Actual Step

Photographing a Lunar Eclipse

Updated: 2026-03-07

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Please take a look at Trevor Jones' article "How to Photograph a Lunar Eclipse", in which he provides lots of valuable tips for successfully photographing a lunar eclipse.

Important general DSLR/DSLM camera settings during a Lunar Eclipse (from Travor Jones article) 


Phase

ISO Settings

F-Stop

Exposure

White Balance

Notes

Penumbral

ISO 100-200

f/8-f/11

1/250-1/500 s

Daylight or set manually

Treat like a bright full Moon; keep exposures short to avoid blown highlights

Partial Eclipse

ISO 100-400

f/6.3-f/8

1/125-1/250 s



Adjust for a reddish hue or shoot in RAW for flexibility

Bracket if needed; the bright limb and dark shadow can be hard to capture in a single frame

Totality (Blood Moon)

ISO 800-3200

 f/4-f/6.3

0.5-4 s

Use a tracking mount for the longer exposures; check the histogram so that the Moon is not just a dim blob.

Wide-Field Landscape

ISO 800-3200

 f/2.8-f/4

10-30s

Daylight or set manually

Great for showing the eclipsed Moon over a landscape; watch for star trailing ad longer focal lengths.

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