Why can i not get a good shot of the moon???

[anthonybeard]

here's two attempts to get a nice shot of the moons features tonight.



Camera: Nikon D60
Exposure: 2 sec (2)
Aperture: f/36
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/6 EV
White Balance: AUTO



Camera: Nikon D60
Exposure: 2.5 sec (5/2)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 1600
Exposure Bias: 0/6 EV
White Balance: SUNNY



i have a BUNCH of different exposures taken with different settings.. from extremely fast shutter and large aperture and slow shutter small aperture... every combination i could think of.

WHY can i not get an exposure with details like craters and light/dark spots? why do my moon shots always look so... crappy? what can i do to get a decent shot? and while i'm at it, whats up with the lens flares? what can i do to get rid of THOSE? is it my UV filter? should i take that off?

i know, a lot of questions here. i am just frustrated.

[JoesPhotos]

with a 18-55, it is going to be tough. Too many outside light sources to cause lens flare.

[Nicole]

Yes, take the UV filter off when you're shooting the moon. The moon is actually very bright (as you may have noticed). So there's something called the "moony 11" rule, which is a good starting point. f/11 and 1/ISO. Now, you can adjust that depending on how it turns out, but it is a good starting point. You may have to open your aperture more to increase your shutter speed if you're shooting with a longer photo length depending on your ISO. Oh, and spot meter for the moon if you really want the crater details and you're not quite sure how changing your aperture / shutter speed will change it.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by anthonybeard

WHY can i not get an exposure with details like craters and light/dark spots?

Look at the moon--it's completely white. It's overexposed. While you've been flipping your settings around, you've probably been keeping that little mark in the middle. Move it to the left, and try a few stops down. Remember, the moon is a brightly sunlit object.

why do my moon shots always look so... crappy?

Kit lens doesn't have the reach. Hell, even my old 75-300 doesn't have the reach. I've only been happy with moonshots after I got a 400mm lens.

what can i do to get a decent shot?

Watch the exposure, stop down for sharpness, use a tripod and timer or remote, go for the lowest iso setting. And learn to post process. Cropping and sharpening and a curve adjustment can sometimes save a moon shot. And get a longer lens.

and while i'm at it, whats up with the lens flares? what can i do to get rid of THOSE? is it my UV filter? should i take that off?

Wouldn't hurt to try. Typically flare comes from stray light sources you're shooting directly into. Looks like there was a lightsource to your left you weren't shielding the lens from, as well as flare from the moon itself. Removing the filters might help, using your hand or a piece of cardboard to shade the lens might help, too. I'd recommend making a hood out of cardboard.

[anthonybeard]

so, basically, until i get a better lens, i'm screwed! lol. i'm going to try again tonight using the suggestions listed. thanks all!

[fletch]

Originally Posted by anthonybeard

so, basically, until i get a better lens, i'm screwed! lol. i'm going to try again tonight using the suggestions listed. thanks all!

No not screwed, you just won't be able to get the moon any bigger in the frame than you already have. You will still be able to get a properly exposed moon using the tips above.

[PhotoNewt]

As Inkista correctly pointed out you need a longer lens. I have been able to get decent shots from a 200-300 mm lens but the best are in the 400-600 mm range.

When metering the moon with these long lenses, fill the viewfinder with the moon and overexpose by 1-2 stops to keep the moon white rather than grayish. Use a manual exposure mode to set the value once.

Regarding exposure, I usually set my lens at f/8 (depending on the lens) and increase the shutter speed as much as possible (ISO around 400 sometimes to get a faster shutter speed). The best shots are obtained when the moon is low on the horizon, if you close your lens too much and use a slow speed, the movement of the moon will keep you from getting a sharp image.

Always use a tripod for this. Also use a a remote shutter release or the self-timer function along with mirror lock to reduce camera shake as much as possible - with lenses in the 300-600 mm range, camera shake is greatly magnified and can ruin a shot in a hurry.

Hope this helps.

[johnny74]

You should be able to get a fairly decent image even with a 55mm lens by using max resolution and then cropping down.

To get resolution on the craters and other surface features you need to make sure you take shots of the moon when it is not full.

Also, if you have spot metering then use that to help you.

I managed this (see below) with a 200mm lens and a tripod though the moon was low in the sky so might not have been so bright.

[johnny74]

Sorry, should have added....ISO 800, f5.6, 1/50 sec.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9857793...24211658/meta/

[dlaf]

anthony,
I would bet your nice camera can take a great shot of the moon.

Here's a tutorial called Shoot for the Moon written to show how even those of us with a bridge camera can get good shots.

Let us know how it goes using her tips! I was able to get much better shots than I thought possible on my first try. Unfortunately, it's been cloudy since.

Debbie