Moon photo tips: Any one have any tips on getting good moon photos with a camera (no telescope)? My biggest issue is that they still look a little too exposed no matter the shutter...

MacroChick

Any one have any tips on getting good moon photos with a camera (no telescope)?

My biggest issue is that they still look a little too exposed no matter the shutter speed I pick.

I am using ISO 100, F22 and have tried differing shudder speeds and exposure adjustments. am wondering if maybe a filter would help get more details.

Any suggestions?

I do not have any examples, cause I deleted all my attempts, and have not tried again recently.

Izza1967 Loc: Bristol, England

A quick tip would be to never try and get the full moon as it is extremely bright and will always appear flat, it's far better to catch a just below half moon with shadows as it gives a better 3D affect.

I have just put up a moon shot of half of the moon which shows what I mean regarding shadows though it was shot through a telescope.
Hope you don't mind me linking to it...........http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-232964-1.html

GTinSoCal Loc: Palmdale, CA

Here is a shot of the full moon, it is always fun to the mares in YOUR photos!

f 6.3, 1/160 (tripod) ISO 100

GT

kmohr3 Loc: Rockford, IL

MacroChick wrote:

Any one have any tips on getting good moon photos with a camera (no telescope)?

My biggest issue is that they still look a little too exposed no matter the shutter speed I pick.

To avoid the over-exposure problem, set the metering to 'spot-metering'. This will keep the moon from looking like a big white blob. If the metering is set to evaluative or matrix it will consider all the black in the photo and try to make it brighter.

kmohr3 Loc: Rockford, IL

MacroChick wrote:

Any one have any tips on getting good moon photos with a camera (no telescope)?

My biggest issue is that they still look a little too exposed no matter the shutter speed I pick.

To avoid the over-exposure problem, set the metering to 'spot-metering'. This will keep the moon from looking like a big white blob. If the metering is set to evaluative or matrix it will consider all the black in the photo and try to make it brighter.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

No filters.
Use F/8.
100 ISO.
1/200th sec as a starting point.
Careful not to overexpose.
Main thing people get wrong with moon photos is shooting them too bright.
For a full moon shot, be prepared to darken and push contrast in post work to get better moon detail.

MacroChick wrote:

Any one have any tips on getting good moon photos with a camera (no telescope)?

My biggest issue is that they still look a little too exposed no matter the shutter speed I pick.

I am using ISO 100, F22 and have tried differing shudder speeds and exposure adjustments. am wondering if maybe a filter would help get more details.

Any suggestions?

I do not have any examples, cause I deleted all my attempts, and have not tried again recently.

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

The biggest tip I can give you is experiment. Start in manual mode, use some of the exposures listed here, use spot metering. I use my Sony DSC-H400 because it has a 63x optical zoom (1550mm 35mm equivalent). In manual mode & using live view on the LCD display, I can see what effect any exposure changes will have. Oh, yea. A good sturdy tripod.

DaveHam Loc: Reading UK

The moon is reflected sunlight and needs to be treated as such for a direct photograph.

From the information you give the aperture of F22 is rather small; at the distance the moon is from the earth and the overall size a small aperture is unlikely to increase detail.

Using a 600mm lens on a Nikon D800 settings that work are F8, exposure time of 1/100th.

Also as the moon orbits the earth at quite a speed long exposures produce a blurred image unless you have a compensating mount for the camera.

Eduardkooij Loc: Amsterdam , Netherlands

The moon itself emits no light, its simply a huge rock being lit up by the sun. As it orbits the earth, and as the earth orbits the sun, how much we see of that reflection changes from a bright, full moon to no apparent moon at all.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

MacroChick wrote:

Any one have any tips on getting good moon photos with a camera (no telescope)?

My biggest issue is that they still look a little too exposed no matter the shutter speed I pick.

I am using ISO 100, F22 and have tried differing shudder speeds and exposure adjustments. am wondering if maybe a filter would help get more details.

Any suggestions?

I do not have any examples, cause I deleted all my attempts, and have not tried again recently.

Use 1/ISO for your shutter speed, and anywhere from F5.6-F16 for your aperture - always bracket to ensure that you get a usable image.

This was shot with a D800, 600mm F4 at F4, 1/160, ISO100, raw capture. I overexposed this a bit to minimize noise in the shadows at the lower left side of the moon. Had it been a full moon, I would have used a slightly lower exposure. Raw allows you to access dynamic range that is not available in jpg.

Avoid using an aperture smaller than F16, as lens diffraction will make the image very soft. Find out what Fstop is sharpest and use that, adjusting shutter and ISO accordingly.

(Download)

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

MacroChick wrote:

Any one have any tips on getting good moon photos with a camera (no telescope)?

My biggest issue is that they still look a little too exposed no matter the shutter speed I pick.

I am using ISO 100, F22 and have tried differing shudder speeds and exposure adjustments. am wondering if maybe a filter would help get more details.

Any suggestions?

I do not have any examples, cause I deleted all my attempts, and have not tried again recently.

Remember even though it's night time, the moon is sun lit. A good place to start is the "Sunny 16" rule. f/16 with the shutter speed the reciprocal of the ISO. If the ISO is 100 set the shutter speed to 1/100, if the ISO is 200 set the shutter speed to 1/200, etc. This is a rule of thumb not a hard and fast rule. It is also a starting point, not an absolute. Play around with settings on either side.

Albuqshutterbug Loc: Albuquerque NM

I have had good luck using this chart as a starting point.
You don't say what type of camera or if you are using a telephoto lens to do the shoot with.
This is intended for the user who is only trying to capture the moon.
I hope it helps.
Clear skies.

Exposure chart
Attached file:
(Download)

Jim Peters Loc: Pittsburgh

First Check The Area That You Are Working At.Make Sure There Are No Young Girls In Bikinis Around. They Will Jump In Front Of Your Camera In An Instant. Blocking Out That Great Moon Shot!

Dlevon Loc: New Jersey

[quote=MacroChick]Any one have any tips on getting good moon photos with a camera (no telescope)?

My biggest issue is that they still look a little too exposed no matter the shutter speed I pick.

I am using ISO 100, F22 and have tried differing shudder speeds and exposure adjustments. am wondering if maybe a filter would help get more details.

Any suggestions?

What camera are you using? If you've been following the threads for the CanonSX50 on UHH, you can do it all easily with that , on auto or adjusted as I and many others do, and come up with wonderful shots, all within seconds of walking out the door. Heres an example.

Attached file:
(Download)

Mark7829 Loc: Calfornia

The key is shooting with the biggest lens you have and shooting early in some twilight. Composition with something in the midground is very good such a hillsides, trees, bridges, etc.