The Moon

[Red Dwarfer]

Does anyone else find the Moon a lot easier to observe and photograph when it isn`t full ... and with much better detail , contrast and shadows ?

One in pre dawn light from this morning with Canon 70D and f5.6L 400mm prime lens and cropped ... 

[laudropb]

The Moon is always more interesting when you view near the terminator.

[TareqPhoto]

The moon is the easiest object to imaging in general anyway, even at full moon, the sun should be easy for us too but we need s special filter for it, but i agree that i like the moon when it is not at full phase, but people will keep shooting the moon in all phases even the full moon one.

Now the only thing i need to learn about is how to shoot the moon at the best sharp quality with my scope whatever i buy? i also do have lenses, i got some nice sharp images of the moon in the past with the DSLR and lenses [or mirrorless camera], but still none are with highest detailed quality yet.

[Dave In Vermont]

5 hours ago, laudropb said:

The Moon is always more interesting when you view near the terminator.

Yep! The line between the light & dark, the shadow and the brilliance - you have now entered.....The TwiLiGhT ZoNe!

Sorry - I couldn't resist! Anyway, it's very true. You can also improve lunar views through the use of a two-piece variable polarizing-filter*. And ND-filters as well as some colour-filters. Experiment and find what tickles you! In fact, a friend of mine is currently compiling a massive file of information on this very subject. I'm egging him on to publish. The Moon can keep one busy for a lifetime. And it's not too difficult to locate either!

Enjoy,

Dave

 

*

 

[Red Dwarfer]

2 hours ago, TareqPhoto said:

nice sharp images of the moon in the past with the DSLR and lenses [or mirrorless camera], but still none are with highest detailed quality yet.

I think it helps to shoot when it is waxing and waning and also the DSLR on a tripod ( or even a wall ) with a 10 second timer reduces the chances of motion blur and softer images ... I often take a few shots and select what seems to be the sharpest of the bunch too . 

[TareqPhoto]

1 minute ago, Red Dwarfer said:

I think it helps to shoot when it is waxing and waning and also the DSLR on a tripod ( or even a wall ) with a 10 second timer reduces the chances of motion blur and softer images ... I often take a few shots and select what seems to be the sharpest of the bunch too . 

It is sharp, but i feel because of the crop-ability i lose the sharpness, and no stacking, so even if it is sharp but it is not as sharp as many shots i saw in astronomy sites, i do have a great strong high quality tripod and i use a cable release or remote and also a mirror lock up sometimes to minimize more vibration [or even without], but my most longest FL lens is 400mm at zoom lens, and with prime it is 300mm, so i need to crop to have the moon nearly larger in the frame.

I got the scope and the mount and a color astro camera, i will give all a try later and see if i can have better results.

[Red Dwarfer]

1 hour ago, Dave In Vermont said:

The Moon can keep one busy for a lifetime

Definitely ! But a major target for me at the moment is Mons Huygens in the Apennine mountain range at high magnification , as I`ve only seen it at x 100 to date ... also getting deep into those craters is high on the to do list . 

[Red Dwarfer]

5 minutes ago, TareqPhoto said:

It is sharp, but i feel because of the crop-ability i lose the sharpness

Okay , that is a problem I have too when they are heavily cropped ... so I tend to not over crop them to avoid this ... is your camera in the 20mp + range because the higher megapixels can usually withstand quite a bit of noise . 

[TareqPhoto]

1 minute ago, Red Dwarfer said:

Okay , that is a problem I have too when they are heavily cropped ... so I tend to not over crop them to avoid this ... is your camera in the 20mp + range because the higher megapixels can usually withstand quite a bit of noise . 

I tried the moon first with my Canon 350D, then later with 30D, then 1D markII N, all those are 8mp cameras, then i started to go with full frame, 1Ds MarkII and 5D, then later i shoot the moon with 1D3 which is 1.3 crop and 10mp, then 1Ds 3 21mp and last my main cameras nowadays 1DX and Sony A7r, one is 18mp as you know and the other is 36mp.

I did buy ASI120MC, so i can have the moon almost filling the frame, but i didn't use the mount yet so the moon is moving along the frame every second, later i will use the mount and i hope i can track the moo so i can have a short video and stacking frames.

[Red Dwarfer]

27 minutes ago, TareqPhoto said:

my main cameras nowadays 1DX and Sony A7r

The 1DX is a great camera ! I shoot Canon and Sony too ... my Sony is an A77 with 24mp but it is used mainly for landscape photography ...

I think the secret to Lunar photography , as with all photography , is to keep trying ... 

[TareqPhoto]

Just now, Red Dwarfer said:

The 1DX is a great camera ! I shoot Canon and Sony too ... my Sony is an A77 with 24mp but it is used mainly for landscape photography ...

I think the secret to Lunar photography , as with all photography , is to keep trying ... 

And i will keep trying, i tried it since 2005 or 2006 until now, why shouldn't i now with astronomy tools?!!!

[Apollo_95]

A half moon or crescent moon gives much better definition of the craters shadows on the moon This was taken on a Skywatcher 130p with my iphone!!