Use this any night there is a chance of condensation, especially if you are near any body of water.
Upgraded USB Lens Warmer, Lens Defogging Heater Condensation Prevention Lens Warmer
This lens heater is thicker and may not work on certain lenses. It does not fit my Nikon 14-24mm, but works well on my Rokinon lenses.
CooWoo Lens Heater Warmer Dew Heater with Temperature Regulator Strip
I have this lens heater and it works great on both hot humid nights by the ocean, and frigid nights under the stars.
USB Power Bank
This is also absolutely necessary.
You’ve bought the above lens heater and you need to power it, along with a million other things that you will need to power (phones, headlamps, etc)
Mophie Powerstation Universal External Battery
Mophie is a fantastic company. I had an issue with one after over a year and they sent me a replacement right away, their customer service is great.
This is the smallest I would recommend in terms of capacity (at 6,000mAh)
Anker Portable Charger, PowerCore Essential
This is a powerhouse at 20,000 mAh. Anker is a solid brand of external battery.
Intervalometer
This is not 100% necessary, however you will be happy to have one. This lets you release your camera remotely, take longer than 30” exposures, and set up to take multiple images in a row seamlessly.
Pluto Trigger High-Speed Smart Camera Trigger
Hands down this is the favourite trigger of my students.
I don’t own this one, but it’s come out on top from hundreds of astro-photographers in my groups.
Make sure to get the right cord for your camera.
Timer Remote Shutter JJC Timer Shutter Release Remote Control Cord for Nikon
I have this intervalometer. However it breaks VERY easily, which I feel is indicative of the overall cost of it.
Take very good care of this and it will work fine. But do NOT throw it into your camera bag as you will find it breaks.
Please make sure to buy the intervalometer with the right connection for your camera. A couple are linked below, DOUBLE CHECK THEM.
Vello Shutterboss Version II Timer Remote Switch
This is my main intervalometer that I use. It works fantastic.
Please make sure to buy the intervalometer with the right connection for your camera. A couple are linked below, DOUBLE CHECK THEM.
Guerrilla Painter Tripod Stone Bag
This is useful for both weighing down your tripod with rocks in windy situations. But also is useful for holding all of your things, like a plugged in remote or power bank for a lens warmer, chocolate - you know, the important things.
Wearable Accessories
I live in Canada, more often than not it’s COLD at night shooting, and if it’s not cold there are mosquitoes eating me.
Hot Hands
Not only will these keep your hands AND feet warm, throw a few elastic bands in and you have a low-fi lens heater that will chase away condensation.
Buy these in bulk and stash them wherever you can. You’ll thank yourself later.
HotHands Hand Warmers (40 pairs)
For your hands.
HotHands Toe Warmers (40 pairs)
For your toes
HotHands Insole Foot Warmers (16 pairs)
For your WHOLE foot, think of your insole, wouldn’t it like to be warm too?
These are more money than the toe warmers but also keep more than your toes warm.
Heated outerwear
Buying heated outerwear has actually made me not hate being out at night in the middle of the winter taking photos.
Telguua Lightweight Heated Vest with Battery Included
I went with a vest as opposed to a heated jacket so I could layer the vest under my heavy duty jackets.
Jackets are no joke in Canada in the winter and I prefer to have control over the more important features of my jacket and that would be lost on a heated jacket.
Also, a vest means I can use it in in-between weather.
This one comes with the battery and you can store on the right or left. It is big, you will feel it, and also you won’t be cold.
Normally lasts all night on medium setting and a full charge.
Snow Deer Heated Gloves
I have these and will be testing them over the next few shoots at night.
The only weird thing is that inside the glove they have it separated for fingers (which… I bought a mitten, that’s odd). I’ll report back after I have more experience with them.
There are LOTS of “Photography Gloves” on the market. But they are not made with astro photography in mind. Especially in the winter shooting DSOs. You are not moving your body much and your fingers are going to freeze, having a heat source in the gloves will make a world of difference.
Heated Socks, Double-Sided Heated Electric Socks
Hot hands in my shoes never kept my feet warm enough. They helped waylay frostbite, but I was still always cold.
(I get very cold, why do I live in Canada again?!)
Enter…. heated socks!
These are fantastic, sometimes my toes are too warm on the hottest setting and I have to turn them down.
The only downside is that I find the battery runs down more quickly on cold nights than my vest does. Buying back up batteries is a good idea.
I also have a student who swears by gloves that have 12% silver fibre in them to keep the heat in.
I haven’t found these for purchase in Canada or the US, if you do please message me!
This is a link to the glove she has from:
Ebay
Summer outerwear
What would you rather? Look silly, or have a million bug bites? I know my answer!
Coghlan's Bug Jacket
My dad and I have been wearing this brand of bug jacket for as long as I can remember.
There are other fancier ones out there… and they aren’t necessary. This is small, it stays in my car or bag and is always there to protect me.
Coghlan's Bug pants
I didn’t have these, then one night I got over 100 musquitoe bites on my butt.
These now also come with my everywhere.
Atlantick Outdoor Spray
We have a lot of ticks where I live and they carry lyme disease, long grass?! No way! Unless of course I have some of this spray on.
I can only offer my experience, but one particular night I was photographing fireflies by the side of the road and I drowned myself in this and waded into hip high grass.. and came out tick free after.
Back up
Backing up your images and important files is an absolute must. I have my most important files in 3 places, 2 mirrored harddrive units that are kept on site, and then on cloud storage that is offsite.
Before you ask, yes, I have a lot of drives. I keep them in a fire safe with silica gels to absorb moisture.
When you buy one drive, instead buy two, exactly the same and mirror each of the drives so they have the same content on them. The likelihood is that one of your drives will fail over time or due to user error.
