(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best gaffer tape

Hey, I have the same camera and intend on doing the same thing, only on Tuesday (8/14) night. I'll miss peak by one night... :/

I've never shot a meteor shower, though.

Anyway, I use the camera more with my refractor, but I do wide-angle shots sometimes, including one of the ISS I keep meaning to post (and hope to remember to do when I get home today). Here's things I've learned in my short time in astrophotography; remember, this is general stuff, as I've never shot a meteor shower:

• I put the lens in manual focus, find a decently bright star, turn on live-view, zoom in on the screen all the way, and focus. It's still kind of tricky, but it gets better with practice.
  
• While it's a nice lens, the kit lens has a terrible little focus ring. To keep it in focus, I use gaffer tape. I keep a couple feet of this stuff rolled up around a toothpick in my camera bag. It's awesome. It's like duct tape, but won't leave a residue on the camera. Don't use it on or near the optics, and take it off before putting the camera away. A tiny piece will do to hold the focus ring in place (1/2" square or less).
  
• I trust you have a tripod; a good solid tripod is a must.
  
• I think the answer for which ISO setting is this: Set it as high as you need it to get the shot, but as low as you can to avoid noise. Sorry for the vague answer, but it can change depending on what other settings you use. I like to start at 800 and go up or down.
  
• Your exposure length should give you a histogram peak somewhere in the middle. The big picture is: you don't want your histogram too close to either the left or right sides. To do that, you'll adjust exposure length, ISO, or aperture.
  
• I've heard people say to stop the aperture down a little to make sharper stars. It's a balance between that and actually capturing the stars as points, unless you want star trails... For a meteor shower, star trails might work. (I keep mine wide open, but I do more shooting with my telescope, not a lens.)
  
• Using a remote of some kind is a good idea to keep the camera stable while controlling exposure. There's also a setting to add a delay of 2 seconds before taking the exposure.
  
• There's also a thing called "the hat trick", where you cover the lens with a hat (or something), open the shutter, give the camera a second or two to stop shaking, then move your hat (starting the real exposure). Reverse to stop the exposure. I haven't done it, but it sounds reasonable.
  
• Take dark frames to eliminate noise, or use the built-in high-ISO noise reduction. This person said why better than I can.
  
• There's also a setting in the menus to dim the display. It'll keep from blinding you too much while using live view at night.
  
• I stick with RAW. It's not lossy. I like jpeg for everything else, because I'm not a pro. But for AP, I stick with RAW, since there are much fewer photons involved.
  
  All right, I feel like I'm missing some things. It's late, I'm working the night shift, and I don't have my notes with me. Also, I might be rambling. I really like the D5100, though, and I feel like there's a lot of tricks to learn. That's half the fun, though, right? :D

Has anyone ever tried gaffers tape? Its like duct tape (i would even say it holds better), and its cloth not plastic so it would probably breath better.

sure thing buddy. gaff tape is used in the entertainment industry, (i stole a few rolls from a camera man job i had at a news station) and it is MAGIC. think duct tape without the sticky residue and a better texture. It is much more expensive than duct tape, but it is absolute magic for DIY car repair, house repair, or taping in general.


http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Grade-Yard-Gaffers-Tape/dp/B000QDRRIE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369928864&sr=8-1&keywords=gaffing+tape

Gaffers tape is what's used for staging and hiding cables. I use this on my mat and it's great!

Gaffers tape. It won’t tear like painters tape will.

The cables are the carbon ones from cablemod. The tape is a fabric black tape like this.

Budget - $10 -

https://www.amazon.com/XFasten-Professional-Gaffer-Residue-reflective/dp/B00VVHZZQU - Gaffer tape - Every photographer needs it. It is a good gift to get that practical uncle or dad that you need a stocking suffer for.

You could try ordering tape online. Here's one that I highly recommend, a little more expensive but so good! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D823HX8/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_0v6uCbZ4SV7C1

Maybe Professional Grade Gaffer Tape.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013VU8HTQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=25INFPFI9SDAJ&coliid=I1EN4EOLM4NV8T&psc=1

I beg you to get some gaff tape though... that duck tape gonna get awfully sticky.

I found a camo color gaffer tape that I used on the bottom side of the rim liner to have the color show through... I know they have many colors.

Camouflage Tape, Premium Grade... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZY26CV8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Gaffer tape != duct tape.

The 3" roll is $22.95.

Pro Gaff is generally the preferred brand, and a 3" roll is indeed $39.75 on Amazon.

Gaffers Tape

Dude. Gaff tape.

Maybe some Glow in the Dark Tape? Not sure how bright it gets, but you could put in next to the letters on the shifter. If it doesn't light up bright enough to see the letters, you can line it up with the letters and write them on the tape, so you can see them at night.

Gaffer tape is less harsh on the skin.

Hey OP, what about an ice fishing hut:

https://www.amazon.com/Popsport-Fishing-Shelter-Portable-Waterproof/dp/B078B99H42/

Again, no floor. But I think you could rig the floor seams with some gaffer's tape:

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Premium-Grade-Gaffer-Power/dp/B01N9WYLMN/

Gaffer's Tape. It's intended to tape cables to floors for stage production stuff. Here's the stuff I bought last year sometime. (but I'm out now. :( )

Just some questions for you and /u/brokenleko

1. I've never used gaffer tape, is this okay? Or maybe this?. Or anything on amazon.ca that you guys would recommend?
   
   
2. Is there any harm to just cutting it off? I'm unlikely to land on it when running

No shit, it's expensive. Amazon's got it for $0.50/yard. Damn.