Lunar Eclipse!

[SabrinaO]

So how will my 18-55mm kit lens on my d5000 do with the lunar eclipse tonight? Is it even worth staying up and trying??

 

[EhJsNe]

It's always worth trying! You're going to want a tripod and you'll have to do some heavy cropping afterwards.

 

[SabrinaO]

It's always worth trying! You're going to want a tripod and you'll have to do some heavy cropping afterwards.

Yes... thanks for the reminder about the tripod! I'm not really experienced with night photography. Here is what I think my settings should be:

5sec
f/22
ISO 100

What should I set the WB to? Anything else I need to know or change? Thanks for the response!

 

[ziggo]

This link has some valuable information on the relation between exposure time, aperture and ISO. It really helped me out on with my film camera.
Ultimate Exposure Computer

On around 2/3 of the page you will find a table which might come in handy.

 

[Jcampbelll]

It's always worth trying! You're going to want a tripod and you'll have to do some heavy cropping afterwards.

Yes... thanks for the reminder about the tripod! I'm not really experienced with night photography. Here is what I think my settings should be:

5sec
f/22
ISO 100

What should I set the WB to? Anything else I need to know or change? Thanks for the response!

F/22 won't do good. Lenses don't shoot good pictures at the aperture. Go to f/13. The lunar eclipse is at 10:30 pm (Pacific time), perfect time for me.

 

[SabrinaO]

It's always worth trying! You're going to want a tripod and you'll have to do some heavy cropping afterwards.

Yes... thanks for the reminder about the tripod! I'm not really experienced with night photography. Here is what I think my settings should be:

5sec
f/22
ISO 100

What should I set the WB to? Anything else I need to know or change? Thanks for the response!

F/22 won't do good. Lenses don't shoot good pictures at the aperture. Go to f/13. The lunar eclipse is at 10:30 pm (Pacific time), perfect time for me.

Thanks! So how are the settings in everything else?
It will practically be light out when you get to see the lunar eclipse!

 

[Jcampbelll]

From what I have seen from researching, 5 sec's would make the moon blurry. You want at least 1/125 or it won't be sharp. I haven't tried to shoot the moon before so I will try and experiment my self. Try searching for more info.

 

[Edsport]

As for settings the best way is to set the camera to whatever aperture you want eg. F/13 or a little lower and select your ISO then set a speed for the shutter and take a shot, if it's overexposed speed up the shutter, if it's underexposed slow the shutter down. Change the shutter speed until you get the right exposure. You may have to slow the shutter a bit once the moon gets darker...

 

[robb01]

I'll be taking photos as well, I read to use spot metering

 

[wcc963]

well i was out a few days ago getting some picstures of the moon, all i have is the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my T2i... here are the results after some minor PS7 adjusments

 

[KmH]

Use as wide an aperture as your lens can give you.

The moon is 250,000 miles away so you don't need the deep DOF a small aperture provides. Online Depth of Field Calculator

You do need as wide an aperture as possible, to get shutter speed.

The Moon, even at eclipse, is bright. Use your lowest, native ISO

You bigger issue will be metering with such a short focal length, and you will want to use spot metering and meter on the brightest part of the moon you can. Using a telephoto lens with good reach, people meter on the bright crater Tycho.

 

[John Mc]

Im taking it'll be like shooting in snow? you'll want to over expose a stop or two? im going to use Iso 200 colour film,as my telephoto is for my pentax film system.
So develop and scan or get a cd would be logical!

 

[PhotoFly]

well i was out a few days ago getting some picstures of the moon, all i have is the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my T2i... here are the results after some minor PS7 adjusments

I am surprised it came out so well with that lens.

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

1/125, ISO 100/200, F/13 ..... Good settings from what i gathered? I'm gonna take a go at this as well.

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

Ok, ( call me retarded ) but... these things confuse me. I am trying to figure out an approximate time for this eclipse in my area so that I can view it.

TIME ZONES

ECLIPSE

A total lunar eclipse will take place on December 20/21, 2010.[2] It will be visible after midnight Eastern Standard Time on December 21 in North and South America. The beginning of the total eclipse will be visible from northern Europe just before sunrise. The end of the total eclipse will be visible rising at sunset for Japan and northeastern Asia, it also appears very visible to the Philippines just after sunset (as in a partial lunar eclipse).

So, if im in Arizona ( -2 hours Mountain Standard Time)... then that would be 10pm, tonight? Or 11?

or Am i *WAY* off?! LOL Ahh!

EDIT:
The eclipse will actually begin when the moon enters the faint outer portion, or penumbra, of the Earth's shadow a little over an hour before it begins moving into the umbra. The penumbra, however, is all but invisible to the eye until the moon becomes deeply immersed in it. Sharp-eyed viewers may get their first glimpse of the penumbra as a faint smudge on the left part of the moon sat or around 6:15 UT (on Dec. 21) which corresponds to 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time or 10:15 p.m. Pacific Time (on Dec. 20).
Copy/Pasted from Here.