Lunar Eclipse Tonight

[GarzaCapitalist]

Hi all,


I just started seeing some news links to a lunar eclipse tonight.Could be some great pictures if you have clear skies. It'll be snowing here in New Hampshire.
<table class="wikitable"]
<caption>Times of eclipse over North America</caption>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Event</th><th>PST
(-8 UTC)</th><th>MST
(-7 UTC)</th><th>CST
(-6 UTC)</th><th>EST
(-5 UTC)</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Start penumbral (P1)</th>
<td bgcolor="#a0c0c0"]9:27 pm (*)</td>
<td bgcolor="#a0c0c0"]10:27 pm (*)</td>
<td bgcolor="#a0c0c0"]11:27 pm (*)</td>
<td>12:27 am</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Start umbral (U1)</th>
<td bgcolor="#a0c0c0"]10:32 pm (*)</td>
<td bgcolor="#a0c0c0"]11:32 pm (*)</td>
<td>12:32 am</td>
<td>1:32 am</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Start total (U2)</th>
<td bgcolor="#a0c0c0"]11:40 pm (*)</td>
<td>12:40 am</td>
<td>1:40 am</td>
<td>2:40 am</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Greatest eclipse</th>
<td>12:17 am</td>
<td>1:17 am</td>
<td>2:17 am</td>
<td>3:17 am</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>End total (U3)</th>
<td>12:53 am</td>
<td>1:53 am</td>
<td>2:53 am</td>
<td>3:53 am</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>End umbra (U4)</th>
<td>2:02 am</td>
<td>3:02 am</td>
<td>4:02 am</td>
<td>5:02 am</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>End penumbral (P4)</th>
<td>3:06 am</td>
<td>4:06 am</td>
<td>5:06 am</td>
<td>6:06 am</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" align="center"](*) before midnight on Monday night, December 20</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


Here are some links:


[url="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHfigures/OH2010-Fig04.pdf]http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHfigures/OH2010-Fig04.pdf[/url]


[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_2010_lunar_eclipse]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_2010_lunar_eclipse[/url]


Thanks,


Brant
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>

im in California and it is a bit cloudy so i assume the same for tonight. i found this in case i do get a shot









http://www.mreclipse.com/LEphoto/LEphoto.html

[GarzaCapitalist]

www.mreclipse.com/.../LEphoto.html

[HDNitehawk]

Ok Partly cloudy tonight maybe I can do it.


Whats the best way to capture this?


I have the 500mm F4L with both extensions, I am thinking 1.4x as the 2x degrades to much.


It will be straight overhead.


7D or 5D MarkII?


ISO 100??


F crank it down tight?


Shutter play with it in manual to get the right exposure?


Thoughts?

[mpphoto12]

i have a 1D MK III and a 70-200 2.8L and a Gitzo Rporter tripod how should i go about this ? would ISO 50 work well? could cropping the picture at 200mm result in a decent image???

[Andy Stringer]

@HDNitehawk

Based on my shots of a full moon (at 300mm + 1.4x on a 1.3x crop camera), I would try the 7D with the 500 + 1.4x on a sturdy tripod. Your 5D II will be too wide without the 2x extender.

Shoot wide open at f/5.6. You don't need depth of field for the moon, but you do need all the light you can get to avoid the nasty ISO noise that you'll suffer if you close the aperture too much, especially since the moon may not be its usual bright white, and only partly visible. Use ISO 100 if you can, but it's hard to advise how much light there will be since I've never seen this event. Use spot metering and exposure bracketing. Keep checking the histogram and compensate as required.


@mpphoto12

Same general advice, but you'll have to crop really tight to get anything, unless you get lucky with some dramatic clouds in a (relatively) wide shot at 200mm. ISO 50 is a possibility, since you could be shooting at f/2.8

I hope the sky stays clear for you and look forward to seeing any shots you get. I'm unlikely to see it through the fog here in Britain, and we only get to see a partial eclipe just before sunrise anyway. Looks like were all counting on you two tonight. No pressure.

[mpphoto12]

haha thanks a ton Andy, weather shows completely clear here in NJ and i hope i can crop something to a decent shot! thanks and ill be sure to post whatever is salvageable haha im not as fortunate to own a 500 f4 haha

[mpphoto12]

also would it be smarter to use my rebel XT for the crop factor of 1.6? to get closer or save better image quality with my 1.3X MK III and crop?

[Andy Stringer]

My earliest shots of the moon were taken with the 350D / Rebel XT and the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, and I was happy with them at the time, so you will get something with that combination.


The extra crop factor and higher pixel density of the XT will give you more resolution for the same image. I haven't studied the difference in noise, but you still have time to check Bryan's reviews. On the other hand, you might feel more comfortable nailing focus with the 1D's micro-adjustment or Live View, which your older body lacks.


It's bedtime here, so I'll sign off for tonight and check back tomorrow. Good luck.