RE: [APML] Film Choice for Total Lunar Eclipse

["Lane, Jason R" <jason.lane@navy.mil>]

Thanks Philip and Thomas.  I wanted to use a slower speed film to get the detail, but it sounds like it'd be better to stick with E200 or Provia 400.  

Cheers,
Jason

-----Original Message-----
From: astro-photo-bounces@seds.org
[mailto:astro-photo-bounces@seds.org]On Behalf Of Philip Perkins
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 6:55 AM
To: Discussion of Film Astrophotography
Subject: RE: [APML] Film Choice for Total Lunar Eclipse


I agree here - finer grained film is always better if possible but with a 
total lunar eclipse that usually means selecting 200 or 400 ASA film rather 
than 800 or 1600 ASA.  Films around 100 ASA or slower are likely to cause 
problems in both these scenarios:

- you are shooting on a fixed tripod (to capture scenic foreground objects) 
- with a slow film you will need to expose for too long to avoid the moon 
and background stars from trailing on the image (see Michael Covington's book)

- you are shooting on an equatorial mount and tracking on the moon to try 
capture some background stars as well (if the moon is dark enough) - with a 
slow film you will probably need to expose for too long to avoid the 
background stars from trailing (again see Covington's book)

I would still recommend Kodak E200 or Fuji Provia 400.  Although the 
eclipsed moon is quite bright as an astronomical object, it is _very_ dark 
in terms of regular 'daylight' shooting using a slow film - reasonable film 
speed is definitely recommended.

--Philip
-------

At 18:53 25/10/2004 -0700, you wrote:
>Jason,
>
>Be very careful in choosing such slow films (i.e. ASA 100 or less)
>for lunar eclipses.  They'll be "perfect" except during totality.
>Depending on how dark the moon gets, you may be looking at exposures
>greater than 30 seconds.  It will be very difficult to keep the moon
>from blurring with exposures greater than 30 seconds, depending on
>your focal length.  You could probably use the Provia 100 and push
>it a stop or two, but I personally would avoid using the Velvia
>during totality.
>
>Wade
>
>
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Philip Perkins
<pgp@astrocruise.com>
Wiltshire UK & Luberon France
www.astrocruise.com


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