Telephoto Moon Photography
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ธ.ค. 2022
- Today I look at equipment and methods used to shoot the moon using a telephoto lens. I'm very keen to hear what you like to use to capture the moon in the comments below.
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I typically use my Nikon D500 with the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 to shoot moon shots. That combo gives me 750 mm of reach which is good for close up moon shots. I find the image stabilization is amazing in this combo. For the full moon I generally shoot handheld. I find that I can go down to about 1/80 sec without getting any motion blur. My typical setting for the full moon is about 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100. I will sometimes use the 200-500 with my full frame Z6ii and an FTZ adapter if I am trying to capture the foreground as well. I find that the images have better color and less noise with that combination. I will use a tripod when I am shooting the new moon so I can get much lower shutter speeds to capture the earth shine.
Well I've always been impressed with your moon shots Ken ...!!!!
It is so wholesome of you taking us through the whole journey and mainly the thought process behind snapping these beautiful shots. I absolutely love your videos. Thank you.
That's so very kind of you my friend, thanks for your comments.
Using a Square block of wood, to find a Round Moon...That is Applied Geometry...!
Richard, Thank You for this video...Great to see you try new stuff.
Excellent choice of tools, workflow and excellent Moons...!
Idea:
If it suits your setup and You better,
you can polar align, using the north pole...
After all, they are just opposites on the screen...!
Greetings
Thanks so much for watching Jacob. Always appreciated.
Richard. You would rather see me marvelling thru the internet than laughing about all this great insides you give! Thank you.
Thanks heaps for watching my friend.
I use my Canon EOS R with a Sigma 150-600 lens. It has worked pretty well, and I have gotten several good images. I it a pain though to get it set up and keep the moon in the frame for multiple images! My wife just bought me the Star Adventurer 2I kit and I am anxious to use it! It was meant as a Christmas Gift but I already opened it -- I will wrap the box up to put under the tree :-). Your use of the 2x4 wood for polar alignment looks like a great method! I am going to try that tonight!! Thanks for the video - very informative and inspirational!
Haha, the old empty box under the Christmas tree . .That's a classic .. I must try that myself.
Another brill video Richard, I love the use of the 2x4, great logic behind it too.
Thanks for watching. Well sometimes a simple solution is the best.
Love your passion and work for this! Thank you for this video!
I'm pleased you enjoyed the video Jared, thanks for watching.
Those moon shots are magnificent! Great trick polar aligning with that 2X4 piece of lumber.
Thanks a lot Brian. Well it's a cheap option that's for sure.
....that was a gr8 vlog/video Richard..Love the photos you produced....the moon is such a fascinating capture & i think maybe to a degree for most you seen one photo you seen them all,but it is a whole lot more than that,it's the planning the composition & knowing that you made the photo...we are always chasing perfection.I remember my first capture of the moon on film,recording it on paper as to where the position was on the film strip,then going home & rewinding the film & starting all over again for a double exposure using the federation arch & the art centre in melb at night.It turned out magic.All done with a tripod & a lot of preplanning.
That sounds like a wonderful process .. .I appreciate your comments a lot.
A few years back I photographed a total solar eclipse. With my Nikon 600 5.6 lens on my D700 it totally was beyond the capabilities of my star tracker. I had much more success using my gimbal mount, the one I use for bird photography. You just can't overload a mount and expect good results.
Keep up doing the videos, some day I hope to get back to OZ!
Thanks a lot for watching Roger. Yes that's so true .. and the reason I went with the lens as outlined in the video. Those large prime lenses are wonderful .. but large and heavy.
Thank you for demystifying a number of topics in one very worthwhile video. You are very generous with not only your time but your wealth of knowledge.
That's very kind of you Graeham. Thanks for watching.
Thanks again Richard for another awesome video!
Thanks so much for watching Calvin
Great video Richard. I have the same tracker but I have never tried shooting the moon with it. Thanks a buch for the inspiration. Cheers!
You're very welcome Marty
Thank you Richard for this interesting and funny video. Very nice and lightweight setup. And you are right: I really had to laugh about your polar alignment procedure with the piece of wood. Absolutely brilliant. Love it. I will get the star guider pro for Christmas. Hopefully we will see the stars or the Moin soon. It has been cloudy for the last 4 weeks. Once again: Thank you so much for your videos. Because of you I really started nightscape photography and I’ve learned so much from you. Wish you merry Christmas. Nico from Germany
Thanks so much for watching Nico. I hope you get some clear skies very soon my friend.
G'day Richard. Got a lot out of this mate, much appreciated. Keep safe mate.
Thanks heaps for watching John. Really appreciate it.
I love this video, Richard. I'm sure I'm not the only person whose mind was blown by your daytime alignment method. Your images are great.
I've been very pleased with the results I've had with my Canon 1300D and modified 2000D. I use a cheap fixed focal length 500mm (750-800mm accounting for crop factor), and I use a gimbal, which I feel is absolutely essential for lunar photography. I've discovered, too, that the modified camera allows me to shoot at higher ISOs without blowing out the image, and I therefore have a little more wiggle room on adjusting the F-stop and exposure time.
As for your moonrise problem, I follow a photographer here in the States named Brent Hall. His advice on lunar landscape photography (and avoiding the very issue you ran into) is to shoot a day or two before the full moon because of the timing - the moon is rising at or just after sunset. You'll have much better color, clarity and depth of field. Now, that may be during specific times of the year. Nevertheless, peruse his videos within the last year, if you're interested in what he has to say on it. I don't remember exactly which video it is, but I'm fairly certain it was posted since April or later.
Thanks as always for your comments Derek. Yes it does vary a fair bit. The optimum night to shoot was the following evening as the moon rose later so it would have been brighter and less light on the foreground. It's summer here . .so the transition is long between day and night. Sometimes the foreground is well lit and that helps but other times a simple silhouette is all that we need. Never mind, there is always another opportunity to shoot. Yes I do follow Brent Hall.
Another great one, thanks!
Thanks for watching Leon.
Wow, those pictures of the moon are incredible.
Thank you so much for watching.
Thanks once again Richard, I have just brought SA2i and still learning to set up and polar align ,look forward to the next one.
I really appreciate your comments Aaron, thanks for watching.
What a great post... I have been looking for something like this
Thanks so much for watching, really appreciated.
Nice to see you extending your content Richard. I've never used a tracker on the moon as yet, just tripod and 200mm (300 crop) and have gotten decent results. Good shout on that velux app! I also use the feisol panning base which makes the alignment process so much easier and time saving. I find photopills comes into its own when planning lunar imaging. Great video and for taking us through your process.
Thanks as always for your comments Tony, always appreciated.
Brilliant video, many thanks beautiful shots :)
Thanks as always for your comments Phil.
Great Video Richard. I really enjoy your out of the box thinking, open humility and overall style of communicating your thoughts and methods. I have recently sold my iPolar mount (identical to yours) as I found that where i am in far north Queensland i just didn't get the days of clear sky to warrant it as well as the need to pack extra weight and laptops etc. I have however been using the Move shoot Move tracker in combination with the PS Align Pro app on the old iPhone (and accompanying MSM mounting bracket) with great success allowing me to track the moon as it rises. Last week i received the Benro Polaris but will have to come back to you later as to it's capabilities. Again, great video Richard. I look forward to your next adventure.
Hey Marcus, I'll be keen to see how you go with the Benro Polaris . .it seems to be very popular at the moment.
Such an informative video 📹
Thanks as always.
Your set up did a great job, very sharp. Thanks for a fun video
You're very welcome indeed Laurel, thanks as always for watching.
Also have you played around with the Astro timelapse Mode on the Star adventure ti2 ? I've found that the closer you are to your Foreground Subject the shorter the shutter time and the wider you go and further away you are from foreground subject the longer you can go with the shutter even up to 50 seconds
I've not used it for that purpose John .. .maybe one day.
Gear setup I use to photograph the moon with is my deep sky setup. Nikon D7000 DSLR, JJC time remote switch, Explore Scientific Telescope AR152mm aperture by 988mm focal length with a focal ratio of F6.5, but with the crop factor it’s more like 1,482mm, Celestron Advance VX tracking mount, and an aperture reducer down to 64mm. Great content as always Richard and yes I was laughing about the polar alignment section as well, but I live in the northern hemisphere so I got it easy. Lol
Thanks so much for your comments Matt. That's a great setup you have there. Appreciate you watching.
I don't have a tracker but I enjoyed your comments and experiences on using them. My setup is pretty simple; I have a Canon 500mm f/4.0L IS lens I can mount on my Canon R body or my Sony a6500. This is a very heavy lens so a sturdy tripod is required. Using a mirrorless body helps with vibration, a real killer of resolution. Accurate focus is also very important as well. At 500mm, it's surprising how fast the moon travels across the frame. I enjoy shooting the stars and moon but I'm in an area with bad light pollution (Midwest USA near Chicago). Your moon images are very good with lots of detail. My first moon shots were in Vietnam in 1965 with a Pentax and 300mm lens on Ektachrome slide film. They were very successful but small.
I tried shooting a rising moon like you did here and had the same problem. During summer daytime, air currents pickup lots of dust that causes haze that will obscure the moon when you consider you are shooting through hundreds of miles of atmosphere. I'm a retired pilot and have seen many moonrises from high altitude; they're always pretty, especially a full moon. As it rises at the horizon, it is often distorted from its light bending through different temperature levels. Once it's two or three diameters above the horizon, it's back to its normal shape and very bright. Flying eastbound, it rises very quickly. We often invited our passengers to take a look (I flew corporate jets). It's not a sight you get to see from ground level.
Thanks so much for your great insights Paul, really appreciated. I'm sure you'd have many awesome stories to tell about your flying adventures. Thanks again for watching.
Hi Richard, another terrific video - thank you. I love your polar alignment method, albeit somewhat unconventional. My Star Adventurer 2i just arrived and have the same issues with southern hemisphere polar alignment. Your explanation is first rate.
I remember the Mickey Mouse lookout from my university days in Bendigo when the hoons would use it for burnouts.
Nothing has changed Marcus . .plenty of hoons up there every night .. and heaps of burn out marks on the road ..!!! Thanks for watching.
Wonderful video, used the same method to find south celestial pole when I made a barn door mount for Astro. Not as good as a proper tracker though. Again a great video as always.
I always appreciate your comments Bob, thanks heaps.
Some great results there Richard, that Olympus lens really has terrific optical quality for the money spent. Right there with you in regards to using crop factor cameras for lunar. My main setups are a Panasonic GX85 with a Celestron C90 MAK telescope which has a 1250mm focal length and is compact and lightweight enough to fit on a smaller star tracker. Other rig is a Celestron NexStar Evo 8 with a 2032mm focal length which I am currently using with my full frame cameras. Hopefully will get a dedicated astro camera for that one sometime next year. Moon compositions can be as simple or as complex as you like to make them, such a beautiful subject.
All great observations Dominic. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your images from that Celestron rig .. should be amazing.
Wow! You really have a lot of greats methods and tips for better and acurate settings. Looks like a lot of us will have to get the most low cost asccesories for nightscape photography...the wooden stick thats works awesome in your settings.
Haha, well if we can save some time and money it's always a good thing Luis. Thanks as always for watching.
That olympus lens is what lives on my g9. I do use the x2 teleconverter with it so far been sharp enough for my needs. One day I'll save enough for a lens for my Z6 but that weight difference is huge. Thank you for sharing. Love your explanations.
Yes it's been good for me so far. As you say .. the weight is great.
Great moon shots. Have considered P1000, eventhough its 1" sensor, I think its perfect for what it is.
Yes those long telephoto point and shoot cameras do great on the moon Milorad.
Great video Richard! Very ingenious method to point toward the astro south pole. I've been using Stellarium and a Brunton geo compass to point my crop sensor camera with a 70-200 mm with a 2x tc, around to the rising point of the moon in a particular place. Now that I'm thinking to buy the Nikon 500 mm f5.6 PF, using a piece of wood could really help to get more precise when I'm trying to get the rising moon behind a distant object.
Yes it's a challenge getting that alignment .. but a worthy challenge I think Robert. Thanks for watching.
Great video Richard thanks for sharing. For my recent moon photos, as a recent Nikon Z6ii convert coming from Canon, I still had my EF100-400, so I bought a Fringer EF-NZ adapter which was about $400 and it works really well, sharp images and AF etc all work. Have a great weekend!
That's fantastic Andrew. I think it's always all about using what we already have. I think there will be a 200-600Z lens coming next year .. but it may be quite expensive.
@@nightscapeimages.richard I better start saving now 😂
Hi Richard. Thank you for another excellent video.
I bought a Star Adventurer last year and after many attempts, on clear nights, I have never ever located the Octans group of stars through the polar scope.
Now I do not bother with the polar scope at all. I just use a compass and a small spirit level, one of those with variable bubble level, that you can set to set to any angle.
You have given me inspiration to get some moon shots while waiting to experiment further in the next Milky way season.
I like your simple piece of wood idea
Tony
Thanks so much for watching Tony. Sometimes simple is best.
Thanks for another informative video. Thanks also for a positive commentary on M43 gear. I have a phone bracket from the makers of the MSM tracker that I can mount behind my camera, or on the tracker. I have found using that and the Photopills night AR view gives quite accurate alignment in the mid latitudes.
Thanks a lot for watching Geoff. Yes I like that there are many ways to achieve the same result with these things.
Top work Richard. It might even encourage me to get out in the sub-zero temperatures we are currentlty experiencing in the U.K.!
Oh wow . .it's a lot warmer than that here Andy.
I forgot to mention a further tip. You talked about leveling the tripod, I always used to find this clumsey, I then bought a Kingjoy Nivellierkopf LB60 for about 70€, it makes the job quick and easy.
Yes that's a good idea also. I didn't show it in the video . .but the tripod I was using has a 65mm ball head so it makes the leveling a lot easier also.
Great video Richard and I have been trying some Moon shots in the past couple of months. Initially I was capturing using DX 50-250 lens on my Z7. I just got a delivery of the 100-400 and 1.4 TC and cannot watt to give that Combo a go where I can goto 560mm focal length. Loved the use of wood on the star tracker.
Thanks a lot Virat. Yes that 100-400Z lens is amazing.
As always.... The options are controlled by the depth of the wallet!! Hahaha!
Personally, I'm still stuck on my D500 and a Tamron 150-600 mm. Like you said = 900 mm!
For my budget it still produces good results for moon shots as well as my many wildlife excursions!
It's a little hefty @ 2.8 kg (6+ lbs.) but I find the weight of the combo easier to hold steady when hand held.
Obviously no concern with a tripod!
Good video!
Cheers from Alberta, Canada!
Yes a lot of people are getting outstanding results with that combination. Appreciate you watching.
Another great video. Really glad I found your channel and how you explain how to Polar Align. I use a Nikon D850 with a Sigma 150-600mm 'C' lens and at times a 2.0 TC which I agree it results in a softer image. I mount everything on a Artcise AS90C tripod with either a Innorel 52mm Ball Head or a MSM Wedge mount. After watching this I can't wait to do some night photography
Glad you enjoyed it Steve. That sounds like a great set up you're using. Thanks for your support.
I love shooting the moon, and so far, I have only used my 70-200mm f2.8, at the 200mm end, and using the DX crop mode. This gives me an effective 300mm focal length on my Nikon D850. I was looking at the Sigma 150-600 which could give me a 900mm focal length, using the approach above. Watching this excellent video, has inspired me to talk nicely to Santa!! Really enjoyed this video, and thanks as ever for compiling and posting it.
Thanks as always Simon. The Sigma 150-600 is great but heavy.
I also use the 70-200mm f2.8 on my Z6II and the photo looks great until I enlarge it on my phone or laptop then the quality isn't so great which I contribute to the focal length not being long enough. Correct me if I am wrong but a 600mm zoom lens will have capture more detail, right?
@@socom915 yes, it certainly will, and in DX mode the focal length would be effectively be 900mm.
That's wicked Richard, and I think your ingenuity with the alignment was amazing, I think I need one of those rotation bases you mentioned for my tracker. You've inspired me to try a new method with moon shots, am impressed....... Big time with your moon results!. I usually find the day before a full moon works for light balance of day and night. I really enjoyed your alternative content, you've inspired once again
Thanks as always for your great encouragement Suzie. ... really appreciate it.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Richard, I've looked at your equipment list but can't see the rotator you mentioned, so I can look into one...... Can't use amazon
@@andysuzierawlins5462 I bought it at B&H. www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/848913-REG/FEISOL_PB_70_PB_70_Panning_Base.html
Great video as usual and love your bit of wood!! I am a one shot wonder with the moon. I use a gimble on my tripod with my Nikon D7500 crop sensor and my birding lens Sigma 150-600C and I get great clear results with that. I don't have any trackers so all my night photos (milkyway and star trails) are stacked except for the moon as the shutter speed for the bright moon is pretty fast enough to capture good details.
Thanks for watching. Yes it's good to have flexibility with these things isn't it.
Hello Richard, I just bought a star adventurer tracker a few weeks ago. I use my mobile phone with a inclinometer app like the velux app but I bought a $37 compass as my mobile phone wasnt accurate enough. I adjust the compass to the magnetic declination of my location and I am pretty much spot on when I look through the polar scope. I can even see the 4 octans stars from my backyard in southern Adelaide. The compass does get affected by the metal of the tracker so it only works along side the black bracket the star tracker slides into before mounting the tracker. If you download the sa console app it will tell you the latitude for your current location and where the 4 octans should be when looking through the polar scope.
That's fantastic Simon. You'll have to tune in this Saturday as i have a very comprehensive video detailing my polar alignment technique without even a view of the stars.
First time seeing your channel, very good, earned a new sub. :)
My first moon photos were taken with the sony bridge .. DSC H400v ( equivalent to 1200mm on full frame ). It would get onto Mars, but it died before I could refine shots of Mars. When you were going through the camera options I was shouting, Pentax Astrotracer and Nikon P1000 .. 🤣🤣
Thanks so much for watching Mamerto, I appreciate it. Yes the long lens point and shoot cameras are very under rated for moon photography.
Amazing images. Thanks so much for sharing your processes!
PhotoPills is an amazing app, there are even more powerful functions in the planning Pill to set up moon shots. Their YT channel has amazing tutorials specific for this type of shoot. Highly recommended!
Now I want to upgrade from my Move Shoot Move to a more robust mount!
Always look forward to your new content!
Thanks a lot for watching Joe. Yes for the long telephoto lenses you certainly need a strong mount. I do follow the photopills channel . .always lots of good info there.
Wow some Aussie ingenuity there Richard ! well thought out that now makes me wonder whether I need the new GTI Star Adventurer or go with a second hand original Star Adventurer. Cheers
I guess the GTI may have a few more bells and whistles though Royce ...!!!
Fantastic video Mr Tatti ! every month I’m after a golden hour capture of the moon with a alignment and we just had an amazing week of moonrises & sets unfortunately to busy to get a capture this month so was great to see your captures (brilliant sharpness on those shots) I use a Nikon d700 + tamron 150-600mm and is a really heavy set up been looking at a tracker for this very reason so this video was really informative as always
Thanks as always for watching Aaron. Yes it's good that we get a lot of opportunities to experiment isn't it.
Thank you for this one, Richard! I opted for the sky watcher for my first tracker and with my aging eyes I've been dreading trying to see through that little scope. I used this method twice yesterday; once to track the afternoon sun for a couple hours and once last night for a couple hours of tracking Orion to see how many geminids I could get (got a few and lots of those red and white blinky "meteors"...I live under quite the jetway.) Headed to your paypal link to buy you a cupper!
Thanks so much for your generous support Mike. I'm always looking to simplify my workflow and I'm really pleased you found it helpful. All the very best for Christmas my friend.
Thanks for giving us a thorough and very informative video on "shooting the moon". Sorry for the pun, but I couldn't help it. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge on something different and interesting to photograph.
You're welcome Bradley, I appreciate you watching.
Fantastic video Richard, I use the same process to polar align my Skywatcher Star Adventurer using my 24mm lens. Looking at a Sigma 100-400 for my Sony a6000/a7iii this year coming.
Thanks a lot Dennis. That 100-400 Sigma will be great.
Sure is pretty down there this time of year. Seems so strange to be watching summer videos this time of year up here. :)
Yes it's getting a lot warmer at the moment down here. Thanks for watching.
I love watching your videos while having a cup of coffee in the morning. I experienced the same situation, I could'nt believe how faint the full moon appears if there is still a little bit of daylight.
Yes we learn by doing don't we. Still it was all worth it in the end.
Hi Richard. I have success using an Olympus 300mm F4 with and without a 2x teleconverter. Once I have the moon framed, I can track with a gear head.
Thanks again for watching Ivan. Yes I've heard great things about the Olympus 300 f4
Great video, and did laugh at your use of the lump of wood, but only because I have a very similar one sitting in the car port for exactly the same reason 😂😂😂😂. A friend is going to print me a custom phone mount to so the same thing but have a suspicion the low tech option will still get used.
I suppose great minds must think alike in this situation Eric .. !!! Thanks for watching.
Thanks for this vid Richard, there’s a group of us that shoot the full moon basically every month..sometimes twice a month, but that’s only in a blue moon. Next time out I’m going to break out my two x four..and compass and get aligned….they will crack up because I’m the one in the bunch that is always trying something different than the rest.
Haha, well there is always one of us at these gatherings Robert .. !!!! Nothing wrong with a little innovation .. .and a good laugh for that matter.
Thanks, Richard, for a very informative video. Since moving to Queensland, I have done very little astrophotography, as I gave my daughter, who lives on a property near Armidale, my Celestron Telescope, which I attached to my Olympus OM4 film Camera. As I now own a Z6ii and a Zfc Camera, and a Tameron 150 - 600mm lens, I should start doing some moon shots. I am interested in the iPhone apps you are using. Thanks again for the video.
Thanks so much for watching John. I hope you have a wonderful new year.
Great moon images Richard, so sharp and detailed but 600mm + is a bit out of my disposable income scope at the moment. I will get there at some point but for now my Nikon 55-200 kit lens or Sigma 70-300 will have to do. I have had numerous goes at the moon over the last couple of years and have got a few nice images. I concur that planning shots of the moon when the sun is setting and lining everything up with a landmark can be very tricky, just one degree out can make a massive difference to what you imagine in your head but it’s great fun trying and good when you pull it off
Thanks as always for tuning in Garry. Always appreciated.
Usually Richard, I’m in awe of your excellent nights scapes and I often learn a lot. With is video I still can’t understand why a star tracker is involved at all. I also have the iOpton tracker, but it’s never been used on moon shots and I’ve shot the moon for over fifteen years now. I have used 3 way geared heads for a decade and this is probably why I find moon photography so effortless. I strongly recommend the Sigma 150-600mm you mentioned which works well with the FTZ and the Sigma 1.4x teleconverter (this seems not to degrade the image, unlike the 2x converters). I also find the TPE app (the photographers Ephemeris) easier than Photo Pils for both moon and sun shoots. Yes I am also beaten by clouds on moonrises but I find reducing the exposure to search for the moon in clouds helps (then adjusting back to shoot). It’s bizarre I’m giving you suggestions after watching lots of your great videos! I use the 3 sec delay mode, then 9 shots in the self timer menu and stack if required...Keep up the great work.
Thanks so much for your insights Dominic. One of the points of this video was to demonstrate the low weight of the camera and lens system i used and therefore how suitable it is to using on a tracker. I realise that for a lot of telephoto moon photography a tracker is not needed . .and that's how I shot the rising moon over the land objects. However I do find it really handy to use the tracker to keep the moon in the frame for longer than a minute or so as it's moving so fast. I found that to be a problem with the lunar eclipse images a month or so back .. having to keep realigning the composition.
The tracker makes this a breeze .. but a lot of camera and lens setups are a bit too heavy for this to be practical. The Sigma is a good lens but pretty heavy .. and as you suggested it needs the FTZ and Teleconverter to get me to the 800mm focal length .. but I'm sure the image quality would be fantastic. As I mentioned in the video there are many good options for shooting the moon. Once again I very much appreciate your support of my channel.
I photographed the full moon last week I used a 150-450 4.0- 5.6 on a APS-C camera I used F-8 at a shutter speed 150 at ISO 100 I also used Pixel Shift and got the sharp moon picture I have ever shot with a camera. I didn't even need to use Astrotracker built into my camera to take the picture
That's fantastic. Yes you certainly can shoot the moon successfully without a tracker . .I just like to be able to keep the moon in view for a longer period of time.
You're right Richard, your 4 x 2" alignment method did raise a smile but hey, it works for the degree of accuracy that is required for these shots! Just a thought regarding the series of images that you took at regular intervals - have you considered making a PS composite with the phases arranged in an arch? It's an effective way of showcasing your efforts in a single picture 🤔
Yes I do like the composite arch idea Paul. Hey I have to get you guys smiling every now and again ... !!! Thanks for watching.
Hi Richard i’m Mario VM. For the Moon i use my Nikon P900. It has a 2000 mm optical zoom. I also use my Ioptron tracker and since the camera is not really heavy i don’t use a counter weight.
Is not a dslr and It doesn’t have raw option only JPEG but i found that doing some stacking i have wonderfull results
Yes I've loved your moon images Mario. Great work.
Another inspiring video. Thank you. Some great tips here - I have just ordered the PB-70 which even in the northern hemisphere should prove very useful. I have been using a Sony A7RIV or Sony A9 with a Sony 200-400mm +/- 1.4x extender. As a wildlife photographer as well, I can justify buying this combination which is also great for capturing wildlife images. I have the Skywatcher Staradventurer 2i and have not tried tracking the moon yet - your video has given me confidence to do this. I wonder if you would be interested in using your set up for an Orion nebula session?
Thanks so much for watching. Your setup is fantastic and I know you'll get wonderful images with it. I haven't shot the Orion nebula with anything longer than 50mm at this stage. . but we shall wait and see on that one.
Good evening Richard, I see you have been stalking me again, for, when I am close into the mountains or at home, this is pretty much how I've been setting up my iOptron SGP for almost 2 years (using my android phone). I've been close enough to get over 1 min exposures that are solid on my 65mm. Great fun in this piece. Thanks so much. Pb.
Haha, well as I said in a previous comment .. .Great minds think alike ..!! Appreciate your support Paul.
@@nightscapeimages.richard I'll keep at it. Great to know it's appreciated.
gr8 video as always Richard bit of a shame you didn't captured Artemis 1
Haha, yes well maybe a bit more horsepower required for that ..!!!
Finally, I was about to email you about delay in new videos...
Haha, well I'm keeping pretty busy with them at present ..!!!
Hi Richard, thanks for sharing your thoughts, I have the Sigma 150-600mm Sport which is too heavy for my MSM this and other lenses are out of this game, when I shoot at the moon it's with my gimbal, it pays for expenses while I do not enter this championship. Excellent photos Richard, Happy Holidays
Thank you so much for watching Mario.
Ричард , спасибо за видео ! Очень красиво ! Может выпустите еще видео по обработке Луны.
Thank you so much as always my friend.
Hi Richard, yes I really enjoyed this video, it certainly was a little different to your usual ones but as usual very informative. I have done a few long shots of the moon and found that the shutterspeed was sufficently high to not need a tracking mount. My experiance with some tracking mounts was that they are great with small lightweight setups but as soon as the load goes up, they become very unstable and seem to move just by looking at them. In the end I too found the Star Adventurer to be the best for my purposes. One point you didn't mention was the effect of thermals. Often, when shooting in dusk and particularly low in the sky, thermals can reak havoc with sharpness. I would imagine this to be a problem in Australia as it gets very hot in the daytime. Do you have experiance with this? Loved the final pictures.
On another level, for someone really wanting to get into moon photography, a serious consideration would be small newton telescope, maybe 1000mm focal length, and a specialised planetry streaming camera which stacks many frames and a small mount. This would probably cost a couple of thousand but would still be cheaper and better than buying a big lens.
Yes you make some very good points. I found the camera and lens I used here to be quite light weight and therefore more suitable for the tracking mount. As you suggested, you can certainly shoot with a static tripod but I like keeping the moon in frame for longer. . therefore the tracking mount. There often is quite a haze on the horizon. It does get hot here in Australia but these past few weeks have been quite mild temperatures so not too bad.
I know a lot of people are using dedicated telescopes for this type of image. . but I prefer the option of including some ground elements as well.
Love your videos !!!!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge !! The photos you shared in this video at the end , are they stacked multiple images ? Thank you ! ❤
Thanks for watching Bernie. Yes I generally use Registax to blend multiple moon images together.
I use a 2x teleconverter with a MTO-1000 cheap as chips & is close to filling a full-frame sensor.
Yes that sounds like a great option David.
On Photopills, using the Spot Stars function, Night AR,you get a nice crosshair right in the center. That's how I line up my MSM tracker. If you could install some kind of right angle piece atop your Arca-compatible 2x4, you could quickly and easily line up the mount, perhaps a slight improvement over how you're doing it now.
Thanks heaps for watching. Yes that is also a good method. I'm working on a solution similar to what you're suggesting. . maybe a future video.
Another wonderful video, Richard, and an ingenious way of finding polar alignment where you're at. And, I was intrigued with your moon set-up. Were the final moon shots at the end of your video done with your SWSA tracker under the camera/lens or were you mounted directly to the tripod as you were on the hilltop?
Thanks for watching Andrea. All of the moon shots were taken on the tracker .. and it made the whole process much easier as the moon stayed in the frame. Considering the long focal length and my rough method of alignment. . I was very pleased about that.
Hi Richard so much better and clearer than what I got on my first attempt is that cam 📷 2 times crop because it's micro 4 thirds??? Or why I just used my ordinary tripod and found with my big lens that I also had the tripod sag and didn't get the moon in the centre of my shots due to weight I had my tamron 18-400 on my canon 70d just to experiment and I was out too early and packed up to then miss the blood red part oh well by 4 years time I may have a better set-up lol 📷📷📷
Yes it's a Micro 4/3 camera. The weight and sag is always a problem with telephoto lenses on tripods. That's why an adjustable tripod head such as the Benro geared heads are good.
My Nikon p900 takes pretty good moon shots. It's bad in low light but since the mooni blindingly bright it does well. It is cheap but does not shoot in raw while the newer versions like the P1000 does I think.
Yes I know a lot of people shoot the moon with that camera Bruce and get terrific results. It's good that the moon is so bright isn't it.
@@nightscapeimages.richard when shooting with a camera like that it is. It's a fun camera to own. I take it to the beach and can zoom in on fishing boats way out there and tell you what lure they are using.
I found out the hard way that tin roofs and metal railings, not to mention the iron of my Star Adventurer GTI do indeed throw compass apps off. Unfortunately, right near my property is where I need to shoot... I tried sighting local landmarks from my property and using google maps with the bearings, but in the end my Dobsonian with a large setting circle around the base settled true south. I used Stellarium to find the azimuth of Jupiter, adjusted my setting circle to the correct angle for Jupiter, and then turned my telescope back to what had to be true north. This really showed up the errors in my attempts using the phone apps. After transferring true north and south marks to my deck and getting the altitude correct I was thrilled that I could track for 4 minutes or longer at 600mm. Great, now I don't need to set up the tracker any more for shots at home, just put it in the same position.
Sounds like you've worked it out quite nicely Robert. Thanks so much for watching.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Well I have sorted it out near the house :) Fabulous channel, I’m learning heaps from you, thanks. I also never would have thought of going out in the middle of the night and light painting scenery, which is a lot of fun.
@@robertYTB78g Yes it's quite addictive.
As you are using such fast exposures, would bracketing 5 or more exposures give as good result as stacking? Great video Richard, thanks.
Yes I think you may be right Victor. I did use the bracketing for the daytime landscape shots. However when the moon is bright at night I'm not sure if it is necessary .. but it may well be a good option.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Thank you.
I use the Sony A7RIV and Sony 200-600 on my tripod for moon shots. Works pretty well, but it is very heavy. Are you going to photograph the Geminids this year? Looks like here in Washington State we might have a clear night with about 3 hours of darkness before the moon rises.
Thanks for looking John. I may shoot the Geminids . .we will have to wait and see what eventuates.
I’ve been using the Canon R5 with the 100-500 on the SGP noting it needs the the extension and counter weight, though good results as well :)
Good stuff Alan. Yes that combo would be excellent for this type of photography.
Magical video and very interesting for me can I have the name of the rotating base and compass app.
Thankyou from you time ,I have learnt heaps
Thanks heaps for watching Phillip. The rotating base is the Feisol PB70. www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/848913-REG/FEISOL_PB_70_PB_70_Panning_Base.html
The compass app is called: Digital Field Compass. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chartcross.fieldcompass&hl=en_AU&gl=US
Thanks going to try my panorama head ,didn't think of it till you answered my question thanks
That panning base is a great idea. I always miss alignment because of the tracker adjustments. Do you have a link of where you purchased it from by any chance?
Yes I love the base Mark. This is the one I use. www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/848913-REG/FEISOL_PB_70_PB_70_Panning_Base.html
@@nightscapeimages.richard thanks for that. It’s exactly what I need.
What do you use for stacking, can moons be stacked in sequator? I've actually never even thought to stack moon images, but I only use the 55-250mm and no tracker
I used a free windows program called Registax. . it's really good.
Thanks for your video. Is the Moon you shooting with stacking in PS ?
Thanks for watching. No I used Registax to stack the moon images.
Thanks for the video Richard! Were the images of the moon stacked or single images? Thanks again.
Some were stacked using Registax while others are single . .but I still put those through Registax to edit. I find that's a great editing program for moon images . .and it's free. Thanks for watching David.
Does the Z6 not have crop mode? My Z6ii does. I can't find myself owning a long tele zoom, for I don't shoot wildlife but I do want to shoot some moon photos. I'm planning on renting some lenses instead. So a 150-600 will get me to 900mm!
Yes it does have a crop mode but that makes it a 10mpx image ... having said that . .it's the same for any camera when you crop, you lose pixels. It's just that the higher megapixel cameras such as the Z7, Canon R5 or Sony A7r4 can afford to lose some and still have a good amount left in crop mode. As you say a 150-600 lens will get you to 900mm.
Thanks Richard. Have you an image editing video on the moon?
No I don't have a specific moon editing video Steve.
@@nightscapeimages.richard No worries Richard - there seem to be plenty online.
I love trying moon shots over the horizon too, very challenging here in Scotland to have clear skies, especially over the horizon. I’ve used Nikon up until earlier this year when I had a D810 and a 500 f4, I’m now using a canon 5D Mk IV with a 800mm f5.6, but I’ve never tried the tracking, unsure if the weight of my 800(4.5kg) would work
Yes that's the problem with those huge prime lenses. .great quality but very heavy weight. Always appreciate you watching Alasdair.
@@nightscapeimages.richard have you looked at the Nikon z 800mm, f6.3, that might be a reasonable weight although I’m not sure on the price
@@amacmedia3221 Yes it looks like an excellent lens but nearly $10,000 AUD here . . .!!!!
@@nightscapeimages.richard ouch, I was thinking Nikon might have priced that much lower and sold 3x as many lenses
@@amacmedia3221 Not down here that's for sure ..!!!
Nikkor has an 800pf mm prime ., its sharp !
Yes it is . .and very expensive.
Mickey mouse lookout is good for thunderstorm photography too
Yes I'd say you're right there Rob .. but it attracts a fair crowd which I don't enjoy.
@@nightscapeimages.richard yes unfortunately the same reason I hardly go up there
I use the Sigma 150 - 600 DGDN on my S5 and I have a 2X TC as well. This gives a lot of reach, but boy does it weigh a lot.
Hi Richard. A great video providing me with some inspiration to get out there and try this.
I’ll be using my Canon R7 with the RF 100-500 lens giving me effectively 800mm.
Looking forward to seeing what I can do.
Again, thanks for the inspiration. 😊
Yes that Sigma lens is really heavy ..!!!!
@@lesliescott5378 I think that'll be a great setup Leslie.
😫 I had the same problem down at Ballan too.
Yes but the good news is that there is always another opportunity.
So what software did you use for processing of your moon shots? Did you do anything other than stack?
I use Lightroom and Registax generally.
I recently shot the lunar eclipse using my Sony a6600 with my amount 75-400 G lens. Applied the ‘f11 rule’ which seemed to work. Can’t see how to attach the result
Thanks for that David. Maybe a link to your facebook or instagram would be ok to see it.
@@nightscapeimages.richard Richard, I sent it to you via messenger
When you say you stack for more detail, what program do you use for that.
Paul, assuming you're a Windows user there a several options available. PIPP (planetary imaging pre processor) is a good program for starters with your raw files. PIPP's main purpose is to crop each image frame and select only the best quality frames to reduce the memory and processing requirements of the stacking software. Then you can use either autostakkert or registax 6 to stack your images. There are plenty of video guides to help you through the whole process from start to finish on TH-cam
@@tonystephenson8105 thanks for the reply. I normally stack in PS but that doesn’t improve quality. Love the show by the way.
Hey Paul. I used Registax for all of these moon shots . .it's free and really quite simple to use. From there I used Lightroom to finish them up.
@@nightscapeimages.richard thanks bud.
Do you ever take photos of the sun zoomed in? Sun texture like most photograph the moon.
Well I haven't done that for a very long time Laura. I used to have a sun filter on a telescope and I did take a few images with it . .but to be honest I was always a bit scared of damaging something.
What about my sony a77ii with the minolta 70-200mm ?
That should give you a decent reach Jerry. Give it a go.
@@nightscapeimages.richard just shot the super moon last night turned out great.
Got lucky as it cleared the mountains it was large and orange as a tomato. Then at 3:30 am I got the bright white moon.
Thanks for your help by putting up your videos.
@@jerryrichards8172 I'm really pleased to hear that Jerry.
I've tried to capture moon shots again and again,have yet to accomplish the task.
It certainly can be a frustrating experience. . but persistence will eventually pay off. Thanks for watching.