What lens for Canon 1300D for moon pictures

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MarilynneT

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Marilynne Tomlinson
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I have a Canon EOS 1300D and 3 lenses at the moment. A Canon 18 - 55mm, Canon 75 - 300mm and a Fotga 420 - 800mm f8.3 - 16 Super telephoto lens. I use a tripod and remote shutter release and love taking moon pictures. I want to get more detailed moon pictures like some of the ones in the gallery by Rustydon but I can't get anything so detailed with what I have. I also like to take pics of shipping from where I live but can't get the detail like some people can in the Facebook groups I'm in. Do I need another lens or would a conversion lens do the trick? Thanks.
 
Most likely they are lots of photos stacked to remove noise / athmospheric conditions and to sharpen the image.

What do your photos look like at the moment?
 
When you go to make a post there's an option to attach files, I believe there's a maximum image/file size but can't remember what it is.
 
The below were with a 150 - 450 zoom @ 450mm - F5.6 - 100 ISO - 1/200 sec handheld

The first is the original and the 2nd is the crop from the original

_IMG4465280518.jpg
 

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@MarilynneT both examples look like from your fotga super tele? The shutter speeds are rather low for such a long focal length, and the moon moves rather fast so it looks like motion blur to me. I'd try a much faster shutter speed and see if you can do more to keep the lens from moving - the slightest breeze will make the images blurry. You may well be better off using your canon 70-300 and cropping.
 
also - quite convincing evidence that the earth's surface is indeed curved ;)
 
Thanks Tim. Yes I was using my telephoto but I'll try your recommendations and see what I get.
 
Following on from Tim's advice, the moon is also quite bright so you can afford to increase the shutter speed and then bring some detail out in post, aperture wise F5.6 to F8 is about right.

Try handholding but leaning against a house wall or door opening etc, breath in and gently squeeze the shutter,
 
TimHughes said:
also - quite convincing evidence that the earth's surface is indeed curved ;)
Click to expand...

No, just a flat disk. Think of it as a giant, but lumpy, tiddlywink. Orientation such to convince the gullible that the earth is a globe.
 
I would suggest using the Canon tele lens, settings decribed as above, and on a firm tripod. Then crop the image. Reviews of the Fotga (I never knew it existed) are mixed.

Would be interested to see how you get on with the Canon, I think you would be much more successful. Well done for trying, it's not something I have photographed much.
 
I have photographed the moon with my eos 7Dii & Sony A6600 using sigma bazooka lens 150-600 contemporary.

As mentioned above it does actually move very quick so I used about 1/160 shutter ( though I should have used 1/250 ), f9 and ISO 400 ( can push this to ISO 200), remote trigger on a tripod without extending the thinner bottom legs.
This means sitting or laying on the ground to see the view finder, unless you have a flippy screen. Try and manual focus using the magnify option to see very fine detail, this feature only works in M mode !

this one of my efforts
www.viewbug.com

'Moon' by tysonator

Find more inspiring images at VIEWBUG - the world’s most rewarding photo community.
www.viewbug.com
 
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I don't know the lens, but the results look similar to what I got with an inexpensive mirror lens I tried a few years back.
I agree the Canon lens will probably give better results.

Usually I try the the following, using manual set the lens a stop up from wide open where it will probably be sharper, set the ISO to 100, then take a series of photos at different shutter speeds.

I'm not very good at it, but that was has got me some OK results I can build on


This was taken hand held, f7.1, ISO 100 and 1/25s, 400mm (800mm eq)

P1002811.jpg

Lots of room for improvement
 
Thankyou for all your replies. I will see what I can do with what I have. I don't really want to spend money on lenses when the ones can do the job. I'd like to know if I can get the same results with photographing the ships. The distance they are from where I am is usually about 17 miles.
 
MarilynneT said:
Thankyou for all your replies. I will see what I can do with what I have. I don't really want to spend money on lenses when the ones can do the job. I'd like to know if I can get the same results with photographing the ships. The distance they are from where I am is usually about 17 miles.
Click to expand...
Ships have the added difficulty of heat haze and disturbances like that over such a long distance close to the ground. The tips above apply the same.
 
Yes no problem with images usually Andrew. I did take two separate images with two different lenses. Same place and time but was a bit disappointed that I had a slight tinge around the edge of the moon. This is what I came up with.Composite moon pic.jpg
 
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