Help with moon shots please

nickt

Senior Member
I went out last night to try some moon shots. I took MANY handheld shots of the moon. I could not get a sharp one handheld. Tried manual focus, auto focus, single servo, continuous servo, vr on/off, various apertures, up to 1000 shutter speed. Autofocus seemed to easily lock on. Manual focus seemed easy too. But no keepers at all. What am I missing? I would think I should get a decent handheld shot. I did not think to try live view, maybe that would have helped.

Here are two samples:
1/400

badmoon.jpg


1/1000

badmoon2.jpg


Any idea what's going on with the focus? Or is it camera movement? Some other phenomenon?


Then I got aggravated and got the tripod out. I was freezing by then.
Not too bad with the tripod and autofocus. I only took a few shots, but they were workable. I think I could do better with more patience. Two different levels of sharpening and contrast here. Which looks better?

bettermoon.jpg



bettermoon2.jpg


Thanks for any tips.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
As I started reading I immediately thought, "What are you missing?! A tripod!!"

There are more situations that would benefit from 3 extra legs than I care to admit. As a lazy photographer I don't always follow the advice my brain is screaming at me, but when I do I am rewarded. Just remember, when you're using it, turn off the VR - it'll mess with sharpness on a tripod, especially with longer focal lengths.

No real tips. I like the contrastier shop at the bottom. One thing I like to do is shoot a couple days before/after the full moon. There are some very nice shadows that start to appear.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
You oversharpened 'em to the point they look like oil paintings.

Shooting the moon, while sounding easy, really isn't. To begin with, it's not as large in the sky as many think. It's the same as a quarter held out over 10' from your eye. So you need at least a 1000mm to nearly fill a full-frame camera. Good optics at that focal length aren't cheap.

The first two just look OOF. Try LiveView and zooming in at least 6 clicks.
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
Tripod mount
ALL adjustments on the tripod are locked down tight
Remove any filters such as UV - can cause reflections
Find out the sharpest aperture for the lens you're using
I have always have very good success with just an auto focus through the viewfinder.
Set the focus to manual so it stays put
VR off
Set the camera to quiet mode
If you have a remote set it to go camera up on the first click and then on the second click of the remote to take the picture.
If don't have a remote put the camera to live view and delayed shutter release to take the picture.

Keep in mind that atmosphere can play a huge role in the sharpness of the image. I also prefer to slightly underexpose to not wash out shadows - loss of shadows and you lose detail. Full moons will give you the least amount of shadows/details.
 

nickt

Senior Member
Thanks guys. I guess since the moon is so bright and appears very sharp to the eye, I was thinking I would easily get a sharp picture. In reality with my 300mm lens it is very tiny in the frame. It was only slightly larger than the focus point. So it is not much different than trying to get a sharp animal shot from 100 yards away.
 

Scott Murray

Senior Member
You can handhold the moon with a 400mm lens even the 80-400 does well. But you need the MP or Film to record such data. If you think about it, how far is the moon? What surface area at that distance are you trying to achieve??? Simple answer is the fastest possible, so depending on lens and length and quality its all up to you and GOOGLE. Thats where I first started and you know what it was one of the sharpest photos ever. If you want a site that caters to alot of variants look up wet canvas... Its an artistic site with lots of information.
 

stmv

Senior Member
moon shots are good,, just for the manual control practice of the moment, so,, typically I set it for around ISO 400 for a good balance of speed and low noise, and then remote release is key! along with mirror
lock up,, get the focus right, exposure right, hit the shutter, let all vibrations settle out,, than click,, it is also a good lens checker, can really tell which lens really has the good on the moon.
 

Pretzel

Senior Member
I've never really struggled with handheld shots like that, myself, once I figured out the knack of it. Granted, I'm shooting the 70-300 VR on my Nikon D3100. Here's one I got on a QUICK run out last night... and another of my faves of a waxing crescent. Pretty decently cropped for size of course, but both shot handheld.

http://nikonites.com/low-light-night/2361-moon-shots-22.html#post232606

(
sorry, it's a link to another post from here, as I'm at work and don't have the files available)

If you are shooting handheld, VR is a must for the shot with longer focal lengths, and what I've found to be helpful is:

1) Proper stance is CRUCIAL. If you shoot the way most folks that I see in public do, you're not going to get the shot. Shoulder width staggered stance with a hand wrapped under your lens. At times, I'll brace my elbows on a vehicle or post/wall, but the pics referenced were free-standing.

2) Don't just focus and fire. Focus, let the VR settle for a couple of seconds, then shoot. You've got to let all the vibrations settle, whether it's internal (camera/lens) or external (you).

3) Under-expose!! The post linked above contains info about the settings I used. Neither shot is as amazing as some I've seen, but I think they show what's capable hand held without the uber-expensive glass.

4) Plan ahead! The lower in the sky you can catch the moon, the larger it will appear (in most cases). You'll want to be away from any light pollution, and you'll want a nice clear sky free of smog/smoke whenever possible.

There ya go, there's my "rookie" tips, meaning they came from a rookie, not directed toward one. :)
 
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Daniel Aegerter

Senior Member
I was about to post the same question. Took a lot of pictures early this morning and just took a look at them on the mac. None of thrm are any good. I guess I have a new Christmas wish: I need a tripod

sent from my prototype iPhone 6
 
Last edited:

Moab Man

Senior Member
I shot this one the way I explained above and did a photo stack of three different exposures rather than trying to darken the bright areas and lighten the darker areas. It really came out nice.
 

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dramtastic

Senior Member
Of course you can handhold for moon shots. I just wouldn't want to. Get a decent tripod, it will stand you in good stead for a variety of other subjects as well.
 

patrick in memphis

Senior Member
Hi nickt.your doing good. key things. .lower iso is best.use a tripod and zoom in until your happy with pic .put camera in manual mode the use the digital zoom (keys on left of screen, use live view) and refocus that will do several things.1.lock up your mirror and 2. Ensure you have maximum focus also use your shot timer to account for camera shake or you can use a remote.happy hunting and I wish u clear skies
 

Jonathan

Senior Member
You can handhold the moon with a 400mm lens even the 80-400 does well. But you need the MP or Film to record such data. If you think about it, how far is the moon? What surface area at that distance are you trying to achieve??? Simple answer is the fastest possible, so depending on lens and length and quality its all up to you and GOOGLE. Thats where I first started and you know what it was one of the sharpest photos ever. If you want a site that caters to alot of variants look up wet canvas... Its an artistic site with lots of information.

Only YOU can hand-hold this kind of shot. You're like Robocop in your steadiness.
 

nickt

Senior Member
Hi nickt.your doing good. key things. .lower iso is best.use a tripod and zoom in until your happy with pic .put camera in manual mode the use the digital zoom (keys on left of screen, use live view) and refocus that will do several things.1.lock up your mirror and 2. Ensure you have maximum focus also use your shot timer to account for camera shake or you can use a remote.happy hunting and I wish u clear skies
Thanks. This was partly an exercise in hand held shots, although I do want to get a few great moon shots with whatever it takes. It was about 5 degrees that night. Crystal clear air,though. I did quickly take the last couple shots on the tripod with mirror up and remote. I need to revisit this on a warmer night when I can take my time and try live view and manual focus.
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
Thanks. This was partly an exercise in hand held shots, although I do want to get a few great moon shots with whatever it takes. It was about 5 degrees that night. Crystal clear air,though. I did quickly take the last couple shots on the tripod with mirror up and remote. I need to revisit this on a warmer night when I can take my time and try live view and manual focus.

I'm not sure if you are using auto ISO or not but keep it low.




Sent from my iPhone.
 
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