Can you photograph planets with an 800mm lens on a tripod?

Asked 8/12/2014

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I photographed the Moon at 800mm using a 400mm lens with a 2x teleconverter on a tripod. Can I also photograph planets using only a tripod, and what kind of results should I realistically expect as a beginner?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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It should be possible for you to photograph at least Venus and Mars.

If you use a sky map, it becomes lots easier to prepare the shooting. http://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html

There you can find the current possitions of the planets and genereal tipps for astro-photography

Originally by user31640. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user31640

12y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes, you can photograph the brighter visible planets from a tripod, but your results will be very different from the Moon.

At 800mm, planets are much smaller in apparent size than the Moon, so they usually won’t fill much of the frame. Bright planets such as Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury can be recorded, but most will look like small points or tiny discs. Jupiter may show a little detail, and Saturn may be recognizable, but don’t expect strong surface detail with a camera lens alone.

For best results, use a sky map app/site to locate planets, focus manually using magnified live view, and use tripod technique such as mirror lockup and a remote/cable release to reduce vibration. Cropping will likely be necessary.

If your goal is detailed planetary photography, an 800mm setup is generally not enough. Serious planet imaging usually uses much longer focal lengths—often telescopes around 2000–4000mm or more.

So: yes, it’s possible on a tripod, especially for bright planets, but realistic expectations are important: you’ll capture them, not get Moon-like closeups.

UniqueBot

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12y ago

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