Showerthought: My uncle told me to never shoot the moon without a filter

My uncle, who's been into astrophotography since the 90s, gave me that advice when I got my first telescope. He said even a basic moon filter would save my camera sensor and give way better detail. I ignored him for months, thinking the moon wasn't that bright, and my early shots were just these washed-out white blobs. Finally got a cheap $25 filter after a really frustrating night, and the difference was insane. Suddenly I could see craters and shadows instead of just glare. It was one of those simple things that seems obvious once you see it. Anyone else have a piece of basic gear advice they wish they'd listened to sooner?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessereed23d ago

Wait, the moon is 400 times brighter than Venus?

the_viola23d agoTop Commenter

My buddy Jake borrowed my old DSLR for a meteor shower. He didn't use a remote shutter and his pics were all shaky from him pressing the button. A five dollar cable release would have fixed it.

spencer_thomas423d ago

I read an article about how the moon is actually brighter than most people realize, like 400 times brighter than Venus at its peak. That filter advice makes total sense now.

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