How to improve this photo of the moon?

[akram_s_s]

Hello all,
I have just purchased Canon EOS REBEL T1i (aka 500D) last week, which is my first DSLR camera. Since then, i am learning how to get the best pictures possible.

Yesterday, i was trying to take a photo of the moon. Here are the settings i used:
Shooting Mode: A-DEP, Shutter Speed=1/60, Aperture Value=5.6,ISO=400 (AUTO),
Lens: EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS, Focal Length:250.0mm,Image Size:4752x3168.
I also used a tripod.

Attached are the original photo and the cropped photo.
My questions are:
- Why the cropped photo is blurred? is it because of the setting i chose or is it because of a limitation of the Camera or the Lens i used?
- Is there a way to get a better picture (sharper) using the same camera and the same lens?

Thank you so much.

[Greg McCary]

It looks like motion blur to me. Even though you used tripod you can get motion from mirror slap. Try mirror lock up next time and shoot at a faster shutter speed.

[drg]

Welcome to Photography Review.

A tripod with using the mirror lockup (self timer at 2 seconds) mode is the first step.

The second is don't use the A-DEP mode. Use the Av mode and set you aperture to at least f/8 and preferably higher. This alone will provide greater focus. The shutter speed may drop, but that is what the tripod is going to offset. Even try up to f/16 and don't worry about any image quality drop from the smaller aperture.

I don't know whether the moon was near the horizon in this photo. If it was it can be larger in appearance due to atmospheric effects but that will alter the clarity and color. So use AWB, shoot RAW, and use the lowest possible ISO value for the best image. Try to keep the total exposure time below 1/2 second. Too long an exposure and the movement of the moon will become apparent.

Now one more tool is to use the spot metering function on the moon itself to get the best exposure with the aperture set to a value for best DOF and resulting better focus!

I'd also not use AF. Maybe let AF set the focus range but then switch it off and manually tweak the focus and then hit the mirror up and then the self timer so the camera isn't moving when the exposure is made.

Best wishes and we'll look forward to the all new and improved moon shots!

[Big Earn]

I shot the moon like twice...only because it was there and I had my camera. I don't have the pics anymore, but I think I started out using ISO 200 @ 5.6, on a 400mm. I used mirror lockup, tripod, remote release. If I remember correctly, the first night, the moon was small and bright, and ended up at f/16...couldn't get a good shot. Few years later, I used something like 5.6 or 8. The moon was almost full. I used different speeds (bracket)...trial and error (diff f-stops), til I got the moon pic that seemed ok. Too slow, the moon was a burnt out white spot. Too fast, and the moon looked brownish/dark. Then I had to do what you did, crop. I then realized I had no use for a moon shot besides saying I have a moon shot. Good luck and post when you've mastered!

[n8]

I think drg nailed all of it. I wouldn't worry about your gear. With 18mp, cropping shouldn't be too much of an issue, although there's always the debate of quantity vs quality regarding the amount of mp a camera has. The above are good suggestions, just hitting the shutter release can cause a blur when you have such a distant object especially.

[Don Schaeffer]

I know we hate it but I think this post processing helps.

[akram_s_s]

Thank you everyone for your inputs. Thank you drg for the detailed setup.
I implemented drg's suggestions few hours ago and the results were much much much better.
It was windy today and there was still some motion bluring even though i was using a tripod. Nevertheless, the images are much better.
I am attaching the original cropped photo and the same photo after simple post-processing (high-pass filter sharpening using paint shop).
(settings: f/16, 1/20 sec, ISO-400, focal length=250 mm, white balance:Auto)

Thank you again.

[akram_s_s]

Here is a new one i took yesterday =D
Maunal Mode, f/9,1/25 sec,ISO-100,250 mm, no flahs, exposure bias= 0 step.
Thank you guyz. It is better than the previous one.

[Jay C]

Looks better, but still not as sharp as it can be. I'm using almost the same setup as you, so I'll tell you what I do.

First turn off image stabilization on the lens. When on a tripod its not needed and may cause some shake, but make sure you use a timer or remote. Use live view mode. With live view I turn the magnification up to 10x and manual focus.

Shot in manual mode

F-stop:8
Exposure: 1/1000
ISO: 400

Heres what I got.

[akram_s_s]

WoooW. I like your image.
I am still struggling with how to elimnate the moving shake. I did a setup that is very similar to yours yesterday when the moon was full and nicely visible. The only difference was that i was turning the image stabilizer on. I will try next time with turning it off. It was windy. I wasn't satisfied with what i got . I can see the image shaking even before pressing anything.

By the way, live view with the zoom is awesome. I see the moon perfectly clear on the LCD screen but once i press the shutter, the camera shakes , even though i am using a 10 seconds timer (unfortunately, i can't increase the duration of the timer in Canon T1i). I am buying a remote soon to fix this problem.
I will update you if i can get something better.

[Frog]

Glad I read this. Along with Jeff's post on the problems with his d80 focus, it got me thinking about why I can't seem to get good focus on macros. Completely different from moon shots but I think now that mirror slap may be my problem.

[n8]

what kind of tripod are you using, it sounds like it may be a bit unstable. Also, judging by the looks of your last effort, the right edge of the moon seems a bit over exposed. I think if you spot meter the brightest area of the moon, this will give you the fastest exposure, which should help eliminate a lot of the blur.

[akram_s_s]

this is the tripod i am using:
http://www.blackphoto.com/blacks/jum...jsp?prdId=6779