Trying to take pictures of the moon...

[lisa_davidson2]

<p>I have a Canon Rebel XSi with a 18-55 lens. I just got this camera a week ago and am loving it!<br>

I decided the last couple of nights to try and take pictures of the moon (its been full and beautiful).<br>

I want a shot with the moon just coming up showing silhouettes of the trees and mountain top.<br>

I read up a little before setting out last night. Tri-pod, Shutter speed, ISO, Fstop etc. I just couldnt' get it right:</p>

<p>Problems:<img src="http://dlmsjdavidson.zenfolio.com/p757345327" alt="" /><br>

http://dlmsjdavidson.zenfolio.com/p757345327</p>

<p>Moon to blurry and there are these strange lights in the photo. (see attached). Are those a reflection of something. Possible condensation in the lens? All the pictures have these lights some bigger some smaller, the bright spot moved around...the little orange one <em>(flower shaped in the sky. The bright ones below are street lights)</em> This orange flower shaped light in the sky got bigger and smaller. <br>

Is my lens way to small. <br>

Where I was standing was very dark it was at a little observatory at our local Junior College.<br>

Any tips or ideas would be GREATLY appreciated. Next full moon is June 21st.............</p>

<p>Thank You!</p>

[tommyinca]

<p>Its just your typical UFO, no big deal.</p>

<p>Next time do bring a tripod. Take three separated images each requiring different metering (moon, stars and landscape) and stack them up (do a search on how to).</p>

<p>To get rid of the UFOs, try remove the UV filters and not over expose as you did on your sample. Remeber, it may be night time here on earth but it is mid-day sun over at moon world (hence full moon). </p>

[James G. Dainis]

The moon is way overexposed in those shots. It looks pure white. You should have some of the "man in the moon" features showing. The moon is just reflected sunlight the same as rocks on earth. With the camera set at 100 ISO a good exposure should have been f/11 at 1/100 sec shutter speed. If you do have a UV filter on the lens, take it off to reduce the flare or reflections and use a lens hood.

[ishi_p]

<p>I go through this thought now and again. I guess the above answers are the only or best answers.<br>

I have wondered if you can get some kind of moon filter though? I know that would mean having a filter but theses reflections should be reduced with a hood and could maybe be dealt with in photo-shop. It would be something like a small semi opaque dot on an otherwise clear filter.</p>

<p>I guess that does nothing for the stars, which now I think about it would probably need much longer? I guess it depends on there brightness and how lit the landscape is.</p>

 

[JDMvW]

<p>You will notice that your orange UFO is the same color as the ground lights which created it by reflection off of the filter, or the lens, or some such. This happens very often with bright lights at night; during the day too, but often less noticeable.</p>

<p>Here's one of many instructions on moon photography you will find by Googling the same (<a href="http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/howtophoto/index.htm">link</a>). As noted, yours are waaaay over exposed to get detail on the moon.</p>

 

[ricd]

 

<p >Hi Lisa,</p>

<p >Think of photographing the sun; the moon is reflecting sun light. The other responders that say the photos are over exposed are correct. It seems to me the camera was set to auto exposure, matrix metering.</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p >Most of the photo is dark so with a camera set to matrix metering or auto exposure would expose for darkness. Spot meter for the moon would have given you a better exposure of the moon however, everything else would be underexposed; too much range for the sensor. Maybe a ND, or ND gradient (graduated) filter would have helped perhaps. Ah, the greenish thingy-bob seems to be some type of lens or filter flare.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >As suggested, you could take multiple photos stacking them in your photo editor. Yes, that technique works quite well. For me I prefer to acquire an image in the camera than futz with it in the computer. Even though I am a computer geek, when it comes to photography I want to be proud of my photography not my computer skills.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Hope that helps you.</p>

 

[dan_south]

<p>My two cents.</p>

<p><strong>EXPOSURE</strong></p>

<p>Expose the moon at one stop BRIGHTER the sunny f/16 rule.</p>

<p>The sunny f/16 rule says to set your shutter speed to 1/ISO and your aperture to f/16. So if your ISO is 100, expose at 1/100 (or 1/125) @ f/16.</p>

<p>My rule for the moon says to open up one more stop. WHY? Because the moon looks DARK at sunny f/16. You want it to be brighter but still hold detail on the surface.</p>

<p>Instead of 1/125, shoot at 1/60 @ f/16.</p>

<p><strong>BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!</strong></p>

<p>There's no reason to shoot this at f/16. You don't need that much depth of field, and most lenses are sharpest around f/5.6, not f/16.</p>

<p>So... adjust the exposure to work with f/5.6.</p>

<p>f/5.6 is THREE STOPS FASTER than f/16, so you'll have to increase your shutter speed three stops.</p>

<p>1/60 (original)<br>

1/125 (one stop faster)<br>

1/250 (two stops faster)<br>

1/500 (three stops faster)</p>

<p>So here is your final exposure: ISO 100, 1/500th @ f/5.6.</p>

<p><strong>FOCUS</strong></p>

<p>Autofocus may or may not work well on distant objects. If your camera features Live View, focus manually in Live View with the moon in your LCD screen at maximum magnification. Remember to TURN OFF AUTOFOCUS.</p>

<p><strong>TRIPOD</strong></p>

<p>Highly recommended. Turn off IS when shooting from a tripod. If you're shooting by hand, IS will probably be helpful.</p>

[lisa_davidson2]

<p>Thanks for all the GREAT tips! I may go out again tonight. <br>

The camera does have a lens protector on it...............that is probably what is causing the light flares?<br>

I'll post more pictures if I go out again tonight!<br>

Thanks Again!</p>

[JosvanEekelen]

<p>The advice for shooting the moon is 1/ISO @ f/11. This is at least a good starting point. Most of the above remarks are in line with it.</p>

[mark_tate]

<p>Your using digital .....try it all</p>

[kevin_delson]

<blockquote>

<p>Is my lens way to small.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Yes & no..Mostly yes.</p>

<p>Although the moon appears large to the naked eye, your 18-55mm lens will render the moon a VERY small disc; often disappointing to the first time moon shooter.</p>

<p>If you have a longer lens, something in the 200mm range, you will begin to see features on the surface.</p>

<p>One caveat..You might enjoy photographing celestial objects!</p>

<p>Darn; another photographer lost to astronomy. ;)</p>

[nodpete]

I would also add: cover the viewfinder or you could get light leak from it. On my Sony, it comes with a little piece of rubber to slip over the eyepiece to eliminate this problem when using a tripod. And even though it doesn't look like it, the moon is moving so on a long exposure it will blur a bit.

[976photo]

<p>I found taking a picture of the moon was actually very easy. I just did this myself less than a week ago. I followed the "sunny 16 rule" as described above. And I agree it came out a little dark. My solution was to increase the ISO a little. My settings were f/16 at 1/200 and an ISO of 200 originally, which I then increased to 400. My lens was at its longest focal length which is 200mm. Nikon D5000 set up on a tri-pod.</p>

<p> In the end I love how the exposure came out, but I wish I had a longer lens to fill the frame better, the 200mm just wasn't long enough for me. I can't imagine your 55mm giving you anything that you'll be blown away with, but you can at least practice with your exposure settings.</p><div></div>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>The inexpensive used 500mm preset lenses (like Tele Astronar, Cambron, Spiratone, etc.) can be adapted to digital and used manually. With the 1.6X crop factor of the Rebel sensor you effectively have 800mm. Here's one I did last year with my Tele Astronar 500mm and my Rebel XT.</p><div></div>

[gamitch]

<p>Here is an example of a moon shot using a Canon 30D and a 100-400L at 400mm.<br>

1/60sec, f/5.6, 400ISO, shot raw, converted, sharpened and cropped using DPP.</p><div></div>