Point and Shoot Digital Image

river · Post by **river** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:27 pm

Just got a second-hand discontinues Nikon Coolpix 4500 (4 mega pixel camera). This is its first light on a vacation trip last weekend. No additional Lens used, just point and shoot. Not really get used with this Nikon yet here are some of the images I took. Images were resized and compressed to meet upload limit.

My album

Somehow I can’t load the picture here, so I put them in my personal album for viewing. Image include moon shine, venus, M45(seven sister, on the left of Venus) and sunrise.

It is amazing that one can start astrophotography with just a point and shoot camera. I am learning how to use this camera to take some star cluster and some DSO. Do you have some tips on how to process the images taken with this camera?

chrisyeo · Post by **chrisyeo** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:48 pm

Hi River,

I've discovered that you can actually do a lot with just a simple point-and-click camera.

Here's a cool technique I use to shoot constellations:
http://astrosurf.com/vdesnoux/virtualeq/virtualeq.htm

The technique is actually now only two steps because the newer version of IRIS allows you to read JPG files.

Another technique I recommend is to use Neat Image to reduce noise: http://www.neatimage.com/

I used the same technique to create this photo for example: http://www.singastro.org/viewtopic.php? ... 57bc504075

Have fun!

Cheers,
Chrisyeo

river · Post by **river** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 9:14 am

Yes, just the right stuff I needed, thanks Chris. I was trying constellations with Single 1 min exposure + LPR filter on a photo tripod etc. Noise is high, will try a series of 30sec and 15s exposure.

Your mersing photo is simply charming.. looking forward to be there again. Any additional lens or filter you used for that picture?

oxygn · Post by **oxygn** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 4:03 pm

just want to ask something related. How do you adapt a filter to the lens of a camera?

Thanks

river · Post by **river** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 6:04 pm

The Coolpix 4500 have 28mm thread before the lens, I have a 1.25" LPR filter that does not fit the 28mm exactly. So I put on the UV block that come with the camera then screw the LPR on the UV block just enough to hold the LPR still. It does help to cut down the building/street light. Anyone try taping a filter on point and shoot camera?

Camera Configuration:

Coolpix 4500 + UV block + 1.25" LPR filter

boothee · Post by **boothee** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:18 pm

chrisyeo wrote:Hi River,

I've discovered that you can actually do a lot with just a simple point-and-click camera.

Here's a cool technique I use to shoot constellations:
http://astrosurf.com/vdesnoux/virtualeq/virtualeq.htm

The technique is actually now only two steps because the newer version of IRIS allows you to read JPG files.

Another technique I recommend is to use Neat Image to reduce noise: http://www.neatimage.com/

I used the same technique to create this photo for example: http://www.singastro.org/viewtopic.php? ... 57bc504075

Have fun!

Cheers,
Chrisyeo

Wow! Nice! Thank you for the link!

boothee