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The Moon with a telephoto lens and teleconverters



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 25th 05, 08:30 AM
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
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Default The Moon with a telephoto lens and teleconverters

Here is a recent attempt at photographing the moon with
a telephoto lens, on a stationary tripod:
http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal...-c-5x-700.html

Canon 1D Mark II 8-megapixel digital camera, a 500 mm f/4 L IS lens
with 1.4 and 2x teleconverters. The total focal length is 1400 mm
for a full scale of 1.2 arc-seconds per pixel.

Be sure and click on the full camera resolution link to see
all the detail.

Roger
Other photos at: http://clarkvision.com

  #2  
Old January 25th 05, 11:45 AM
Bart van der Wolf
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Default


"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)"
wrote in message ...
Here is a recent attempt at photographing the moon with
a telephoto lens, on a stationary tripod:
http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal...-c-5x-700.html


Looks good, with all the glass in between moon and sensor.
Just curious, how do you get optimal focus (any special tricks, or
multiple tries on manual)?

Bart

  #3  
Old January 25th 05, 11:45 AM
Bart van der Wolf
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)"
wrote in message ...
Here is a recent attempt at photographing the moon with
a telephoto lens, on a stationary tripod:
http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal...-c-5x-700.html


Looks good, with all the glass in between moon and sensor.
Just curious, how do you get optimal focus (any special tricks, or
multiple tries on manual)?

Bart

  #4  
Old January 25th 05, 05:01 PM
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
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Posts: n/a
Default

Bart van der Wolf wrote:

"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote
in message ...

Here is a recent attempt at photographing the moon with
a telephoto lens, on a stationary tripod:
http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal...-c-5x-700.html



Looks good, with all the glass in between moon and sensor.
Just curious, how do you get optimal focus (any special tricks, or
multiple tries on manual)?

Bart


Bart,
The 1D Mark II autofocuses at f/8 and stacked teleconverters
only report one magnification, so with a 2x teleconverter
on the lens, f/8 is reported to the camera, then adding
the 1.4x between the 2x and camera, the camera still
sees f/8 and still autofocuses well. So I used
autofocus on the moon at f/11.2.

Roger

  #5  
Old January 25th 05, 05:36 PM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark) wrote:


http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal...-c-5x-700.html

Wait for a calmer atmosphere (winter is, from my experience, the worst
- spring and fall are better) and/or stack more frames. Here is one of
mine:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2745849

17 stacked JPEG's on a night of better than average "seeing". The
image was subject to a Laplacian sharpen post-stack, and maybe a bit of
USM after it was resized to 1280x1024 (it makes a wonderful desktop).

For precision focus, do not depend on AF: get the Canon Angle Finder C
or equivalent and manually focus. It works _much_ better, despite the
poor quality of the "C"'s image. However, this comment is based on
Canon 10D experience; maybe the 1DMkII's AF is more trustworthy. (And
your image appears to have suffered more from turbulence than focus.)

  #6  
Old January 25th 05, 06:09 PM
Anonymous
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Roger,

I've been waiting for the Nikon D2x (as replacement for my D100), and the
fact that I've had a bunch of fine Nikon glass for years.

However, with the recent price announcement of $5,000 for the D2x, along
with the uncertainty about it's CMOS sensor performance, I'm considering
changing to a Canon system. I am NOT a fan of wide angle work so I'm NOT
considering the Canon 1Ds Mark II.

However, I AM considering the Canon 1D Mark II. I lean towards telephoto
work so the 1.3 factor of the 1D Mark II is a plus for me. And at $3,750
street price, it's $1,250 less than the D2x. Now, admittedly it will be
limited to 8.2mp versus the 12.4mp of the D2x, but I wanted to ask your
candid opinion of your 1D Mark II.

Any feedback on the 1D Mark II you can provide would be MOST helpful.

Many thanks in advance...




"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in
message ...

Here is a recent attempt at photographing the moon with
a telephoto lens, on a stationary tripod:
http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal...-c-5x-700.html

Canon 1D Mark II 8-megapixel digital camera, a 500 mm f/4 L IS lens with
1.4 and 2x teleconverters. The total focal length is 1400 mm
for a full scale of 1.2 arc-seconds per pixel.

Be sure and click on the full camera resolution link to see all the
detail.

Roger
Other photos at: http://clarkvision.com



  #7  
Old January 25th 05, 06:09 PM
Anonymous
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Roger,

I've been waiting for the Nikon D2x (as replacement for my D100), and the
fact that I've had a bunch of fine Nikon glass for years.

However, with the recent price announcement of $5,000 for the D2x, along
with the uncertainty about it's CMOS sensor performance, I'm considering
changing to a Canon system. I am NOT a fan of wide angle work so I'm NOT
considering the Canon 1Ds Mark II.

However, I AM considering the Canon 1D Mark II. I lean towards telephoto
work so the 1.3 factor of the 1D Mark II is a plus for me. And at $3,750
street price, it's $1,250 less than the D2x. Now, admittedly it will be
limited to 8.2mp versus the 12.4mp of the D2x, but I wanted to ask your
candid opinion of your 1D Mark II.

Any feedback on the 1D Mark II you can provide would be MOST helpful.

Many thanks in advance...




"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in
message ...

Here is a recent attempt at photographing the moon with
a telephoto lens, on a stationary tripod:
http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal...-c-5x-700.html

Canon 1D Mark II 8-megapixel digital camera, a 500 mm f/4 L IS lens with
1.4 and 2x teleconverters. The total focal length is 1400 mm
for a full scale of 1.2 arc-seconds per pixel.

Be sure and click on the full camera resolution link to see all the
detail.

Roger
Other photos at: http://clarkvision.com



  #8  
Old January 26th 05, 04:11 AM
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Anonymous wrote:

Hi Roger,

I've been waiting for the Nikon D2x (as replacement for my D100), and the
fact that I've had a bunch of fine Nikon glass for years.

However, with the recent price announcement of $5,000 for the D2x, along
with the uncertainty about it's CMOS sensor performance, I'm considering
changing to a Canon system. I am NOT a fan of wide angle work so I'm NOT
considering the Canon 1Ds Mark II.

However, I AM considering the Canon 1D Mark II. I lean towards telephoto
work so the 1.3 factor of the 1D Mark II is a plus for me. And at $3,750
street price, it's $1,250 less than the D2x. Now, admittedly it will be
limited to 8.2mp versus the 12.4mp of the D2x, but I wanted to ask your
candid opinion of your 1D Mark II.

Any feedback on the 1D Mark II you can provide would be MOST helpful.

Many thanks in advance...


Hi
You might want to start a new thread so others might see it
who are not reading a post about the moon.

Having said that, your lenses (at least mine are and other
serious amateurs and pros) are probably more expensive than your
camera, and the lenses will generally last many cameras.
For example, I started with a Canon EOS 650, then elan I,
elan II, elan 7, film cameras, then digitals: Canon D60,
10D, and 1D Mark II. I still use some of my original
lenses. My newer L lenses will probably last for
many more cameras, and in general my lenses have cost
me more than all my cameras put together. Why did I choose
Canon for my first auto focus camera? Random at the time.
I might have just as easily chosen Nikon. I had no
preference for either at that time.

So, do you really have "a bunch of fine Nikon glass" that
you want to abandon, especially before seeing reviews on
the D2x? Nikon makes great equipment. Great lenses,
great cameras. Perhaps Canon is leading the digital
arena now, but Nikon is not far behind, and the front runner
could change in a couple of years.

Do you have a big telephoto, like a 500mm f/4? Since you say
you want to do telephoto work, I suggest if you don't have a
super telephoto, to get that first, then assuming you have
to wait and save money for a new camera, the whole camera
selection and market leader could be quite different,
and in general much better.

If money is no object, and you can afford to change cameras
and super telephotos and all other lenses, then go for it.
The Canon lenses and cameras are superb too. But don't forget
the Nikon D2x has some innovations the top Canon's do not
have.

Having said all that, the Canon 1D Mark II is a wonderful camera.
The speed is awesome, the auto focus accuracy and speed is excellent,
the signal to noise is excellent, battery life is excellent,
etc., etc. I've been able to get action shots I could not
get with my previous cameras. But I do wish for more
megapixels. The speed of the 1D Mark II and the pixels
of the 1Ds Mark II (16.7 MPixels) would be ideal.
Maybe next year....

Roger




"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in
message ...


Here is a recent attempt at photographing the moon with
a telephoto lens, on a stationary tripod:
http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal...-c-5x-700.html

Canon 1D Mark II 8-megapixel digital camera, a 500 mm f/4 L IS lens with
1.4 and 2x teleconverters. The total focal length is 1400 mm
for a full scale of 1.2 arc-seconds per pixel.

Be sure and click on the full camera resolution link to see all the
detail.

Roger
Other photos at: http://clarkvision.com





  #9  
Old January 26th 05, 04:38 AM
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

wrote:

Wait for a calmer atmosphere (winter is, from my experience, the worst
- spring and fall are better) and/or stack more frames.


The problem here on the eastern side of the mountains in Colorado
is turbulence from air blowing over the mountains. The atmospheric
seeing is rarely better than 2 arc-seconds, and usually much
worse. At the extreme magnification with my 500 mm +2x +1.4x
TCs, optical image distortion prevents stacking any frames
if the moon is imaged in different parts of the field of
view. After all, we are talking registering an image
that is over 1800 pixels across, so distortion must be less
than 0.03%. I would need to track the moon so it remains
stationary (I do have a Losmandy G11 equatorial mount,
and I will try it sometime) in order to stack more images.
I long for better seeing I've experienced in other places
(but not as much as the dark skies at night, and the
mountains and wildlife during the day where I live ;-).

Here is one of mine:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2745849

17 stacked JPEG's on a night of better than average "seeing". The
image was subject to a Laplacian sharpen post-stack, and maybe a bit of
USM after it was resized to 1280x1024 (it makes a wonderful desktop).

For precision focus, do not depend on AF: get the Canon Angle Finder C
or equivalent and manually focus. It works _much_ better, despite the
poor quality of the "C"'s image. However, this comment is based on
Canon 10D experience; maybe the 1DMkII's AF is more trustworthy. (And
your image appears to have suffered more from turbulence than focus.)

Sorry, but I do not like your moon photo. It is way too over
sharpened, making the sunlit crater walls extremely bright.
It is also less than half the size of the image I presented.
Considering it was done with a 500 mm + 2x TC on a 10D
(1.5 arc-sec/pixel), the full size image should be 80%
the size of my image (1.2 arc-sec/pixel), so it seems your
large image on your web page is reduced by 2x (3 arc-sec/pixel).
If my image was reduced by a factor of 2.5x it would look
sharper too. After all 3 arc-seconds per pixel is
less affected by atmospheric turbulence than
1.2 arc-seconds per pixel.

I do have the right angle finder C, but find the 1D mark II
auto-focuses better than I can, even with the angle finder.
I was using the angle finder to frame the moon so I didn't
have to bend over.
I also have a 10D, and I can assure you the 1D MII autofocus
is much better than the 10D in my experience.

For those missing the original post, the other image being discussed is at:
http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries...-c-5x-700.html

Roger
http://www.clarkvision.com

  #10  
Old January 26th 05, 04:42 AM
Anonymous
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Many thanks Roger. It was just the feedback I was looking for...


"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in
message ...
Anonymous wrote:

Hi Roger,

I've been waiting for the Nikon D2x (as replacement for my D100), and the
fact that I've had a bunch of fine Nikon glass for years.

However, with the recent price announcement of $5,000 for the D2x, along
with the uncertainty about it's CMOS sensor performance, I'm considering
changing to a Canon system. I am NOT a fan of wide angle work so I'm NOT
considering the Canon 1Ds Mark II.

However, I AM considering the Canon 1D Mark II. I lean towards telephoto
work so the 1.3 factor of the 1D Mark II is a plus for me. And at $3,750
street price, it's $1,250 less than the D2x. Now, admittedly it will be
limited to 8.2mp versus the 12.4mp of the D2x, but I wanted to ask your
candid opinion of your 1D Mark II.

Any feedback on the 1D Mark II you can provide would be MOST helpful.

Many thanks in advance...


Hi
You might want to start a new thread so others might see it
who are not reading a post about the moon.

Having said that, your lenses (at least mine are and other
serious amateurs and pros) are probably more expensive than your
camera, and the lenses will generally last many cameras.
For example, I started with a Canon EOS 650, then elan I,
elan II, elan 7, film cameras, then digitals: Canon D60,
10D, and 1D Mark II. I still use some of my original
lenses. My newer L lenses will probably last for
many more cameras, and in general my lenses have cost
me more than all my cameras put together. Why did I choose
Canon for my first auto focus camera? Random at the time.
I might have just as easily chosen Nikon. I had no
preference for either at that time.

So, do you really have "a bunch of fine Nikon glass" that
you want to abandon, especially before seeing reviews on
the D2x? Nikon makes great equipment. Great lenses,
great cameras. Perhaps Canon is leading the digital
arena now, but Nikon is not far behind, and the front runner
could change in a couple of years.

Do you have a big telephoto, like a 500mm f/4? Since you say
you want to do telephoto work, I suggest if you don't have a
super telephoto, to get that first, then assuming you have
to wait and save money for a new camera, the whole camera
selection and market leader could be quite different,
and in general much better.

If money is no object, and you can afford to change cameras
and super telephotos and all other lenses, then go for it.
The Canon lenses and cameras are superb too. But don't forget
the Nikon D2x has some innovations the top Canon's do not
have.

Having said all that, the Canon 1D Mark II is a wonderful camera.
The speed is awesome, the auto focus accuracy and speed is excellent,
the signal to noise is excellent, battery life is excellent,
etc., etc. I've been able to get action shots I could not
get with my previous cameras. But I do wish for more
megapixels. The speed of the 1D Mark II and the pixels
of the 1Ds Mark II (16.7 MPixels) would be ideal.
Maybe next year....

Roger




"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote
in message ...


Here is a recent attempt at photographing the moon with
a telephoto lens, on a stationary tripod:
http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal...-c-5x-700.html

Canon 1D Mark II 8-megapixel digital camera, a 500 mm f/4 L IS lens with
1.4 and 2x teleconverters. The total focal length is 1400 mm
for a full scale of 1.2 arc-seconds per pixel.

Be sure and click on the full camera resolution link to see all the
detail.

Roger
Other photos at: http://clarkvision.com







 




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