first attempt with dss

[StarRaver]

evening everyone i have recently started using dss after learning how to use it and i thought i would share the result with you all,

this is my first ( proper ) attempt, so any help from other users of this program would help me out alot lol

as you can see it is a shot of the milkyway, with 7 lights, 15 darks and around 15 bias with no flats

[Atlas]

Incredible shot StarRaver, your first shot is definatly well done.

[StarRaver]

why thank you lol, still alot to learn but a good starting point I think

[JamesF]

Indeed. What camera/lens etc. we're you using?

James

[StarRaver]

I was using canon 60d with a 1.8 50mm prime lens mounted on a tripod

[Spec-Chum]

Wow. Just wow.

I need an SLR

[JamesF]

The 60D has a full-frame sensor, doesn't it? I get pretty much the same FOV with the kit 18-55mm lens in my 450D at 18mm, but much as I'd like a 50mm f/1.8 I think with the 450D it would reduce the FOV too much to give a nice wide field shot like this one.

Where did you capture the image? If it's in the UK you must have been getting quite close to the horizon with the bottom of the frame?

James

[StarRaver]

No the Canon 60d isn't a full frame, tiss only a crop sensor. The picture was taken in Plymouth, Devon in the UK, from a close beach, and was taken looking out to sea. The shot was just above the horizon by a few centimetres

[JamesF]

I would almost have put money on it being taken from the south coast There can't be too much of the UK where you can get a view of the Milky Way that far "down".

Looks like I can go and buy the 50mm lens without worrying about a much reduced field of view then. That's pleasing to know.

James

[StarRaver]

See being really new to photography and astrophotography ( only picked up me first camera 6 months ago ) I had a play around with the 18 - 55mm kit lens at 50mm to see what the pic was like as the kit lens was 3.5 to 5.5 f-stop, and turned out alright which tempted me in to buying the 1.8 50mm prime lens, when i get a bit of money spare i will invest in a wider angle prime lens as i was told the faster the lens the better the results. As this is my second atempt at astrophotography i was really pleased ( my first atempt can be seen in my gallery

[JamesF]

I've only just started trying wide field images myself. Unfortunately whilst I have a decent view of the southern horizon it's affected by a small amount of light pollution. That's not a huge bother for most visual observing other than when I've been trying to find the most southerly Messier objects, but it really shows up in 45 and 60 second camera exposures. Wide open at 18mm the kit lens shows noticeable distortion towards the corners of the frame too, so it would be nice to have a higher quality lens with the same field of view. Something to look for next month, I think

James