04:45. . . And the clicking began! I had my tripod and camera on standby and quickly set them up. I'm glad I got the images, but I'm disappointed with the quality of the lower-light, red phase photos I captured. Of course, until you get them on a regular computer screen, you just can't quite tell how they came out. This was the first time I had a chance to use this particular camera for a total eclipse. So I had a bit of a learning curve to tackle -- In the dark! This is by far, the best digital camera I've owned, so far. However, over the past 2 & 1/2 years, I have been finding it's limitations. Last night was another such occasion. Don't get me wrong, I still like my Fuji FinePix S7000. It's just that there are some things I would like to stretch into that this camera may not be able to stretch with me. I may have to save up (sooner) for the DSLR camera I have my eye on and see how I fair with that! See here the first (red totality shot), and the last of the series I shot last night. I found that my old film cameras were a tad easier to do the manual focus on an object like this, in mostly darkness. With this camera, the view finder was very grainy with such a dim subject.
The graininess made it next to impossible to see well enough to tell whether I'd focused finely enough. When I tried to focus further, it appeared to be too much the other way -- which frankly never made sense to me, being that infinity should do it. . . I mean, it's the moon which is pretty friggin' far away! But it was like the focus ring would never stop. There may be an issue I need to have checked out. We shall see.~Note: Upon further thought, I now realize that some of the "soft focus" (in the red shot above) is probably also due to the long exposure and not "tracking" the moon. . . as there would have been slight travel of the moon in that 2 or 3 second shot (whatever it was, I forget). That would also account for some of the fuzz to it. That one kind of reminds me of a peach! Anyway -- MORE argument for getting a telescope!! hehe
In the meantime, I did the best I could working with less than optimal conditions. I really need to break out the instructions again and re-read the low-light stuff. I has been a while!
Once the moon was in less shadow, the graininess in the view finder diminished and my ability to focus improved! And. . . my exposures decreased with the added light, ergo. . . less moon movement. I'm thinking. . . perhaps if I'd had a telescope to attach the camera to, perhaps the focus would not have been an issue. I'll try that next time (I hope).
Unfortunately, I heard from one source that the next total lunar eclipse that would be visible in the U.S.A., would not be for about 6 or 7 years. However, I've heard from a couple of other sources that it will be in February 2008. I will have to double check the facts on that!! But it is, what it is! I'll roll with that. Maybe by then, I'll have that sweet little Olympus DSLR that I've been salivating over! I'd be MORE than happy to test that little bugger out anytime! ;-) OR I'll have a telescope?
At any rate, it was way to early for sane people to be getting up, but I really wanted to try this out. Now I've learned a few more things. I'm always. . . ok, usually up for that. I'm now motivated more than ever to locate my old negatives of the last time I stayed up and photographed a total lunar eclipse -- on film. I now want to find them and scan them in and see how they compare.
Soon, hopefully.
Be well!
~Paulena
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