Oh yes - these are the sort of lunar images I like! The shapes, tones and subtle colours in the clouds contrast beautifully with the bright, featureless disc of the moon.

It took me a while to see Spica - only when I looked at it on a clean screen did I realise that it wasn't just another speck of dust . And it looks blue to me, too.

Steve

Not like any cherry I've ever seen. But whatever it is, I like the photo.

Steve

Thanks for setting my thoughts off in different directions. Decision is made. For garden use, I'll get the official Pentax AC adapter for the K3iii and run it off a mains extension cable from an outdoor socket. Then think about getting a suitable power bank with 240v output to replace the extension cable in the garden, for big stacks when not in the garden and for more general use - such as backup power when VOIP phones replace copper cable and there's a power cut (and Murphy's Law says that mobile phone batteries won't have much charge when the inevitable happens).

Problem solved - until I notice a flaw in my reasoning!

Steve

Thanks folks. x5 focus stacking outdoors was definitely a learning experience for me, quite different to doing x1 macro outdoors or even x5 indoors. Apart from anything else, even when you don't think there's any air movement what you see through the viewfinder is still moving slightly in the tiniest of tiny breezes. And then a cloud moves in front of the sun half way through the 100 shot stack... Still, there's plenty of lichen in the garden so lots of opportunity to climb up the learning curve. .

Steve

Interesting suggestion. I hadn't thought of getting something with a 240V output - might be useful for non-photographic thingies, too. Not sure about the USB outputs, though. Apparently the K3iii needs USB C with Power Delivery 3 (PD3) protocol to get full functionality, there's no mention of PD3 in the power bank's specs. I'm no expert in such things, but PD3 seems to allow both power source and recipient to negotiate the right voltage and current. I think that's different to the K3 (original). Might be related to being able to recharge the battery in the camera with the K3iii but not the K3 (original).

Steve

But can it make a pot of tea??

Steve

If you mean highlight alert in live view display, see manual page 108, 'Setting The Live View Display' item 4. If you mean highlight alert in instant review, see manual page 109, 'Instant Review' last item in the table. I haven't used either so can't say precisely what they do. But the words are in the manual .

Steve

Run by Age UK???

I spoke too soon, though. Should have searched that interwebby thing. Motorised pan and tilt already exists (e.g. link and various other-brand cheapo versions). Add crossed motorised focus racks and all that's now needed is a motorised lifter. Come to think of it, if you sling it all from the end of a boom on a tripod that's fixed at the mid-point, you could adjust the height by simply pushing the free end of the boom up and down without needing to get out of the deck chair.

So that's the concept. Now we just need to persuade Age UK to take it on and turn it into a practical reality that can be afforded by a person on a pension .

A personal assistant might be an easier alternative - and they could also make the pot of tea.

Steve

"it's becoming a bit addictive watching what they do day by day (Note to self - Get a Life!)"

Or get an app. Something like Fetchie (www.fetchie.app) will automatically track prices of things you're interested in and alert you to when the price has dropped. And a useful side effect is that you will get your life back . Never used an app myself but my son-in-law has with some success.

Steve

What we folks of a certain age really need is a small but robust geared head mounted on crossed focus racks on a lifter and all motorised and remote controlled. Once the camera is mounted and low down, you can do all the positioning and adjustments from the comfort of a deck chair. Perhaps it already exists (motorised focus racks for focus stacking certainly do) but I've never come across one .

Steve