When the Moon hits your eye ...

[DonSchap]

it looks kind of like this, tonight (5/14/2008), with a 100% crop

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EXIF: SONY A700 w/ Tokina ATX 840
@ 400mm - f/13 - 1/500 second - ISO-800 - Manual - Spot Metering - WB: Daylight

[sparkie1263]

Nice capture. I haven't shot the moon since I shot the eclipse.

[DonSchap]

It was so clear, tonight, and I just wondered how nice the AT-X 840 would do. It seems to be plenty sharp for government work. I'm done testing it ... it stays in the bag as my telephoto of choice. I should have shot the eclipse with it, instead of the unguided 200-500mm f/6.9. I didn't have the Katz-Eye then.

[Viky]

it looks kind of like this, tonight (5/14/2008), with a 100% crop

EXIF: SONY A700 w/ Tokina ATX 840
@ 400mm - f/13 - 1/500 second - ISO-800 - Manual - Spot Metering - WB: Daylight

I saw your photo and thought "nice image, but way too much noise for a moon shot:confused:?"

And then I looked at your settings... very strange settings for a moon shot... The moon is full of dark shadow areas, and high ISO produces lot of visible noise and kills most of the fine detail.

I always start at ISO 100 and 1/100~1/160 @ 300mm on my Image Stabilized lens and then adjust the aperture accordingly as per the exposure I want. This way I can get a much cleaner image and the detail is preserved.

I'm sure your Image Stabilized A700 also could have managed a sharp shot hand held shot at around 1/100~150...and even ISO 100 would have got you an aperture of around f/8 - f/9:)

[Visual Reality]

Good shot - the high ISO noise reduction isn't doing it any favors though.

[DonSchap]

I appreciate the "noise" comments and will re-evaluate the settings. May be it was the high angle, but I noted, in the field, the slower settings weren't really delivering as sharp an image as I desired. I will review the lower ISO stuff and see what I can resurrect.

EDIT: Here is the ISO-100 shot

36148
EXIF: SONY A700 w/ Tokina ATX 840
@ 400mm - f/13 - 1/125 second - ISO-100 - Manual - Spot Metering - WB: Daylight

I think I need to get closer ... next time, I stand on the roof :p

[Rooz]

thats cos your shooting at f13. do you know if thats the lens' critical aperture ? ie: sharpest point ? i doubt it. its probably more like f8. looks like you must have done a fair amount of PP in both. from the first shot to the second you've dropped your iso down by 3 stops, your shutter speed down by 2 stops but the aperture is the same as is the exposure. unless i;m missing something, you;ve changed it by 5 stops and got pretty much the exact same result...just blurrier. dosnt make sense.

is this handheld or on a tripod ?

[DonSchap]

This was an earlier shot, when I was still adjusting. The limited post processing is simply to correct for exposure issues of being too dark (enhanced speckling). Take what you have and supply some correction. Each image requires various amounts to get the same "proper" appearance.

I actually pushed the camera up to f/8 - 1/8000th @ ISO-6400, just to see what I would get. Needless to say ... nothing usable, but a true test of the limits we have and the results they can generate.

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Personally, I look forward to acquiring a Meade ETX-125 (focal length 1900mm),

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this summer, to really dig in and sharpen this image, without having to resort to a post processing method.

Thanks for noticing, Rooz. :)

[Rooz]

This was an earlier shot, when I was still adjusting. The limited post processing is simply to correct for exposure issues of being too dark (enhanced speckling). Take what you have and supply some correction. Each image requires various amounts to get the same "proper" appearance.

unfortunatley with the moon, you cant do that and expect the best results. from my experience, you must get it right in camera. PP will brighten it up, or darken it sure. but you lose any hope of getting good sharp crisp detail. there's nothing wrong with that first shot mind you apart from the aggressive NR in the centre, its a nice image.

start off at 1/125s, f8 depending on the phase of the moon and work you're way your shutter speeds from there. i normally take about 5 or 6 images at various exposures. blow them up to 100% on PC and pic the best one. i can work on it ever so slightly from there.

[donfenyk]

I like the first image best - it makes me happy.....

[DonSchap]

Well, it was a shot ... I can rework it a little.

EDIT: After reviewing it ... I'm leaving this one alone, for now. I am curious to figure out what the highly reflective surfaces are. They are in every shot ... you'd think someone had placed huge mirrors all over.