Crackabarrel

Sharpcap Pro is next on the list once I work out how to use EQMod properly. Was reading you need to rotate on RA 90deg for Sharpcap to work, is this set in stone or is there some leeway? My backyard observing site would preclude me from going the full 90deg due to neighbor's houses

Cheers, I'd seen that recommendation before yeh, once the guiding had settled down initially I was getting values under 1arc/sec, however it seemed to creep up into the 3s and 4s over the session, but the majority of subs were coming out fine which had me scratching my head.

I have this same lens for my Nikon, it gets quite soft I found past about 130mm FL which could be part of the reason you see it as out of focus.

Cheers Mark, I'll give that a try and see how I get on.

Seeing as its Halloween season I decided to go for NGC6960 this weekend. First attempt at guiding, trying not to stress too much over the graph as long as subs come out alright. Moon definitely didn't help contrast though. Also first experience using PS and the Carboni Astronomy toolset. Any suggestions or criticism would be appreciated, thanks. EDIT: Kit List: WO ZS 73 + 50mm Guidescope w/ ASI120mm , HEQ5 Pro, Nikon D5300, IDAS LPS D2

EQDIR USB Cable, goodbye handset, hello EQMOD.

I can't speak as to whether it would be compatible but First Light Optics seem to have the adjustable version in stock on their website. I've been using this one on my own Z73 and it works very well

Great colour and definition, nice one.

Looks much better. Try reducing your exposure time to control roundness. The crop factor on Canon APS-C is 1.6, so your effective focal length at 35mm is 35*1.6 = 56mm Rule of 500 give you a max exposure length of 8.9sec However I have had better experience using the more stringent NPF rule for exposure length to retain star roundness https://www.sahavre.fr/tutoriels/astrophoto/34-regle-npf-temps-de-pose-pour-eviter-le-file-d-etoiles

+1 for the IDAS LPS filters, I have been using a D2 recently and it does a great job of dealing with light pollution (Imaging from Bortle 8 skies) and retaining balanced colours. It is pricey though, another option would be the Optolong L-eNhance, although I have no personal experience with this one.

Be worth looking into a Nikon D5300 and a 50mm f1.8 if you can find it, check mpb, have had success with them in the past.

FLO have 10/20/30mm spacers you could mount between the rings and dovetail. Alternatively you can rotate the scope 180deg so the focuser is on top, i do this with my own ZS73 and it seems to work fine. EDIT: Beat me to it, enjoy the ZS73

Thanks, hoping to push up the exposure time this weekend if the weather plays ball

Really nice, dust lane coming through well.

Looks great, good definition. I attempted the same over the weekend as Ireland's skies seemed to clear up for once

Looks great, thanks for sharing

Cheers, Will try bumping up the exposure time next time I get a chance so.

Hi All, My second ever DSO and the first with my new gear, shot over 2 nights with some rare clear nights from the backyard in Bortle 8. Pacman Nebula 131 x 60sec @ ISO400 25 x Darks 25 x Flats 25 x Bias Nikon D5300 (Unmodified) William Optics ZS73 w/ Field Flattener + IDAS LPS D2 HEQ5PRO Processed with DSS + GIMP Any comments or criticism would be greatly appreciated

Hi Guys, Thanks for the suggestions however clouds interfered and I really didn't get much if any data to play with, maybe next time.

I will be taking a trip to Bortle 2-3 skies this weekend with my new setup which is as follows: William Optics ZS73 w/ Flattener Nikon D5300 HEQ5 Pro No guiding just yet and using APT for capture. Would anyone have any suggestions as to a good beginner target for this setup, bearing in mind it will be my first time getting anything more than 15 minutes of exposures from the above? I was considering the Eastern Veil in Cygnus but if anyone has any suggestions I'd really appreciate them. Thank you.

Nico, who runs the Nebula Photos channel has some good video and tutorials for GIMP, as well as doing untracked photography using DSLRs. Clear skies to you too.

Thank you, appreciate it, Astrofarsography's GIMP tutorial went a long way to making it what it is, worth checking out.

I'm a complete beginner at this too, it is well worth having a go. This is my first attempt at a DSO, was shot with a Nikon D5300 w/ Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 @ Bortle 4 site Lights: 10 x 8sec @ ISO800 Darks: 20 x 8sec @ ISO800 (not temp matched unfortunately) Bias: 1 x 1/4000sec @ ISO800 Stacked in DSS and processed in GIMP