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How to Take a Moon Shot With a Digicam

Capturing the beauty of the moon with a digital camera often results in blurry images. That is because night photography requires a slightly different technique than taking photos during the day. A few simple tips and tricks can change what could turn out to be a blurry image into shots of the moon that are sharp and clear.

Things You'll Need

Telephoto lens
Teleconverter
Tripod

Instructions

- 1
  Attach the longest lens possible to your digital camera. If your camera doesn't have removable lenses, set the telephoto to it's highest level. A 200 mm lens is about the shortest you can use to expect a good picture.
- 2
  Attach a teleconverter to the lens of your camera. A teleconverter is like adding a magnifier to your lens. For example, a 2x teleconverter will convert a 200 mm lens to a 400 mm lens. Though the teleconverter is not absolutely necessary, it can significantly improve your shot.
- 3
  Place your camera on a tripod for stability. Point your camera at the moon, and switch to manual focus, adjusting to get the clearest view.
- 4
  Set your camera to manual mode, ISO 100, f/11, with a shutter speed of 1/100 of a second.
- 5
  Take a number of pictures, keeping the ISO and f settings the same, adjusting the shutter speed up to 1/200 and 1/400, and down to 1/50 and 1/25. Because the moon moves, adjusting the shutter speed will allow you to take clearer pictures.

Astronomy