O'Gosh, another moon...

[mdmc]

Ok, one more and then i'll leave it alone! ;) Maybe.
It was hard to tell correct exposure from the camera back, but this one is good enough. Same setup as last time, tokina 80-400 lens, kenko 2x t/c, but this time I used the tripod collar on the lens stopped the lens down to f16 and used the remote.
iso 200 .77sec f16.
The first is right out of the cam cropped & sized, the second I used to much usm, but the more I used the more detail poped. I had fun!
Thanks for look'n,
Mark.
I forgot to state that it was hazey and I was trying to capture the halo. Didn't work out,
Mark.

[almo]

No, That's the same old moon. Nothing new there....

[Speed]

Ok, one more and then i'll leave it alone! ;) Maybe.
It was hard to tell correct exposure from the camera back, but this one is good enough. Same setup as last time, tokina 80-400 lens, kenko 2x t/c, but this time I used the tripod collar on the lens stopped the lens down to f16 and used the remote.
iso 200 .77sec f16.
The first is right out of the cam cropped & sized, the second I used to much usm, but the more I used the more detail poped. I had fun!
Thanks for look'n,
Mark.
I forgot to state that it was hazey and I was trying to capture the halo. Didn't work out,
Mark.

Yes indeed, and yes, it did bring out the detail in the craters.

Did you brackett your exposures? I've been taking moon shots for nearly three years now, and I still brackett my shots. I shoot a half stop on either side of what experience tells me is right.

[Chunk]

I shoot a half stop on either side of what experience tells me is right.

How close is your experience to 'sunny sixteen'?

[Speed]

How close is your experience to 'sunny sixteen'?

Close, but you can't always count on it.

The moon varies from magnitude -10 to -13. Doesn't sound like much, but each magnitude is 2.5 times brighter than the previous one, so there is quite a bit of difference. Also, haze, clouds, smog, smoke, etc, can affect how bright it is.

Also, I don't trust "sunny sixteen" with digital. With the Coolpix 5700 (which has a sensor 9mm across) you have to really increase the exposure times to get a good image. Sunny sixteen does NOT apply to the advanced compacts - or at least not mine. I don't have any experience with the 16 X 24mm sensors that the majority of DSLR's have. Maybe sunny sixteen works for them.

[Chunk]

Close, but you can't always count on it.

The moon varies from magnitude -10 to -13. Doesn't sound like much, but each magnitude is 2.5 times brighter than the previous one, so there is quite a bit of difference. Also, haze, clouds, smog, smoke, etc, can affect how bright it is.

Also, I don't trust "sunny sixteen" with digital. With the Coolpix 5700 (which has a sensor 9mm across) you have to really increase the exposure times to get a good image. Sunny sixteen does NOT apply to the advanced compacts - or at least not mine. I don't have any experience with the 16 X 24mm sensors that the majority of DSLR's have. Maybe sunny sixteen works for them.

That's interesting, Speed. I knew that atmospherics can effect the amount of light we receive from the moon but didn't realize the other range.

[mdmc]

Almo, I'm glad ya looked and I hope it was interesting.
Speed, I braketed like crazy, from obvious under exp to obvious over. There's not much difference inbetween. What I mean is most of them look to have plenty of detail.
Ok, so this is at 800mm, what is the equivelent focal length of you're telescope?
I have a lot of questions, another time. BTW why do you ask if I bracketed, does it look over or under exposed? I posted the original so you could see what i was working with.
Chunk, you didn't post to me, but i'm glad you looked, you always have good advice.
Mark.

[Speed]

Almo, I'm glad ya looked and I hope it was interesting.
Speed, I braketed like crazy, from obvious under exp to obvious over. There's not much difference inbetween. What I mean is most of them look to have plenty of detail.
Ok, so this is at 800mm, what is the equivelent focal length of you're telescope?
I have a lot of questions, another time. BTW why do you ask if I bracketed, does it look over or under exposed? I posted the original so you could see what i was working with.
Chunk, you didn't post to me, but i'm glad you looked, you always have good advice.
Mark.

You stated that that was your best shot, but didn't mention if you bracketted, or just kept shooting and checking the playback screen. I was just curious.

My Celestron has a 2032mm focal length at prime focus. (Prime focus is where the camera is placed where the eyepiece goes.)

[almo]

Almo, I'm glad ya looked and I hope it was interesting.

I love the moon. I enjoy most any shot I see of it. My own have been substandard, but I am improving I think. Sorry if my poor atempt at a joke was taken the wrong way....

[mdmc]

I love the moon. I enjoy most any shot I see of it. My own have been substandard, but I am improving I think. Sorry if my poor atempt at a joke was taken the wrong way....

Almo,
I have a very heathy sense of humor, and even though I don't know you personally, I am 100% certain that you have a heart of GOLD !
This is why I posted the pix.
I tried some moon shots about 8-9 years ago, and they wern't good. This past year i've tried a few times and have been disapointed. (I have like 15 rolls of undeveloped film,so who knows?). Anyway this is the best i've done so I am excited about it. Its also a sort of justification for buying the lens and t/c.
You get the idea.
As far as jokes go, I thought about posting this on the brochures thread. "FLY ME TO THE MOON" .
Mark.

[mdmc]

You stated that that was your best shot, but didn't mention if you bracketted, or just kept shooting and checking the playback screen. I was just curious.

My Celestron has a 2032mm focal length at prime focus. (Prime focus is where the camera is placed where the eyepiece goes.)

No, I did not say it was the best shot, I said It was good enough.
I took 35 pic's and packed it in, realized I had shot at iso 800, reset to iso 200, went back and took 40 more pic's. ( ok, it was the front yard, so there wasn't much packing it in to do).
This one was at the bright 1/3rd of the braketed shots. I think I ranged from 1/6 sec to 3 sec.
2 q's:
1; Why does the moon sometimes look huge and orange when it's low in the sky, and gets smaller as it rises? My guess about the color is the atmosphere, but the size has me stumped.
2; why cant you get the whole moon sharp? There is an area that has good contrast, and an area that is smoothe and unsharp. Is this DOF, or is it due to lighting, highlights blown out?
thanks,
Mark.
BTW, I went back through you're posts looking for moon pix w/ telescope and saw the post (k 1000) of you're beautifull green belted Dawn and the Black belted giant and noticed how he had his "gaurd up", just before he got knocked on his A$$!, I am filled with both envy, and if she even thinks you screwed up, pity for you!
Mark.

[Speed]

No, I did not say it was the best shot, I said It was good enough.
I took 35 pic's and packed it in, realized I had shot at iso 800, reset to iso 200, went back and took 40 more pic's. ( ok, it was the front yard, so there wasn't much packing it in to do).
This one was at the bright 1/3rd of the braketed shots. I think I ranged from 1/6 sec to 3 sec.
2 q's:
1; Why does the moon sometimes look huge and orange when it's low in the sky, and gets smaller as it rises? My guess about the color is the atmosphere, but the size has me stumped.
2; why cant you get the whole moon sharp? There is an area that has good contrast, and an area that is smoothe and unsharp. Is this DOF, or is it due to lighting, highlights blown out?
thanks,
Mark.
BTW, I went back through you're posts looking for moon pix w/ telescope and saw the post (k 1000) of you're beautifull green belted Dawn and the Black belted giant and noticed how he had his "gaurd up", just before he got knocked on his A$$!, I am filled with both envy, and if she even thinks you screwed up, pity for you!
Mark.

"I did not say it was the best shot"
I stand corrected. Please accept my humble apologies.

You bracketted quite a range there! I'm impressed. I usually shoot the moon with 400 speed film and I get my best results at 1/250 to 1/500th of a second through my telescope. I thought your image looked slightly (emphasis on slightly) washed out.

You are right about the earth's atmosphere making the moon look red, orange and yellow when it is near the horizon. The atmosphere also makes it look bigger near the horizon due to the distortion. Basically, the earth's atmosphere acts like a big magnifying glass.

The moon does have a wide range of brightness from the dark areas to the bright areas, so it is hard to get an image that looks good across the entire surface. Trial and error will get you good images, and you'll have to decide how much detail you want where.

As for the sharpness across the entire surface, I can't tell you. I've gotten the same thing. DOF shouldn't be an issue. A lens at f1.4 will have everything in focus from 122 feet out to infinity. I'm not sure if it has to due with the brightness or texture of the moon (which is my guess), or if it's atmospheric distortion, or if it's solar wind. The moon lacks an atmosphere per se, but it does retain a minute amount of the solar wind, so maybe we are seeing atmospheric distortion on the moon itself. It's above my pay grade.

Yes, my lovely wife is now a purple belt, and we test for red in May. Master Moore (the big black belt) limped home after his encounter with the lovely Dawn. We call her the "Queen of Pain" in the Dojo!

[jar_e]

Mark,

Lovely shot, very crisp. Nice composition too, way to fill the frame.

Nice shot,

Jared

[mdmc]

Mark,

Lovely shot, very crisp. Nice composition too, way to fill the frame.

Nice shot,

Jared

Jared,
I love compliments!
Thanks for posting,
Mark

[mdmc]

Speed,
Thanks for answering. I would like to request that you post or repost you're fav moon shot(preferably full) at full power. However, if it is in you're gallery don't bother as i will check that soon.
No need to appologize, I should appologize to you. It sounds harsh even to me! Not intended.
Astrophotograpy. Maybe a new catagory on DP?
Good luck getting the new belt, keep you're gaurd up...& down!,
Mark.