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Kinch

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Posts posted by Kinch

    Horsehead HaRgb

    in Imaging - Deep Sky

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, Allinthehead said:

    This is with sharpening slider set to 0

    Looks to me that the de-noise is doing all the critical work. As you said above....it is a fine line! Nothing more (of my point of view) that I can add for now....I will watch with interest as I am sure there will be many more opinions to come.

    Horsehead HaRgb

    in Imaging - Deep Sky

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, Spongey said:

    and at the end of the day, we're (or at least I am) in the business of taking pretty pictures, not performing scientific analysis on structural detail.

    That is not exactly my thinking on what I am doing. In my processing I try to pull the detail out that my scope and camera have captured. I will never get the detail with a 5" refractor that someone with a 17" Planewave will get....so I know there are limits.  Overall it is that challenge that keeps me going. If the software too easily removes/lessens the challenge that I have with my gear.....then I think I would lose interest. It is not a matter of just making pretty pictures - we can do that perhaps anytime - and indeed some people do it with pretty colours.

    We are all in this for different reasons - and that is precisely why some people will buy this software and others won't. Neither approach is right or wrong - but it would be nice to know (when we are looking at someone else's image) because it appears to make such a fundamental difference to the final image.

    • Like 2

    Horsehead HaRgb

    in Imaging - Deep Sky

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, Allinthehead said:

    I've no interest in using a tool like this if it's adding something that isn't in the data.

    But that is what is changing.....you will find in time that if you are the only one not using such a tool, then yours will be the worst looking image regardless of the time & effort you put in getting the data and putting your years of processing back into the final image.

    For me....we cannot stop this ....but until is is more common and generally used, I would just love people to let me know that Topaz AI is in the equation somewhere.  

    • Like 1

    Horsehead HaRgb

    in Imaging - Deep Sky

    Posted

    26 minutes ago, Allinthehead said:

    Thanks Brendan, could you point me to the discussions you mention? 

    I was not involved in any discussions - so cannot point to them, sorry. I believe that this first raised its head when a guy named Wassam Ayub (I may have spelt his name wrong) got a NASA APOD for an image that was so detailed....with the help of the Topaz software. I myself thought that image was brilliant (like yours here) but I can't help wondering if I am ready to accept this tool just yet. Looking back on how astrophotography has delveloped and improved over the years one must look at this software as just another tool. Being a tool that (as far as I can see) has such a huge impact on the finished image and as we are in the early days of it being used, I would just like to know when it has impacted on the image that I am looking at. Eventually, most if not all astro photographers may use this or similar and we wont bat an eyelid......but I doubt that it will be acceptable to professional astronomers if it does actually fill in the gaps where the noise was taken out.

    Like you, I would love to see a good evaluation of what it actually does. For my small trial - I did not get too excited about it....but that does not mean that at some time in the future I will again decline to buy it and use it.

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Horsehead HaRgb

    in Imaging - Deep Sky

    Posted

    9 hours ago, Allinthehead said:

    I recently downloaded a plugin called Topaz denoise which I used here and while it's incredible at reducing noise I think it could potentially be corrupting the data.

    This has been talked about elsewhere. To the best of my knowledge, when it removes noise it replaces the data with what it "perceives" to be the correct missing colour. This is why it has "AI" in the name.

    There is little doubt in my mind that it makes astro images look very detailed but whether or not this detail is real or not is up for discussion. If we don't know it is real do we still use it? I think it is personal choice. I downloaded the software and tried it a couple of times - not on anything subsequently put on line......I was just trying it out for myself. I did not buy it in the end.

    There will be arguments for & against it but for me - I don't want to use it. I have no objection to other people using it but what I would like to see though - is the fact that it is in use mentioned alongside all other data for the image. That way we know what to expect and judge the images accordingly. Some will love the images because of its use, others may detest them......I personally will look at each one on its own merit......just like the colour in NB images.....some I like....some I hate.

     

    Brendan.

    Annus horribilis for many................

    in Imaging - Deep Sky

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, geeklee said:

    What a great set of images for 2020.  Glad this wasn't "pick a favourite" (all so good)

    We all have our favourites :-).

    I said it elsewhere (different forum) that I would find it hard to choose. Not always the final best images are the ones I like best...it is the ones I fought hardest to produce that will do it for me.....assuming they are OK in the end that is. More likely than not they are also the less imaged areas....just because they are not too easy.....above....I might be inclined to pick the Flying Dragon......but - yes - deep down, I like them all 🤣

    • Like 1

    Annus horribilis for many................

    in Imaging - Deep Sky

    Posted

    16 minutes ago, Miguel1983 said:

    You’re one of the lucky ones, 2020 was terrible weather-wise and otherwise off course.

    I actaully never stop complaining abiout the weather here also....but you are right, I have been lucky. Some clear nights though are a pain for me - I live by the sea and the relative humidity is always a battle that I won't win....but at least I can limit the damage  (....years of experience 🙂  ) 

    Two new SafetyMonitors

    in Discussions - Software

    Posted

    Just to give feedback Nicolas - played with the drivers this morning and everything worked fine for Environment Safety Monitor. I was able to create an unsafe condition in SGP when I adjusted the alarm point (for rel. humidity) below actual here today. That was my main requirement for your monitor. Again - many thanks for this.....Rel Humidity being my main worry in unattended imaging, this is a huge step forward for me.

    At this time I have no actual need for the Generic File Safety Monitor - but I installed it anyway. It may become useful to me in the future - who knows. But just one thing (which is not a problem for me at this time)....in SGP, I selected your previously downloaded Safety Monitor  Hub and within that selected the environment and  the file safety monitors as two of the 3 inputs. At times everything was just hanging up and I had to Ctrl Alt Delete to get myself out of trouble. If I decided that I did not want the Generic File Monitor - I could not de-select it, to take it out. 

    I do not know how long I have that Safety Monitor Hub.....perhaps you have updated it in recent times....????

    Brendan.

    • Like 1

    Two new SafetyMonitors

    in Discussions - Software

    Posted · Edited by Kinch
    Spelling

    Nicolas, thanks so much for making this available - I am very interested in the environment safety monitor. I do not have a weather station as such but have some local inputs from a BlueAstro stck station on the side of my scope. I always wanted to try automate shut down when the humidity got too high - at the moment that is only possible in a manual mode. Your driver may very well be exactly what I need.

    I am imaging at the moment - I do not want to play around with the Obs computer.....but for sure I will be looking into this tomorrow. I will let you know. 

    Regardless of whether it works for me or not - you still deserve  a 'thank 'you' for making your work available here.

     

    Brendan.

     

    • Thanks 1

    Abell 21 - Madusa Nebula

    in Imaging - Deep Sky

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Allinthehead said:

    don't think I've seen that one before

    Thanks Richard.......very surprised you have not seen this one before....I don't think is a 'rare' target as such!  (The one that I have just started tonight is perhaps less well known 😏....we will have to wait see how that turns out......perhaps in a couple of weeks from now 🙁 )

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