Photography help needed before I go get a comet tonight
Hi all! Can anyone help me? I have a old 35mm SLR and need to know how to use it. I wasted 2 rolls of film last saturday night and got 1 good photo.
The camera is in thumbs below with all the gobbledygook on it that really means nothing to me.
I have a celestron nexstar 11 with a camera adaptor for prim focus photography, as well as the zoom lens on the camera itself to ride piggyback on the scope.
1.What is the best exposure time, aperture and film speed for the camera and its own lens, for the comet after dark?
2.How does this change when I take the lens off and put it on the scope for prime focus?
The focus screen in the camera is pretty course by comparison to newer cameras.
Heeeeelllllppp.
Ok, I'm still using film occasionally (although digital is slowly sucking me in...)
I'm assuming you are using camera and lens only, not using it through a scope, so..
1. Aperture should be widest possible, so for you that would be the lowest number...can't quite read it..3.0? You DONT want 22, that tightens the aperture right up small.
2. Focus should be set to infinity, the sidways 8 on the focal-length scale.
3. Film type - varies depending on what you want to acheive! I like to use 400 ASA as it works well in dim twilight when I like to be taking planet conjunction shots, but also does good with bright objects.
4. Exposure time - you need a shutter release cable that screws into your shutter (I can see the hole for it there) and then you need to set the exposure time to B for bulb. you now have complete control over how long the camera stays open for.
Then you need to bracket you shots...no, no, not frame them nicely, take them in sets of something like 2secs, 5 secs, 10secs, 15secs etc. Yes it wastes a lot of film but if you are new to it you wont know what works best so you have to try a range. You are still only going to get one or two good shots out a roll.
I'll just add to the good info given by Blue Skies.
2nd photo: this shows the shutter speed dial. It is currently set to 1/125 sec. Set it to B for “Bulb” exposure. This means that when you press and hold the shutter release, the shutter will remain open for as long as you keep it pressed down.
Tip: set it to B and use a cable release. A cable release screws into the shutter release button and lets you fire the shutter without touching the camera. When you touch the camera, you will make it shake during a long exposure, resulting in a blurred photo.
The lever to the right of the shutter speed dial is the wind on lever, for winding on the film after each exposure. This action also cocks the shutter.
The window with 400 shows tells the camera metering system that you have loaded the camera with a 400ASA (ISO) film. This can usually be manually changed from 100ASA to perhaps 800ASA.
Tip: Astrophotography requires faster films such as 400ASA or 800ASA emulsions.
3rd photo: the values 3.8, 5.6, 8, 11, 16 & 22 are the f-stops.
3.8 is “fast” – it lets in lots of light as the lens iris is “wide open” but the image may not be sharp across the whole frame.
22 is “very slow” – the lens iris is stopped down so very little light is getting through, therefore you will need a long exposure to record an image.
Tip: use 3.8 but don’t expect a super sharp photo.
4th photo: You have a zoom lens, 85mm to 210mm.
85mm will give you the wider field.
210mm will give you a narrow field.
Tip: Use 85mm to frame the comet.
Use 210mm to “zoom” in to obtain a more magnified view.
5th photo: the little lever underneath the SRT303b is a mechanical timer. If you wind on the film to cock the shutter, then wind this timer lever counter clockwise and release it, the shutter will fire some 8 to 12 secs later.
Tip: Use this for shutter speeds up to 1 second long so you do not shake the camera by pressing the shutter release. If the camera is mounted on a tripod and you are taking a 1 sec exposure, activate the timer by winding the lever CCW and releasing it and by the time the shutter fires approx 10 secs later, the camera vibrations from you touching it will have died down.
I took some shots last night with Danielsun and as a rough guide, my photos were around 15 to 60 seconds and showed the head and tail with a number of stars (streaked slightly), I think the camera was around 400ASA @F5.6. Anything less that and you won't capture enough light. Unfortunately, my camera doesn't go past 60 seconds but that was enough to capture something!
So, take more shots around the longer exposure times and since it is manual, I would even try to push out to 2 or 3 minutes.
Hi, I found that an exposure of around 2 - 3 seconds with ISO 200 (using a digital SLR) was good for the first twenty or so minutes after the comet becomes visible to the naked eye. As the sky gets darker, I switched to ISO 400 and anything from 5 to 15 seconds, with 10 - 15 seconds being optimal. Bear in mind that I was using a 70mm f/4 lens on a fixed tripod. Anything over 10-15 seconds shows too much trailing for my liking.
As the others have said, although you use more film, it's best to bracket and take as many shots as possible.
Also, consider getting your photos scanned and burnt onto a CD when you get them processed. A little tweaking in Photoshop (or similar) can make a huge difference.
i took some film shots the other day and some turned out and others didnt...
*fuji asa 200 film
*200mm lens @ f/5.6 focus infinity (or just back from seemed to work best(try focusing on venus).
*while the sky was still light i went for 10 sec exposures, as it darkened 30 sec.
be careful not to move teh camera when taking the shots or everything will turn out streaky. if you have a remote use that, if not I hope you have a timer.
( nice big piece of black card over the front of the camera, with three large holes in a triangle on it) this will allow you to focus much easer on prime focus or via an eye-piece adaptor. if out of focus, the comet will appear as three seperate images, as you approach focus, it will converge to a single image. Then take mask off and shoot.
As for bracketing shots, I shoot a few exposures either side everytime I do photo work.
ie on Saturday I shot with 400 ASA film on a 80mm lens. exposures where from 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1 second, 2 seconds, 4 seconds, 8 seconds and a bulb of 10 seconds. I then refocused and repeated.
From experience shooting the 2002 exclipse, where I shot three rolls of 36 exposures each ( swaping camera half way through the totality!!!) those 90 plus images resulted in about 10~12 wow images and two that finaly got published. Thats the name of the game with film. Digital is no better, with some nights I shoot 50 images and end up with a hand full I'm happy with.
Only those close to God and with no social life further than a meter from their scopes... can shoot five exposures and get five images that are drop dead stuff...
cheers and just enjoy it
Tony
ps I use and old richo manual SLR, with no batteries in it, because even the LED for the light meter in the view screen can bleed over on to the film.
You guys are legends. I am very sad that I did not make it to the IISAC this year and meet you all. I won't be making that mistake next camp!
I went out on Stromlo tonight with the camera and scope. I used the camera on a piggy-back mount, on top of my GPS aligned Celestron. Using the lens shown in the first post, I tried a number of shots zoomed in fully and zoomed out fully, with the aperture on 3.8 all the way. During the dusk and dark periods in between clouds I took 27 shots from 5 seconds to 40 seconds with a shutter release cable on Bulb and ISO 400 film
I then tried a few timed exposures thru the telescope using a camera adaptor, t-ring and prime focus. Very hard to get the focus right thru the camera using the split circle in the viewfinder on the focus screen, but I have a good feeling about tonight thanks to you dudes!
thanks so much. When I get them developed I will scan them and post the best here.
experimentation is the greatest learning tool to man...
but you must make a hartman mask, once you sued one, you'll never ever turn back.
I in fact use on one mys copes, my camera's ( big lensed SLR film oldies and even on my digital Nikon Coolpics)
With the mask you forget about the half-moon rubbish and battling to focus. It's as easy as pie with the mask.
for the Smaller digitals, I get a plastic cap to go over front of lens. Mine takes a old medical bottel cap, that I have now drilled three nice 4mm holes into in a triangle. A mini version of the scope cap shown in the link I put up.
This single item, together with my heavy duty tripod, made my astronomical life a million times better.
here is an example of the focus you can get.... crisp to the "t"
Hi guys. I took a whole roll of Iso 400 on f3.8 ranging from 10 seconds to 40 seconds, using the camera and its lens, then prime focus thru the scope via a camera adaptor and t ring.
I got an image in every pic, but it is clear to me that I need longer exposures than 40 seconds. Perhaps a couple of minutes.
Also, my whole roll of negatives and consequently every photo, had vertical stripes right across it! WTF????
Hi guys. I took a whole roll of Iso 400 on f3.8 ranging from 10 seconds to 40 seconds, using the camera and its lens, then prime focus thru the scope via a camera adaptor and t ring.
I got an image in every pic, but it is clear to me that I need longer exposures than 40 seconds. Perhaps a couple of minutes.
Also, my whole roll of negatives and consequently every photo, had vertical stripes right across it! WTF????
35mm....sooooo frustrating. and costly.
Baz.
Yes you need longer exposure than 40 sec.
I'd try at least 90 sec to around 3 minutes, then trailing becomes a real problem.
Re: Vertical stripes: Who processed the negatives?
it was a local drive-thru processor. Why? Do you think it was something they did wrong? I told them they would be dark shots. Is there a reccomended place to take film to in canberra?
Gonna have another go tonight, clouds permitting.
I have a gps aligned scope for tracking so trails are not a problem.
With all this 'hassel' and guess work then not knowing what the images will be like till you get them processed ... sounds like the film camera should be relegated to day-time terra subjects and invest in the trusty 'old' DSLR - I've been out every evening since the weather has 'cleared' at least until the comet makes it's appearance and taken on average around 80 shots per viewing. With immediate feedback adjusting for changing light conditions as you go. Of course there's the post image processing that can take on a life of it's own.
I'm out over Weston Creek, so probably spotted you driving up to Mt Stromolo and sharing the same clouds rolling in as the comet 'comes out'
The DSLR has made a huge difference to astrophotography and it has exploded in the last 10 years or so since the cameras have become relatively cheap. It only takes a few months of practice before you'll be churning out some very professional looking images, that otherwise with film might take several years to achieve similar results. At least with digital your not worried about how much 'film' your using and how much you have left .... Hats off too you if you stick with film and give it a bash ....
Also, my whole roll of negatives and consequently every photo, had vertical stripes right across it! WTF????
I get that with mine, sometimes worse than others , and think there is a leak in the back of the camera - that is the back of the camera doesn't seal properly so that light can leak in. Only way to really test it is to tape the back of the camera up once the film is loaded and not take it off until it's been wound back up.
If the stripes are vertical across the short edge of the film, rather than running parallel to the entire reel of film, then it may not be a machine created defect?
I used to get the occasional scratched negatives back from the developer, but the scratch lines were horizontal, parallel to the reel of the film and it was always difficult to establish if:
There was some grit on the film rails in the camera back, or…
Grit in the velvet light trap in the slit on the film can, or…
Grit on the film pressure plate, or…
Caused by the developer, etc.
Are the stripes actually scratch marks or do they appear more like light leakage?
Looks like a light leak. Weather it was from my camera or their processing machine I do not know. Ill reload for tonight, tape up the cam and try another roll at longer exposures. Stay tuned.....
:screw y:
can shoot five exposures and get five images that are drop dead stuff...
