Half Moon

please comment, any suggestion to make picture better..!

Basic EXIF data:

Model NIKON D200
Aperture 7.1
Exposure Time 1/40 (0.025 sec)
Lens ID AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
Lens Spec 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G VR
Focal Length 300.0 mm
Flash No Flash
Exposure Program Manual
Max Aperture Value 5.7
Metering Mode Spot
Light Source Natural
Color Space sRGB
Exposure Mode Manual
White Balance Auto
Focal Length In 35 mm Format 450 mm
F Number 7.1
Exposure Compensation +1
Focus Mode AF-S
ISO 100

Yes not a bad effort...If it were I, I would probably use F5.6 and ISO 400 just to brighten it a bit...

Was it handheld or on tripod?

Here is one I took June 2004.

Handheld with D80
400mm zoom
ISO 400
f/8.0
1/350

Jumbo - were you using a tripod ? The shutter speed is too slow ( normally anyway ) for a Moon which is constantly moving, which is why its soft / poor focus. Did you turn off VR too, as that can be detrimental when mounted on a tripod

Exposure seems fine, F7.1 is fine but f8 better, ISO is ok at it its lowest if you can get a decent shutter speed, but you didnt so i suggest you increase to 200 or 400. Aim to get say, 1/180th shutter, use remote and MLU, and use a tripod. Even hang some weight over the end of the lens for extra damping if neccessary. A quick lash up for a lens weight would be 3/4 fill 2 socks with seeds, then tie them together so they have a knot in the middle then drape over the end of the lens.

Set your lens up on the moon, get the focus sharp using LV, then move ahead of the moon by a few inches, set the MLU and when the moon moves into your focus point, fire the remote. This should get you a nice sharp shot.

Here's some examples I shot at 1/180th and 1/250th ISO 100 & 200.... some of the EXIF isnt right as i was using an old manual lens, but the SS and ISO are correct. The Aperture would have been f8 or f11
Tripod, MLU, Remote cable

I was using a tripod.
Pierro, your moon shots looks amazing. I did most of the things you told, turned off VR, was on MLU and used a remote shutter release cord. I did not use any extra weight for damping, other than the lens hood.
I tired f8 and f11 as well, but to my eye f7.1 seem to be the "sweet-spot" for this lens, but now I see, since f8/11 had much slower shutter speed, that is why the images must have been more blurred than that of f7.1

Can you please explain this "get the focus sharp using LV", I didn't understand what LV is.

Now I'll definitely try using iso 200/400 and get high shutter speed for more crisp picture.
Any other thought on Exposure compensation, the one I shot was on +1 EV. Is, this ok, should I increase/decrease it.

Sorry Jumbo - i dont know the D200 or whether is has that feature, LV is Live View, and when zoomed in LV and using manual focus you can get the focus spot on. I never used Exp. Comp. in those shots. In fact i didnt use LV either as i didnt have that feature at the time. I just used manual focus as the lens wasnt an AF lens, but i would certainly use LV if it was an option, as it is now with my D300. The full moon shot was captured with my first ever DSLR which was a Pentax K10D, and the other was a Pentax K7. Since then I moved onto Canons and then Nikon

I'm old school guy, LV in an slr is still new for me, D200 doesn't have LV.
What are your thoughts on auto/manual focus. Is manual focus better or auto focus is just as good, considering the new AF-S lenses.

Its pretty easy to check - just try your AF-S lens on auto , then switch to manual and take another shot right there and then and compare the 2.

I dont own any AF-S lenses but i'd presume they are pretty accurate