# Shooting the moon problems



## Blake.Oney (Sep 19, 2010)

I've never tried it before and I just went out and shot at 200mm and through the viewfinder I could actually see a lot of the craters and detail pretty clearly. When I took the picture it was I guess overexposed. The moon was just a white filled circle. I adjusted aperture, shutter speed, and iso and got a few different shots. I also adjusted flash and exposure comp. None of them were really different. I couldn't even bring it out in ACR. What am I missing that I need to do?


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## RobNZ (Sep 19, 2010)

Heya Blake, would help if you told us what settings your using?

My specs to get this shot.

Tripod to stabilise camera, hand held at this focal length is almost impossible.

Shutter speed : 1/160th
ISO: 100
Aperture: /f7.1
Lens: Canon 300mm F4 L USM
Kenko 1.4x Pro DGX Teleconverter
Canon 500D
Shot in RAW
Live View on (doubles as mirror lock up?), focus preset manually.
Remote shutter release, I did as much as I could to stablise the shot at every point of the process.








This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1024x914.


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## tnvol (Sep 19, 2010)

I got this one the other night.  I just kept adjusting my aperture until it looked good.  It's not as sharp as I would like but it was the best of the night.

ISO 200
300 mm
f /25
1/15 sec


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## Blake.Oney (Sep 19, 2010)

First I tried it at f4 then I went to around 7, then to 11. I started with shutter speed of like 1/3 on aperture priority, then adjusted to try and get a longer shutter speed. All of them turned out like this 





This is unedited, but I adjusted exposure, contrast and everything in ACR and it just stayed the same.


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## ajkramer87 (Sep 19, 2010)

A lot of good threads all ready about this. Although I'm pretty sure you want to shoot more around 1/125 at least. Moon is really bright as you can tell from you picture.


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## lordfly (Sep 19, 2010)

I think the problem is the camera is letting too much light into the sensor, causing the blowouts. It's probably thinking that because the night sky is nearly black, it has to let a ton of light in (I think most cameras default to wanting a middle gray as an exposure point?). Go into full-manual mode and increase shutter speed sequentially until you get something that shows some detail.


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## LCARSx32 (Sep 19, 2010)

Take it off Aperture priority and into full manual.  Set your ISO to it's lowest setting.  Pick the aperture setting that gives your lens the most sharpness (usually somewhere between f/5.6 and f/8, depending on your lens).  Your shutter speed will vary based on your aperture and ISO, but it's going to be fast.  At least 1/100.  Most likely 1/160 to 1/250.  You should be able to tell on your LCD how your exposure is doing.

Like Darrel likes to point out; the moon is lit by direct sunlight.  So you have to treat it like something lit by direct sunlight.  You won't be able to trust your meter.  It's averaging the shadows and hightlights to expose for middle gray, but since you're shooting something in the night sky, the meter is waaaaay off.

Give it another shot and see how it goes.


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## Blake.Oney (Sep 19, 2010)

Lcars, I was out trying again while you replied. After I though about it and read some of the replies I went out and shot the first shot at f4.5 at 1/160. I then switched to f11 at 1/160 at ISO 200.





 Next time I'll shoot at 100, but I was satisfied with this. Thanks everyone. This is the first time in a very long time that I was stumped and it was soooo aggravating. I had never tried a moon shot, though.


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## filmshooter (Sep 20, 2010)

I tend to shoot the moon as if I am shooting in very bright light, like noon on a sunny day and it seems so work out at least half decent, I shoot film and sometimes forget what settings I was using for which shot by the time I get the prints. I should start writing that down aha =/


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## Cheesyman (Sep 20, 2010)

i got this one a while back when i had my sigma 70-300mm lens

the settings were:

shutter speed - 1/250
Aperture - f/11
ISO - 400
auto white balance 
at 300mm
+ and i didn't have my camera set on a tripod, was handheld


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## KmH (Sep 20, 2010)

Yo! Word up homey!

Try using the search feature once in a while:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/beyond-basics/147712-lunar-moon-photography-guide-astrostu.html


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## Leilameat (Sep 20, 2010)

I was moon shooting last night.  First try, it took a while adjusting.






I did:
shutter speed: 1/50
Aperture: 7.1
ISO: I think 100 or 200... No greater than 400. XD

Keep it really steady. And focus manually.
I couldn't get a very good shot because my lens only goes up to 135, so I had to crop.


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## smlblk396 (Sep 20, 2010)

Blake.Oney said:


> Lcars, I was out trying again while you replied. After I though about it and read some of the replies I went out and shot the first shot at f4.5 at 1/160. I then switched to f11 at 1/160 at ISO 200.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 


Try waiting till Wensday,Thursday, or Friday the moon will be as close to the earth as its going to get. This week will be the harvest moon.


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## smlblk396 (Sep 20, 2010)

RobNZ the moon taken from where I live in Kentucky is upside down from you the craters are on the bottom here


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## MohaimenK (Sep 20, 2010)

OK here are a few shots I taken. I didn't do any PP so I just wanted to show you exactly how they are from the camera. All were shot at 200mm using the 70-200 2.8L and you can pretty much get the references of what they'd look like w/ different settings.


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## Blake.Oney (Sep 20, 2010)

I was actually really surprised how much detail I got with a 200mm lens. Though my camera is DX, I still didn't think it'd be that close.


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## MohaimenK (Sep 20, 2010)

to b honest i think mine suck i should hook it up to my teloscope!  Although i wonder if the 5D would be better when it comes end of the week


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## RobNZ (Sep 20, 2010)

smlblk396 said:


> RobNZ the moon taken from where I live in Kentucky is upside down from you the craters are on the bottom here



Was wondering if anyone would notice that, mine is the right side up


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## Blake.Oney (Sep 20, 2010)

Wouldn't the zoom be smaller with 5d since it's not crop sensor? When you crop the photo the detail may be better with it, though. I saw some of those 500mm manual focus lenses on ebay that are only like $60 and look like a telescope. I wouldn't mind getting one of those specifically for astronomy photo's.


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## MohaimenK (Sep 20, 2010)

Yeah right now I think I'm at a little over 300mm w/ the cropped but yeah wondering if the details would be much better


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## reznap (Sep 21, 2010)

I have a new one to share from tonight.  70-300 with a 1.4x teleconveter gives me I think 420mm at full zoom.  Got the exposure right on a moon shot finally - it really is important to have like 1/125 or faster..







Exposure 								0.006 sec (1/160) 							 										 				Aperture 								f/11.0 							 										ISO Speed 				400


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## Blake.Oney (Sep 21, 2010)

Nice one rez.


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## LCARSx32 (Sep 21, 2010)

How are teleconverters?  Obviously, OK for moon shots.  I see them all the time when I'm looking for lenses.  Do you notice any image quality issues?  I've heard that you loose a couple stops of light with them.


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## reznap (Sep 21, 2010)

LCARSx32 said:


> How are teleconverters?  Obviously, OK for moon shots.  I see them all the time when I'm looking for lenses.  Do you notice any image quality issues?  I've heard that you loose a couple stops of light with them.



Well.. I have a Sigma 1.4x.  It doesn't work on any of my canon lenses except my 70-300 - and it won't mount up to it unless I zoom the lens to about 100mm because the rear element is too far back.  It's not a huge deal, because the elements don't make contact but it's not exactly what you'd call compatible.  Autofocus doesn't work on that lens with the TC either, aperture's too small.  So it's not really my favorite piece of gear, in fact I wouldn't mind selling it.

The IQ is ok for me actually but yeah, and yes, you lose some light; 1 full stop with the 1.4x.  It has its uses and is a fun toy if you can pick one up cheap.  If you have really fast tele lenses or the f/2.8 version of the 70-200, I guess a TC is a good addition.  I'd go with the Canon brand though..


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## HikinMike (Sep 21, 2010)

One of my favorites from the last Lunar Eclipse, August 28, 2007. Used my Canon 300D, 1.4 II and 300mm.


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## reznap (Sep 21, 2010)

HikinMike said:


> One of my favorites from the last Lunar Eclipse, August 28, 2007. Used my Canon 300D, 1.4 II and 300mm.



^ Badass.  Seen on here before..


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## HikinMike (Sep 21, 2010)

reznap said:


> ^ Badass.  Seen on here before..



Thanks! :blushing: Yeah, I know I posted this (and others) here before, but I was bored tonight...LOL!


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## LCARSx32 (Sep 21, 2010)

That, my friend, is how to shoot the moon!  Awesome.


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