[aprssig] Taking photos of sats

[Keith VE7GDH]

Andrew VK4TEC wrote...

> What "setting" is ur cam on ?

As John mentioned,  it was taken by Cranston WA5TBB. and the exposure
was 30 seconds at ISO 400. Higher ISO settings would allow you to go to
a faster shutter speeds, but would eventually introduce more noise from
the sensor. A longer lens and a high ISO setting would allow you to get
a "closer" picture of a satellite, but it would be more difficult to
manually get a fast moving object in the viewfinder. A wide open
diaphragm would let in the maximum amount of light, but would have a
shorter depth of field. If you were trying to get only the satellite,
and you were properly focussed, that wouldn't matter. If you wanted
foreground objects, exposure, focus and depth of field would have to
take all of that into account. A camera mounted on a telescope would be
your best bet for a pic of a satellite only, but getting it in the
viewfinder would be trickier. A big telescope (more light gathering)
would allow you too go to faster shutter speeds and more depth of field
by allowing you to stop it down. Of course that's a lot of advise from
someone that's only taken pics of large bright easy to find things like
the moon! A remote release (cable, IR etc.) will help reduce camera
shake. If you aren't using a telescope, an image stabilized lens will
help. Good luck with the satellite pics!

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&ei=yCSlSuWnGIKUtgfPlZQB&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&q=photographing+orbiting+satellites&spell=1
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=photographing+satellites&meta=
http://www.spacearchive.info/satphoto.htm
http://www.satsig.net/geopics.htm
https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/4871/1/V62N04_191.pdf
above - too much math for me!  must be an old document... refers to ASA 
instead of ISO and something called "film"
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/satellites/Photographing_Iridium_Flares.html
above... Iridium flares

73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
--
"I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"