Almost a full moon again

Took almost three dozen shots of the moon varying both aperture (f/8 to f/14) and shutter speed (1/40" to 1/160") by a third of a stop. Except for the exposure, other settings on the camera were the same as in the previous shoot. I again used Live View real-time histogram to check exposure. After taking the first couple of shots, I checked the histograms of those shots and looked out for the "blinkies" on the image. Seeing that parts were blowing out, I dialed a faster shutter speed.

I initially autofocused through the viewfinder as well as in Live View but halfway through the shots getting down on my knees and looking through the viewfinder with the lens pointing practically straight up was simply too much of a pain in the neck--literally. So for the last half of the shoot I relied solely on Live Mode focusing and x10 magnification. I moved the focusing rectangle to the right portion of the moon so that part of it was covering the empty black sky. I figured (and I could be totally wrong) that because Live View focusing is contrast-based, this would help nail the focus.

As always minimizing camera shake was very high on my agenda. 10-second self-timer was enabled and I gingerly tripped the shutter while in Live View so the mirror was up by default.

Only the first couple of test shots I took had blown highlights. Nevertheless, in post, I had to cut back on the exposure (midtones to highlights) anywhere from a third to one stop, depending on the aperture-shutter speed combo that I had used. This was necessary to bring out the surface details of the moon. Shots that were closest to the correct exposure (those that needed just -0.3EV compensation) seemed to have the most noise. The image below had a -0.8EV compensation.

Canon EOS T3i, 1/50", f/11, ISO 100, EF 75-300 III @300mm