groberts

Thanks I'll take a look.

I'm thinking of putting together a short video + suitable music to present some of my astro images (mostly deep sky) to the family and anybody else that's interested.

Can anyone recommend any suitable software that could be used for this purpose - preferably free/cheap and most importantly, easy to use?

I don't expect to use this too often but thought it would make a nice show for the family - subject to covid get-together rules!

Thanks, Graham     

Doh!  Ah well, hope it works out, will be following your events. 

I'll be fitting mine soon + then need some clear skies , which on recent evidence seems unlikely.

Graham   

Souls: I wondered if you've seen this thread on CD on this issue, it's excellent and couldn't be clearer + seems to be a common problem:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/715162-chroma-3nm-orientation/

Meanwhile, I also heard back from Chroma who say: "In most cases orientation does not matter with these types of filters, but if you want the filter-coated side to face the sensor, if you read the writing on the edge of the filter, the filter coating will be right side up." 

This corresponds with the aforesaid CN thread. 

Good luck.

Graham

I

I haven't used APP but, as others have said, it's not a full processing package, more orientated towards pre-processing, complex integration & mosaics etc.  I use DSS for some of this at the moment but intend to move to APP at some point in the future. 

Meanwhile, under lockdown (1 & 2) I decided to tackle PixInsight and at first found it a steep / difficult learning curve.  However, with the help of Light Vortex online tutorials, Harry's Astro Shed & the recently published gamechanger Mastering PixInsight, I'm now using it routinely and can honestly say it's transformed my processing - used in combination with DSS, PS & Topaz AO Denoise from time-to-time.  Frankly, there are so many possibilites with PI I'm unlikely to master the software if I live to 100 but for now it's been worth the effort; personally I found PI pre-processing a complete pain, even using batch processing to spedd thinsg up, hence my desire to adopt APP instead.

As has been said, you can get by with say 10 to 15 basic processes + PixelMath is a very powerful tool that can do lots of tricks that would take hours in PS.  In this regard, I should add Shawn Nielsen's Visble Dark youtube tutorials which are excellent + some of the more ambitious techniques.

Hope that helps - if you've got the time and patience then PI is the way to go IMO.

Graham 

Following a recent knee operation I've not imaged for a while so continue to reprocess some older images with my newly acquired PI 'skills', this time going back to NAN from 2017.  At the time this was early days with a mono camera and I was pleased with the outcome with just over two hours integration. 

https://watchthisspaceman.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/the-wall/

However, using PI with a dash of PS has IMO produced a more vibrant image - obviously need to go back next year for more photons from the NAN!

Graham         

I take comfort that there are many accomplished imagers on Astrobin using my camera (ZWO ASI1600MM-Cool) with these filters and getting great results.  I guess I'm about to find out!

I suggest three lines of enquiry:

• With the retailer
• With the manufacturer
• Perhaps post on CN for wider discussion.

Keep us all in the loop with any feedback + good luck.

Graham   

I'm interested and a little concerned by this as I've just purchased a set of Chroma filters but not yet fitted and used. 

Souls - could you please point me towards the CN thread mentioned + decribe how you indetify one side of a filter from the other?

Graham

This is my third image from the very large HII-region of Cygnus, which contains many exciting objects; previous images included LDN 111 & LBN 325.  I'm particulary pleased with the impact of the Ha (see second starless image below) which brings out the structure throughout the image and the LRGB for star and nebula colour, in particular the central blue reflection nebulae NGC 6914 + adjacent vdB131 & vdB132. Further afield are other blue and rare yellow reflection nebula as well as dark nebula.

For further details and information of this image go to my blog: https://watchthisspaceman.wordpress.com/2020/11/12/swan-adventures/

Ha 33 x 300'
LGB 37x180' + R 36X180'
Total integration time : 10hr 21min

Graham

2 hours ago, ultranova said:

Loving the colors and composition,

The image does look to me to be a tiny bit soft,

not sure if its because of the format it got loaded up in

or its due to processing, or its my eyes, lol.

Ether way, still a nice image.

well done 

Paul

 

 

Appreciate the comments Paul. 

Almost certainly processing, as I'm still feeling my way with PI + concious of overprocessing.  Is this more what you had in mind? 

Graham

The next in a series of re-processing with PixInsight v Photoshop previously, which I think has worked well + been worth the effort.  This time I've been able to tease out much more detail and colour + less noise with the Heart Nebula and am pleased with the result, especially considering the limited data available.

Further background and imaging details can be viewed on my website:  https://watchthisspaceman.wordpress.com/2018/08/26/heart-of-darkness/   

Update - sorted (I think), I had not aligned the Ha subs with LRGB when processing; I had a feeling I'd done this!  Redone and seemd to look OK now 🤞.

All taken on the same equipment, I have five filter stacks aligned using DSS of the same area of sky but one is a slightly different FOV + exposure time:

1.      LRGB x4 stacks are @ 60sec subs taken west of the Meridian and match OK;

2.      The Ha is a stack of 300 sec subs , taken east of the Meridian but unfortunately the FOV between the two sets has shifted say +/- 5%.

How can I align and integrate the combined LRGB stacks with the Ha stack using PixInsight?

I had a similar problem before and found using dynamic crop achieved the same aligned FOV for each image stack, albiet after 5% cropping, which could then be combined in LRGBCombination etc. but in this case it doesn't work for some reason.

GrahamGraham

FWIW I got a refurbished Lenovo Thinkpad 500G SSD (really good & fast) + 16GB RAM x 2USB2 & x2 USB3 ports + Windows 10 Pro for just over £400 recently from MicroDream, which has turned out very well for astrophotpgraphy control, capture etc. 

www.microdream.co.uk   

Currently unable to carry out astronomy following a knee operation, I'm using the time to reprocess some some old images using my embyronic PixInsight skills.  It's early days but I have to say PI is growing on me!

UPDATE - re. nfotis comments above regarding the 294 ZWO & QHY mono cameras.

Been looking at this all day + on CN it's clear that the ZWO294MM is very much the successor to the ASI1600MM-Cool, which I and many other people have.  This thread on CN is therefore well worth reading if, like me,  you're thinking of upgrading:

  https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/726990-zwo-asi-294-mm-pro-first-impressions-and-test-images/#entry10473357

Warning it's very long but probably points the way forwards for mid-range / price mono cameras for the near /mid-term so worth the time.

Graham

I finished this image yesterday, my first mainly processed in PixInsight, and wanted to say thanks to those that helped from time-to-time answering my questions as I battled with PI.  I can see the power and benefits of PI but boy is it a x%#*! to learn.  In my case after numerous false starts I've spent much of the summer  working through various online tutorials (Light Vortex was best but difficult to follow on screen) when finally through persistance and the arrival in the post of Rogilio Bernal Andreo's (RBA) great new box set books Mastering Pixinsight I think I've now completed the first pitch (for those who know rock climbing!) but still have more of the mountain to climb!  For anyone starting out + even experienced astronomers, I can't recommend RGA's book enough, it's a game changer.

The Deneb-Sadr HII region is rich pickings for astroimaging and I shot this in September.  It's actually 90% PI and 10% DSS for calibraiton and stacking (tried PI and it's just too long winded even with batch processing) and inevitably PS to finesse some of the final colours.  Anyhow thanks again + for more image info see my website and full resoultion on Astrobin:

https://watchthisspaceman.wordpress.com/

https://www.astrobin.com/aph6e9/?nc=user

Thanks again, Graham

9 hours ago, nfotis said:

Yes, there are 294mm monochrome editions being delivered. The QHY model offers also an unbinned mode, where each subpixel is available separately, going from 14-bit 11 Mpixel to 12-bit 46 Mpixel.

Note that the sensor is the IMX492

 

https://www.qhyccd.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=94&id=9 

 

https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/product/asi294mm-pro

 

N.F.

 

Thanks I'll take a closer look 🤔

12 minutes ago, nfotis said:

You may be interested in the ZWO and QHY 294mm models? These could be considered a big upgrade of the 1600mm, and you keep everything else the same (filter wheel etc)

Monochrome APS sensors like the 2600mm are expected to be quite pricey, and will necessitate larger filters and filter wheel etc.

N.F.

I have an open mind but in what way are they an upgrade + they appear to be  only OSC versions, do they do mono?

Graham

OK I'm sold on moving to Chroma 31mm filters but have one further small but practical question for anybody that has already made a similar change this. The filters will be going into a ZWO x8 EFW to replace the original bundled ZWO filters:

• I understand the Chroma filters are thicker than ZWO ones so - will the screws used to fix the ZWO filters be long enough to accomodate the Chroma filters and if not, where could I get suitable / longer replacement ones? 

Graham

Thanks Adrian that's reassuring.  It's just that I haven't used my ASI1600 with the Samyang yet and am considering upgrading my filters to Chroma / Astrodon and wanted to make sure the 31mm would still be OK.  As a matter of interest  what bandwidth do you use 3 / 5 / 7nm & what sort of exposure times do you need?

Graham

OK I get that but for those using the ZWO1600 what size filters are you using and do they work OK? 

Currently just playing with this excellent lens using a modded 550D but eventually intend to switch to my ZWO ASI1600MM-Cool + x7 31mm EFW.

Just wondering if 31mm filters will be large enough for this fast lens or will I need to go bigger (36mm) to avoid vignetting at say f2.8 or faster?

Graham

Interesting - I wonder what the spec will be + when = is it worth waiting rather than another 1600MM-Cool? 

Presumably a mono version of the colour version https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/product/asi2600mc-pro-color ?

🤨

Thanks Ken, looks convincing.  For some reason I figured 3nm was better then 5nm but maybe not?

Graham