Focal lengh to capture the moon

[Cunha]

Hi,

I need to photograph the moon in a way that occupies most of my 35mm FF frame without crop. Or bigger than the frame. I need a clear full moon with craters (no problem).

The image will be in portrait mode.

My test using a Canon EF 100mm macro L lens resulted in a very small image for my needs (image attached).

What lens do you suggest to produce a big image of the full moon?

Thank you very much.

[Cunha]

What a nice help. I think I need a telescope .)

[ebiggs1]

Is there a reason you can't crop?  A 600mm lens, which are readily available, can make an impressive Moon shot but will need to be cropped.  However that is not a problem.

This was with a 600mm lens and it is cropped.  How much more crop do you require?

[kvbarkley]

Did you read the OP?

"I need to photograph the moon in a way that occupies most of my 35mm FF frame without crop. Or bigger than the frame. I need a clear full moon with craters (no problem)."

Why they need that, I don't know.

[ebiggs1]

"Did you read the OP?"

Did you read me?

Is there a reason you can't crop? 

Of course any reasonable gear available to most amateurs will not include a lens that can render a full to over full frame shot.

[Cunha]

For the last two contributions.

This is for a photographic essay. Prints for an exhibition and a photobook.

I would like to mantain all the files equal without crops (at least heavy crops).

[jrhoffman75]

If you crop to in-camera aspect ratio (3:2) and resize to same pixel dimensions or print size wouldn't that work?

[Cunha]

Maybe. This means any kind of interpolation?

[kvbarkley]

Not nessesarily.

If you print a 6000x4000 image at 300 dpi you get 20 inches x 13 inches

If you crop to 3000 x 2000 and print at 150 dpi you can get the same size - and 150 dpi is fine for a print this big.

[Cunha]

Ok.

[Waddizzle]

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@Cunha wrote:

For the last two contributions.

This is for a photographic essay. Prints for an exhibition and a photobook.

I would like to mantain all the files equal without crops (at least heavy crops).

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Telescope?  How much image quality do you need?  You can fill the viewfinder no problem with a  Vivitar 650-1300mm f/8 Telephoto Zoom lens for T-Mount.  I bought the lens just for shooting the Moon. 

This was shot with a Rebel T5 at about 800mm, or so.  I think.  I guess.  I dunno.

Seriously, though.  The Vivitar can more than fill the viewfinder on an APS-C body.  You just need a sturdy tripod, and a strong head because the Vivitar doesn't have a good center of gravity once you mount a camera on it.