Camera Labs

According to this article there is a chance for some good shots of Mars and the Moon tonight with a standard DSLR.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20100128/ts ... 158bc.html

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Nikon D90
Nikkor AF-S DX; 18-105 f/3.5-5.6G VR, 55-300 f/4.5-5.6G VR, 35mm f/1.8G
Speedlight SB-700

http://keystrokesukimages.com

Thanks for the note Weather report looks quite promising too, if I did't just jinx it by saying that.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

Argh! The moon was low in the sky and looking good as I left work. There was a speck around 8 o'clock position relative to it which I suspect is Mars as there's nothing else bright around there according to a star chart. Also another speck on the opposite side which I think is Procyon.

By the time I drove home, I saw clouds moving in, but it was framing the moon nicely. I rushed straight for my camera but I was too slow. By the time I got out again it was too obscured. Now to hope for more breaks as the moon rises.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

Was outside looking for Mars and the moon right now, but there was too much clouds and fog here.. Saw the moon, but nothing else.
Well, a low-flying plane approaching the local airport, and that was cool, but no Mars
I'll have a look again later

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Canon DSLRs: 5D Mark III, 7D
Canon lenses: 17-40/4L, 24-105/4L, 24/1.4L II, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 100/2.8L Macro, 70-200/2.8L IS, 100-400L
Other stuff: Canon 580 EX II, Canon 430EX II, Velbon Sherpa 600R
Apple: MacBook Pro 15", iMac 27", iPad III, iPhone 4S, Apple TV

My deviantART

Sky is clear, so I've been outside for the last hour or two. I've lost feeling in my toes and fingers.

Took some pot shots at the moon and Mars but decided they were too boring. Now got tracking set up on the scope and doing some long exposures of Orion nebula.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

After a cold night imaging, here's what I ended up with:


7D, Sigma 150mm macro, f/2.8, 1s, ISO1600
The title shot I guess. The bright speck top-left is Mars. The blown blob bottom right is the moon. In the middle you get the beehive cluster and a whole lot of lens flare, which in this particular shot I like the arrangement of.


50D, 50mm f/1.8 II, f/4, 1/3+1.6s, ISO1600
An attempt at giving the scene some context. While I do need to work on the foreground composition, I can't resist those clouds lit by the moon. The beehive cluster is barely visible there.


7D, Celestron Nexstar 4 SE (1325mm f/13), 30s, ISO6400, light pollution filter
A quick Orion nebula while I'm here. Probably my best single shot of it ever. The tracking on the scope seems to work fine when I'm standing next to it, but the second I stick continuous shooting on and go into the warmth it seems to go wobbly until I go out again.


350D IR modified, Celestron Nexstar 4 SE, 1/20s, ISO100, light pollution filter (didn't need it, left on from earlier Orion attempts)
And finally, the moon taken in infra red. 2 shot stitch.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

Was outside again now, and now the sky was clear and I was able to get some pics of the Moon and Mars.
My hands are damn cold now, I'm hardly able to type

Nice pics, popo. Here's my contribution, the best I could do without a tripod

This dot is Mars:

200mm, 1/20 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 (should've been ISO 1600 and 1/80 sec but I don't think it matters very much)


70mm, 1/30 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600


200mm, 1/1000 sec, f/8.0, ISO 400

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Canon DSLRs: 5D Mark III, 7D
Canon lenses: 17-40/4L, 24-105/4L, 24/1.4L II, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 100/2.8L Macro, 70-200/2.8L IS, 100-400L
Other stuff: Canon 580 EX II, Canon 430EX II, Velbon Sherpa 600R
Apple: MacBook Pro 15", iMac 27", iPad III, iPhone 4S, Apple TV

My deviantART

The Mars shot seems out of focus. Was that manual or AF? I tried AF-ing and it just wasn't getting it pin perfect. Live view magnification MF for the win.

That reminds me, I think I need to get my scope checked and adjusted. It just can't give pin sharp images. The defocus is not uniform and point sources goes into a slightly V shape suggesting something is out of alignment.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.