My Fuzzy Moon

[mermaid]

I always wanted to take those crisp, sharp pictures of the moon. As soon as I got my brand new cheap tripod, I tried to take a shot at it, but my moon appeared all fuzzy. I'm very, very new at photography and I've been taking pictures for only a couple months. It would be helpful if any of you could tell me why this happens and how can i avoid it and improve my shot.

Thank you



Exposure: 4 sec
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 66 mm
Exposure: 0.00
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash

[ressalg]

First off, this is still a really nice shot. The trees frame the shot really well and the clouds add a bit of drama, too.

I think your exposure is too long to get the kind of detail you're looking for. Especially for a full moon and even at ISO 100.

Try shots in the 1/50th to 1/125th of a second range and you can also use something more like an f/8 (or even f/16) aperture. Also, keep in mind that when you focus on infinity you usually have to back it off just slightly to actually be in focus.

[mermaid]

Thank you so much for your suggestions It's been raining here in Boston so I guess I'm gonna have to wait until the next full moon!

[Trigger]

A search in How I Took It reveals that you MUST be in Manual Mode amd Manual Focus with setting that where suggested F/8 @ 1/125s and ISO of 100-200 also using a tripod as you are trying to heavily underexpose as suggested by the member who posted


cheers

[sbunting108]

Here is a thread on how to shoot the moon Hope you find it helpfull!

[Digidave]

Tried & True.

1) Manual Focus Mode
2) Good tripod on a very sturdy surface.
3) If your camera has Mirror Lockup, use it. The mirror flapping will cause shaking of your shutter. On my camera, I have a Shutter Delay. The shutter moves the mirror & then delays the shutter for 0.4 seconds. Allowing for the shutter to settle down.
4) Use a shutter release. Be it either wired or wireless, this helps with camera shake. If you don't have either, you can use your cameras self-timer. Set it to 2 seconds or more. This will allow the camera to settle before the shutter is released.
5) Camera settings
a) ISO 100
b) Shutter speed - at least 125
c) Aperture - f/11

[Ryno87]

Was it slightly overcast when you took the photo?

Cloud can cause the moon to appear fuzzy, reducing the distinct contrast between the bright moon and black sky. I've taken shots of the moon on what appeared to be a clear night, only to find there was a faint layer of cloud making the moon appear unclear.

Its good its been raining, because that clears all the dust out of the air. On the next cloudless night the moon should be crystal clear.

Good luck.

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by Digidave

Tried & True.

1) Manual Focus Mode
2) Good tripod on a very sturdy surface.
3) If your camera has Mirror Lockup, use it. The mirror flapping will cause shaking of your shutter. On my camera, I have a Shutter Delay. The shutter moves the mirror & then delays the shutter for 0.4 seconds. Allowing for the shutter to settle down.
4) Use a shutter release. Be it either wired or wireless, this helps with camera shake. If you don't have either, you can use your cameras self-timer. Set it to 2 seconds or more. This will allow the camera to settle before the shutter is released.
5) Camera settings
a) ISO 100
b) Shutter speed - at least 125
c) Aperture - f/11

I did use the auto focus mode while taking this pic and now I know that was a mistake; and I remember trying a smaller aperture but that made the trees in front very dark. I just couldn't find the right balance of exposure where I could get a crisp shot of the moon as well as have the trees in the frame. And I can also see why the long exposure could've caused the fuzziness. I will try again with the settings you suggested. Thank you so much.

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by Ryno87

Was it slightly overcast when you took the photo?

Cloud can cause the moon to appear fuzzy, reducing the distinct contrast between the bright moon and black sky. I've taken shots of the moon on what appeared to be a clear night, only to find there was a faint layer of cloud making the moon appear unclear.

Its good its been raining, because that clears all the dust out of the air. On the next cloudless night the moon should be crystal clear.

Good luck.

It was a pretty clear night actually.. but I think there was a little big of fog in the atmosphere. And yes, the rain has definitely made the skies clearer but of course, the full moon's gone. Maybe I'll try taking a pic with the new moon this weekend.

[mermaid]

Originally Posted by sbunting108

Here is a thread on how to shoot the moon Hope you find it helpfull!

YES. Thank you, these were really helpful. I was talking about exposure balance earlier but I think underexposing is key to get a clear shot.