Is this just a crappy lens or is it me?
Jan 26, 2015 02:11:10 #
I had some early bad moon shots at first with my Nikon and 500mm Nikon mirror lens. I found that adding a red gel filter over the front of it cleaned it up like magic. You can buy them for use over flash units, etc. Any way you use to 30 years ago. Still have the lens, and want to put it on my Nikon DX digital camera and see what it does. Think I will try some moon photo's again after looking at these. I like a tall building in the foreground to make the moon look larger if possible. Keep experimenting. When in college studying photography in the 50's I thought it was all about equipment. Later I found out it was learning the limits and how to use your equipment.
Jan 26, 2015 11:23:30 #
Didn't take the time to read all the posts but your shutter speed needs to be the reciprocal of the focal length when shooting the moon. If using a 500 mm then 1/500 sec would be your minimum ss. Remember that the moon is moving across the sky, just cause you don't see it doesn't mean it ain't happening. Once you have this then use the sunny 16 rule. Shutter at 1/ 500 = ISO at 500 (400 or 800 will do) Full moon choose f:16, half moon choose f:11, quarter moon choose f:8. Remember that while you (and the camera) are shooting at night, on the moon it is like mid day in the desert.
Your 1/15 second has allowed the moon to move and give you soft edges along with the over exposure for a mid day desert scene. The aperture and ISO are fine just the ss needs adjusting for this shot. Hope this helps and if this duplicates another answer, sorry. :)
Your 1/15 second has allowed the moon to move and give you soft edges along with the over exposure for a mid day desert scene. The aperture and ISO are fine just the ss needs adjusting for this shot. Hope this helps and if this duplicates another answer, sorry. :)
Jan 26, 2015 15:31:33 #
RedAdmiral wrote:
Taken through a Rokinon 500 mm lens on my Canon 70... (show quote)
I noticed that your speed was 1/80.. Nowhere near fast enough. you must remember yhat every thing is moving rather fast. The Earth and the moon are both moving. If IS is on that could be a problem also. Should be off when a tripod is used.
Jan 26, 2015 15:49:28 #
RedAdmiral wrote:
Taken through a Rokinon 500 mm lens on my Canon 70... (show quote)
You've gotten all kinds of advice, here is the bottom line. Mirror lenses are notoriously difficult to focus. They are extremely sensitive to movement. It should not be a surprise that your image was "soft". For an expanded explanation, GOOGLE "Mirror Lens Ken Rockwell" and see what he has to say.
Jan 28, 2015 10:49:35 #
the moon is lighted by the sun , so it is like taking a picture on earth in sun light ,you are way over exposed .
Jan 28, 2015 12:25:19 #
oldgeezer3
Loc: SoCal
RedAdmiral wrote:
I think the fast exposure is a good idea. I went back out and tried again. I noticed a lot of "Shimmer" almost like heat mirage which would show up as an almost random motion unsharpness along the edges because the air is moving and moving the light with it. I'll try again tomorrow if the sky is clear.
The astronomers call that 'shimmer' atmospheric disturbance. As long as we are earth-bound, we have to put up with it. Your first post shows, I think, a slight over exposure. Since the lens f-stop is fixed, try faster shutter, and bracket the exposure. As others have said, mirror lenses tend to be very hard to get tack-sharp photos. Again, good luck with your picture taking.
Jan 28, 2015 19:24:01 #
I had the same result by adjusting the ISO. The brightness of the moon flooded the rest of the photo. I'm no pro but try 1/15 or 1/12 speed (on a tripod) and try. This is what I got
Jan 29, 2015 02:25:59 #
You are exactly right, sir! The mistake most make when "shooting the moon" is over exposure. As you pointed out, the moon is actually quite bright.... it's the SKY that's dark. Also, most folks new to moon photography will use the longest zoom lens they have and shoot at the longest FL. This is where most zoom lenses are at their worst. Often, a teleconverter will be introduced into the equation, only exacerbating the problem. Almost all of them will reduce what inherent sharpness the lens had to begin with.
fawlty128 wrote:
Shoot at the fastest speed you can(without underexposing) as this will help offset any potential camera shake. Also, remember that the moon is reflecting sunlight and is very bright. Don't let the darkness of the night sky fool your cameras exposure setting.
Jan 30, 2015 18:39:11 #
innershield wrote:
I had the same result by adjusting the ISO. The brightness of the moon flooded the rest of the photo. I'm no pro but try 1/15 or 1/12 speed (on a tripod) and try. This is what I got
The shutter speed is not fast enough to get crisp focus at 600mm. Try the Lunar 11 rule:
With ISO 400 film / setting and aperture at f/11, set shutter speed to 1/400 or 1/500
You might also try
Manual, ISO 100, 1/250, f/7.1, EV0 on tripod with remote shutter and mirror up
Feb 6, 2015 22:28:13 #
Feb 8, 2015 09:18:01 #
FalconEddie
Loc: Bryan, TX, USA
Make a project out of it. Tripod, of course, is essential. Go totally manual. Start with your lowest f-stop, shoot a series of pics starting with a slightly underexposed shutter speed, then work your way toward a slow, overexposed shutter speed. Move your f-stop up and repeat. Keep track of what you did and view your results. You'll find your sweet spot for the f-stop and the best shutter speed for exposure. There is no approved solution for lenses in general. Your lens type will use different numbers than a different lens in brand, focal length, f-stop, etc. What works best for yours won't necessarily work for another lens.
Feb 8, 2015 14:08:36 #
Jim Peters wrote:
Great Job I Really Like This! However Every Time I Try It ,This Is What I Get. How Can i Keep This Girl From Photo Bombing This Shot?
why would you want to?
Mar 9, 2015 04:38:16 #
Also what you are missing maybe is that the camera is all nice and fixed rigid on the tripod, but the moon itself is moving. I have my dad's old Questar telescope. He used it with a Nikon F?. The telescope is equipped with a sidereal clock so his time exposures of the moon were near perfectly in focus...
Apr 2, 2015 07:38:37 #
The exposure advice is a good start, but there are some other potential issues. If it's cold out and you go out for a quick photo, the lens may not perform as well until the lens temperature stabilizes. Another issue could be atmospheric turbulences. Take several photos. If the soft area move around this might be you issue. If you take a lot of images, you may find a good one out of the group. If not, you can stack a group to compensate for the air movement. Keep at it and don't give on the lens yet! However, the moon is a difficult subject, due to the high contrast, the movement and the atmospheric issues.
Apr 3, 2015 13:35:52 #
My mentor explained to me a long time ago that then moon moves............hence a long exposure will become blurry...................Not being snarky just passing on what little knowledge I possess.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.