How do I photograph the moon?

[RosscoPCole]

I've got a Panasonic Lumix TZ10 and would like to take a decent photo of the moon. I know I will have to put it into manual mode and change the aperture, shutter and iso settings. Ive got a gorilla pod to hold the camera still. Any hints and tips please before the moon vanishes.
Thanks in advance

[gary71]

Not sure of the capabilities of your camera, but if possible spot meter on the moon itself as the large black area around it will throw your normal metering way off as the moon is very bright.

[RosscoPCole]

So if I focus towards the dark sky? Excuse my ignorance

[daveake]

If you can set everything manually, try f/11, 1/100s and ASA100. Zoom in as far as you can, focus on the moon, set the timer (to reduce vibrations). No need to spotmeter as it's always the same brightness if the sky is clear.

Dave

[RosscoPCole]

daveake said:

If you can set everything manually, try f/11, 1/100s and ASA100. Zoom in as far as you can, focus on the moon, set the timer (to reduce vibrations). No need to spotmeter as it's always the same brightness if the sky is clear.

Dave

Thanks daveake will give that a go. The biggest aperture setting I can get is f6.3 would that be ok?

[daveake]

For f6.3 you need to go for a slightly faster shutter time. I don't know how much flexibility you have with that camera, but just try a test shot with settings close to the ones I gave you, then adjust if the moon is too bright or dark.

[Crafty_]

I think your biggest problem will be getting close enough, this is a fairly heavy crop from 400mm (640mm equiv), your camera apparently does 300mm equiv.

1/50th, f11, ISO 100.

Edited by Crafty_ on Tuesday 18th January 19:34

[RosscoPCole]

Thanks for the advice guys, it's much appreciated. To get close I'm having to use digital zoom, so not ideal. Using maximum optical zoom will not focus. This is the best so far, rubbish by most standards but 100 times better than I'm used to getting.

[Gad-Westy]

Looks like a fine effort to me.

[RosscoPCole]

Gad-Westy said:

Looks like a fine effort to me.

Thank you

[daveake]

RosscoPCole said:

Using maximum optical zoom will not focus

It should do. I have a Lumix FZ45 (see shot below ) and that managed fine.

Your photo isn't bad at all. Maybe change the white balance as the moon should look grey.

I tried myself earlier using a mirror lens on my SLR, but then I remembered that my FZ45 bridge camera goes up to 600mm, so I tried that and got a much better result:

[gary71]

The moon wasn't grey this morning, it was a lovely orange as I drove to work (with no camera!)

[Silver940]

gary71 said:

The moon wasn't grey this morning, it was a lovely orange as I drove to work (with no camera!)

Spotted that too, looked very impressive!

Edited by Silver940 on Wednesday 19th January 08:20

[daveake]

gary71 said:

The moon wasn't grey this morning, it was a lovely orange as I drove to work (with no camera!)

Well it was grey last night . Depends on how far it is from the horizon I assume.

[Simpo Two]

daveake said:

gary71 said:

The moon wasn't grey this morning, it was a lovely orange as I drove to work (with no camera!)

Well it was grey last night . Depends on how far it is from the horizon I assume.

Pretty much; depends how much atmosphere and also dust it's filtering through.

Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 19th January 10:59

[londonagent]

daveake said:

If you can set everything manually, try f/11, 1/100s and ASA100. Zoom in as far as you can, focus on the moon, set the timer (to reduce vibrations). No need to spotmeter as it's always the same brightness if the sky is clear.

Dave

I wish I read this thread before i went out into the garden last night, as I spent a disastrous hour or so trying to get a clear picture of it.

[daveake]

londonagent said:

I wish I read this thread before i went out into the garden last night, as I spent a disastrous hour or so trying to get a clear picture of it.

. All I did was read a thread (elsewhere) myself, then try it!

[londonagent]

daveake said:

londonagent said:

I wish I read this thread before i went out into the garden last night, as I spent a disastrous hour or so trying to get a clear picture of it.

. All I did was read a thread (elsewhere) myself, then try it!

Stupidly I thought it how hard could it be and just bumbled around getting cold.

[central]

Took this last night using a D90 through a Nikon ED82 'scope -


021 by Fast an' Bulbous, on Flickr

This one is from a few weeks ago, D90 Sigma 150-500.


023 by Fast an' Bulbous, on Flickr

[Gad-Westy]

central said:

This one is from a few weeks ago, D90 Sigma 150-500.

I was wondering about this lens last night when I was taking a shot of the moon with my 300mm. I had to heavily crop mine. just wondering how much cropping you had to do with your's (presumably at 500mm)? How do you find the lens in general?