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Full moon, 2015-11-25
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Nov 25, 2015 20:39:45   #
filzfotoz Loc: Nashville, TN
 
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 55-200 lens, 1/60 sec., f/22, ISO 200
My question: This is the best of about 100 shots. Most are out of focus. How do I focus on the moon for clear images??? I tried the LCD screen, can't see it well enough to adjust, TTL no better. Resorted to autofocus with moon centered so the autofocus could do its job and got about 10 decent shots. Want to shoot the moon with some trees / buildings / people in the images but focusing is always a problem. HELP?!?!?!



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Nov 25, 2015 20:44:17   #
oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA
 
filzfotoz wrote:
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 55-200 lens, 1/60 sec., f/22, ISO 200
My question: This is the best of about 100 shots. Most are out of focus. How do I focus on the moon for clear images??? I tried the LCD screen, can't see it well enough to adjust, TTL no better. Resorted to autofocus with moon centered so the autofocus could do its job and got about 10 decent shots. Want to shoot the moon with some trees / buildings / people in the images but focusing is always a problem. HELP?!?!?!


manual focus using live view magnified.
compose and shoot using typical daylight exposure settings.

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Nov 26, 2015 05:03:53   #
Leicaflex Loc: Cymru
 
oldtigger wrote:
manual focus using live view magnified.
compose and shoot using typical daylight exposure settings.


Manual focus.

:thumbup:

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Nov 26, 2015 06:09:19   #
waegwan Loc: Mae Won Li
 
filzfotoz wrote:
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 55-200 lens, 1/60 sec., f/22, ISO 200
My question: This is the best of about 100 shots. Most are out of focus. How do I focus on the moon for clear images??? I tried the LCD screen, can't see it well enough to adjust, TTL no better. Resorted to autofocus with moon centered so the autofocus could do its job and got about 10 decent shots. Want to shoot the moon with some trees / buildings / people in the images but focusing is always a problem. HELP?!?!?!


I hope you don't think these are dumb questions, but are you using a tripod and remote release? Also does your camera have magnification in live view? Also, just in my experience, unless the moon is really close a 200mm might be a little short. Here is a tripod shot with a 300 lens and it ain't all that sharp either but the moon also was not close. You can check the EXIF data. Anyway, just some thoughts.

Moon 300mm
Moon 300mm...
(Download)

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Nov 26, 2015 09:06:50   #
Bear2 Loc: Southeast,, MI
 
Great shot!
Duane




quote=waegwan]I hope you don't think these are dumb questions, but are you using a tripod and remote release? Also does your camera have magnification in live view? Also, just in my experience, unless the moon is really close a 200mm might be a little short. Here is a tripod shot with a 300 lens and it ain't all that sharp either but the moon also was not close. You can check the EXIF data. Anyway, just some thoughts.[/quote]

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Nov 26, 2015 09:33:55   #
alf85 Loc: Northumberland, UK.
 
filzfotoz wrote:
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 55-200 lens, 1/60 sec., f/22, ISO 200
My question: This is the best of about 100 shots. Most are out of focus. How do I focus on the moon for clear images??? I tried the LCD screen, can't see it well enough to adjust, TTL no better. Resorted to autofocus with moon centered so the autofocus could do its job and got about 10 decent shots. Want to shoot the moon with some trees / buildings / people in the images but focusing is always a problem. HELP?!?!?!


Use a good solid Tripod, plus a cable release, and keep the centre column down and locked to prevent shake, remember the moon is a long way off.
I have enclosed a couple of my photo's taken with the Canon SX-50.
Regards, Alfie.

Night time shot.
Night time shot....

Mid day shot.
Mid day shot....

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Nov 26, 2015 09:37:15   #
Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
 
filzfotoz wrote:
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 55-200 lens, 1/60 sec., f/22, ISO 200
My question: This is the best of about 100 shots. Most are out of focus. How do I focus on the moon for clear images??? I tried the LCD screen, can't see it well enough to adjust, TTL no better. Resorted to autofocus with moon centered so the autofocus could do its job and got about 10 decent shots. Want to shoot the moon with some trees / buildings / people in the images but focusing is always a problem. HELP?!?!?!


With a 200mm lens, I would suggest that the photos are not out of focus, but 'over-enlarged', or cropped too tightly. I tried shooting the moon with a 70-210 zoom many years ago, and the dot on the negative was *tiny*

Actually, now that I think on, I remember that the image size of the moon on the film/sensor is 1/100th of the focal length. So, the biggest you are going to get with your lens is a 2mm image on the sensor.

For moon shots which are more than landscapes, you really need to invest in a *very* expensive lens, or do what I did, and buy a 'superzoom' like the SX50. Sorry.

There are people posting nice moon shots (check out the astro forum) with 600mm lenses, but they are not cheap.

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Nov 26, 2015 09:52:20   #
jr168
 
Since the moon is thousands of miles away, setting your focus ring to infinity usually works if autofocus is not grabbing it. You didn't mention whether you were on a tripod or not, but could it be camera shake that is causing the unsharp image? I am assuming that you were racked out to 200mm when taking this, so your minimum shutter speed should have been 1/320 if hand holding (1.5 x focal length). Another thing to think about is since the moon is thousands of miles away, no need to shoot this at f/22 since depth of field is not an issue. At f/22, you run into diffraction which will affect your image. Most lenses are sharpest between f/8 and f/11. So by opening up your aperture, you can easily increase your shutter speed. With the settings you had, you could have easily shot this at f/10, 1/320, iso 200. Hope that helps.

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Nov 26, 2015 10:27:06   #
Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA
 
filzfotoz wrote:
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 55-200 lens, 1/60 sec., f/22, ISO 200
My question: This is the best of about 100 shots. Most are out of focus. How do I focus on the moon for clear images??? I tried the LCD screen, can't see it well enough to adjust, TTL no better. Resorted to autofocus with moon centered so the autofocus could do its job and got about 10 decent shots. Want to shoot the moon with some trees / buildings / people in the images but focusing is always a problem. HELP?!?!?!


filzfotoz,

There are many possible causes for the poor sharpness of your Moon picture, and most of them have been mentioned in this thread.
One more may help to resolve your problem.
The focal length of your lens is a bit short, a 300 - 600mm lens on a tripod would go a long way to resolve the image size.
That said, with your 55 - 300mm lens you have a built in problem with the zoom feature. At its maximum focal length, the lens is not longer critically calibrated for focus, and the auto=focus feature may not be able to correct the error. To compensate for this error zoom your lens to the longest stop, then back off 1/8 of a turn, set the lens to Manual Focus, turn on Live View, and set the magnification to 5x, manually focus on the moon craters, for critical focus set live view to 10x and touch up the craters.

You don't need the Aperture set to f/22, try setting it at f/8 to f/11, 20 miles away from the camera is considered 'Infinity' for focus and the moon is way over 20 miles away.

Michael G

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Nov 26, 2015 11:09:02   #
filzfotoz Loc: Nashville, TN
 
There are no dumb questions - only dumb mistakes!

Yes to the tripod and remote release. My camera does have magnification in live view. My problem was the image was so washed out that I couldn't see detail to focus on it. I also use an Android app called DslrDashboard on my tablet tethered to my camera but I couldn't find the cable for it so used the remote.

Love your 300 mm shot. (Is that with a cropped senser or full frame?)

Mrs. Claus tells me that 500 mm lens I'm drooling over is just out of the question! Guess I just have to make do with my 200. I'll keep toiling with it.

A bad day of photography is better than my best day at work!
=================================
waegwan wrote:
I hope you don't think these are dumb questions, but are you using a tripod and remote release? Also does your camera have magnification in live view? Also, just in my experience, unless the moon is really close a 200mm might be a little short. Here is a tripod shot with a 300 lens and it ain't all that sharp either but the moon also was not close. You can check the EXIF data. Anyway, just some thoughts.

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Nov 26, 2015 11:13:27   #
filzfotoz Loc: Nashville, TN
 
VERY good points, Arm. As you might guess, I'm a rank amateur struggling to improve! Budgetary constraints (read, the wife) prevent me from acquiring any more powerful equipment than what I already have in my arsenal. Your advice is much appreciated - and will be put to good use on my next shoot. Thank you so much!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
====================
Armadillo wrote:
filzfotoz,

There are many possible causes for the poor sharpness of your Moon picture, and most of them have been mentioned in this thread.
One more may help to resolve your problem.
The focal length of your lens is a bit short, a 300 - 600mm lens on a tripod would go a long way to resolve the image size.
That said, with your 55 - 300mm lens you have a built in problem with the zoom feature. At its maximum focal length, the lens is not longer critically calibrated for focus, and the auto=focus feature may not be able to correct the error. To compensate for this error zoom your lens to the longest stop, then back off 1/8 of a turn, set the lens to Manual Focus, turn on Live View, and set the magnification to 5x, manually focus on the moon craters, for critical focus set live view to 10x and touch up the craters.

You don't need the Aperture set to f/22, try setting it at f/8 to f/11, 20 miles away from the camera is considered 'Infinity' for focus and the moon is way over 20 miles away.

Michael G
filzfotoz, br br There are many possible causes f... (show quote)

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Nov 26, 2015 12:27:01   #
zigipha Loc: north nj
 
waegwan wrote:
I hope you don't think these are dumb questions, but are you using a tripod and remote release? Also does your camera have magnification in live view? Also, just in my experience, unless the moon is really close a 200mm might be a little short. Here is a tripod shot with a 300 lens and it ain't all that sharp either but the moon also was not close. You can check the EXIF data. Anyway, just some thoughts.


Moon was not close? lol

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Nov 26, 2015 13:56:38   #
Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA
 
filzfotoz wrote:
VERY good points, Arm. As you might guess, I'm a rank amateur struggling to improve! Budgetary constraints (read, the wife) prevent me from acquiring any more powerful equipment than what I already have in my arsenal. Your advice is much appreciated - and will be put to good use on my next shoot. Thank you so much!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
====================


Phil,

You are welcome.

You do not have to wait for another full moon, any moon-rise will do, and you can capture the crater edges as well.

Michael G

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Nov 26, 2015 15:24:02   #
Ugly Jake Loc: Sub-Rural Vermont
 
How about a second body / lens ? The SX-50 ?

This is out of camera - no crop.
This is out of camera - no crop....
(Download)

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Nov 26, 2015 17:42:56   #
Yooper 2 Loc: Ironwood, MI
 
200 isn't good magnification for the moon. 300+ is best. Use a tripod and remote shutter to avoid hand shake. As for buildings, trees, & etc, it can be done with one shot with difficulty but most pros shoot them separately and add the moon with PP software that can do layers. The camera will try to focus on both the moon and the other objects and won't do a good job. Manual focus is recommended.

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