Ehhhhhhhh!


30 seconds and longer? If you had a telescope mount that rotates
along with the Earth, you will have a nice streak in the sky (when
your film returns....)


The moon is reflected sunlight: most exposures on a tripod longer
than 1/15th of a second generally make for a moving moon.
= = =
SNIP
I shot with both print and slide film. Also my digital point and
shoot. Next eclipse is 2007, so I figured i would try everything I
could

I can't wait to get my film back. My digital photos are pretty cool,
though with a shorter lens (380mm vs 1120mm and 1400mm with my long
lenses and teleconverters). It did help to see the results via the
digital camera and see what worked best. I also had a chart from a
website mentioned here that gave setting suggestions for the various
stages of the eclipse.


I don't have a 'remote trigger' or whatever for my camera either.

So this might prove interesting, anyone can think of a particular tip? I'm
planning on dropping the shutter speed down pretty low and, as i've heard,
'bracketing the hell out of it'. Whats the deal with the 'B' setting tho?

The remote/cable release is the easiest way. I did some longer shutter
speeds during the totality phase, between 30 seconds and a minute. My
digital could only go up to 30 seconds with no bulb feature, so I
couldn't do it longer with that camera.

Bracketing is a great idea. I bracketed each time I did photos.
Usually 5 or 6 photos in the series. One, to make sure I got something
good, but also to get different effects. When I was shooting with the
digital, I could change the settings and get completely different
results. A faster shutter speed resulted in the moon crescent that was
bright, while a slower shutter speed showed the rest of the moon as
well, in shadow, and with the orange and red colors.

B is the bulb setting that allows you to do whatever time you want.
You really need a cable or remote release for that one since you need
to start and stop the exposure, and you really don't want to bump the
camera. Most releases will have a lock that allows you to let go until
you want to stop it. Much easier than standing there holding it. Most
cameras do not have programmed times longer than 30 seconds, so if you
want to do a setting longer than your camera has on the dial, then you
will need a release. And really, if you plan to do anything longer
1/30, you really should be using a cable release. It will help you
press the shutter without producing camera motion. Even a tiny bump
can cause a blurry image.