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Okay, I have reached my limits...


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I have managed to get myself to a point where I can see the images taking shape, but am really struggling to actually do anything decent in processing and would really like some feedback.

My latest effort is the Dumbbell Nebula.

Celestron C8 (F10)

CG5 mount

Canon EOS1000D (Unmodded)

30 x 30 sec lights

5 darks

3 bias

Things I like:

It is recognisable.

Good colour

Almost round stars

Things I can pick up on myself:

Looks a bit fake and over processed.

Stars are not quite circular

I really need more darks

Things I am not sure...

I think focus is right?

Anyway, here it is.  In a processed image and the raw Tif straight from DSS (reduced in size but still huge.).  What I would appreciate is tips on where to go.  Are there any particular manipulation techniques that I should try?  I have heard of star masks and such, but they are arcane techniques that scare me.  My current level of skill is playing with the levels, and maybe tweaking the curves, though I struggle getting a "realistic" image.

Anyway, here we go, be brutal!  2 JPEGS where I have tried to bring out colour.  The second I know is ridiculously stretched, but I wanted to try to get more colourdumbreduced.tif, one raw.post-36407-0-67643600-1408391745_thumb.jpost-36407-0-67643600-1408391745_thumb.jpost-36407-0-01902800-1408391804_thumb.j

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For 15 minutes at F/10 that is good!  The short exposure time is preventing you going "deeper" and you can get rid of much of the noise with a few more subs (a couple of hundred at 30 secs!).  Also take more darks and bias - you need around 30 of each at least - you can take both on a cloudy night (darks need to be at roughly the same temperature, =/- 5°C is OK, as your lights).

If you want to throw money at it then a focal reducer (I think they go to f/6.3) will work wonders!

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Focal rducer is currently arguing with Dew control as my next purchase, but is is definitely on my list!

I have to say this is the easiest target I have found.  Despite being in my garden, with the image being taken against the backdrop of Gatwick Airport just one mile away, it got more detail than 30 minutes plus subs that I have tried on other targets!  I was genuinely shocked at the colour and detail that came from such short times.  (For reference the incorrect image I linked above is one 30 sec sub which I took as a test image trying to find a new target after a wasted night trying for Andromeda.  The fact I could see colour in that blew me away.)

I do take it as a good sign though that you say that that is as good as can be expected.  I was not sure whether I was hitting the wall at the images I took or whether I was messing up the manipulation.

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To tweak the red I assume it is just a case of choosing Levels in PF, then just reducing the Red band only?

Lovely image! Ditto above. And yes, I'd tweak the red channel in Levels. I look at the Histogram in PS and line up the red with the other colours. At least that's what I do! Maybe someone has a better method.

Alexxx

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