First attempts at lunar photography

[StuartT]

This evening I took some photos of the moon with my 90mm refractor and Canon EOS750D. The first one is at prime focus and the second two are with an eyepiece projection attachment (Plossl 9.7mm).

I found it very difficult to focus using the back screen on the camera in 'live view' mode as the wobble on the mount was quite bad whenever I adjusted the focusing knob. So my hand was causing so much motion that I couldn't really tell if it was in focus until I'd made each adjustment and waited for the oscillations to die down. I had the same problem with the shutter release (so I used a 10sec delay to allow the wobble to stop).

I set a -2 stop exposure adjustment

Any tips very welcome!

 

[StuartT]

Ok, so no actual comments... (you're all probably just far too polite! 🤣)

I think the basic problem here is that I need a new mount. The one that came with the telescope is rubbish!

[fwm891]

I wish my first lunar images were that good - especially the eyepiece projected shots👍

[M40]

Hello Stuart, the pictures are great and much better than most of mine 👍 I try eyepiece projection and have the same focusing issues particularly as the lcd screen on my dslr does not flip out. To try and adapt, improvise and overcome, I have started to learn backyardeos which is able to focus the camera from the laptop in real time with the end result no wobble or fingers to mess things up. Its a freebie to try, so might be worth a go.

[Laurieast]

I would second that BackyardEOS is the way to go.

[StuartT]

24 minutes ago, fwm891 said:

I wish my first lunar images were that good - especially the eyepiece projected shots👍

You are too kind! 😊

19 minutes ago, M40 said:

Hello Stuart, the pictures are great and much better than most of mine 👍 I try eyepiece projection and have the same focusing issues particularly as the lcd screen on my dslr does not flip out. To try and adapt, improvise and overcome, I have started to learn backyardeos which is able to focus the camera from the laptop in real time with the end result no wobble or fingers to mess things up. Its a freebie to try, so might be worth a go.

But the focussing isn't done by the camera. It's done by the scope's focuser. So how would an EOS app manage that?

[Clarkey]

BYEOS lets you zoom in and you can focus using a large screen. Also, you can focus on a star using the FWHM value then use this for the moon shots. Alternately you could use a star and a focus mask - again do this before your moon shots. From what I can remember (I have not used it for a while), BYEOS can also be used for planetary and deep sky.

[M40]

Not sure what a FWHM value is so I have either not got to that bit yet or I've missed it and got to start again 🤦‍♂️ 

I took the Baader zoom eyepiece route deliberately due to the options it provides; byeos can focus the camera lens but by adding an adapter the lens can be connected to the Baader eyepiece for afocal imaging or alternatively by using a T2 adapter and M43 adapter, the camera body can be fitted to the eyepiece and byeos can then focus the telescope using an ascom focuser for eyepiece projection. Another option would be to maintain focusing by hand and then look at the laptop screen to see what it actually looks like. Being new to byeos, I can only say that it is very impressive and as a freebie for trial purposes is well worth looking at. HTH.

[EntropyTango]

Focusing can be a real pain.

Some suggestions include adding a weight to the bottom of your tripod

Something as simple as a plastic bag filled with sand. this will help dampen out vibrations

If I am unsure of focus I take a few shots close to the focus position and slide forwards and backwards

If you try around 4 or 5 of these you will probably get close. Or after each shot magnify your image and adjust according to that

You produced some nice images, congratulations

[StuartT]

Ok, SO many things I don't understand here 🤣

 

 

23 hours ago, Clarkey said:

BYEOS lets you zoom in and you can focus using a large screen. Also, you can focus on a star using the FWHM value then use this for the moon shots. Alternately you could use a star and a focus mask - again do this before your moon shots. From what I can remember (I have not used it for a while), BYEOS can also be used for planetary and deep sky.

So if BYEOS can show me my camera's back screen on the laptop, that sounds very useful! (though I have no idea what FWHM means)

 

21 hours ago, M40 said:

I took the Baader zoom eyepiece route deliberately due to the options it provides; byeos can focus the camera lens but by adding an adapter the lens can be connected to the Baader eyepiece for afocal imaging or alternatively by using a T2 adapter and M43 adapter, the camera body can be fitted to the eyepiece and byeos can then focus the telescope using an ascom focuser for eyepiece projection. Another option would be to maintain focusing by hand and then look at the laptop screen to see what it actually looks like. Being new to byeos, I can only say that it is very impressive and as a freebie for trial purposes is well worth looking at. HTH.

I literally didn't understand any of this.

 

 

 

21 hours ago, EntropyTango said:

Focusing can be a real pain.

Some suggestions include adding a weight to the bottom of your tripod

Something as simple as a plastic bag filled with sand. this will help dampen out vibrations

You produced some nice images, congratulations

Right! Some good tips there. Thanks

And thanks for the compliments. At least I got some kind of an image. But I am literally just starting here 

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Thanks everyone for all the encouragement!

[Clarkey]

FWHM is full width half maximum. Basically how big your stars are, so the lower the number the better the focus. And yes, BYEOS in live view can show you the camera screen. Bhatinov mask is another good option that I would recommend unless you have an autofocus system.

[M40]

1 hour ago, StuartT said:

23 hours ago, M40 said:

I took the Baader zoom eyepiece route deliberately due to the options it provides; byeos can focus the camera lens but by adding an adapter the lens can be connected to the Baader eyepiece for afocal imaging or alternatively by using a T2 adapter and M43 adapter, the camera body can be fitted to the eyepiece and byeos can then focus the telescope using an ascom focuser for eyepiece projection. Another option would be to maintain focusing by hand and then look at the laptop screen to see what it actually looks like. Being new to byeos, I can only say that it is very impressive and as a freebie for trial purposes is well worth looking at. HTH.

I literally didn't understand any of this.

Sorry, my bad for not explaining properly. The Baader Hyperion Zoom has a thread where the eyecup is, by removing the rubber eyecup the thread is exposed. Option 1: You can fit an adapter (A) to the zoom eyepiece which in turn connects to the EOS T2 adapter. End result is eyepiece projection with the DSLR bolted to the eyepiece. Option 2: there is yet another adapter (B) which goes onto the threaded end of your canon ef or efs lens. This adapter (B) then connects to adapter (A) and subsequently the Baader zoom..... phew   With option 2, byeos can control the camera focus, with option 1 you will need a motorised focuser which byeos can control. Alternatively, you can simply use byeos to show you the "Live View" from the camera and focus that way. 

[AstroNebulee]

When I use my dslr in prime focus on my scope, when focusing I use the 5x and then 10x zoom function with live screen on my dslr to get the focus as sharp as possible. Clear skies 

[StuartT]

Thanks. I shall try BYEOS to blow up my camera's focussing screen. I think I'll still have problems though because the very act of turning the focuser wobbles the scope something awful!

[Stuart1971]

6 minutes ago, StuartT said:

Thanks. I shall try BYEOS to blow up my camera's focussing screen. I think I'll still have problems though because the very act of turning the focuser wobbles the scope something awful!

So, if you are using a scope and imaging already, what’s with your other thread on using the LX90 vis a computer...?? I am confused...

[AstroNebulee]

18 hours ago, Clarkey said:

Bhatinov mask is another good option that I would recommend

+1 for a bahtinov mask, can be focused using a bright star to get the refraction spikes correctly lined up, then move back to the moon and should be nicely in focus. 

[StuartT]

2 hours ago, Stuart1971 said:

So, if you are using a scope and imaging already, what’s with your other thread on using the LX90 vis a computer...?? I am confused...

No, I am not yet using the LPI camera for imaging, if that's what you mean. I just used my Canon EOS for these. But I would like to get the LPI camera working at some stage, and for that I asked about the software.

But regardless of the technology I use to get the images, focussing the scope is a big problem as it's just a manual focuser and the mount wobbles when I try to focus.

Edited March 20, 2021 by StuartT

[StuartT]

a couple more this evening. This time again with the 90mm refractor, but at prime focus with a 2x Barlow. 

(1/50 sec, ISO 800)

 

[StuartT]

slightly happier with this one. I used my 20cm SCT at prime focus (100 ISO, 1/50 sec)

 

 

[StuartT]

and tonight

 

[Clarkey]

Those look much better. I particularly like to first one. Well done. 👍

[andy fearn]

Practice   practice    practice .   The more you do, the better you become as seen in these images. very good. great improvement.👍