frankNichols Loc: The Villages. FL

I missed the full moon a couple of days ago - rain. So, my next attempt will be later next month if the weather permits.

Here is a waning moon shot, a little noisy - I didn't want to set up my tripod (don't ask), so it is handheld.

Nikon Z7 II
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Shutter: 1/1250
ISO: 640
Aperture: f5.6
Focus: AF-S

AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm 1:5.6E ED
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Lens: 500mm M/A FULL VR:ON Normal

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btrlvngthruchem

Thats a really good hand held shot especially at 500 mm. Thanks for sharing.

If you're interested:

For something that (1) does not emit its own light and (2) begs to have its picture taken, the moon is surprisingly hard to photograph. Single shots of the moon are really, really difficult because of something called seeing. Astronomical seeing is the reason stars twinkle and refers to the blurring of astronomical objects caused by the Earth atmospheric turbulence. Think of heat waves raising off of a hot surface. So the best single images of the moon, sun and planets occurs during times of excellent seeing. However, for capturing images of the moon and planets, high-speed video capture is the preferred tool that's used. Specialized software is used to select only the sharpest frames out of thousands, you can effectively throw away all of the frames that are blurry and affected by poor astronomical seeing. Even during periods of average seeing conditions, there will occasionally be a split second of excellent seeing. By capturing high frame rate video for seconds or minutes at a time, you're more than likely to capture a few moments where the planet appeared very sharp. You can then use software to pick out those sharpest frames, and then stack them together to reduce noise.

btrlvngthruchem

I just noticed you're from The Villages...we're almost neighbors. I'm from Sarasota.

Best wishes,

Jay

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Very nice.
I would suggest try other phases than full.
One gets tired of only full moon shots.
Perhaps a fingernail shot would be interesting showing the sliver properly exposed and the type of detail seldom shown here of that portion of the moon.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

I have found that several factors affect the clarity of moon shots. I have also found that handheld shots, starting with a speed of 1/250th, and f-16, handheld or on a tripod, your choice, will work quite well for a full moon or near full moon time. The fast speed should help with the spinning, and the f-16 should help with the dof of the moon, even at this long distance. You can let the ISO be the variable, and then remove the noise in post-processing. I'm sure those who are astral photographers can add their own information about moon shots, but these are the settings that I have found work best for me, and no, I usually don't put the camera on a tripod for a moon shot.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

A go to exposure for the moon on a clear night is 1/iso @ f16, this has been used for a base exposure because the moon is a brightly lite object like a scene on earth between 11 am to 1 pm on a sunny day.
So assuming this to be true your correct exposure starting point should have been 1/640 sec. @ f16.
I believe the moon should come out white.
Again, this is just a starting exposure, the nice thing about digital is that you can instantly see how your exposure came out, and with mirrorless you can adjust this base exposure right in the viewfinder until you see exactly what you want.
So, again, manual exposure base exposure is 1/iso at f16, again, this is just a starting point, like in cooking, you can add a little salt or seasoning to your dish after your first taste.
Enjoy and remember to keep on shooting until the end.

ELNikkor

Excellent detail! That stage of the moon really shows the craters at the edges. When I see the moon, I see more brightness, so perhaps open up a stop and check the results.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It looks like a shot taken from orbit! : )

tdozier3 Loc: Northern Illinois

It's really not that complicated. I do single hand held shots of the moon all the time with excellent results.

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joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Here's one right here 🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚

badapple Loc: Twin Lake, Michigan

Great picture.

badapple Loc: Twin Lake, Michigan

Great picture.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good capture, Frank.