Fly Me to The Moon

[Frank73]

This is my first attempt at taking pictures of the Moon. When I look at the high-res shot (4752x3168) it seems to be a little blurry. Should I adjust the settings or edit it in Photoshop?

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f32.0
Focal length: 250mm
ISO speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

High-Res link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/...ed61dd0b_o.jpg

Exif info: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4009902...44583785/meta/

[Michael_2010]

Looks way out of focus to me. If you watch your viewfinder, or LCD for any length of time, you can see the moon move. It clips across the sky at a pretty good pace. I would open the aperture up to something in the f/8 - f/11 range and get that shutter speed way up.

The camera also needs to be very steady in order to get a crisp shot of the moon. Are you using a tripod and remote shutter release?

[Frank73]

Originally Posted by Michael_2010

Looks way out of focus to me. If you watch your viewfinder, or LCD for any length of time, you can see the moon move. It clips across the sky at a pretty good pace. I would open the aperture up to something in the f/8 - f/11 range and get that shutter speed way up.

The camera also needs to be very steady in order to get a crisp shot of the moon. Are you using a tripod and remote shutter release?

Thanks for the critique! I plan on buying a tripod and remote shutter release soon. I haven't shot any pictures passed 1/4 second. Can you recommend any tripods or remote shutter releases? I'm still getting used to the M settings.

[Michael_2010]

As a rule you will be happier, if you get quality products in the beginning. Many of us have gone the cheap route on some gadgets and always eventually end up buying the better stuff sooner or later.

I use the Canon shutter release with my XSi. It goes for a little over 20 bucks on Amazon. Nothing sophisticated about the device, but it allows you to get your hands off of the camera, which is a big deal with landscapes and moon shots. I also have a Canon wireless remote I never use. You have to be in front of the camera to trigger the thing and I don't have much use for that functionality.

There have been many threads here at DPS about tripods. It all just depends upon your budget. However, the really cheap models are a complete waste of money. Plus, you will constantly be worried about the thing tipping over and sending your gear crashing to the ground. My first tripod was a Slik Pro model with a tilt & pan head. It cost me about $130.00 and I like it okay. Pretty stable and I put a lot of weight on that head. But, collapsed it is still well over 30 inches long. I hated dragging that thing out into the field. So, I wound up getting a Benro Travel Angel that folds down to about 15" long. It is the magnesium/aluminum mix and still has a little weight to it. The carbon fiber models double & triple in price and I was not ready to put that kind of money into a tripod. Would rather have another lens. lol

Adorama.com pushes the Flashpoint brand of carbon fiber legs at a very low price. But, I have not seen much talk about them on this forum. Might be worth the research......

Well, that is probably more than you wanted to know, but I still only charge 2 cents so it was a bargain. hahahaha

PS: I have been playing around with macro type photography and have discovered that I would really like to have a tripod with an articulating center column. That might be another consideration, if close-up work is in your future.

[Frank73]

I am going with the Benro A1690T Travel Angel Tripod. The only Canon shutter release I seen is RS60 E3, but it doesn't say it's compatible with my T1i, or is it?

[Michael_2010]

Originally Posted by Frank73

I am going with the Benro A1690T Travel Angel Tripod. The only Canon shutter release I seen is RS60 E3, but it doesn't say it's compatible with my T1i, or is it?

I believe that is the one that fits your camera. It is all about the jack size on your camera and I think it is a standard 2.5mm port.