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09/15/2008 01:49:00 PM · #1 |
| Ok whenever i try and photograph the moon, all i gt is a white blob on a black background. no detail, no silhouette of the mountains or trees or anything below the moon...whats the problem? how do YOU take moon shots? what settings do you use? any tips would be awesome, thanks |
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09/15/2008 01:55:17 PM · #2 |
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09/15/2008 01:56:11 PM · #3 |
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09/15/2008 02:05:12 PM · #4 |
The first thing to remember is the moon is much (much) brighter than people realize. Your settings will also vary with what kind of effect you're going for.
 This was a multiple exposure. Each shot of the moon was a f/11 and about 1/125th (give or take this was in my film days so I don't have it written down, may have been as high as 1/250th)
 This was a fifteen seconds f/1.4 - medium overcast sky.
 This was about ten seconds f/4 (approx). I have no idea what caused the reflection- there was no water, no road, just a grassy field. I've been told everything from a reflection inside the lens to "swamp gas."
 This was nine seconds f/2.8 with the moon in and out of clouds.
 This was eight seconds (+/- a second), no idea the aperture on this one.
ETA: These all would've been ISO 100
Message edited by author 2008-09-15 14:39:09.
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09/15/2008 02:07:45 PM · #5 |
Remember the Sunny F16 rule as the moon is a sunlit object.
Use this as a starting point.
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09/15/2008 02:12:19 PM · #6 |
| Another rule I read was f/11 and then 1/ISO (so at ISO 100, 1/100 shutter speed). |
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09/15/2008 02:29:45 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by HawkeyeLonewolf:
Another rule I read was f/11 and then 1/ISO (so at ISO 100, 1/100 shutter speed). |
That's the "sunny f/16" rule except it uses f/11... F/11 would work better with the moon near the horizon or when the sky is not especially clear, f/16 would work better for very clear skies and the moon well above the horizon.
R. |
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09/15/2008 02:30:52 PM · #8 |
 ... for this shot I used f/11, 1/200 and ISO 800 ... tripod mounted w/ cable release ... taken @300 mm w/ a Sigma 70-300 |
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09/15/2008 02:32:47 PM · #9 |
:P luck helps |
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09/15/2008 02:33:39 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by HawkeyeLonewolf:
Another rule I read was f/11 and then 1/ISO (so at ISO 100, 1/100 shutter speed). |
That's the "sunny f/16" rule except it uses f/11... F/11 would work better with the moon near the horizon or when the sky is not especially clear, f/16 would work better for very clear skies and the moon well above the horizon.
R. |
But wouldn't F/16 have a large DOF, thus making Mars and Saturn in too sharp a focus as well??? :) |
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09/15/2008 02:36:28 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by HawkeyeLonewolf:
But wouldn't F/16 have a large DOF, thus making Mars and Saturn in too sharp a focus as well??? :) |
Nah... Even at f/11 DOF on a 400mm lens is from 1,250 miles to infinity :-)
R. |
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09/15/2008 02:42:18 PM · #12 |
Practice & experimentation......
I bought an old 500mm Beroflex lens with a screw-on Nikon adaptor, NOTHING automatic works with this lens, and got this after playing for a while.....
[thumb]546260[/thumb]
Message edited by author 2008-09-15 14:43:25.
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09/15/2008 04:58:56 PM · #13 |
| f8 @ 1/250th. Simple and it works every time with any moon. ;] |
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09/15/2008 11:24:51 PM · #14 |
| well thank you all! too bad i didnt read this a few hours ago. i was taking photos of a football game and the moon cam up over the mountains. of course, the photos were like bleh, but i learned more on here so the next game might go better:) |
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09/15/2008 11:36:46 PM · #15 |
Try shooting it in the daytime and use the same settings for a night shot.
If you want to try shooting it at night in an auto or program mode, set the camera to neg 2.5 or neg 3 EV, and meter with the moon in the center then compose and shoot.
The best way is to shoot manual, and keep reducing the exposure until you can see detail in the moon in the LCD preview. The moon loves you : )
Here are a couple of my lunacy shots;
 
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09/16/2008 12:14:34 AM · #16 |
tonights moon/girly football combo. yes i know the moons is blurry, i had to focus on the wanna-be football players.
oh and lets pretend the photo is actually rotated the right way:D |
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09/16/2008 12:19:54 AM · #17 |
The exposure is right for the moon, but you were shooting at night and wide aperture, like f4, so the moon is out of focus.
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09/19/2008 03:44:31 AM · #18 |
| I dont know what the f/11 thing is.... or f/16 for that matter. I want to take a picture with my Canon S5 IS anyone want to break it down for me a little easier for someone who doesnt know to much about photography yet? would help if someone could tell me which settings to set specificly for my camera. Thanks. |
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09/19/2008 03:51:01 AM · #19 |
| Do you have a manual for your camera ..read up on it:) |
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09/19/2008 08:20:48 AM · #20 |
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09/19/2008 09:12:32 AM · #21 |
Originally posted by pamelasue:
... for this shot I used f/11, 1/200 and ISO 800 ... tripod mounted w/ cable release ... taken @300 mm w/ a Sigma 70-300 |
edit to add that the moon was VERY low in the sky when I took this image ... it seemed absolutely HUGE to the naked eye. I've never tried to get any images when it's been high in the sky, so I don't know how well those settings will work ... |
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