Rustang

Some of my favorites from tonight, Canon 6D with my Pentax Takumar 200mm lens. All hand held leaning against my extension at between 1/60 -1/80 shutter speed, iso 3200 f4.

Very nice, never heard of that filter but I like what it does, simple but effective 👍

I use an intervalometer

If I'm honest, with everything costing so much in this hobby this is probably going to answer itself in that I cant afford to do much anyway right now but it will still help my thought process. I brought the SW Star adventurer as something else to run during the limited clear nights, try to get some extra deep sky data of some kind and for the Milkyway season . I have no regrets buying it and still intend on using it but Ive been mostly left with frustration and disappointment. Its simplicity of being just a mount, camera and lens is what I still love but I was a little naive in what I should expect in regards to data. I've learnt something in that you cant expect to get alot from bortle 6 skies, no filter and an hours or two's worth of data, Ive tried, its not happening. Should I get a LP filter for the Canon 6D to help!? I've gone over and over this and there is the usual talk of do they really make a difference and I just dont know whether or not to bother with the expense of trying, there are limited options for the 6D. The L enhance clip in I used in the 600D did make a difference but I really prefer the natural colours of the sky for wider field. So at the moment my thoughts are, keep the adventurer, camera and lens set up for darker skies when I can get to them and save for a better lens to also gain better data, I'm starting to really like the wider field views so really wont to try and keep working at it. If and when I cant get to darker skies it would be great to still have a use for the adventurer at home and still use my Canon 6d with it so my thoughts lean towards a light scope like the WO red cat, that way I could use a LP filter as i believe you can attach a filter in these and that should help with the light pollution that washes everything out at home. The 250mm FL is as long as I would like to go. My concerns with this are I dont wont to add guiding to this set up, its supposed to stay simple so just the mount, camera and scope. If I was to keep this set up, am I still going to be limited to the point where I'm still not happy with the data, what will effect this is that I'm guessing that I wont be able to exposure for long because of the limitations of the mount and 250mm focal length. Lets say I can go up to 1min exposures, and I've got an LP filter in place, what should I still expect from this? Will it need hours and hours worth of data to really make any kind of a decent image? I guess I'm thinking a little lazy here, I'm after a quick ish result, 3-4 hours worth of data but should I still be looking to shoot a many hours with this set up to get anything or because of the the short exposures and no guiding should I really bother with this idea at all? I fear I'm just ignoring my knowledge of this hobby in that you need, data, data, data but not having success for so long but I've certainly been putting the effort in, means I'm craving for results but getting less and less patient with it all. One other option could be forget colour, stick a ha filter in either the camera and lens set up or camera and scope and just shot ha targets, would that get me much with the short 1 min exposures if its with the scope? i should be able to expose for longer if using a lens though! Basically I don't wont to spend money on anything if its likely not to work, I would rather wait until I can use my main set up again and concentrate on that then just use the Adventuer, camera and lens in darker skies when possibly. Help me save my time and money!

Out of this Ive got a good understanding now of what I need to do to improve. I have made a start in regards to one area and that's processing. I have downloaded Siril and with the help of Alacant I have produced my first image from that software. The images below arnt great, what has killed the data is the high thin cloud, or haze that wasnt noticable by eye but is on each sub, it has caused the cloudy looking patches in the final image. The lens defects have also killed it and obviously the lack of data gained but its a promising start and something I look forward to improving on. Time to save for a better lens! Thanks again everyone for your help. First image with Siril and PS, second DSS and PS

Thanks everyone for the advice and help. I think I'm understanding my doubts/frustrations now. The not so great lens choice mostly, light pollution and no filtration, experience and understanding which goes with naive expectations and correct calibration frames. These are things I can work on but affording a decent lens is the most annoying and possibly un-reachable right now. I'm going to hold off buying any other cheaper lens for now. Onwards and upwards, or slightly sideways!

Thanks, the lens is a pentax mount but I can look for simular adaptors or do as you say. It performed better on my 600D. Thanks for the advice, it seems you also managed to tame the high thin cloud/haze in the data also!.

Lovely images 🙂

I'm regards to filter, is that when you used a lens? If so which did you use? I thought not having any kind of filter would hinder and it seems so!

Ok thanks, do you feel for the above info that the stack is looking about what it should be then!? Just keep going and use flats and bias? I really need a lift in this hobby and it's been a while since that's been the case.

I was hoping it would be something like that. I know the lens isant the best but I can only afford cheap right now. Il look to get some flats done. Is it about what you would expect then with the above info mentioned!? Also, as said, should a stack with Darks and bias look the same as a stack with just lights!?

Ive been a bit fed up recently as Ive not been able to use my main set up for a while but lets be honest its been pretty cloudy! I have managed to get out a couple of times with my travel set up but since upgrading from my Astro modified 600D to a 6D I feel I'm going backwards with my data not forwards. Attached is a DSS stack from last night during finally a clear night!. Canon 6D with Pentax Takumar SMC 28mm - 1hr 15mins of 90 sec subs at f4 iso 1600 in half decent bortle 4 skies, stacked with Bias and Darks. I would have expected better so just seeing if I'm missing something!? User error, stacking error etc, if any one feels the stack should be better than this in terms of how the stack seems with no processing and how the data processes for the data gathered and what it produces. I have to admit I find this kind of data difficult to process, its probably not helped by the lack of flats! I used to use filters with my 600d and that helped, i feel everything is just get's washed out with out filtration! I think some haze has ruined this data aswell! Also, I tried stacking with and with out calibration frames and the stack appears exactly the same, should this be? 4thJan28mmOrionCaliFrames.TIF

Just an update, FLO has been great as usual and are hopefully going to source a replacement part. Now while it appears I could be the only one that's had this issue, it still confuses me as to how the end of what appears to be an injection moulded part has just sheared off. I work with plastics so do have some understanding, I would have thought if a more suitable material was used it would have just distorted, bent or worn away if over tightened, not sheared off like it has. The plastic at the end where it broke off looks glittery so to me it appears a more brittle material was used, not one with a high shear strength. The fact no one else has had this issue though, it may not be of concern but its a heads up to go easy on that locking clamp!

Very true, I've contacted Flo but will fix if I can sort something out.

I didn't think I was tightening to hard either! It was a pretty clean break! 🤔

Anyone else had this happen to the Equatorial wedge tightening spindle? It has literally sheared off so now doesn't tighten!, and just spins when the handle is turned ?

😆 Hopefully someone has some info for you 👍

It looks like a jacket potato 😊

I still haven't been able to use my main set up but enjoying playing around with my Star Adventurer. I picked up a Pentax Takumar 200mm f4 lens for cheap so gave it a whirl on Andromeda. I stopped down the lens with an f4.8 aperture ring and shot an hour and 45mins worth of 1min subs using my Fuji XT-2 iso 800. No calibration frames so a pain to process. The stars are a bit crappy and have a little travel in them but its turned out ok considering the short integration time and bortle 6 skies.

I ordered one of these from 365: Optolong CLS-CCD Filter for Canon EOS APS-C Cameras (365astronomy.com) But I got one that look's like this! Optolong CLS CCD Light Pollution Filter EOS Clip - Rother Valley Optics Ltd It still says CLS CCD but it doesnt stay in my camera (Canon 600D) as it doesnt have the "arms" like in the first link to help keep it in so am I missing something? how is it a 'clip in' filter !? I have emailed 365 but had no response yet !.

Simply stunning 👏

Lovely 👍

Thanks Dave, do it, you won't regret it!. I haven't personally used the L - extreme just the L-enhance so can't comment on that I'm afraid. Il look into the challenges, thanks for the heads up 👍

Having been cloudy and I've also been very busy with house renovations I haven't had the energy or time to set up my main rig so I have just been taking the odd opportunity to use the Star Adventurer and my modified Canon 600D. It took three trips to a local darker site to achieve this and I'm pleased with the result. In the first trip it clouded over but I liked the "Orion behind the clouds" Image I got anyway. The second trip I used my nicer Pentax 28mm lens but it doesnt fit with any filters so it was a wash with Light pollution. The 3rd and final attempt below was with my Hoya HMC 28mm lens and Optolong L enhance clip in Filter. The Image is 1hr and 30 mins of data at 2min subs stacked with darks.

I shot my last widefield image at f4 and that was only 38 mins worth in a Bortle 6 location so not sure if that helps!?