"Moon Mode" preset on later Coolpix models; what would be the nearest equivalent manual settings on a DSLR? (Nikon, Sony)

[Those Who Squirm]

As I stated in an earlier thread, last summer I was trying to decide what DSLR I should upgrade to after six years of using a Coolpix point-and-shoot; I think I also mentioned in a later comment that I ultimately settled on a Nikon D5600, staying with the brand by default. The particular brand didn't matter that much, but I did want one that is known primarily as a maker of cameras and other optical equipment, rather than a company like Sony that makes all kinds of electronics--and cameras.

I bought a tripod at the same time.

So far, I've been very happy with this camera with regard to just about every shooting situation, except for one. I can't get the moon focused. I'm interested in astronomy so I usually try to photograph eclipses, supermoons, and the like. With the D5600, I've gotten remarkable results photographing stars, despite shooting from a parking lot in my typically light-polluted suburban neighborhood. Looking at the untouched JPEGS, you see that the background sky has the pale washed-out appearance you would expect. But when you zoom in you can see that scores if not hundreds of faint stars can be seen, barely standing out from the background. With a substantial amount of post-processing, I'm able to darken the background and make a reasonably presentable image, for example images 1,2,3, and 7 in this Flickr album.*

But with the moon, unless I snap the picture at the exact right moment in the early evening, when the moon is beginning to shine but the sky around it is still light enough to prevent the effect of trying to photograph a shining lightbulb through the top of the shade, I can't get a good image.

I noticed earlier today that some of the later Coolpix models have a "moon mode" preset for just this situation. Can anyone tell me what manual settings would be approximately equivalent? I appreciate the fact that it's not going to be cut and dried due to the different specs in different cameras, but it would help to know something about the moon mode in the point-and-shoot. It would be a place to start.


*Images 4,5, and 6 are the corresponding untouched JPEGS.

[RayinAK]

Regardless of camera being used, if you want to show the moon then you need a telephoto lens. Otherwise you will be showing the starts on the sky, and a little larger dot for the moon. In other words, do you want to show photos of the moon, or just the sky? I inform, and you decide.

Anyway, assuming that you are using a long lens to take photos of the moon, set your camera this way:
-Aperture to f/11.
-Shutter speed to 1/125 if your camera has an ISO setting of 100 (Shutter of 1/250 if your camera has an ISO setting of 200)
- Focus. Manually focus your lens to infinite, and shoot-away

[johninvegas]

The moon moves much faster than people expect. A lot of the time, using a high shutter speed as mentioned above will solve your problem.

As for your tripod, I suspect it is rather flimsy unless you paid hundreds of dollars for it and if you are using a slow shutter speed, the tripod is probably not holding the camera steady.

[Those Who Squirm]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Regardless of camera being used, if you want to show the moon then you need a telephoto lens. Otherwise you will be showing the starts on the sky, and a little larger dot for the moon.

Oh, naturally. I grew up with telescopes in the back yard, and I wouldn't expect to get the same fine detail from a mere 58mm diameter camera lens. But I do expect to get more than I would see with the naked eye. My old Coolpix had 10x optical zoom capability and I usually found that setting it to not quite the maximum value gave me the best results.

ETA: The 58mm diameter lens is a 70-300mm zoom lens, so not exactly a telephoto, but ought to do noticeably better than the old Coolpix.

In other words, do you want to show photos of the moon, or just the sky? I inform, and you decide.

Ideally I would have the moon together with some earthly features so there'd have to be both moon and sky.

Anyway, assuming that you are using a long lens to take photos of the moon, set your camera this way:
-Aperture to f/11.
-Shutter speed to 1/125 if your camera has an ISO setting of 100 (Shutter of 1/250 if your camera has an ISO setting of 200)
- Focus. Manually focus your lens to infinite, and shoot-away

I'll try it in a week or two.

[Those Who Squirm]

Originally Posted by johninvegas

As for your tripod, I suspect it is rather flimsy unless you paid hundreds of dollars for it and if you are using a slow shutter speed, the tripod is probably not holding the camera steady.

I did spend a couple hundred on the tripod and I'm pretty sure it's not the issue under most circumstances. It could be vulnerable to such things as the vibration in the ground caused by passing cars, if I'm shooting by the roadside; I haven't really investigated that yet. Multiple exposures ought to address that issue, as long as we're not talking about a commuter road during rush hour.

[Those Who Squirm]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Anyway, assuming that you are using a long lens to take photos of the moon, set your camera this way:
-Aperture to f/11.
-Shutter speed to 1/125 if your camera has an ISO setting of 100 (Shutter of 1/250 if your camera has an ISO setting of 200)

Would it also work to use the wider aperture and a shorter exposure? I'm assuming f/11 isn't already the widest possible, but the fact is I haven't worked with the long lens in quite a while. Lately I've been shooting the night sky and using the smaller 55mm lens.

[builder24car]

The last moon shot I did, I was killing time between trains.

f/7.1
1/500
201.6 mm
ISO 100

It turned out ok, nothing to write home about...