Shooting film limits itself to star trails unless you have a tracking mount and a big telescope. Film is actually fantastic at star trails because of its low noise, however, capturing the Milkyway in its frozen glory is far more alluring. Now with my Df and its incredible low light ability this has become a goal of mine. Essentially, ISO 6,400 or above at f2.8-4 with a wide angle and about 10-20sec is the goal. Too long a shot and the starts will appear to rotate close up. However, the most important considerations come from understanding the night sky. With a cheap planisphere (a must!) this can be easy, along with finding a dark sky location and a new Moon if possible. If you have a subject to silhouette or light paint as the foreground, the planisphere will indicate when the Milkyway will be where you want it (often at 2 or 3am in the cold morning…). This is the key to getting a great shot, just like planning for a moonrise or lunar eclipse. Australian Geographic have great and cheap planispheres available here.
