WestCoastCannuck

Thanks Steve! I really enjoy pushing the envelope with my birding gear! Thanks Sido! Was cloudy last night.... and cloudy now - but I will stick my head out before Sunrise and hope for the best. I love the thin discs best! Cheers Mike

Grabbed a couple hours sleep and got up to shoot this. I am happy enough - if tired. Sony A77ii + Minolta 400/4.5 + Kenko 3X TC + Minolta 1.4X TC Each panel a stack of the best 100 of 120 still shots. Programs used, PIPP, AS!3, ICE, Astra Image and LR6

I will never figure out seeing.... should have been horrible, but it wasn't. Got home from work after rain all day and saw some holes coming. Got my gear out from the car (I had been hoping) set-up and shot a couple quick series.... then thick fog rolled in and that was that. But... files are pretty good! Here is the full size stacked and processed file. Stack of 71 images. Sony A77ii + 400mm + 3X TC. Well.... I was heading up to bed 4 AM.... and made the mistake of looking out the window. Still foggy, but I could see the moon----- clear above! So... I tried going up a small nearby mountain to get above the fog. Got a good series, better than the last. This one I processed in colour. (I only added a bit of tone to the last one) Stack of the best 163 of 209 images. And a final effort that I really like. Posted at about 1/2 original resolution... but nice viewing size of 2048px.

I feel your pain! I was a bit luckier though... I could see a few big holes coming as I got home from work around 1AM..... set up, shot a couple quick series and then while waiting for the next hole, the fog rolled in otherwise I am sure I would have stayed much longer. Great images caught!! Best regards Mike

Is it still a mosaic if you only use two panels? lol Anyways, it was fun learning how to do it. With my Sony A77ii, 300/2.8, 3X TC+2X TC I am at 1800mm and can barely fit the moon in the frame - if I tilt the camera. Tonight, by trial and error, I learned how to stack partials, then merge them. I did several series... this is just the second finished and the best. I may never get to all the rest.... there is only so much time in a day. Two panels of 170 frames stitched. Programs used, PIPP, AS!3, ICE for the stitch, Astra Image for deconvolution and LR for finishing. Full 100% file uploaded. Would love to hear thoughts or critique! Regards Mike

Hi all. For a couple years now I have been happily shooting the moon with my A77ii + Minolta 400/4.5 + 2X TC. I recently picked up a rather odd duck - a 3X Kenko TC. Still have not had a great seeing night - but I am satisfied it will be used instead of 2X - it also opens up the possibility of stacking it with my 1.4X (my 1.4 + 2X cannot be stacked with each other) and gives me enough reach that I can compare my 400/4.5 with my 300/2.8. Jury still out pending a great seeing night! Here are two stacked photos from last night - first with 300/2.8 @1260mm and second with 400/4.5 @ 1680mm. (3X + 1.4X = 4.2X magnification) Files open to 100% size. Very best regards Mike

Really nice work and great results. Lots of lovely details there.

Beautiful work. Nice and clean and crispy.

Just WOW! !! Very (awe) inspiring!

Thanks Ruud!

Thanks! It was REALLY crappy seeing. hehe Here is the best single of the stack in full size with no PP. ISO320, 1/100s, F11. (wide open) 1260mm

Thanks Alan! I am pretty excited for a high clear moon to really give this rig a good workout! Best regards Mike

Well the moon is really low now, but I have a new kit I have been dying to try out. Yesterday and today I tried my "new" rig. For a couple years now I have used my trusty Sony A77ii with my Minolta 400/4.5 plus 2X TC - that is what I took the previous shot with and all my shots till yesterday. Now, I am trying out something different. I bought a Kenko Pro 300 3X TC. Seeing is TERRIBLE for the moon right now with it so low in the sky, but I am so itchy to shoot I have tried anyway. My results tell me that when I get a good high clear moon, I am gonna be happy! This with my A77ii + 300/2.8 + 3X TC + 1.4X TC. 1260mm! :))) It works great.... can hardly wait for a clear moon to shoot!! From just after dusk 11/11/18 Reduced in size 50% it looks pretty good given the horrendous seeing! LOL Waxing Cresent 19% at just 17 degrees in the sky Stack of 320 frames. Best regards! Mike

So... with no moon to shoot I dug through the archives ... sorta like panning for gold. Found some! Somehow I missed this series from the nights shooting, it is the sharper than the others I worked with. Just my usual birding rig - still have no astro gear. 2018-02-22 Sony A77ii + 400/4.5 lens + 2X TC Files processed with PIPP, AS!3 and Astra Image. I stacked all 82 frames of the series. It came out so well I have uploaded the full rez file - something I almost never do.

OK... still don't have a scope, but have decided to save for a good tracker, and another 2X TC. Should keep me happy for another year or two. :))) These with a crop DSLR, 400/4.5 lens + a 2X TC. Processed with PIPP, AS!3, Astra Image and Lightroom. All but the last slightly scaled. The last is just a piece at 100% from Oct 20. Very best regards Mike