 BetterPhoto Member |
Taking pictures at night of the moon I tried to take a picture of the moon when it was at its brightest. I had an 2x converter on my Minolta 2xi which normally went to 80. I am very ignorant about lenses and distances. The pictures came out in a gray color and the moon was a point. I used several different f-stops and speeds. Is my camera lens not strong enough to take moon shots? What resources do you suggest to help a beginner like me?
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Hi Marilyn, I think I can help. I have been an amateur astronomer for five years and I have run into the same problem. The reason why the moon is turning out to be a point because the focal length of the lens is WAY too short, even with the doubler. The effective focal length with the doubler is @160mm. I have used a 205mm lens and the image of the moon on a 4x6 print was about the size of a dime, not very impressive. If a 205mm lens can't cut it, than a 160mm won't either. I would recommend a 600mm lens or, the cheaper way, a telescope. The reason why a telescope would be cheaper is because a 600mm lens costs around 900 to 6,000 dollars. You can purchase the telescope which you would need for around 400 dollars. If you do decide to get a telescope, I HIGHLY and STRONGLY recommend a 4.5" REFLECTING telescope. DO NOT get one of those small refracting "bargain" telescopes, they will be more frustrating than the lens you have now. To learn how to shoot the moon through a telescope, purchase a basic astrophotography book and it will explain all the equipment you will need. Search the web too, you will find what you need to know. (Hint: camera adapter for telescope and a Minolta T-adapter to couple the camera adapter to the
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