Moon filters

[MARS1960]

I am considering buying a moon filter for my ED80 purely for photographic purposes,

What do you consider to be the very best in moon filters?

TIA.

[PeterCPC]

You don't really need a filter for imaging the Moon. Just get the exposure correct.

Peter

[RT65CB-SWL]

+1 for Peter's comments above.

For visual I use a variable polarising filter. I screw a filter in a star diagonal nosepiece and the other filter into the nosepiece of an eyepiece and rotate to attenuate the incoming photons.

[MARS1960]

1 hour ago, PeterCPC said:

You don't really need a filter for imaging the Moon. Just get the exposure correct.

Peter

I don't find it easy getting it right Peter, the bright side always comes out over exposed, or the darker side under exposed depending on settings.

I use the exposure compensation meter but that doesn't help, is there a specific setting i should use for exposure metering?

Also i have read that a filter gives better definition or is this just sales talk?

Thanks.

[RT65CB-SWL]

3 hours ago, MARS1960 said:

I don't find it easy getting it right Peter, the bright side always comes out over exposed, or the darker side under exposed depending on settings.

I use the exposure compensation meter but that doesn't help, is there a specific setting i should use for exposure metering?

Also i have read that a filter gives better definition or is this just sales talk?

Thanks.

Are you using the camera in 'auto' or 'manual' mode? - just thinking that if you are using the 'auto' mode that maybe a cause. I have a digital compact camera and tried the various settings in both modes, one of them being 'spot focus' and I would avoid using that one.

Are you taking single photos or multiple photos? - if using multiple photos try running them through Registax or something similar.

With regard to your last sentence, I think the '...better definition...' means, when used with the eye not a camera!

Just my thoughts. 

[MARS1960]

1 minute ago, Philip R said:

Are you using the camera in 'auto' or 'manual' mode? - just thinking that if you are using the 'auto' mode that maybe a cause. I have a digital compact camera and tried the various settings in both modes, one of them being 'spot focus' and I would avoid using that one.

Are you taking single photos or multiple photos? - if using multiple photos try running them through Registax or something similar.

With regard to your last sentence, I think the '...better definition...' means, when used with the eye not a camera!

Just my thoughts. 

Thanks Philip,

Single shots in manual on a tripod or lucky imaging.

Iv'e just this second found my problem on taking a single shot from a Jerry Lodriguss tip. 

He advises to use spot metering on the centre of the moon, i have been using center weighted average metering.

[RT65CB-SWL]

5 hours ago, MARS1960 said:

Thanks Philip,

Single shots in manual on a tripod or lucky imaging.

Iv'e just this second found my problem on taking a single shot from a Jerry Lodriguss tip. 

He advises to use spot metering on the centre of the moon, i have been using center weighted average metering.

Thank you too, Mark.

That's good know! (unless my camera does not like 'spot metering')... I will certainly give it another try and see what happens!

[Louis D]

7 hours ago, MARS1960 said:

He advises to use spot metering on the centre of the moon

First, be aware that the meter will try to render the moon as 18% gray rather than nearly white.  You'll probably want to try one of two tricks I've used to increase the exposure to brighten the light side and lighten the unlit side.  Either try taking a spot reading straddling the terminator line and then recompose the shot after locking in that exposure (hit or miss, depending on how much of each side you get, but your only option on some cameras) or dial in between 1 and 2 extra stops of exposure (+1 to +2) to lighten things up in a more controlled manner.

Second, try exposure bracketing in 1/2 stop increments and see which looks best in post production.  Some cameras can be set up to do this automatically and quickly for you.

Third, remember the sunny 16 rule.  The moon is lit like a cloudless noon Earth scene, so at 1/(ISO setting) you'll use f/16 (or f11 to brighten things up since the moon is as dark as asphalt).  If you're shooting at prime focus, just use your telescope's f-ratio to work out the necessary shutter speed.  For your Evostar's f/7.5 ratio, you'd want a shutter speed around 1/250 to 1/500 second at ISO 100 (being 1 to 2 stops faster than the f/11 to f/16 guideline), depending on how bright your want the moon to appear.  I'd suggest going above and below just to get a wide range of data points.

Fourth, don't blow out your highlights on a digital camera.  Once a highlight clips at 255 on all color channels, all detail is lost.  Try to keep the brightest areas just below pure white to preserve detail in them.  You can always adjust the brightness levels/curves in post production.  On the flipside, it's rare for shadows to block up as completely black in a digital camera.  You can almost always dredge detail out of the shadows in post production, so always aim to preserve highlights.

[PeterCPC]

Just to add to all the above. If using a Canon you will find that using it with Backyard EOS makes getting the exposure correct a doddle. You can see on your laptop screen what it will be like and you have histogram to refer to. https://www.otelescope.com/index.php?/files/index.php?/category/3-backyardeos/

Peter

[MARS1960]

6 hours ago, Louis D said:

First, be aware that the meter will try to render the moon as 18% gray rather than nearly white.  You'll probably want to try one of two tricks I've used to increase the exposure to brighten the light side and lighten the unlit side.  Either try taking a spot reading straddling the terminator line and then recompose the shot after locking in that exposure (hit or miss, depending on how much of each side you get, but your only option on some cameras) or dial in between 1 and 2 extra stops of exposure (+1 to +2) to lighten things up in a more controlled manner.

Second, try exposure bracketing in 1/2 stop increments and see which looks best in post production.  Some cameras can be set up to do this automatically and quickly for you.

Third, remember the sunny 16 rule.  The moon is lit like a cloudless noon Earth scene, so at 1/(ISO setting) you'll use f/16 (or f11 to brighten things up since the moon is as dark as asphalt).  If you're shooting at prime focus, just use your telescope's f-ratio to work out the necessary shutter speed.  For your Evostar's f/7.5 ratio, you'd want a shutter speed around 1/250 to 1/500 second at ISO 100 (being 1 to 2 stops faster than the f/11 to f/16 guideline), depending on how bright your want the moon to appear.  I'd suggest going above and below just to get a wide range of data points.

Fourth, don't blow out your highlights on a digital camera.  Once a highlight clips at 255 on all color channels, all detail is lost.  Try to keep the brightest areas just below pure white to preserve detail in them.  You can always adjust the brightness levels/curves in post production.  On the flipside, it's rare for shadows to block up as completely black in a digital camera.  You can almost always dredge detail out of the shadows in post production, so always aim to preserve highlights.

Thanks Louise, thats a great help, i have saved all that to refer to another time.

[MARS1960]

1 hour ago, PeterCPC said:

Just to add to all the above. If using a Canon you will find that using it with Backyard EOS makes getting the exposure correct a doddle. You can see on your laptop screen what it will be like and you have histogram to refer to. https://www.otelescope.com/index.php?/files/index.php?/category/3-backyardeos/

Peter

Thanks Peter, i had a trial run with it a few months ago the went laptop free on everything, it maybe a good idea to get a full subscription as it's a great price for what it does.

[PeterCPC]

I wouldn't be without it for both planetary and DSO imaging with my Canons although I mainly use Sharpcap for planetary these days using my ASI224. I would go with the classic version first as I think that it will serve you well and you can always upgrade later if you need and as you progress.

Peter