[Theme] Show us your best moon (and solar system) images

[Bent Hjarbo]

Thanks Bent.

Your image is nice and clear and the Z8 probably has pixels enough for an even tighter crop?

But on second thought it is perhaps the square format that makes the image not get scaled at larger display size at our site?

The reason for the square format, was to just show the moon, and not all the black around it.

[Øivind Tøien]

The reason for the square format, was to just show the moon, and not all the black around it.

Well my theory about the square format causing our site to size it down was anyway disproved in my last post. Perhaps cropping off more of the black around it then without resizing it ?

[Akira]

I'm renting SIGMA 150-600 zoom for 3,000 JPY as part of their 2-week trial campaign.

And this is my initial trial of the lens set at 600mm.  The camera is Sony A6700 with an APS-C sensor, so it is virtually a 900mm lens.  As the moon image captured on the sensor is quite large, I didn't need any heavy processing (enhancement, sharpening or contrast adjustment).  The resulted image looks pretty natural to me.

The RAW data was processed in Photoshop CC and the adjusted parameter was only highlight (-10), clarity (+10) and dehaze (+10).  The color profile is "Adobe Color".

[Anthony]

I'm renting SIGMA 150-600 zoom for 3,000 JPY as part of their 2-week trial campaign.

And this is my initial trial of the lens set at 600mm.  The camera is Sony A6700 with an APS-C sensor, so it is virtually a 900mm lens.  As the moon image captured on the sensor is quite large, I didn't need any heavy processing (enhancement, sharpening or contrast adjustment).  The resulted image looks pretty natural to me.

The RAW data was processed in Photoshop CC and the adjusted parameter was only highlight (-10), clarity (+10) and dehaze (-10).  The color profile is "Adobe Color".

Wonderful detail.

[ColinM]

I'm renting SIGMA 150-600 zoom for 3,000 JPY as part of their 2-week trial campaign.

... it is virtually a 900mm lens.   

The resulted image looks pretty natural to me.

This is a lovely result Akira
And yes, it looks like great, natural rendering.

If I've worked out the exchange rate correctly, this seems like a bargain???!!

[Brute]

Beautiful captures Ken, and very nice foreground subject! Thanks for posting.

Thank You.

Brute, that now seems to be yesterday (i only just found this)
Were they good for anyone?

Got to see them twice last week. The first on Monday then again on Thursday.
What a treat while we were at deer camp in SE Oregon.
The first two shots are from last Monday. The other three are from Thursday.

[Øivind Tøien]

 Akira, nice lunar capture - must have been pretty good seeing in spite of a low altitude in these moon cycles. The side lighting also helps to bring out details like the Copernicus crater.


Ken, interesting how this last batch of southern aurora gave a more diffuse red as I have noticed in a lot of images that have been posted on the web. I also like the camp in the last one.

We completely missed the second event due to clouds, but I got to watch it on the Poker Flat sky cam that is a bit further north. I posted a saved timelapse capture that has a lot of structure to it in the night sky thread: https://otoien.zenfolio.com/img/s/v-11/o190588485/c1/p297974589-215.mp4

[Akira]

This is a lovely result Akira
And yes, it looks like great, natural rendering.

If I've worked out the exchange rate correctly, this seems like a bargain???!!

Thank you, Colin.  Yes, it should be cheaper than I would rent it at a rental house.

Akira, nice lunar capture - must have been pretty good seeing in spite of a low altitude in these moon cycles. The side lighting also helps to bring out details like the Copernicus crater.

Thank you, Øivind.  And yes, I deliberately tried to shoot the half moon for the very reason you mentioned.

[Akira]

Just shot the 100% full super moon.

SIGMA 150-600mm f5-6.3 DG DN set at 600mm on Sony A6700 (equivalent of 900mm).  At this magnification, the moon moves so fast that you have to set the shutter speed at least to 1/250 sec. to avoid the slightest motion blur.  This image was shot at 1/400.  (The posted image here is cropped from the APS-C frame.)

The camera was horizontally leveled, so this is the orientation of the moon observed in Tokyo.  Due to the haze caused by the humid climate, the contrast is rather low, but the large craters like Copernicus and Tycho can be clearly seen.

[Akira]

Wonderful detail.

Anthony, sorry to have missed your comment.  Thank you!

[Akira]

Clouds can be utilized as a dense ND filter to shoot the sun directly in the daytime.

SIGMA 150-600mm f5-6.3 DG DN on Sony A6700.

The amount of the black spots suggest the hectic activity of the center of our solar system.

[ColinM]

Clouds can be utilized as a dense ND filter to shoot the sun directly in the daytime.

SIGMA 150-600mm f5-6.3 DG DN on Sony A6700.

The amount of the black spots suggest the hectic activity of the center of our solar system.

Very cunning Akira.

I remember (cadefully) looking at sunspots through binoculars very early in the morning in Greece, years ago.

[Øivind Tøien]

Yes, careful- clouds can be unpredictable and suddenly the sun pops out in strength though a hole in the cloud cover. Many of us recall Birna's Venus transit image that was saved to the card before the sensor went up in flames! At least with mirroless cameras, eyesight will not be damaged by looking through the viewfinder.... A 4x4"  piece of Baader AstroSolar OD 5 film is cheap, provides the best quality, and is much less costly than a camera and lens replacement.

The definition of the sun is quite good in you shot, Akira, in spite of the diffusion by the clouds. How short did you have to go on the shutter speed?

[Akira]

Very cunning Akira.

I remember (cadefully) looking at sunspots through binoculars very early in the morning in Greece, years ago.

Thank you, Colin.  I was trying to shoot some birds around me during my last test with the super-tele zoom, and noticed that the density of the clouds was perfect for my naked eyes to see the sun "comfortably".   

Yes, careful- clouds can be unpredictable and suddenly the sun pops out in strength though a hole in the cloud cover. Many of us recall Birna's Venus transit image that was saved to the card before the sensor went up in flames! At least with mirroless cameras, eyesight will not be damaged by looking through the viewfinder.... A 4x4"  piece of Baader AstroSolar OD 5 film is cheap, provides the best quality, and is much less costly than a camera and lens replacement.

The definition of the sun is quite good in you shot, Akira, in spite of the diffusion by the clouds. How short did you have to go on the shutter speed?

Thank you, Øivind.  Obviously, I did know what will happen to the  camera, lens and the photographer when is the lens is pointed towards the sun directly in the  daytime.  One of the post in the blog of LensRentals.com with some images of damaged gear was horrifying!  As I mention in the reply to Colin, I was hand-holding the lens to shoot birds which enabled me to avoid pointing the lens towards the sun immediately before the hole in the cloud coincide with the sun!

The image was shot at f11, 1/2000 with the camera was set at ISO100.  The zoom was set at 600mm, and the image stabilizer worked well enough to help me to keep the sun in the central area of the frame captured by the lens equivalent of a 900mm one.

[Øivind Tøien]

That exposure is not too alarming, (with the astrosolar film 1/160s @ f/11 and ISO 100 on some in the past). One should keep in mind though that the sun can burn the sensor, shutter or eyes if an optical finder in a fraction of a second when using larger diameter telephoto optics if protection in terms of cloud cover or dedicated solar filter is not there. It does of course not help if the camera can do electronic shutter at 1/32000 s when the sensor or shutter is exposed for longer time. (Admittedly I have practiced quick handheld aim on cloudy/hazy sunsets near horizon without using an optical viewfinder, then exposures in the same range as yours.    )