Can I get better photos of the moon than this? Or is my camera at it's limit?

I was wondering if this is the limit of what my camera can do? This is about the best moon photos that I can achieve with a 300mm lens on a Nikon D3200. I was thinking I could get a better lens and ran into something called a telephoto converter and it looks like something the size of a sewer pipe. Can someone point me into the right direction? I would really like to get extreme detailed close-ups of things from a distance such as the moon, cruise ships, and a light house which is about 6 miles away.

Not too sure about your question, I'm not an expert in photography but I like to take a couple of snaps now and then (Picked up a reletively cheap Fujifilm SLR the other month) but that's a great shot already!

if you google it you will see that you are indeed at about the limit using that particular lens.

reply to post by Hollie


I love photography and astronomy and have been dying to put the two together....I once tried to rig up a set of binoculars to my camera with some success...but it failed...rightfully so. I bet there has to be a way to buy some kind of cheap telescope or some adapter.

What I like about the moon is its always easy to find and you can get close enough to see some good detail....but to answer your question I think youll need a better lens or some kind of adapter and a telecsope. But with that its a nice picture.

Great photo! I hope you are in a location to catch a great shot of the blood moon for us...

reply to post by Hollie


Other than the crude deception (I have it on good authority the moon is made of cheese, you clearly saturated the colour to fit an agenda), its a rather nice photo! Tycho looking impressive as always

Thanks everyone. I guess I did not make myself clear. Is this it for my camera? Besides getting one of them HUGE telephoto adapter thingies that attaches to the lens, is there a lens better than the 300mm one that I have now?

abe froman
if you google it you will see that you are indeed at about the limit using that particular lens.

edit on 14-4-2014 by abe froman because: (no reason given)

I kind of gathered that Abe, so besides getting one of those teleconverters, what would be a good lens for the d3200 to take clear pics of something far far away? There is a lighthouse about 6 miles away that I would like to capture, but this lens doesn't really photograph it in that good of detail. Or do you think that I indeed have to get one of those teleconverters regardless?

tinker9917
Great photo! I hope you are in a location to catch a great shot of the blood moon for us...

I am and I plan on it!

cosmicexplorer
reply to post by Hollie

 

I bet there has to be a way to buy some kind of cheap telescope or some adapter.

What I like about the moon is its always easy to find and you can get close enough to see some good detail....but to answer your question I think youll need a better lens or some kind of adapter and a telecsope. But with that its a nice picture.

Thanks. Yes there is and it seriously is HUGE. My fear is that I won't be able to handle it? Look at how big it is compared to the body of the camera and the lens it is attached to! I would have to be on steroids I think.

I have a 5" Celestron and a Canon T2i with an T-adapter and take photos like this with it...

reply to post by abeverage


What lens did you take that pic with? Would a t-adapter suit a 300mm Sigma?

abeverage
I have a 5" Celestron and a Canon T2i with an T-adapter and take photos like this with it...

If above is what you are looking for, the short answer to your question is that you need a decent telescope upon which to attach your camera, not the other way around (a lens for the camera). That is, of course, if you really want detailed images of the Moon. Of course, the sky's the limit (pun intended) when you get into astronomical telescopes. So you have a fairly strong dividing line. 'Scopes for astronomical topics won't be of much use to get closeups of earthly images especially those events requiring a quick need to point and shoot.

Hollie
reply to post by abeverage

 

What lens did you take that pic with? Would a t-adapter suit a 300mm Sigma?

It is not a lens it is a Telescope and if you are getting more into the Astrophotography side I would suggest getting one. Yes you can get a T-Adapter for your camera.'

Here is my rig


Oh and here is Jupiter

reply to post by Aliensun


Okay sorry for being so ignorant about this. I am VERY new to this. But what would something like this be good for? Keep in mind I have a d3200 Nikon. The thing I am looking at right now is called a Opteka 650-1300mm High Definition Telephoto Zoom Lens and the low price scares me. Again, I apologize that I have absolutely no clue as to what I am even looking for. I only know what I want to accomplish. Thanks.

reply to post by abeverage


Are you effing kidding me! WOW amazing! Okay so if I bought a Celestron, which one would I be buying to take pics of Jupiter!!!! These telescopes are all over Amazon.

reply to post by abeverage


bugging you again, but do you happen to have any photos of Venus you could share with me?

Hollie
reply to post by abeverage

 

Are you effing kidding me! WOW amazing! Okay so if I bought a Celestron, which one would I be buying to take pics of Jupiter!!!! These telescopes are all over Amazon.

Ok slow down......................lol I was like you I got very excited about doing Astrophotography it can be difficult and daunting my suggestion before you purchase any equipment is to join a local Astronomy club! They will often loan equipment out and have classes or other enthusiasts who would be willing to share with you how to do what you want. There are also several members on ATS who love is this stuff over in the Space Exploration Forum



That optika lens is crap GOOGLE it...I am betting you will get what you pay for!

Oh and Venus is a tricky subject and one I have yet to master so no photos yet! But I hope to have some of the Lunar eclipse tonight!

Take care!

reply to post by abeverage


Okay, sorry but those were awesome pics. When I snapped my first moon pic and saw the detail that my own eye could not see, well I was hooked! And I had no clue we could get images of Jupiter like that from here on earth!

So, should I simply go over to the space exploration forum and ask them about mounts, scopes, and so forth? I don't want to get laughed out of there.

After watching some videos and reading some forums, I am finding that the mount is the most important part of astrophotography? I am psyched to invest in the best telescope for my camera and I am very impatient about it

I will wait for your reply before heading over there and sounding like a doofus. Your photos have me inspired and excited.

reply to post by Hollie


Ask for advice! I am sure someone will take you under their wing! And I assure you that you will not be ridiculed. All of us started from the same place of curiosity.

If you are impatient you will make the same mistake many people make getting cheap crappy equipment and being disappointed or getting seriously expensive equipment they do not know how to use.

There is a learning curve and depending on how much time and effort you put into it will be how much you get out. These days there are inexpensive (under a $1000) scopes that are go-to so much easier than when I started but the practical skills of knowing the night sky are worth understanding and learning.

Good luck!