To get a good photo of The Moon, what the least amount of Pixels a Digital Camera should have?

Question

Ok, so I was just wondering if whether I can combine my two favourite hobbies! Astronomy and Photography,

Until yesterday, I used a mere 3MP camera (I know, poor quality) but I invested in a 8MP Kodak, which has 3x Optical Zoom and its great -

Would i be able to get a good photo of the moon with this?

Thanks x

Answer 1

The 8 megapixels would be good enough, but the 3 x zoom will NOT (and don't even think about the digital zoom).

It takes a serious DSLR with an even more serious zoom lens (and I am talking BIG lens here) to get anything close to filling the frame.

With some practice, YOU will be able to get a good, clear shot of the moon (using tripod and timer), but it will be very small in the photo, and you can only zoom in to view it at 100%, after that it will start to pixellate.

I just don't want you to expect miracles and then blame yourself when it doesn't work out.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

megapixels only increases the size of the print with no added noise or distortion. the size of the image sensor is much more important. a large image sensor lets you capture more info per pixel which means more resolution and more clarity regardless of the size(megapixel).

for night photos of the moon use the same rules you use for telescopes. get away from lights. use a tripod. use large apertures which translates to small F numbers - yeah I know its backwards. and No Flash!!!

if your camera has a night mode thats a good start. write down the settings the camera chooses automatically in night mode. take a pic. make a small change to the settings. take another pic and compare. better? worse? keep making small changes until you get that phantastic photo!