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Thread ID: 138129 2014-10-08 20:30:00 Show your eclipse photos Nick G (16709) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1385922 2014-10-08 20:30:00 Here's one of mine.

5967

Hopefully someone with a better camera and better photography skills managed to grab a sharper shot!
Nick G (16709)
1385923 2014-10-08 20:40:00 I should watch the news occasionally, there was an eclipse?
Cool photo though, I've managed to take similar ones of the moon normally and am happy just to have figured out how to get more detail than a white circle :)
dugimodo (138)
1385924 2014-10-08 21:13:00 Too much cloud here. :( pcuser42 (130)
1385925 2014-10-08 21:25:00 Napier to cloudy :(

Ken
kenj (9738)
1385926 2014-10-08 21:41:00 5968

It was pretty dark here....
johcar (6283)
1385927 2014-10-08 22:10:00 5968

It was pretty dark here....

Great detail there johcar. What f stop was the camera set at?

Ken
kenj (9738)
1385928 2014-10-08 22:25:00 Too cloudy here, but here are a few tips on 'shooting the Moon' from Wired.com
www.wired.com

Hot Tips for Cool Moon Photos

There are a few settings you can adjust without even looking at the moon. Once you find a combination you like, you can save some time during future moon-shootin’ sessions by setting it up as a custom mode on your camera (if your camera has that option).

1. Flip your camera to full manual mode so that you can set shutter, aperture, and ISO independently.

2. Use the lowest ISO setting on your camera to make the sensor less sensitive to light. That’s usually 50 or 100, but you may want to try ISO 200, too.

3. Set the shutter speed to 1/X, where X is the ISO setting you used in step 2.

4. Use a narrow aperture to keep the depth-of-field deep and limit the amount of light funneling through to the sensor. F11 is sometimes referred to as “Looney 11” because it’s especially good for moon shots, so you may want to try that first. Anywhere from F8 to F16 should work well.

That combination of settings should be a great starting point for your hand-rolled Moon Mode. But you’re not ready to shoot the moon just yet; there are a couple of important things to do once you’re ready to take some pictures. Once the moon is in your viewfinder, adjust the following settings.

5. The most important step is changing your light-metering mode to Spot Metering or Partial Metering, which will expose your shot to cut through the glaring glow of the moon. You’ll need to choose spot metering, frame the moon in the middle of the shot to meter it, and then frame the shot once it’s set. Keep in mind that when you do this, the moon may be the only thing in your shot that’s properly exposed; anything darker than the moon will look pitch-black.

6. Use manual focus to get the sharpest shot possible, and if your camera has an exposure-bracketing mode, turn it on. It’ll give you three shots with every press of the shutter at different exposure levels, giving you the freedom to pick the best-looking one later on.

That should do it, but make adjustments as you go. Once you’re shooting, don’t be afraid to tweak the aperture, shutter, ISO, and exposure compensation (usually downward) to fine-tune the results.

Finally, there are two factors that don’t have anything to do with the camera at all. One is all about timing: The moon looks bigger and most dramatic when it’s near the horizon, so you’ll get the best photo opps within an hour of sunset or sunrise. Another has to do with location. You’re less likely to get a tack-sharp shot in a big city as you are in the middle of nowhere, because you’ll be dealing with light pollution in heavily populated areas.

If it’s really foggy or cloudy, no in-camera adjustments will help. You’ll just have to try again tomorrow.
KarameaDave (15222)
1385929 2014-10-08 23:16:00 Use a tripod and use a cable release or time release :)

1/50 sec - f11 - ISO 100 are a good starting point :)

Unfortunately, there was too much cloud cover here in Wellington last night.

Here's one of my moon shots from last year:

5969
Zippity (58)
1385930 2014-10-08 23:24:00 I saw it for a couple of minutes about 11.45pm but then the cloud set in.. paulw (1826)
1385931 2014-10-09 01:31:00 Too cloudy here, but here are a few tips on 'shooting the Moon' from Wired.com
www.wired.com

Hot Tips for Cool Moon Photos

There are a few settings you can adjust without even looking at the moon. Once you find a combination you like, you can save some time during future moon-shootin’ sessions by setting it up as a custom mode on your camera (if your camera has that option).

1. Flip your camera to full manual mode so that you can set shutter, aperture, and ISO independently.

2. Use the lowest ISO setting on your camera to make the sensor less sensitive to light. That’s usually 50 or 100, but you may want to try ISO 200, too.

3. Set the shutter speed to 1/X, where X is the ISO setting you used in step 2.

4. Use a narrow aperture to keep the depth-of-field deep and limit the amount of light funneling through to the sensor. F11 is sometimes referred to as “Looney 11” because it’s especially good for moon shots, so you may want to try that first. Anywhere from F8 to F16 should work well.

That combination of settings should be a great starting point for your hand-rolled Moon Mode. But you’re not ready to shoot the moon just yet; there are a couple of important things to do once you’re ready to take some pictures. Once the moon is in your viewfinder, adjust the following settings.

5. The most important step is changing your light-metering mode to Spot Metering or Partial Metering, which will expose your shot to cut through the glaring glow of the moon. You’ll need to choose spot metering, frame the moon in the middle of the shot to meter it, and then frame the shot once it’s set. Keep in mind that when you do this, the moon may be the only thing in your shot that’s properly exposed; anything darker than the moon will look pitch-black.

6. Use manual focus to get the sharpest shot possible, and if your camera has an exposure-bracketing mode, turn it on. It’ll give you three shots with every press of the shutter at different exposure levels, giving you the freedom to pick the best-looking one later on.

That should do it, but make adjustments as you go. Once you’re shooting, don’t be afraid to tweak the aperture, shutter, ISO, and exposure compensation (usually downward) to fine-tune the results.

Finally, there are two factors that don’t have anything to do with the camera at all. One is all about timing: The moon looks bigger and most dramatic when it’s near the horizon, so you’ll get the best photo opps within an hour of sunset or sunrise. Another has to do with location. You’re less likely to get a tack-sharp shot in a big city as you are in the middle of nowhere, because you’ll be dealing with light pollution in heavily populated areas.

If it’s really foggy or cloudy, no in-camera adjustments will help. You’ll just have to try again tomorrow.


Thanks! Those are some really great tips!

Did 1-4, didn't even think about 5 or 6.

Might pop out tonight and try and get some sharp ones.
Nick G (16709)
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