Autofocus fails in the dark, and the infinity mark on most lenses is not true infinity. Soft stars ruin more night images than noise. Here are methods that work.
1. Live view on a bright star or planet
- Switch the lens to manual focus.
- Point at the brightest star, planet or a distant light near the horizon.
- Turn on live view and magnify 10× on the star.
- Turn the focus ring slowly until the star is the smallest, sharpest point. Go past it and come back.
- Tape the focus ring.
Raise the live-view brightness or use a "night" or exposure-simulation mode if the star is hard to see.
2. Focus peaking and magnification together
Peaking highlights edges, which helps with foreground objects but is less reliable on stars. Use it as a first pass, then confirm by magnifying.
3. Pre-focus in daylight
Before dark, focus on something very distant (a mountain several kilometers away), then tape the ring or mark it with a paint pen. Temperature changes can shift focus slightly, so check again later.
4. A flashlight on a distant object
For foreground focus, light a rock or tree with a headlamp, autofocus on it, then switch to manual so it doesn't hunt.
5. Test shots
Take a short high-ISO test frame, zoom to 100% on the image, and adjust. Compare frames with the focus & sharpness checker if you're unsure which is sharper.
Sharp stars and a sharp foreground
With a wide lens, focusing at the hyperfocal distance may make both acceptably sharp, but stars look best focused at infinity. For close foregrounds, shoot one frame focused on the stars and another on the foreground, then blend — a night version of focus stacking.
About 1 min read · Updated 2026-10-20