who is shooting the Pan Starr this week
Mar 11, 2013 14:28:04 #
This is going to be a first experiment for me with my long exposure. I plan on going up to a local mountain peak and setting up what cameras I can - my Lumix FZ18 and if my adapter gets here I'll use the Canon 400d I just bought also and I think I will set up a Canon AV-1 film SLR
I have a mirrored 500mm to use on my 400d if the adapter gets here if not I'll use it on the AV 1 it came with.
Lens also available is a 75-150 w/ matched 2X.
The view from this part of CA is supposed to be 1/2 hr after sundown and to focus near the crescent moon.
Any tips will be appreciated.
Harvey
I have a mirrored 500mm to use on my 400d if the adapter gets here if not I'll use it on the AV 1 it came with.
Lens also available is a 75-150 w/ matched 2X.
The view from this part of CA is supposed to be 1/2 hr after sundown and to focus near the crescent moon.
Any tips will be appreciated.
Harvey
Mar 11, 2013 17:44:10 #
I have been wanting to, but we have been cloudy for 3 days and supposed to stay that way until the 13th. I may not even get to see it much less shoot it!
Mar 11, 2013 17:49:46 #
Pepper
Loc: Planet Earth Country USA
MT Shooter wrote:
I have been wanting to, but we have been cloudy for 3 days and supposed to stay that way until the 13th. I may not even get to see it much less shoot it!
We're in the same boat, lots of clouds and rain/snow mix. Doesn't sound like it's going to clear off until next week but who knows they've been wrong a time or two.
Mar 11, 2013 18:12:59 #
I live 150 mi east of San Francisco - [no mountains between here and the Golden Gate except Mt Diablo and the prediction for the next several days is - partly cloudy - so I just may luck out. It is only 5 mi & a 200 or 300 yrd walk to the peak so I can make a last minute decision real easy.
Heck I'll go up there and test shoot my long lens on my "new'used Rebel XTi 400D.
Harveyquote=MT Shooter]I have been wanting to, but we have been cloudy for 3 days and supposed to stay that way until the 13th. I may not even get to see it much less shoot it![/quote]
Heck I'll go up there and test shoot my long lens on my "new'used Rebel XTi 400D.
Harveyquote=MT Shooter]I have been wanting to, but we have been cloudy for 3 days and supposed to stay that way until the 13th. I may not even get to see it much less shoot it![/quote]
Mar 11, 2013 18:20:16 #
MT Shooter wrote:
I have been wanting to, but we have been cloudy for 3 days and supposed to stay that way until the 13th. I may not even get to see it much less shoot it!
Cloudy here but suppose to be clear next three days. MT - what do you recommend as a starting point for camera settings? Will be using a 70s with a Nikon 55-300, 4.5-5.6 lens. Will have on a good tripod with VR turned off. Will also use remote shutter cord. Should I have the mirror locked up? Would a ND or CPL be useful? Thanks for any suggestions you might have. Always found it useful to pick your brain.
Mar 11, 2013 18:33:43 #
charles brown wrote:
quote=MT Shooter I have been wanting to, but we h... (show quote)
Remember, a comet is a bright celestial body, as is the moon. Long exposures, NDs and CPLs are not normally needed, but long exposures are fun to play with also. A long lens focused on the most distant object you can find usually works. Try the sunny 16 rule to start with and increase exposure from there as needed. I would suggest knowing the sharpest aperture opening of your lens and using that aperture. Often it is around F8 to F11 but all lenses vary. If the comet is very small then an ISO increase will likely be needed, know where noise becomes an issue with your camera so you don't go too high. I would always recommend a GOOD tripod with a remote shutter release, and mirror up shooting anytime you are shooting anything celestial.
Good luck.
Mar 11, 2013 18:48:38 #
My plans do include two rock solid tripods - self timers as i have no remotes (yet) and no more than 400 iso ( I have always been afraid of "noise".
I may just shoot a series of 15 - 30 second shots with both cameras in hopes of catching the moment.
f16 sounds good to me.
I may just shoot a series of 15 - 30 second shots with both cameras in hopes of catching the moment.
f16 sounds good to me.
Mar 12, 2013 05:40:30 #
Harvey wrote:
My plans do include two rock solid tripods - self timers as i have no remotes (yet) and no more than 400 iso ( I have always been afraid of "noise".
I may just shoot a series of 15 - 30 second shots with both cameras in hopes of catching the moment.
f16 sounds good to me.
I may just shoot a series of 15 - 30 second shots with both cameras in hopes of catching the moment.
f16 sounds good to me.
Do not worry about noise it can be removed; here are suggestions:
Comet Panstarrs is quite small, so can get a little lost in the frame if you have a very wide field of view. Lots of different focal lengths can work, but if you have a standard 50mm lens that can be a good place to start (with either cropped sensor or full frame camera). Experiment with longer and shorter focal lengths. Comet Panstarrs is at its best about an hour after sunset, but there is still twilight so you will need to be constantly adjusting your exposure to match the changing light. Keep your exposure time down to around 15 secs or less (longer with very wide lenses) and open up the aperture. Keep the ISO low while twilight is bright but bump it up as you need to as the sky gets darker.
Mar 12, 2013 08:21:23 #
Harvey wrote:
[/quote]I live 150 mi east of San Francisco - no mountain... (show quote)
Good Morning Harvey,
I have the T3i/600D; if anything I do know, you will want to make sure Mirror Lock is enabled, and your self-times (2 SECS) is used with a remote of some sort. If I am not mistaken White balance should be set on Sunny, and the most widest Aperture as possible. I would assume very strongly guessing here but with the comet already producing a trail you should use short shutter speeds you don't need a star trail. If I am wrong please advise me That part I am guessing at. But that would be my best guess at this comet. I live in Georgia, they say it will be clear skies for us, SO I will see or not see.?.
Mar 12, 2013 09:12:23 #
Between the rain and the clouds, I have a good excuse to stay inside, rather than try to find a vantage point that is clear of mountains and trees. I'll wait for images to appear on UHH and TV.
Mar 12, 2013 09:29:37 #
kaerophil
Loc: Oxford, CT
Have a look at all the comments in the section discussing comets (search the word "comet". Almost all the advice says to use the lowest F stop number your camera (or lens) will take, and turn off the auto focus.
Mar 12, 2013 10:48:42 #
The comet should be a 1st or 2nd magnitude, not as bright as the moon, Jupiter or many bright stars. I suggest the most wide open f/stop of your lens with a 30 second exposure to start, and maybe ISO 1600 or more. You want to capture the much dimmer tail of the comet pointing away from the Sun. I too have been waiting for a decent sky on the West horizon in the sunshine state.
But today is my birthday and the comet will be at the tip of the crescent moon briefly after sunset, so thank you to all who gave me best wishes.
However, maybe by May when the comet is higher in the Northern sky near Polaris the images will improve. Be patient and persistent. There will be another great comet in November but this is a rare year.
But today is my birthday and the comet will be at the tip of the crescent moon briefly after sunset, so thank you to all who gave me best wishes.
However, maybe by May when the comet is higher in the Northern sky near Polaris the images will improve. Be patient and persistent. There will be another great comet in November but this is a rare year.
Mar 12, 2013 12:36:45 #
Mar 12, 2013 12:49:27 #
I would also recommend downloading a program called stellarium...its free and you can enter your co-ordinates, height above sea level...and the direction you will be looking...it can give you real time or you can fast forward to find almost the exact time to look and shoot.
http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Download
http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Download
Mar 12, 2013 13:06:05 #
Thanks for this site - I think it will be tomorrow night for me as I forgot a commitment I have from 7 - 9 pm
Just how long do I have to shoot this- enough time to reset camera settings for a second shot??
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Just how long do I have to shoot this- enough time to reset camera settings for a second shot??
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ggttc wrote:
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