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Shots of the Moon

canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
edited May 24, 2008 in Technique
Last night I took a couple of shots of the moon. I have obviously gone wrong somewhere as I have produced two images of the moon. I used my 40D with a 50-500mm lens in AV mode at F6.3 1/10ss ISO 1600 and focul length of 500mm. I would appreciate it if someone could please explain what or where I have gone wrong.
Regards
Bob

297805287_YRn4p-L.jpg
297805317_Sa9Zm-L.jpg

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    CuongCuong Registered Users Posts: 1,508 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Check out the info in this weekly assignment thread: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=64538

    Cuong
    "She Was a Little Taste of Heaven – And a One-Way Ticket to Hell!" - Max Phillips
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Cuong wrote:
    Check out the info in this weekly assignment thread: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=64538

    Cuong

    I have looked at the thread but where exactly have I gone wrong? What settings should I use for this type of lens 50-500mm or should I use a different lens with my 40D.
    Regards
    Bob
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    CuongCuong Registered Users Posts: 1,508 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Can you post the image so we can see what you got. Are you getting 2 images of the moon on the same frame? If you're getting double image, it could be camera shake or reflection of the UV filter on the lens. The exposure info you provided seems too much for a moon shot. The ISO is too high and the shutter speed is too long, so all you get is a white disc and won't see any details of the moon. Try ISO 100, f/8, 1/125 sec.

    Cuong
    "She Was a Little Taste of Heaven – And a One-Way Ticket to Hell!" - Max Phillips
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Cuong wrote:
    Can you post the image so we can see what you got. Are you getting 2 images of the moon on the same frame? If you're getting double image, it could be camera shake or reflection of the UV filter on the lens. The exposure info you provided seems too much for a moon shot. The ISO is too high and the shutter speed is too long, so all you get is a white disc and won't see any details of the moon. Try ISO 100, f/8, 1/125 sec.

    Cuong

    I apologise I may be misleading you. When I say two images. In the two photos I have submitted you will see there is the moon above and a total white circle below, in both photos which were taken separately. The shots were taken on a tripod with the self timer at 10 seconds.
    Sorry for misleading you.
    Regards
    Bob
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    RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,937 moderator
    edited May 19, 2008
    canon400d wrote:
    I apologise I may be misleading you. When I say two images. In the two photos I have submitted you will see there is the moon above and a total white circle below, in both photos which were taken separately. The shots were taken on a tripod with the self timer at 10 seconds.
    Sorry for misleading you.
    Regards
    Bob

    I don't see any pics. Post on Dgrin
    My Pics
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Richard wrote:
    I don't see any pics. Post on Dgrin

    I sincerely apologise Richard but they are on here. So I just don't know what to say.
    Regards
    Bob
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    canon400d wrote:
    I sincerely apologise Richard but they are on here. So I just don't know what to say. I have posted it again and I haven't bothered sending the second shot as it is almost identical.
    Regards
    Bob


    297983539_hZQaS-L.jpg
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    RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,937 moderator
    edited May 19, 2008
    canon400d wrote:
    I have put it on again.
    Bob
    http://canon400d.smugmug.com/photos/297983539_hZQaS-L.jpg

    OK, I can see that one. The moon is totally overexposed. Next time use spot or partial metering and keep an eye on the camera's histogram. The ghost image looks to me like the reflection from a filter. Don't use filters at night.

    Hope this helps.
    My Pics
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    darkdragondarkdragon Registered Users Posts: 1,051 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    canon400d wrote:
    Last night I took a couple of shots of the moon. I have obviously gone wrong somewhere as I have produced two images of the moon. I used my 40D with a 50-500mm lens in AV mode at F6.3 1/10ss ISO 1600 and focul length of 500mm. I would appreciate it if someone could please explain what or where I have gone wrong.
    Regards
    Bob

    297805287_YRn4p-L.jpg
    297805317_Sa9Zm-L.jpg


    i think the 1/10 is your problem, also possbly the filter as Richard said. you'll need to go a lot faster than 1/10 because the moon is actually really bright - you should shoot in M, not AV because the camera is trying to make the black sky a nice 18% grey sky which blows out the moon.
    ~ Lisa
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    CuongCuong Registered Users Posts: 1,508 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Yep. Remove any filter you have on the lens. Since this is a full moon, start out with this exposure in Manual mode, ISO 100, f/8, 1/125 sec, then adjust shutter speed/aperture as necessary.

    Cuong
    "She Was a Little Taste of Heaven – And a One-Way Ticket to Hell!" - Max Phillips
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Cuong wrote:
    Yep. Remove any filter you have on the lens. Since this is a full moon, start out with this exposure in Manual mode, ISO 100, f/8, 1/125 sec, then adjust shutter speed/aperture as necessary.

    Cuong

    Thanks Richard you have helped me many times before. I really appreciate your kind help.
    Yes that is what I was wanting some advice on settings and I will certainly give it a go. I always understood that I had to use the highest ISO when photograpghing the moon.
    Regards
    Bob
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    CuongCuong Registered Users Posts: 1,508 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    You'd want to keep the ISO as low as possible to minimize noise. Since the moon is lit by sunlight, you'd treat the exposure as any daylight situation.

    Cuong
    "She Was a Little Taste of Heaven – And a One-Way Ticket to Hell!" - Max Phillips
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Cuong wrote:
    You'd want to keep the ISO as low as possible to minimize noise. Since the moon is lit by sunlight, you'd treat the exposure as any daylight situation.

    Cuong

    Thank you Cuong as I am waiting until the moon appears and then I will try again and hopefully post the results.
    Regards
    Bob
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    Jack'll doJack'll do Registered Users Posts: 2,977 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Cuong wrote:
    You'd want to keep the ISO as low as possible to minimize noise. Since the moon is lit by sunlight, you'd treat the exposure as any daylight situation.

    Cuong

    I am having the same problem as Bob. Your explanation is so counterintuitive yet so obvious. I too was using high iso, AV and fairly long exposure. Thanks for the help with this.
    jrg.smugmug.com

    Jack
    (My real name is John but Jack'll do)
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    Eric&SusanEric&Susan Registered Users Posts: 1,280 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Shay posted this once or twice before and I'm sure if he was here he would point you in this direction;

    http://www.shaystephens.com/moon_calc.php

    Eric
    "My dad taught me everything I know, unfortunately he didn't teach me everything he knows" Dale Earnhardt Jr

    It's better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you're not.

    http://photosbyeric.smugmug.com
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    evorywareevoryware Registered Users Posts: 1,330 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2008
    Was a nice clear sky and a bright moon last night too. A second moon always reminds me of the filter.
    Canon 40D : Canon 400D : Canon Elan 7NE : Canon 580EX : 2 x Canon 430EX : Canon 24-70 f2.8L : Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L USM : Canon 28-135mm f/3.5 IS : 18-55mm f/3.5 : 4GB Sandisk Extreme III : 2GB Sandisk Extreme III : 2 x 1GB Sandisk Ultra II : Sekonik L358

    dak.smugmug.com
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2008
    evoryware wrote:
    Was a nice clear sky and a bright moon last night too. A second moon always reminds me of the filter.

    This is a shot I took last night with thye settings I was advised on a tripod and using the self timer.
    Regards
    Bob

    298620947_fP7Kd-XL.jpg
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    evorywareevoryware Registered Users Posts: 1,330 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2008


    Keep practicing you'll get it. Judging from your pic, I would make the shutter speed faster but I don't know the settings you used.

    http://dak.smugmug.com/gallery/1821771_DkgFF#100080255_syS6G-L-LB

    Same camera, shorter lens and handheld.
    Canon 40D : Canon 400D : Canon Elan 7NE : Canon 580EX : 2 x Canon 430EX : Canon 24-70 f2.8L : Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L USM : Canon 28-135mm f/3.5 IS : 18-55mm f/3.5 : 4GB Sandisk Extreme III : 2GB Sandisk Extreme III : 2 x 1GB Sandisk Ultra II : Sekonik L358

    dak.smugmug.com
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    jfriendjfriend Registered Users Posts: 8,097 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2008
    canon400d wrote:
    This is a shot I took last night with thye settings I was advised on a tripod and using the self timer.
    Regards
    Bob

    From your pic:
    1/25th of a second
    f/9
    ISO 100

    It's hard to tell exactly, but the exposure looks much better now. We can't tell if the blur comes from camera shake at 1/25th or from lack of proper focus or from a lens that isn't sharp enough.

    Some things to try:
    • Perhaps go to f/5.6 to raise your shutter speed
    • Make absolutely sure you are properly focused on infinity - usual manual focus. You can even try several shots, each focused slightly differently to see if you can find optimal focus
    • If you have mirror lock-up on your camera, use it to avoid mirror slap vibrations
    • You definitely need some sort of remote trigger release or you could use the self-timer. You don't want to be manually pushing the shutter at these slow shutter speeds.
    • If your tripod has a hook, put some weight on it to stabilize it
    • Shorten the tripod so it's only got one set of legs extended (lower tripods are more stable)
    • Make sure everything on the tripod is locked down
    • If you can mount the lens on the tripod instead of the body, do that because it's better balance and less vibration
    • Bracket the exposure (take five shots, each at a different exposure) to find the best one
    --John
    Homepage • Popular
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    ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 23,901 moderator
    edited May 20, 2008
    Bob,

    Try a tripod, ISO 200, f8, 1/800th sec. Be very careful not to bump the tripod and using the self timer is a very good idea.

    Focus is absolutely critical. Take a shot, re-focus, take a shot, repeat as many times as necessary. I think this was the best 1 of 10.

    100412283-D.jpg
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2008
    ziggy53 wrote:
    Bob,

    Try a tripod, ISO 200, f8, 1/800th sec. Be very careful not to bump the tripod and using the self timer is a very good idea.

    Focus is absolutely critical. Take a shot, re-focus, take a shot, repeat as many times as necessary. I think this was the best 1 of 10.

    100412283-D.jpg

    Thanks ever so much Ziggy and everyone else who has supported me through this trying time. JFriend, I use a 50-500mm{Bigma} and I use a tripod with the self timer. Should I be using a different lens? If so what would you suggest. I have noted and really appreciate everything you have said and I am hoping it will be clear tonight and I will put into practice everything you have told me and I will display the results.
    I really do appreciate all the helpful replies I have had on this thread.
    Regards
    Bob
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    CuongCuong Registered Users Posts: 1,508 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2008
    canon400d wrote:
    This is a shot I took last night with thye settings I was advised on a tripod and using the self timer.

    Bob, the image looks out-of-focus to me. The moon should be in sharp focus when you look through the viewfinder. Here's my suggestion: set up your camera and lens on a tripod, half-press the shutter release to focus on the moon using the center focusing point in the one-shot AF mode, turn off auto focus on the lens, then take your shot with Ziggy's recommended exposure settings. Use playback to check and adjust your exposure as necessary.

    Cuong
    "She Was a Little Taste of Heaven – And a One-Way Ticket to Hell!" - Max Phillips
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2008
    Cuong wrote:
    Bob, the image looks out-of-focus to me. The moon should be in sharp focus when you look through the viewfinder. Here's my suggestion: set up your camera and lens on a tripod, half-press the shutter release to focus on the moon using the center focusing point in the one-shot AF mode, turn off auto focus on the lens, then take your shot with Ziggy's recommended exposure settings. Use playback to check and adjust your exposure as necessary.

    Cuong

    Ohh thanks a lot Cuong I have followed everything you have said from the beginning of this thread and I would like to thank you for all your kind help. I always have the AF on the centre point but I will change to the One Shot. I have always had it on the A1Servo as this is what I have been told to put it on when I use the 50-500mm. I will keep trying with what you and Ziggy have advised. I am sure it will turn out good with all the sound advice I have been afforded. Unfortunately the moon is not glowing on us in Scotland tonight but as soon as it does appear I will certainly post my results. Thanks again.
    Regards
    Bob
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    pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,698 moderator
    edited May 21, 2008
    I am sitting in the Ibis hotel in Glascow, getting ready to leave to go back to the States, so I'll be brief.

    Shoot in Manual Mode, at ISO 100 or 200. Use a good tripod. Use a really stable tripod. Your lens is adequate.

    Start at ISO 100, f16, 1/100th or f11, 1/200th, or better yet f8 at 1/400th. All are the same EV. This should get you close, as this is the correct exposure for a sunlit object in bright sunlight, which is exactly what a full moon is.

    Read more here

    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=2432&highlight=pathfinder+moon

    http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=499379&postcount=3
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
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    canon400dcanon400d Banned Posts: 2,826 Major grins
    edited May 22, 2008
    pathfinder wrote:
    I am sitting in the Ibis hotel in Glascow, getting ready to leave to go back to the States, so I'll be brief.

    Shoot in Manual Mode, at ISO 100 or 200. Use a good tripod. Use a really stable tripod. Your lens is adequate.

    Start at ISO 100, f16, 1/100th or f11, 1/200th, or better yet f8 at 1/400th. All are the same EV. This should get you close, as this is the correct exposure for a sunlit object in bright sunlight, which is exactly what a full moon is.

    Read more here

    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=2432&highlight=pathfinder+moon

    http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=499379&postcount=3

    Thanks ever so much and I will certainly try all those settings. Hope you have an enjoyable return trip to the States.
    Regards
    Bob
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    ProfessionalProfessional Registered Users Posts: 278 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2008
    Shooting the moon is one of the most interesting subject in photography i do, even i feel bored to shoot the moon more, but i am waiting oneday when i will get longer prime lenses such as 500 or 600 then i will give it another try for sure.
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    SkippySkippy Registered Users Posts: 12,075 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2008
    Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob....... I have two words for you

    LIVE VIEW

    and a link to a Video tutorial so you can see what I mean
    about focusing using LIVE VIEW.

    You my friend are capable of producing a Bonzar of a Moon Shot.
    ........ Show me what you can do after you watch that video thumb.gif

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxTalp6f7kw&feature=related

    Knock yourself out my friend ...... Skippy :D
    .
    .
    Skippy (Australia) - Moderator of "HOLY MACRO" and "OTHER COOL SHOTS"

    ALBUM http://ozzieskip.smugmug.com/

    :skippy Everyone has the right to be stupid, but some people just abuse the privilege :dgrin
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    ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 23,901 moderator
    edited May 24, 2008
    Skippy wrote:
    Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob....... I have two words for you

    LIVE VIEW

    and a link to a Video tutorial so you can see what I mean
    about focusing using LIVE VIEW.

    You my friend are capable of producing a Bonzar of a Moon Shot.
    ........ Show me what you can do after you watch that video thumb.gif

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxTalp6f7kw&feature=related

    Knock yourself out my friend ...... Skippy :D
    .

    15524779-Ti.gif If you have a camera which has live view, especially one that allows magnification of the view, it makes "manual" focus for scenes like this a snap.

    Thanks Skippy! thumb.gifthumb
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
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