Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM
Da vid Noton
Making good use of Canon lenses is Canon Ambassador David Noton, who captured this shot of Durdle Door in Dorset, England while the galactic centre (the brightest part) of the Milky Way was visible. “For night sky photography – when the maximum amount of starlight needs to be captured in an exposure lasting less than 20 seconds – quality lenses are a must,” he says, “And the wider and faster, the better.
“I’d previously tested the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM lens and been impressed by its corner-to-corner performance at its maximum aperture of f/2.8, even at its shortest focal length of 16mm. This L-series lens now resides virtually permanently in my camera bag.
“I had a composition in mind that would balance the arc of the Milky Way above with the sweep of the beach and Durdle Door below. With my EF 16-35mm lens at its widest angle and aperture, I composed, then focused on the lights in the distance, zooming in on Live View to check accuracy, then locked focus by switching to Manual. I dialled in the settings, checked all was level, fine-tuned the composition and waited for the magic moment.”