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Focal lengh to capture the moon

Cunha
Rising Star

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.

_LFC7945.jpg

48 REPLIES 48

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

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?

 

moon.jpg

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

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.

"Did you read the OP?"

Did you read me?

 

Is there a reason you can't crop? Smiley Frustrated

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

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

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).

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

John Hoffman
Conway, NH

1D X Mark III, M200, Many lenses, Pixma PRO-100, Pixma TR8620a, Lr Classic

Maybe. This means any kind of interpolation?

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.

Ok.


@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).


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.

 

IMG_2015_07_230146.jpg

 

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.

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