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Nass · 10-04-2010, 04:05 AM

Originally posted by DanielT74

No more moon shooters here?

Last month's, sigma 150-500. When and if we get some cloud-free nights I'd like to do a similar comparison to see if the Kenko 1.5 TC makes any difference.

Last edited by Nass; 10-04-2010 at 04:10 AM.

raider · 10-04-2010, 04:28 AM

Damn! that's such a fine shot! Looks like a set from a sci-fi movie!

Nass, how did you take this shot? what aperture and shutter speed? did you do PP on this one?

Nass · 10-04-2010, 04:58 AM

Hello Raider - and thank you! 1/160, f8, ISO100, then I stacked them. It was in the morning during the day hence the blue bg. I've put some gubbins up about the shot on my Flickr thing, you should be able to click through on the photo?

**Digitalis** · 10-04-2010, 05:19 AM

Nass you mention whether stacking would improve image quality, I can say it certainly did. Atmospheric distortion would have been pretty well removed by your use of stacking..some ground based telescopes use this technique in place of adaptive optics because it would be too costly.

raider · 10-04-2010, 03:35 PM

Nass, i visited your flickr site and read your howto article on shooting the moon. Fine article i must say.

I dont have a 500mm lens. the max i have is a 70-200/f2.8. do u reckon i can still achieve a result vaguely similar to yours? i am keen to try this image stacking one day.

**Ex Finn.** · 10-04-2010, 04:35 PM

Originally posted by DanielT74

No more moon shooters here?

Here is one of mine. With Orion Eon 120 ED. A 900mm f 7.5 refractor. At prime focus.
Tried some with the 55-300, they came out ok. Seeing makes a big difference in the outcome, no matter what the lens is.

agsy · 10-04-2010, 06:48 PM

Here is my 55-300 DA L moon shot.

Last edited by agsy; 06-23-2013 at 06:04 AM.

Roger_H · 10-04-2010, 08:16 PM

Image stacking can be used to sharpen mildly unsharp photos. See the lunar samples at:
The Mirror lens source

Nass · 10-05-2010, 09:35 AM

Originally posted by Digitalis

Nass you mention whether stacking would improve image quality, I can say it certainly did. Atmospheric distortion would have been pretty well removed by your use of stacking..some ground based telescopes use this technique in place of adaptive optics because it would be too costly.

Ahhh, thanks, thought so myself too but someone here said it was pointless so I guess it wasn't sure

Originally posted by raider

Nass, i visited your flickr site and read your howto article on shooting the moon. Fine article i must say. I dont have a 500mm lens. the max i have is a 70-200/f2.8. do u reckon i can still achieve a result vaguely similar to yours? i am keen to try this image stacking one day.

Hmmm, well I'll be honest I've tried with 200mm and personally I never managed to get great details out of it

Originally posted by Roger_H

Image stacking can be used to sharpen mildly unsharp photos. See the lunar samples at:
The Mirror lens source

Yeah, worked for me, same thing. Wavelet sharpening is great stuff.

zerodaze · 10-06-2010, 07:19 AM

I find that converting to B&W in pp nearly always makes a more pleasing image.

zerodaze · 10-06-2010, 08:47 AM

Digitalis - that is one VERY fine shot!

Gimbal · 10-06-2010, 11:12 AM

Here is a test I did a couple of days ago with a K10d and a Pentax 135-600 zoom plus a cheap 2xTC, the TC didn't help much though.

Roger_H · 10-06-2010, 10:29 PM

Nice work.

Gimbal, could you tell us at what angle overhead the moon was? Also would like to know temperature, wind, and humidity conditions.

Was the camera in a fixed position or were you tracking the moon's movement.

What was your work flow for compiling the stack.

Thanks.

SteveM · 10-07-2010, 12:13 AM

Great thread!

Ben, amazingly close shots. I picked up a Pentax telescope a couple of weeks ago, but it'll be a few weeks yet till I can pull it out. (I hope you don't mind me asking for advice..lol).

Yeatzee....I'd like to know how you can take any lens and make it tak sharp

(not that the 55-300 is a slouch)

Digitalis, that shot is unreal, mind sharing how you set it up?

Nass...looking forward to seeing someone put that Kenko 1.5 TC to proper use.

Steve

Gimbal · 10-07-2010, 12:45 AM

Originally posted by Roger_H

Nice work.

Gimbal, could you tell us at what angle overhead the moon was? Also would like to know temperature, wind, and humidity conditions.

Was the camera in a fixed position or were you tracking the moon's movement.

What was your work flow for compiling the stack.

Thanks.

Thanks, the moon wasn't that high which might explain the yellowish color. Temperature around 5 degrees Celsius and sinking (colder then normal for the time). Quite windy so I didn't bother going outdoor as the wind would move the lens. Instead I opened a window and shoot from my living room, not exactly ideal with the temperature difference.

Then I selected the three best shoots and stacked them in photoshop. This did not improve sharpness as the three pictures didn't "fit" perfectly on top of each other. The atmosphere distorted the moon so it kind of changed shape slightly from picture to picture, but it did smooth out the noise so instead I could sharpen the picture more aggressively without getting artifacts.

Normal tripod without tracking.

10-04-2010, 04:35 PM	#51
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	Originally posted by DanielT74 No more moon shooters here? Here is one of mine. With Orion Eon 120 ED. A 900mm f 7.5 refractor. At prime focus. Tried some with the 55-300, they came out ok. Seeing makes a big difference in the outcome, no matter what the lens is. Last edited by Ex Finn.; 11-11-2014 at 05:50 PM.

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10-04-2010, 04:05 AM	#46
Nass Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The British Isles Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,402	Originally posted by DanielT74 No more moon shooters here? Last month's, sigma 150-500. When and if we get some cloud-free nights I'd like to do a similar comparison to see if the Kenko 1.5 TC makes any difference. Last edited by Nass; 10-04-2010 at 04:10 AM.

10-04-2010, 04:28 AM	#47
raider Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,989	Damn! that's such a fine shot! Looks like a set from a sci-fi movie! Nass, how did you take this shot? what aperture and shutter speed? did you do PP on this one?

10-04-2010, 04:58 AM	#48
Nass Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The British Isles Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,402	Hello Raider - and thank you! 1/160, f8, ISO100, then I stacked them. It was in the morning during the day hence the blue bg. I've put some gubbins up about the shot on my Flickr thing, you should be able to click through on the photo?

10-04-2010, 05:19 AM	#49
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	Nass you mention whether stacking would improve image quality, I can say it certainly did. Atmospheric distortion would have been pretty well removed by your use of stacking..some ground based telescopes use this technique in place of adaptive optics because it would be too costly.

10-04-2010, 03:35 PM	#50
raider Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,989	Nass, i visited your flickr site and read your howto article on shooting the moon. Fine article i must say. I dont have a 500mm lens. the max i have is a 70-200/f2.8. do u reckon i can still achieve a result vaguely similar to yours? i am keen to try this image stacking one day.

10-04-2010, 06:48 PM	#52
agsy Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 551	Here is my 55-300 DA L moon shot. Last edited by agsy; 06-23-2013 at 06:04 AM.

10-04-2010, 08:16 PM	#53
Roger_H Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Arizona Photos: Albums Posts: 8	Image stacking can be used to sharpen mildly unsharp photos. See the lunar samples at: The Mirror lens source

10-05-2010, 09:35 AM	#54
Nass Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The British Isles Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,402	Originally posted by Digitalis Nass you mention whether stacking would improve image quality, I can say it certainly did. Atmospheric distortion would have been pretty well removed by your use of stacking..some ground based telescopes use this technique in place of adaptive optics because it would be too costly. Ahhh, thanks, thought so myself too but someone here said it was pointless so I guess it wasn't sure Originally posted by raider Nass, i visited your flickr site and read your howto article on shooting the moon. Fine article i must say. I dont have a 500mm lens. the max i have is a 70-200/f2.8. do u reckon i can still achieve a result vaguely similar to yours? i am keen to try this image stacking one day. Hmmm, well I'll be honest I've tried with 200mm and personally I never managed to get great details out of it Originally posted by Roger_H Image stacking can be used to sharpen mildly unsharp photos. See the lunar samples at: The Mirror lens source Yeah, worked for me, same thing. Wavelet sharpening is great stuff.

10-06-2010, 08:47 AM	#56
zerodaze Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 57	Digitalis - that is one VERY fine shot!

10-06-2010, 10:29 PM	#58
Roger_H Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Arizona Photos: Albums Posts: 8	Nice work. Gimbal, could you tell us at what angle overhead the moon was? Also would like to know temperature, wind, and humidity conditions. Was the camera in a fixed position or were you tracking the moon's movement. What was your work flow for compiling the stack. Thanks.

10-07-2010, 12:13 AM	#59
SteveM Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,294	Great thread! Ben, amazingly close shots. I picked up a Pentax telescope a couple of weeks ago, but it'll be a few weeks yet till I can pull it out. (I hope you don't mind me asking for advice..lol). Yeatzee....I'd like to know how you can take any lens and make it tak sharp (not that the 55-300 is a slouch) Digitalis, that shot is unreal, mind sharing how you set it up? Nass...looking forward to seeing someone put that Kenko 1.5 TC to proper use. Steve

10-07-2010, 12:45 AM	#60
Gimbal Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,106	Originally posted by Roger_H Nice work. Gimbal, could you tell us at what angle overhead the moon was? Also would like to know temperature, wind, and humidity conditions. Was the camera in a fixed position or were you tracking the moon's movement. What was your work flow for compiling the stack. Thanks. Thanks, the moon wasn't that high which might explain the yellowish color. Temperature around 5 degrees Celsius and sinking (colder then normal for the time). Quite windy so I didn't bother going outdoor as the wind would move the lens. Instead I opened a window and shoot from my living room, not exactly ideal with the temperature difference. Then I selected the three best shoots and stacked them in photoshop. This did not improve sharpness as the three pictures didn't "fit" perfectly on top of each other. The atmosphere distorted the moon so it kind of changed shape slightly from picture to picture, but it did smooth out the noise so instead I could sharpen the picture more aggressively without getting artifacts. Normal tripod without tracking.

Shooting the moon

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