Tonight's moon

[nerfherder]

The cloud cleared enough for me to get a decent shot of the moon tonight.

Handheld with 70-300mm VR lens, cropped and a touch of USM in CS2.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2040/1698817444_bbc942e50f_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lpmcc/1698817444/in/set-72157594338748705/)
Camera: Nikon D50
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 200

[Freedom Canadian]

How much is a camera like yours, nerf ? :)

[Pigs in Space]

Here I was thinking this was a goatse thread.

[nerfherder]

How much is a camera like yours, nerf ? :)
It's a Nikon D50 - pretty much the cheapest DSLR I could buy at the time. Its replacement, the D40, costs $500 on amazon.

[Varaj]

Very nice photo!

[FeatsofClay]

Handheld! Go Nerfherder the unshakable!

[nerfherder]

Handheld! Go Nerfherder the unshakable!
Not quite - I braced myself against my car, and the lens has Vibration Reduction. It actually costs more than the camera body...

[doc]

What's the main difference between a Nikon and a Canon, I bought a Canon AE1 in 80 while I was overseas (Korea) and it did a great job for 20 years (until it was stolen :mad:)

[nerfherder]

What's the main difference between a Nikon and a Canon, I bought a Canon AE1 in 80 while I was overseas (Korea) and it did a great job for 20 years (until it was stolen :mad:)
That's a pretty difficult question to answer! Both companies produce excellent DSLR bodies and lenses that cost from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The Nikon flash system is said to be better than the Canon one, and the Canon bodies tend to have better high ISO performance than Nikon bodies, but that mostly affects the pros and semi-pros.

If you wanted to buy a new DSLR, I'd advise you to handle the Nikon D40 and Canon 400D in a shop and see which you prefer the feel and operation of. Depending on how much money you wanted to spend, the Nikon D80 and Canon 40D would be the next step up before you start hitting semi-pro bodies.

[nerfherder]

Here's one from tonight. Did initial processing in Lightroom, except for sharpness, opened up in CS2, resized and applied USM, then exported from Lightroom. I love how they integrate so seamlessly.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/1715495141_57c37fd151_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lpmcc/1715495141/)
Camera: Nikon D50
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/6 EV
Exposure Program: Aperture priority
Metering Mode: Spot

[Atropine Mama]

Oh my heavenly days, those are incredible. Nerf, do you publish your photos, or sell them for publication? You should. They're so crisp and clear, you can make out little details on the surface. I would totally hang prints of those photos in my home, especially the second one!

[nerfherder]

Thanks. I've had a couple published on the BBC website - local events and the lunar eclipse - but really it's just a bit of fun.

If you go on flickr.com and search for the Moon groups, you'll find tons of really good moon shots that make mine look very small and blurred. Not that I think mine are bad, but there are an awful lot of very talented photographers out there!

[nerfherder]

First clear sky for a few days. Just noticed this as I was on my way home from my girlfriend's. It's not as red as the others because it's higher in the sky (so the light travelled through less of the atmosphere).

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/1795140407_f661fa418b_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lpmcc/1795140407/?reuploaded=1)
Camera: Nikon D50
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV

I cocked up the exposure (I'd forgot that I still had it set to -1/3EV exposure bias), so corrected that in Lightroom, cropped, increased contrast and sharpened.

[Black Angel]

These really are awesome pics! The detail is just incredible.

[doc]

Awesome pics Nerf, they make me all furry happy !!

[Dawnstar]

Those are some great pictures. It makes me want to star gaze.