How to get auto exposure with a camera on manual setting

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Reviewer

Sounds daft or impossible. That,s what I thought when I heard you can get auto exposure on a DSLR with it set on manual.

So how does it work. So lets say you need to use a specific shutter speed and f-ratio. 250th sec at f5.6 for example. Adjust the camera to manual and enter these settings. But this still will not get you auto exposure….or will it. To do this, set the ISO to auto if your camera allows this. The auto ISO will now adjust to give you the correct exposure. So that`s how to get auto exposure with the camera on manual.

OK, this is not for everyone and not something that may suit me. Saying that I may experiment one day to see the results. One major drawback is that you can not use exposure compensation. Why not give it a try and see how you get on

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Helios Nitrosport 10×25 WP monocular. Customer purchase March 2017

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Reviewer

After trying a couple of monoculars at the Northern Optics weekend display at Barton Upon Humber, our customer chose the Helios Nitrosport 10×25 monocular. With regards optics, they were very similar to the Helios Rapide monocular, but had the benefit of better rubber armour and being water proof. They were chose to compliment their current 8×42 binoculars when out and about, as they are suitable for car glove boxes

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Illusion 7×50 WP binoculars. Customer purchase March 2017

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Reviewer

The illusion 7×50 WP binoculars were the preferred choice when a visitor came to the Northern Optics weekend display at the Waters` Edge visitor centre. They needed a good set of 7×50 binoculars for use on the boat, due to them being easy to hand hold and focus. The main factor in the choice was the quality of the optics, that gave excellent views in low light conditions. Contrary to belief, we always recommend testing binoculars in low light conditions as this is a great test of light grasp and contrast in testing conditions.

The customer was not put off by the weight. These are rubber armoured . nitrogen gas filled  and come with a comfy flotation strap. Just the job when out at sea. Highly recommended

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KLM 747 airplane photo. 15th March 2017

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Reviewer

Delighted with this wide field image of a KLM 747 at 32,000ft heading to Chicago. Used my trusty Canon EOS 1100D + Tamron 70-300mm lens at 300mm. ISO 100, f6.3 at 400th second. RAW file edited in DPP where I darkened the blues and brought out the whites to increase the effect. Hand held with image stabilisation on. Though many would tell me its best left off with moving targets.

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Airbus A340 photograph 15th March 2017

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Reviewer

Took this image of an Airbus A340 on a bright clear day with lovely dark background sky. It was at 34,000ft heading to San Jose. Equipment used Canon EOS 1100D Tamron 70-300mm at 300mm f6.3 , 400th second.

RAW file sharpened in DPP, where I also darkened the blue and increased the brightness of the whites for a more dramatic effect. Sometimes it is best to look at the bigger picture rather than over crop

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Celestron binoculars and spotting scope purchase March 2017

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Reviewer

A customer came to Northern Optics looking for two products. A spotting scope for looking at birds in the garden and occasional astronomy + a set of binoculars for when out and about at the Nature reserves.

The spotting scope they chose was the Celestron Travel scope 70 due to simple set up, lightweight body and tripod and clear optics. Another plus was the handy back pack that come with it.

The binoculars they opted for were the Celestron Nature DX 8×42 . After trying a set of high quality 8×26 and 10×32 binoculars, the Nature DX 8×42 gave a noticeably brighter view and sharper image. The customer commented on how they would have never have known how good they were by looking on line. This proves that to see the full potential of binoculars you really need to look through them first . And as the local dealer of binoculars for North Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire we offer this service

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Tal Klevsov Lunar image 7th March 2017

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Reviewer

Used a Tal Klevsov 8″ (200mm) with a Canon EOS 1100D to take this photo of the Moon. One thing about this telescope is the narrow field of view, so you can not get the full disc in. But an advantage is that less cropping is needed for close ups.

To get prime focus with this telescope, a short extension tube is needed due to not enough inward focus travel. But I was able to do this by simply using a 2x barlow with the lens element removed.

Focus is critical. So as always with my astro images I used magnified live view. This was a single RAW file 160th sec at 100 ISO. Processing was done in DPP (digital photo professional). I found compared to my Tal 4″ refractor contrast was lower. This was improved in editing. If taking single Lunar images, we always recommend using RAW files. This is because you can bring out so much more detail that would be lost in a JPEG

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North Lincs astro meeting 6th March 2017 Talk by Paul Money

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Reviewer

It was nice to see a few new faces for the March 2017 meeting at the North Lincs astro society. This meant we had a very good attendance of 25 people filling the room. On this occasion we were given an excellent talk (part 2) of the Voyager space flight program by Paul Money. This included some excellent actual and simulated footage and images of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune + moons. With a lovely finale where the space craft looked back and took a family photo of the solar system which made us all realise how small we are from such a vast distance away. In fact we were no more than a pixel in space.

Thank you as always for the teas and refreshments courtesy of Malcolm and Glenys and the wildlife trust for the use of the venue.

For a change, we had partial clear skies afterwards. So Paul Cotton very kindly set up the Celestron SCT telescope so we could have some glorious views of the Moon

For more info on the North Lincs astro society click HERE

 

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Hawke Frontier ED 8×42 , Endurance PC 8×25 customer purchases 26.2.17

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Reviewer

At the Northern Optics outlet this weekend , a couple of Hawke binoculars were on customer shopping lists. Firstly a gentleman was looking for a top quality 8×42 set of binoculars in the £200 – £250 range. He instantly enjoyed the bright and clear view the Hawke Frontier ED 8×42 gave. Compared to the slightly bigger Frontier 8×43 ED, these are truly outstanding value for money. These are a set up from the award winning Endurance ED range with a wider view, sharper optics and better build quality.

The 2nd customer wanted a high quality set for around £100. For this price the Hawke Endurance PC 8×25 were perfect.See image top right. As well as great optics, a big tick in the box was the double hinged design, meaning they could be folded up and put in a handbag. From a personal point of view, the Endurance PC 25mm binoculars are a perfect choice if the Sapphire range are above your budget

Both customers mentioned the importance of buying local and supporting local businesses. Plus with this they had the added benefit of trying before you buy

Click HERE to buy from Northern Optics

 

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Ursa Major wide field image using an Ostara 2″ moon skyglow filter 27.2.17

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Reviewer

In between the clouds I managed this wide field image of a section of Ursa Major. Used a Canon EOS 1100D. 30 seconds at 18mm. ISO 3200, RAW file and mounted on the Visionary VT70 tripod. So how did I connect an Ostara 2″ moon skyglow filter ?. I simply rested it on the camera lens. This filter removes much of the orange sky glow, with the remaining taken away in Canon digital photo professional.

The passing clouds add a nice effect

The Ostara Moon / Skyglow filter can be purchased from Northern Optics HERE . This is a popular filter with the members of the North Lincs astro astronomy society who tell me it performs as good as another dedicated light pollution filter.

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