Lunar Eclipse Photography 2018: The Best Tips!



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H On July 27, a spectacular and rare event awaits us: a total lunar eclipse in Germany. The moon enters the shadow of the earth's core and a so-called moon of blood is created. It's time to dust off the camera, clean the lenses and lift the tripod to prepare the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century! A binocular suitable for observation is also mandatory, as a dr planet physicist. Frank Sohl in an interview to the Helmholtz Association explains who does not have one, can quickly order one more from Amazon: the best-selling branded binoculars under 100 euros come from Olympus. Thanks to the Evening Express delivery, which is possible in 20 metropolitan areas and even free for Prime customers, the binoculars arrive on time (from this delivery information: Friday morning, 9:45).

Lunar eclipse: Weather and weather for Friday night

One hour and 43 minutes will take the show and will reach its peak, the maximum darkening, in this country at 22:22. Good News from the Meteorological Service for the North and West of Germany: The night from Friday to Saturday should be as clear as without clouds. In the south, according to the current state, only slight clouding is to be expected. In the east, sky observers have to adapt in part to a little more cover, even light showers are possible. The illustration below explains how to photograph the lunar eclipse, what you need, which cameras are best for you, what to expect and how to edit the photos.

Lunar Eclipse: The Perfect Accessory

Astrophotography for All

Nocturnal pics with an impressive panorama of stars succeed with simple means: A SLR or a system camera (here models on Idealo) shoot attractive astrophotos. A wide angle lens for star pics and a telephoto lens for moon pics. The main thing is that you make the most important settings namely focus, aperture, shutter speed and ISO value manually. This gives you the greatest control over the result of the image. How to do this, we will explain below. With a solid tripod and a remote shutter to prevent blur, reduce the image. Take the right place at the right time, and success is at your fingertips.

Parallel to the lunar eclipse: Mars and ISS visible

On Friday night there will be two other objects in the sky in addition to the lunar eclipse. Just below the Moon of Blood, Mars appears as close as she has not been to Earth for 15 years. If you turn your gaze to the west at 22:30, the ISS International Space Station with German astronaut Alexander Gerst on board is the brightest point of the sky.

Results with full-frame cameras

Astronomical prices are not excluded. Who prefers the best image quality, sits on a high quality full frame camera. Because in general, the larger the sensor, the less the noise of the image covers the starry sky with all its details. In the trade are well-known specialists for night photography to have, for example, the Pentax K-1 Mark II (on Idealo) or the Sony Alpha 7S II (on Idealo). Both models are true light giants with ISO sensitivities beyond 400 000. In addition, versatile devices like the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (on Idealo) or the Nikon D850 (on Idealo) are remarkably impressive in this discipline . The Nikon D810A (on Idealo) is one of the most astrophotography-oriented models. To prohibit the faint starry nebulae on the image chip, the special low-pbad filter allows much greater infrared light. However, this only pays when it is used with telescopes.

The Best SLR Cameras

Wide Angle Lenses for Widefield Photos

To combine large areas of the sky with Landscapes a wide angle lens or even an ultra wide angle lens is the first choice. The optics should have a focal length of between 12 and 30 mm for the 35 mm format. And she should be brilliant. Ideal are lenses with an aperture between f1.4 and f2.8. As a favorite for Widefield shots, the Samyang AF 14mm F2.8 EF and the Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM have established themselves as astrophotographers. The type Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM and the expensive Zeiss Distagon T * 2.8 / 15 ZE bring more sharpness to the edges of the image.

The photos of the Moon require much more focal length. For APS-C sensors, we recommend a focal length of about 300 mm or more on full-frame cameras equivalent to 500 mm or more. If you have a slightly shorter telephoto lens, you can cut the picture on the computer after shooting and bring the moon closer to you.

Tips for optimizing camera settings

How to set the camera ideally under the stars? For star photographs with extreme precision, focus is important first. To do this, turn off autofocus and set the lens manually to Infinity . To check, it is best to use the live view function with the highest magnification. The exposure control with aperture, shutter speed and ISO value. The right opening setting is easy to find: blend up to get the most light possible on the sensor. Higher ISO sensitivity ensures more ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 details are proven. Full-size cameras, which are quieter at higher ISO values, have a distinct advantage here. In any case, you should take RAW photos in order to use all the possibilities of later image editing (more information below).

Take pictures of the moon: 10 tips

Sharp with fixed camera: Rule of 500

Find the optimal exposure time for Sharp star photos is a little tricky. If the exposure time is too long, the stars are not punctual, but like fuzzy streaks (Star Trails). On the other hand, too short exhibitions do not show much detail. Rule of thumb: The larger the angle of view of the lens, the longer the exposure time without visible traces. In the case of telephoto lenses, the rotation of the Earth is visible much earlier because of star trails.

With the catchy 500 rule of thumb, you're on the bright side: 500 (cropfaktor focal length sensor) = maximum exposure time. For example, if you are using a full frame camera with a 20mm lens, 25 seconds is the correct orientation value. If in doubt, expose krzer and therefore darker.

Long Exposure with Astrotrackers

High-resolution photos of planets or distant galaxies are more of a case for specialists: they require longer telephoto lenses and shutter speeds. Blurring through the Earth's rotation avoids expensive accessories such as the Vixen Polarie Star Tracker. Mount the mobile astrotracker on the tripod. It compensates for rotation caused by tracking the camera and allows long exposures of several minutes, which reveals much more detail.

The best system cameras

The final touches in post-production

Impressive astrophotography rarely comes out of the camera. That's why you should shoot in RAW format to get the full potential of the image in post-production. If you want to twinkle the starry sky, adjust the brightness of the image in the image editing program, increase the contrast and make it easier. To bring out the finer details, turn down the lights and illuminate the depths. The color temperature gets a lighter or warmer rating, depending on your taste.

Free and popular: photo software and photo editing

Those who want to combine fascinating landscapes with a glittering starry sky can not avoid multiple exposures . At first, the camera captures the foreground. Since the landscape is still, long exposure with a low ISO value is recommended. Then the timeblending technique is used. Keep the position of the camera exactly so that the night sky will take pictures later after the 500 rule.

The darker the night, the more stars shine

The detailed astrophotos are Places without Lichtsmog so far from the scattered light of cities. With coarse orientation, light pollution maps on the internet help you. If you want to be sure, you are at least 50 kilometers from the nearest big city. Or control one of the three German Sternenparks : The so-called international starry sky reserves are available at Westhavelland, at Eifel National Park and at Rhn. In clear nights, you have the best chance of seeing thousands of stars at the naked eye.

Orientation and Planning with Astro-Apps

Where are the known constellations? ? How is the Milky Way? The view of a star chart facilitates alignment. You can do it more easily with Astro apps for Android or iOS smartphones. Skyview and Star Walk 2 are the most popular orientation tools. You can download them on the Google Play Store and on the Apple App Store. If you point the smartphone to the sky, the annotated star charts show the planets and constellations you see in the sky. Convenient for preparation: As an option, you can remember the constellations of the coming hours.

The landscapes are particularly spectacular in front of the dense star-shaped nebula of the Milky Way. In our latitudes, their galactic center is best seen between May and September. However, at different times of the night: At the beginning of summer, clusters of colorful stars appear from 2 am, at the end of the summer already at 9 pm. The stars are as rich in contrast as possible, if the scattered light of the moon does not affect the appropriate new moon phases. "Astro-apps" and "lunar calendars".

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