Full moon, 2015-11-25 (Page 2): My camera is full frame but that doesn't make any difference on the focal length or sharpness. You might try a good 2X tele-converter to push your 200...

waegwan Loc: Mae Won Li

filzfotoz wrote:

There are no dumb questions - only dumb mistakes! ... (show quote)

My camera is full frame but that doesn't make any difference on the focal length or sharpness.

You might try a good 2X tele-converter to push your 200 lens to 400. It won't be as good as a regular lens but it should be better than without. I'd shoot one for you tonight but we have too much cloud cover, maybe sometime over the weekend.

waegwan Loc: Mae Won Li

Ugly Jake wrote:

How about a second body / lens ? The SX-50 ?

That's not bad. Was the moon low or high in the sky? I live in a valley in South Korea by the time we see the moon it is always high in the sky. I remember seeing moons in the US when they were low in the sky and sometimes it looked like you could reach out and touch it.

Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

waegwan wrote:

That's not bad. Was the moon low or high in the sky? I live in a valley in South Korea by the time we see the moon it is always high in the sky. I remember seeing moons in the US when they were low in the sky and sometimes it looked like you could reach out and touch it.

That is an optical illusion caused by seeing it close to objects on the ground. You should get that same effect even when it rises from beyond a hill...

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

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?!?!?!

You shot this at 1/60 second. It's amazing how much the moon moves, so you must shorten the shutter speed to at least 1/250

hiker60 Loc: Northern Idaho

nice shot

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

No one has mentioned haze. I'm not a moon shooter but you're tackling lots of atmosphere on a moon shot. I think it would be a major issue in some locations, not so much in others.

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

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?!?!?!

F22? Try f/5.6-F/8 to avoid lens diffraction. Also use "exposure delay mode" , I think its D4 in the custom settings. This will put the mirror up for 2 seconds to avoid additional vibration. Good luck.

Peeb Loc: NE Oklahoma

boberic wrote:

You shot this at 1/60 second. It's amazing how much the moon moves, so you must shorten the shutter speed to at least 1/250

Not sure that's motion blur. Here is the moon at 1/45 second at f/13 with a nikon 55-300 zoomed to 300, then cropped.

Not stellar, but much less blurry than OP effort. I do agree that motion blur is an issue that must be taken into account, however. Amazing how fast the moon tracks across the night sky. Stars too.

cropped moon

(Download)

Bear2 Loc: Southeast,, MI

Very nice!
Duane

quote=Peeb]Not sure that's motion blur. Here is the moon at 1/45 second at f/13 with a nikon 55-300 zoomed to 300, then cropped.

Not stellar, but much less blurry than OP effort. I do agree that motion blur is an issue that must be taken into account, however. Amazing how fast the moon tracks across the night sky. Stars too.[/quote]

wolfman

One taken at night, and one in the early evening. Both were taken with my arm resting on a wrought iron railing, using auto focus . Both were heavily cropped. D810 & Sigma 150-600 Sport.

1/160, f/8, ISO 200, 600 mm

(Download)

1/500, f/8, ISO 400, 600 mm

(Download)

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, 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?!?!?!

Hey Fil, your Shutter Speed is way to slow, the f/stop is to slow and the ISO to high.
The Moon is a moving target and transverses through the Lens very quickly.
I would start with 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 for your Camera on a tripod.
Adjust the Shutter Speed up if need be.
Use the Autofocus and the Vibration Control too.
Craig

wolfman

CraigFair wrote:

Hey Fil, your Shutter Speed is way to slow, the f/stop is to slow and the ISO to high.
The Moon is a moving target and transverses through the Lens very quickly.
I would start with 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 for your Camera on a tripod.
Adjust the Shutter Speed up if need be.
Use the Autofocus and the Vibration Control too.
Craig

There is nothing wrong with ISO 200, and you don't use VR when on a tripod.

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

wolfman wrote:

There is nothing wrong with ISO 200, and you don't use VR when on a tripod.

1. You do Not use ISO 200 on a very bright subject.
2. You Do use VR on a moving subject.
Craig
1/200 sec, ISO 100, f/8, 600mm Lens, VR on a tripod.
To say don't use VR on a Tripod is a complete Myth.

(Download)

wolfman

CraigFair wrote:

1. You do Not use ISO 200 on a very bright subject.
2. You Do use VR on a moving subject.
Craig

Really, a moving subject. How far do you think the moon is going to travel in 1/160th to 1/200th of a second. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with using ISO 100, but there is certainly nothing wrong with ISO 200. One more thing, you DO NOT use VR when on a tripod when your head is locked down.

Normanicus Loc: Glasgow : Scotland

To get decent shots of the moon you have to use a long lens with camera on a tripod.