What camera settings should I use for aurora and northern lights photography?

Use Manual mode with the widest aperture (f/1.4–2.8), ISO 1600–6400, and 5–15 second shutter speed. Use a 14–24mm wide-angle lens and manual focus set to infinity using Live View magnification. A sturdy tripod is essential. For fast-moving aurora, use shorter exposures (2–5s). Set white balance to 3500–4500K.

Aurora Photography Camera Settings Guide

Camera Settings

Settings Breakdown

ISO

1600 – 6400

Higher ISO captures brighter aurora, especially fast-moving displays. Faint aurora needs higher ISO; bright active displays can use lower for cleaner results.

Active aurora: Strong displays (Kp 5+) may allow ISO 800-1600 for cleaner images.

Aperture

f/1.4 – f/2.8

Wide apertures gather maximum light for shorter exposures. Fast lenses (f/1.4-2.0) are ideal for capturing aurora movement and detail.

Lens choice: Wide-angle (14-24mm) to capture sweeping aurora displays across the sky.

Shutter Speed

2s – 15s

Balance exposure with aurora movement. Fast-moving aurora needs 2-5s to show structure; slow aurora can use 10-15s for brighter results.

Corona: During overhead corona displays, use faster exposures (1-3s) to capture the dynamic movement.

Focus

Manual – Infinity

Pre-focus on stars or distant lights before the aurora appears. Use Live View at 10x magnification to nail critical focus on infinity.

Tape it down: Once focused, tape your focus ring. Bumping it in the dark ruins shots.

White Balance

3500K – 4500K

Shoot RAW for maximum flexibility. A good starting point is 3500-4000K to keep greens natural without making them yellow. Adjust to taste in post.

Creative choice: Some prefer cooler WB (bluer) to enhance the mystical feel. There's no "correct" answer.

Drive Mode

Continuous / Intervalometer

Use intervalometer for consistent timing between shots. Enables time-lapse compilation later. Continuous mode works during peak activity.

Time-lapse: Set 3-5 second intervals to create smooth aurora motion videos.

Recommended kit

Essential Gear for Aurora / Northern Lights

Fast wide-angle lens

Astro is an aperture game: going from f/4 to f/1.8 more than doubles the starlight you capture in the same 20 seconds.

See mount picks

Sturdy tripod

Milky Way and aurora exposures run 15–25 seconds.

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Intervalometer

Star trails and stacked Milky Way frames need dozens of identical exposures.

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See the full Astro & Night Sky kit →

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Techniques

Pro Tips

1

Check Tonight's Forecast

Use the Aurora Tracker for live Kp against your city, then a clear-sky chart for clouds. Dark, moonless skies help faint displays.

2

Escape Light Pollution

Get away from city lights. Even faint light pollution competes with aurora. Dark skies are essential for capturing subtle aurora colors.

3

Include Foreground

Aurora alone can be boring. Include interesting foreground — mountains, trees, reflections in water, interesting terrain. Adds scale and context.

4

Dress for Extreme Cold

Aurora hunting means hours outside in freezing temps. Layer up, bring hand warmers. Cold fingers can't operate cameras effectively.

5

Protect Batteries

Batteries drain fast in cold. Keep spares warm inside your jacket. Rotate batteries — cold ones warm up and recover capacity.

6

Light Paint Foreground

Use a headlamp or flashlight to briefly illuminate foreground during exposure. Adds dimension and reveals detail in dark landscapes.

Can you see the northern lights tonight in your city? Open the Aurora Tracker →

Quick Reference Summary

ModeManual

Aperturef/2.8 max

ISO1600–6400

Shutter5–15s

FocusManual ∞

Lens14–24mm

Aurora / Northern Lights