moon shot could not focus
Jan 21, 2019 13:50:27 #
I was using a Nikon D3200, Lens: 55-200 mm, Focal Length: 145 mm, Focus mode: Manual, Aperture: f5, Shutter speed:1/125, Exposure Mode: Program Auto, Metering: Spot, ISO: I had it set to 200 but the camera reported 6400.
Jan 21, 2019 13:52:36 #
Here is a shot before the eclipse with the same settings.
Jan 21, 2019 13:54:16 #
Jan 21, 2019 14:08:17 #
larryepage
Loc: North Texas area
It's important to use manual exposure when photographing the night sky. The in-camera spot meter looks at too big an area to be useful and will almost always result in overexposure of the moon. I'd say that the frames with the lighter images of the moon are probably about 2 1/2 stops overexposed, based on your numbers above. Hard to say what happened in the fully eclipsed shot. It's also likely that the autofocus system didn't have enough light to work properly, and at 200mm, the only thing it could have seen was the edge of the moon. Manual focus is the standard for night sky, as well.
Jan 21, 2019 14:10:14 #
Does the camera autofocus ok during the day? You are using autofocus aren't you? How many focus points do you have engaged? One is enough you know. Did you try a tripod or monopod?
Jan 21, 2019 14:15:47 #
Autofocus likes sharp edges with high contrast and auto focus will have trouble with low light low contrast objects. The blood moon was low light low contrast.
One thing I have done for celestial objects, is auto-focus on infinity, a distant object on the horizon, that the camera can focus on, then switch the camera to manual and leave it. (Actually these days I use BBF so I just focus on the horizon and then leave it set).
One thing I have done for celestial objects, is auto-focus on infinity, a distant object on the horizon, that the camera can focus on, then switch the camera to manual and leave it. (Actually these days I use BBF so I just focus on the horizon and then leave it set).
Jan 21, 2019 17:00:05 #
JD750 wrote:
Autofocus likes sharp edges with high contrast and auto focus will have trouble with low light low contrast objects. The blood moon was low light low contrast.
One thing I have done for celestial objects, is auto-focus on infinity, a distant object on the horizon, that the camera can focus on, then switch the camera to manual and leave it. (Actually these days I use BBF so I just focus on the horizon and then leave it set).
One thing I have done for celestial objects, is auto-focus on infinity, a distant object on the horizon, that the camera can focus on, then switch the camera to manual and leave it. (Actually these days I use BBF so I just focus on the horizon and then leave it set).
I just put it in manual and turn the lens.
(Holdover from the old days of no auto-focus.)
Jan 21, 2019 23:27:28 #
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