At a minimum you will need a camera*, lens*, a sturdy tripod, and a remote shutter release (wired or wireless). An intervalometer or Promote Control are a step up. Bring your own laptop with required software. If you have other equipment such as a panning head or nodal slide (which is necessary to eliminate parallax) you will have more compositional options and easier stitching. If multi-row or spherical panos are your endgame then you’ll want to have a multi-row panning head such as the ones from Really Right Stuff or Nodal Ninja.
*Equipment is paramount for advanced shooting techniques and you will want to have (or rent) good gear. You should have a camera that performs well at ISO 3200 or higher, a full frame sensor is essential (see list below). The other basic gear you’ll need is a fast and wide lens. f/2.8 or larger aperture is preferred, and 14-16mm range is ideal for long exposures without stars trailing. For multi-row panos at higher resolution we recommend 24mm and 35mm f/1.4 primes.
Recommended Cameras:
Nikon: D600, D610, D750, D800, D810, D810A, D850, Df, D3s, D4, D4s, or D5. If renting, the D750 is a particularly good value.
Canon: 5D Mark III, 5D Mark IV, 5DS, 5DS R, 6D, 6D Mark II, 1D X, or 1D X Mark II. If renting, the 6D & 6D Mark II are a good value.
Sony: a99 II, a7 II, a7S, a7S II, a7R, a7R II, a7R III, or a9
Pentax: K-1 (the Astrotracer feature is quite impressive, requires GPS accessory)
Recommended Lenses:
Nikon: 14-24mm f/2.8 (exceptional)
Canon: 16-35mm f/2.8 II or III (Version III is much improved over II)
Rokinon: 14mm f/2.8, 14mm f/2.4 (very good), 24mm f/1.4 (very good), or 35mm f/1.4
Tamron: 15-30mm f/2.8 VC (very good)
Sigma: 14mm f/1.8 (exceptional), 20mm f/1.4, or 35mm f/1.4 ART (very good)
For crop sensor cameras: Rokinon 10mm f/2.8, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 II, or Tokina 11-20mm f/2.8
This is by no means an exhaustive list! There are many specialized cameras and lenses not included here. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.