Blame it on the moon

[padrepaul77]

Was trying to get some shots of the moon last night, but each one came out a bit blurry. Is there any way to get a nice clear shot of the moon through the trees, or do I just have to wait until it is darker in appearance such as when it is rising or setting? I was using a Canon Powershot sx10. I used a tripod, and tried "auto" and also adjusting the aperture and shutter speeds; ISO was about 80 or 100.

 

[LarryD]

Auto almost never works for moon shots..

The Moon is as bright as a sunny day, but the surrounding sky has no light, so the sensors almost never know what to do.

Use the age old rule of "sunny 16" which is based on a brightly lit day..

Set your f-stop at f-16, and your ISO at 100, and then shoot at about 1/100 of a second.. Then take a couple of shots at a slightly higher shutter speed.

That should get you started.......:er:

 

[padrepaul77]

Ok...many thanks. I was keeping it open for a long time; so I'll try shorter f-stops. As you can see it is awfully blurry...I love nighttime and want some nice night pictures.
Thanks!
Paul

 

[astrostu]

Check out the lunar photography guide I wrote. People here have used it with success.