CCD vs Film? Lots of time vs no patience? Alright, this is your place to discuss all the astrophotography what's and what's not. You can discuss about techniques, accessories, cameras, whatever....just make sure you also post some nice photos here too!
Now, many of you are gonna look at this and say - wtf, that's not of good quality.... and I definitely agree
But after fiddling around (and refusing to spend $$$!!!!!!) tonight has been 110% fruitful!
I caught the Butterfly cluster on my camera!
20x5sec stacked with DSS
I know, it's of very poor quality, but I'm stoked and now a convinced man! The DSLR can indeed work wonders! The biggest pity was that I found I caught HIP87516 and HIP87472 right at the bottom of my frame, which means I missed M7 only just! But nevermind, there's always another night!
Forgive my excitedness hehehehe I'm like a small kid all over again!
Well done Sivakis! Quality does not compare to quantity! Your efforts and time spent are paying off! Many would have been demoralized at the whole process of AP be it with a DSLR or CCD cam....but your sticking to what you have with what you got shows it is still very possible...and even in our SG skies!
The determination to be low cost is a worthy effort! Even a simple barndoor mount can be simply made to track for 5mins at least!!
So back to your image....doesn't matter on quality. It's the whole effort of being there, sticking with it and using what you have made it all possible. Keep at it...stick to the same target and improve since you know where it is and what it looks like! Practice focusing and how your DSLR responds to such targets. After a few attempts...you will suddenly realise that it is that Darn easy!!
It's always great to be a kid no matter how old we are! Remember...kids have the innocent and curious minds that we older ones forget to have!! LOL!
WELL DONE!!
My wife never complained about how much time, effort & money I spent on my Astronomy hobby!................suddenly I met her!!!
Congrats Sivakis!!! Nothing wtf about that. So many people own a DSLR today but how many of them even know there is a thing call M6 and that they can shoot it, let alone even trying?
What this photo captured is not just simply a star cluster but more importantly, the thrill of doing something successfully and excitement and anticipation of the improvement that can be achieved in time to come.
Enjoy this moment and many more to come! Looking forward to seeing M7 and M6 in the same frame and soon you will mosaic whole constellation with all the interesting objects around it.
"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
Halfway through working on my barndoor right now, just missing a few more items
Also, saw a spot of clear skies tonight - a bit early for the butterfly but saw on Stellarium that Omega Centauri was lurking about - lol, grabbed the gear and started shooting!
Can't quite make out the individual stars in there, but this was what I ended up with.
Well done Sivakis!! I can see the big improvement compared to your previous shot! Notice sharper stars and the color! With the 50mm lens...the cluster looks small...but hey don't fret! If you can find a darker location...perhaps try longer exposures (balance the noise with the ISO) and grab lots of subs! You would get more stars and it'll make a wonderful wide field image! I recall with my trusty Fuji S3 I used ISO800 and gone with 60s subs on my old Vixen GP. But I did use a 80mm Celestron ED. I only got noise with ISO1600 which was too high!
Do you shoot in RAW? And is the noise reduction on or off? Try turning the reduction Off and go RAW. Then process the RAW files in the software you use and then convert to TIFF's. Stack the TIFF's and work in PS for post. I prefer to process the RAW files myself rather than allow DSS or other stacking software's to do so.
And how is your Barndoor? I still have yet to test mine!! Got a motor and some gears for it...just need to clean up the Aluminum motor bracket (file done some edges) and re-check my curved rod!..lol! It may have gone outta shape a little. Wanted to make a Tangent Arm type (ala AstroTrac) but didn't want to spend on more aluminum and parts! Perhaps after this trial with my current wood one...I may make the Tangent Arm variation. After all the AstroTrac is a Barndoor sideways...lol!!
Keep up the great AP work! Every shot improves with time. Sometimes things may not work out...but thats when we understand, take a break and return with a vengeance! Besides...it is a little hazy out there tonite!
Keep them coming!!
My wife never complained about how much time, effort & money I spent on my Astronomy hobby!................suddenly I met her!!!
Ok, I'm stuck in a rut atm... anyone knows where I can find 1/4 T-nuts? I've been to a few hardware stores and DIY stores but can't seem to find any that carry, except 1, but they carried 6mm T-nuts and the 1/4 bolt can't fit... heck, a hardware store owner even told me - what's a T-nut? It's either a T or a nut, no such thing as a T-nut........
Ball-head + tripod is easy enough, PC Show coming up so I'll just grab a cheapo there. Got everything else except the T-nut.... unless someone else has another idea on how to secure the 1/4 Bolt through the barndoor top-plate without it dropping or slipping.....
I'm like a small kid all over again!
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