Iem1

Ah, I see! Thank you for your help, it makes sense now..I also see a few tutorials where some people use the pre stretched image and their DSS give them a visible image to potentially work with too.

so, this should be the stacked image with zero processing done to it? (It is the autosave file that is added automatically after stacking);

Autosave.tif

I should not be comparing my own data to that of others, but I feel like I am missing a lot of detail and clarity in my images. Maybe the culmination of not so dark skies and the interference of dew is holding it back a little. Room to progress!

Need to learn how to bring out some better colours in processing too!

It looks like it is, il see what settings I can find. Il attach a picture from DSS, I have not edited anything in DSS in the picture below

Thank you bud, its good to have guidance when doing these things

Here is the stacked image straight from DSS;

(I notice my images seem to come out of DSS looking already stretched? The video tutorials I see, they basically have black images until they open up the processor and do the initial stretch. Not sure why my images look so different coming out of DSS)

I think dew is an issue, I do not have a dew heater (On the way) ..Was hoping i would get away with it in the summer months, but the grass and even my equipment bags collect dew and become a little damp in the early hours...Guess I should assume "If there is dew on the grass there is dew on the glass"

Stacked from DSS;

Stacked (1).TIF

Thanks for all the comments and tips guys! Much appreciated 

I managed to gather 1 hr 20 minutes of data on the North America and Pelican nebula, 2 minute exposures at ISO 800. I took x20 Dark, Flats and Bias frames.

my WO Z73 doesn't quite have the FOV to capture both in their entirety, so I wanted to capture the 'Gap'  between them. I know it will not be winning any awards, but I am super pleased with the result!

I will have a few go's at processing, see if I can improve on the below image  (Is it me missing something in editing, or is my focus a touch off? My stars seem chunky :D)

Any hints/tips/suggestions welcome, Thank you

25 minutes ago, Felias said:

Hope it was useful! Nice pictures; I'll be away for almost a month without the telescope (not even a camera), but I'll try to image Andromeda myself later in the summer. 🤞

Looking forward to seeing it!

Il be heading out tonight to try my hand at the North America nebula/Pelican nebula as you suggested, figure we have 1-2 more clear nights ahead and I want to make the most of it. Will research recommended camera settings etc and post results here

Final process:

18 hours ago, Felias said:

 

I would just follow the instructions in the FLO webpage. I did this with my Z61 and WO flattener and it was fine, without having to measure the distance to the camera:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reducersflatteners/william-optics-adjustable-flattener-for-zs73.html

It says you should lock it at 11.4 mm, so I would try that.

 

PS: Andromeda is not in the best position these days, it's too low and only rises when the sun is coming out. Why don't you try the North America nebula instead? You may get an hour of decent data after the moon sets and before dawn.

 

 

 

Thanks for the suggestions Felias! They are much appreciated.

I had one last shot at M31 last night, managed 1 hr 58 of data of 60 second exposures at ISO 800. I took 20+ Darks and 20 Bias, but I did not realise I needed to keep focus in order to take flats. And I disassembled the rig last night, planning to take flats today and I do not think I can repeat the same focus -.- Kicking myself for that! I will post the stack, a minimal stretch and a more complex process so you guys can see my work process start to finish. I do not think the data is particularly good, and my processing skills are just awful too

Stack (no editing)

Stacked & Small stretch

After "Processing"

(Getting error codes on this upload, will try attach seperate below)

Just checking I understand the back spacing with my flattener, have I got the right start/end point to be implementing the distance?

I will test it out in the field later, planning around 1.5 - 2 hours worth of 75 Second exposures at ISO 800, and I will take flats and bias frames tomorrow before processing. Hopefully get a solid image of M31  

Any advice is appreciated.

39 minutes ago, Budgie1 said:

That's looking much better with the back spacing, an even size to the stars across the image now. The focus may be a little out, so use the Bahtinov Mask in the lens cover of your Z73 to focus on a bright star and then swing to your target.

Andromeda has a very bright core and this can get blown out with longer exposures. Maybe try 60 or 90 second exposures at ISO 800 and take as many as you can, this increases the amount of data but also reduces the noise in the stacked image.

Top Tip: There's a temptation when you first start to go object-hopping during a session. Don't, stick with your target for as long as you can and get as much data as you can, it'll pay off when it comes to processing the final image.

With the calibration frames, I used to spend hours taking darks at the end of a session with my DSLR, then I read that these could be replaced with Bias frames, alongside Flats and Flat-Darks (dark-flats). When I tried it with my standard EOS 2000D & astro-modded EOS 1300D I can't say I noticed any difference when not using dark frames, so I never bothered with them again. It may be worth experimenting to see when you get more time imaging but it's a pointer that would have meant I collected more subs instead of finishing early to do darks.

Thanks for the tips Budgie!

I am going to try them tomorrow night, all fingers crossed the clear skies continue...this insufferable daytime heat is worth it if the nights stay clear in my opinion

I will keep ISO 800 but drop exposure time to 75 seconds and get as much data as possible.

I do use the built in mask to focus, but I think I need to use brighter stars to increase ease/accuracy.

I am going to try take Flats (light flats?) and Bias calibration frames to aid tomorrows session, determined to produce a good quality M31 image and it is helping me check progress by trying to improve quality on the same target, easy to see progress/mistakes.

Thanks again guys, the feedback is invaluable in pointing me (and the rig!) In the right direction

Thanks for the comments and tips guys.

I had another go last night with mixed results, managed around 40 minutes of data with 3 minute subs at ISO 800, I think I made a little progress on back spacing issues, but I made the mistake of setting up on fairly long grass on the side of a mountain and I think the rig slowly sunk during the shoot, which added star trail occasionally and drop the target in the frame. That or polar alignment was slightly off (I personally blame the grass... :D)

Had a bit more of a go at processing the stacked image in GIMP and using StarNet to isolate Andromeda to try improve things...Results are so so, but it is only my second astro image so I should not be expecting too much to be fair. I do not think too much can be done with this quality of data, but it is a start.

Before Processing:

After Processing:

Hey guys,

I captured my first images of a deep sky object last night after failing several times previously to locate targets.

I would love some feed back on the image from experienced Astrophotographers so I can continue to learn and progress. I did not manage to capture much data, I spent about 45 minutes taking 80 second exposures at ISO 1600 ..I chose 80 seconds to be on the safe side, assuming my manual polar alignment and being unguided would start to have an impact.  The 1600 ISO seemed a little too steep, I much preferred the results with 3 minute exposures at 800. Unfortunately less than halfway through my 3 minute 800 ISO imaging the sun started to rise and ruined the session -.- 

Important lessons were learned and it was a lot of fun, even with only managing ~18 minutes of useable data!

Here is the Andromeda Galaxy, x6 3 minute exposures at ISO 800 with x2 Dark frames at same settings (Camera battery died during), taken with an Astro modified Canon 600D, Sky guider pro and WO Zenithstar 73 + field flattener . Minimal processing done in GIMP.

I have a flattener but notice the stars around the edge seem a bit off...But I think this is most likely due to my polar alignment. 

Any feedback welcome, cheers guys

Andromeda (Final Image - Large).tif  

On 28/06/2021 at 13:42, michael8554 said:

An common websearch  "fix" is to place a piece of thin card between the battery and the battery door, to improve the battery connection to the camera.

Worth a try............

Michael

Tried with no luck -.-

It doesn't seem like an actual issue with the battery as all other functions and modes seemingly work fine. It is exclusively the bulb mode that gives me the change battery pack error message...very odd indeed!

15 minutes ago, michael8554 said:

I assume you've tried with no lens or scope attached ?

Does LiveView work ?  That raises the mirror and opens the shutter, similar to Bulb actuation.

Michael

 

 

Hi Michael, thank you for the response.

Yeah, it does not seem to work with or without a scope attached, and the intervolemeter gets the same results too.

Live view works just fine, no issues at all with it.

14 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

Hi. When in bulb mode, if you manually hold down the shutter button on the camera, does it still give you the error?

Yes, a RDF will definitely help to aim your scope.

It did briefly after first getting it, I can remember being able to hold down the button and it would work. But now it will not

It tries to work, you can hear the mechanisms starting to work but then is promptly closes again and gives me the change battery pack issue and forces me to turn it on and off again.

All other modes seem fine, and imaging in manual up to 30 seconds is perfect.

Thank you! Will for sure invest in a RDF ASAP 

Hey guys,

I have just started my journey into astrophotography (what a learning curve!) having no real previous experience with DSLR's or telescopes.

I am enjoying it a lot, and have had a grand total of 2 nights out using my setup thanks to the glorious British weather. I am now comfortable with the basic techniques of polar alignment and I can find my way around the sky by sight, but I am having a few issues and would love some advice.

First issue I have is my BULB mode on my modified Canon 600D does not seem to work? When Manual and set to bulb I can not take images, even while using an intervolemeter. Everytime I try taking any sort of image in BULB mode the camera says 'Low battery, change battery pack' or something to that effect, and then I have to switch it on and off again. So I am restricted to 30 seconds exposures at the moment. I bought a second battery and I still get the same issue. I did a reset of the camera thinking it was a setting I might have messed with by accident. No joy. 

The camera was bought second hand and already modified from a tech company and came with a service report. Is there a setting I am missing possibly?

The other issue I'd like some advice on is finding deep sky targets. I am using a Sky guider pro with the Zenith Star 73, currently I am star hoping and aiming the telescope as close to the target I can (andromeda for example) and taking test shots and hoping I am on target. Would a red dot finder help me point the telescope where I am trying to aim it a little easier? I know pretty much where I need the telescope to look, but maneuvering it as such is a different ball game entirely!

Thank you for any advice, take care folks.