|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Settings for digital camera moon photography
Whilst waiting for the Grand Prix to start last night, I was messing around
trying to take moon pictures with my canon a40 digital camera. I basically just pointed the camera at the eyepice and clicked. Can any one recommend what focus settings I should use, F settings, exposure etc ? I found the pics hugely bright until I dropped the exposure to around 1/100th of a second. My main problem was trying to get an autofocus camera in focus - I can focus it on some other object beforehand and lock the focus, should I be focussing on a distant object (the moon) or a very close object (the focla point of the scope). |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
"Dr DNA" wrote in message
... Whilst waiting for the Grand Prix to start last night, I was messing around trying to take moon pictures with my canon a40 digital camera. I basically just pointed the camera at the eyepice and clicked. Can any one recommend what focus settings I should use, F settings, exposure etc ? I found the pics hugely bright until I dropped the exposure to around 1/100th of a second. My main problem was trying to get an autofocus camera in focus - I can focus it on some other object beforehand and lock the focus, should I be focussing on a distant object (the moon) or a very close object (the focla point of the scope). It was a fullish moon last night, so not much hard detail for your camera's AF system to focus on. I'd try the "Inf" setting as that's where I expect the image will be, assuming that you focus with relaxed eyes etc. Exposure wise, remember that the moon is lit by the sun, and has a reflectance (albedo) of 0.12 - about 1/8, and brightness wise is not dissimilar to a blue sky. Can you use the histogram on your camera to help set best exposure? Here's a link to one I took earlier (with exposure info, give or take a stop) http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/...n/halfmoon.htm -- M Stewart Milton Keynes, UK www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ms1938/ |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
I took some images of a Moon Halo recently and had to go up to 1/500 sec
shutter and f2.8 using a Minolta D7. Your mileage may vary slightly with a smaller objective lens. Check out my photos here... http://www.eaas.co.uk/club_members/s...ography_6.html Clear Skies MarkDJ "Dr DNA" wrote in message ... Whilst waiting for the Grand Prix to start last night, I was messing around trying to take moon pictures with my canon a40 digital camera. I basically just pointed the camera at the eyepice and clicked. Can any one recommend what focus settings I should use, F settings, exposure etc ? I found the pics hugely bright until I dropped the exposure to around 1/100th of a second. My main problem was trying to get an autofocus camera in focus - I can focus it on some other object beforehand and lock the focus, should I be focussing on a distant object (the moon) or a very close object (the focla point of the scope). |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Hi DNA,
Have a look at the data table on this page: http://www.backyard-astro.com/solar/.../20040229.html Maybe this of some help to you. Regards, Math http://www.backyard-astro.com Dr DNA wrote: Whilst waiting for the Grand Prix to start last night, I was messing around trying to take moon pictures with my canon a40 digital camera. I basically just pointed the camera at the eyepice and clicked. Can any one recommend what focus settings I should use, F settings, exposure etc ? I found the pics hugely bright until I dropped the exposure to around 1/100th of a second. My main problem was trying to get an autofocus camera in focus - I can focus it on some other object beforehand and lock the focus, should I be focussing on a distant object (the moon) or a very close object (the focla point of the scope). |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks for everone's replies. I discovered, much to my embarassment, that I
should of course have been focussing the telscope, not the camera, which works quite happily set to infinity. What I had done was focussed the scope for my eye, shoved the camera in front, and was then trying to focus the camera ! Well now I've sussed the right way to do it, but trying to get a decent picture with a desktop tripod 2" scope, holding the camera by hand is um, inteersting. Well at least I now know that huge splatter crater is Copernicus ! |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Apollo | Buzz alDredge | Misc | 5 | July 28th 04 10:05 AM |
The apollo faq | the inquirer | Misc | 4 | April 15th 04 04:45 AM |
The Apollo FAQ (moon landings were faked) | Nathan Jones | UK Astronomy | 8 | February 4th 04 07:48 PM |