The Moon on April 3, 2025, Part Two: Film Version

Last week, I wrote that I had been out with my Questar telescope and Questar-modified Nikon F to do a bit of film astrophotography. Having finally developed my film from that night, I can share what I shot that evening.

Insofar as film photography with a Questar telescope is concerned, suffice it to say that the experience is certainly different than it is with a digital camera. On one hand, the combination of telescope and camera, albeit rather heavy, is simply beautiful to behold.

I also really appreciate the additional button that is at the heart of Questar’s modification, a button that flips the mirror up separately from the shutter action. To be sure, normal production Nikon F camera bodies had a way to lock the mirror up, but doing so involved wasting an exposure.

But as much fun it is to work a film camera attached to my Questar, I must confess that the image quality of a film photograph simply can’t match that of the digital version.

This is not the worst film photograph of the Moon I’ve ever taken. Actually it’s one of the better ones. After scanning the negative, I increased contrast a bit and applied a bit of a clarity correction to increase sharpness.

If you’re curious to know more about what it’s like to shoot with a camera attached to a Questar telescope, check out my extensive write-up on the photographic possibilities one has with a Questar telescope.