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Total Imaging Noob

Xiionn

By Xiionn
in Getting Started With Imaging

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Xiionn

Xiionn

Posted
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Ok, i see some nice images in this forum and i have never been interested in AP before, but i would probably like to give it a go. Nothing major, no serious expense, just see what i can get with what i have got!

I have a Skywatcher Evostar 150, EQ5 Pro Synscan. I have a Nikon D700 camera, a PC, Photoshop CS5.

Chances of getting a reasonable shot of Orion Nebula? I tend to like the Nice colourful Nebula shots. Some planetary shots as well.

Whats the damage? Where do i start and how much is this going to cost for a very simple set up!

Edit, I am fortunate to live in a very dark spot in the middle of nowhere. I am very capable of bodging and building bits.

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Qwiati

Qwiati

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Hi, I would say take it outside and try.. in your configuration pay attention to your mount payload capacity.. If I am not wrong this is only 9kg and scope + camera + cables + guiding scope (which you would need for longer exposures) you might be on the edge. Orion should give you nice colours, but for planetary you would need filters as the pics will only show reflecting light from Jupiter for example, but could be ok with moon.

There is plenty of info on this forum on how to start with AP.

K

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Astrosurf

Astrosurf

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Just have a go. I assume your camera isn't modded? If not, you would only be able to image reflection nebulae as emission nebulae emit in hydrogen alpha which your camera's filter will block. The Orion Neb is part emission.

Choose bright objects as you're not autoguiding so your exposures ('subs') can't be too long or you'll get star trailing.

Some scopes have trouble achieving enough inward travel with focusing but I'm sure someone will advise on here soon. 

For planetary, it's best to use a webcam or dedicated planetary camera, as the sensors are small so the field of view is small. That means the planet is larger on the chip. Plus planets are bright so need lots of fast exposures, which these cams take. I also use a 3X Barlow with my 200P. You could try video with your Nikon, if it has that function, but would need to have a crop mode, if I'm correct. Then you stack the vids (AVIs) in free stacking software like Registax or Autostakkert! 2.

Do get this book. It's the imagers' bible:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html

Good luck!

Alexxx

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kalasinman

kalasinman

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Having just climbed this part of the curve, I say buy nothing except the adapter to mount your camera (t-ring and t-adapter) and a remote or intervalometer so you don't have to touch the rig to fire the shutter.

Get PA as close as you can without obsessing. Set your ISO for 800. Aim at M42. Start with 30 second exposures, then 45 see what you get. As exposures get longer the stars may get eggy. Get things as good as you can and post them here for more help.

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Xiionn

Xiionn

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My Scope and diagonal have 2" fitting, so am i trying to get a 2" adaptor or am i better off with 1.25"?

I am a pro photographer, so i have already got remote shutter releases...but not an intervalometer! I have also a Nikon D7000, this is a crop sensor rather than a full sensor so give a better FOV? it also has a video function.

I will get myself an adapter and give it a go when the wind calms down. Thanks!

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kalasinman

kalasinman

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2" adapter,  don't use the diagonal, the less glass the better. Definitely use the d7000, better FOV and lower noise. That Sony sensor is extra special.If you stick with it, get the True Dark Current firmware, as well as lossless RAW from Nikonhacker. Just use the Nikon remote. Once you're into it get BackyardNikon to run your sessions, as well as a DUSB from Shoestring astronomy.

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Xiionn

Xiionn

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I do indeed have some nice lenses! Can you attach the camera AND lens directly to a scope? I thought it was only the camera body? I looked at the attachment options and it seems to be a T-Piece and then a Long adaptor. Totalling nearly £50, which seems a little steep for a metal tube and a ring with no optics in it! I dont suppose a Macro tube ring will fit!

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Stargazer33

Stargazer33

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My set-up is different to yours but have a look in my gallery at my Orion Nebula and Andromeda galaxy pics. The Orion Nebula was shot with an unmodified Canon 1100D and the Andromeda galaxy with a modified 1100D. These are by no means the best you could achieve - just gives you an idea of the sort of image you get.

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Xiionn

Xiionn

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You can attach camera and lens to the mount alone, or sometimes the scope rings have threads for a camera screw "piggy back"

My Rings have a screw in them, it was a used scope and i had been wondering what that was for. Now i know, and now i am going to charge some camera batteries!

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kalasinman

kalasinman

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My Rings have a screw in them, it was a used scope and i had been wondering what that was for. Now i know, and now i am going to charge some camera batteries!

Another good add is an ac adapter . Not expensive on Ebay. They come as 2 parts, a supply and a battery adapter. If you buy an extra battery adapter, you can use a DC to DC converter to step from 12v down to 9v and connect to the battery adapter, now you can power it from a car , or make a car battery power center and take your imaging kit mobile.

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Pompey Monkey

Pompey Monkey

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It is not the best time of the year to photograph M42. Best wait until late autumn for that one ;)

Why not Have a go at the Leo or Virgo galaxy clusters?

Use the camera piggy backed on the scope or on its own on the mount.

Don't go for a long focal length lens - 50-60mm will do.

I assume that you have a polarscope? Get a good polar alignment (PA), but as others have said, don't obsess over it as you will get better over time.

Use an intervalometer (or laptop if you can) to control the camera so that there is no vibration.

Experiment with increasing your exposure time until either the stars begin to trail or the sky background becomes seriously bright - populate the histogram!. As long as the stars are not over exposed, you can reign back the sky brightness with levels or curves in PS. See here: http://www.lonelyspeck.com/the-milky-way-in-los-angeles-light-pollution/

Start off with the higher ISOs - this will give you tangible results and capture more objects than you would imagine:) Once you get into stacking and guiding (which you will, if you catch the bug) then you can lower the ISO to reduce noise in your images.

Oh, and unless you want to photograph it, start cursing the moon between 1st and 3rd quarters every clear night! ;)

Have fun!

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wxsatuser

wxsatuser

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Assume you must have some nice lenses. Wider fields with camera and lens on a tracking mount is a lot of fun too.

Thats a good way to go if you already have the gear, some nice widefields can be had with decent glass.

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sidecarsally

sidecarsally

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I've taken some really great Jupiter shots without a barlow or mounted camera. The best results I've got were from a 13mm lens, no barlow, and my Canon mounted on a TRIPOD looking thru the eyepiece. I took a 60 second 720p video at 60fps and stacked the image in AS!2 and then used Registax to mess with the wavelets. Here's one of my best shots. All of my attempts doing this with a t-mounted camera have resulted in tiny planets.

Disclaimer: This is NOT the recommended method, but it's easy as hell, and here's my result...

post-43994-0-83911400-1430493657.jpg

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