Above:
IC 1848, The Soul Nebula Imaged Weds., Oct 2, 2013 32 subs 4 Minutes Each totaling 2 Hours, 8 Minutes |
PHOTO DETAILS Scope: Explore Scientific ED80 with WO Flat III 0.8x FR/FF Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Synscan Guiding: Meade DSI Pro II and PHD Guiding Guide Scope: Orion Mini 50mm Camera: Canon EOS 450D (Stock) ISO: 1600 Exposure: 2 hours 8 minutes (32 x 240s) Processing Software: Calibration and Stacking in Deep Sky Stacker, Levels/Curves/Enhancements in Photoshop Support Files: 15 bias, 30 darks |
Okay, I realize that
the image above isn't very impressive. My darn unmodded Canon Xsi isn't
picking up the reds the way an astro-modded one would. I think another 2
hours would really help. It's always a delicate balance between pulling
out data and keeping noise under control when processing an astro-image. Thanks to a friend at my Astronomy Club, (RASC Niagara Centre) I have been givin a few invaluable tips to progress my astrophotography knowledge further. Namely by using the Backyard EOS software for aquiring images in the field. Currently I use Canon EOS Utilities to run my camera, and has been working fine, but Backyard EOS has features catered towards astrophotographers. The main feature I am interested in is dithering. Another thing I am excited to try is stacking my raw files in photoshop rather than deep sky stacker. I have recently upgraded to Adobe Photoshop CC, and so far I am loving it. The updates to Adobe Camera Raw (ACR 8.2) and improvements to the sharpening tools are outstanding. |
The author looking through a 20 Inch Dobsonian |