M101 – First LRGB with Atik 383L

[MickD]

This is my first attempt at LRGB imaging with my new Atik 383 mono.

Stats. are are follows:-

Skywatcher ED80 pro with 0.85 FR

Atik 383L+ mono

Baader 2” LRGB filters

Guided with PhD on an EQ6 Pro mount

12 x 10 min Lum

7 x 10 min R,G.& B (binned 2x)

Captured & pre-processed in Nebulosity then combined & tweaked in photoshop.

Had a real problems with colour balance, but I am sort of happy with the result..

Thanks for looking

Mick

[shaunster]

Thats looks very nice to me with some very nice detail coming through and the wider frame looks great

It looks very green though, hope you dont mine Ive applied the SCNR tool in pixinsight to the image just to remove the random green, what do you think?

[MickD]

That's nicer- although it wasn't as green on my monitor. I may have to have a look at Pixinsight as lots of people are doing good things with it......

[shaunster]

That's nicer- although it wasn't as green on my monitor. I may have to have a look at Pixinsight as lots of people are doing good things with it......

Yeh, you can do a trial to see what you think

[Darth Takahashi]

Looking good there Mick, this is one tough cookie I can tell you!!!

You need lot and lots of time on this target and it still not enough...

Excellent result though.

[dc509]

Very nice - have you tried doing some flats?

[SlipperySquid]

Nice capture there Mick matey, though on my monitor it's showing large dark circles around the larger stars? Is it processing? or flats? Nice to know you're not the only one with colour balance issues

If you have taken flats already Mick there's something wrong with them!

Miss you,

Matt.

[MickD]

Haven’t tried flats with this camera, used to use them with QHY8 but that was OK cos it didn’t have a shutter so minimum exposures were easy. With the mechanical shutter in the 383 then you have a minimum exposure time you can use – so not tried to get any flats yet – maybe a job for some of those undark nights we will get soon……

[MickD]

Matt,

I know what you mean about the black halos; I had them in my first processing attempt. Can’t see them in this process though. This raises an interesting question, when you see a really good image is it just because your monitor’s characteristics are the same as the posters or is it ubiquitously good?

Mick

[SlipperySquid]

I thought this as well Mick and found a lot of it is down to how your monitor is configured as something that looks good on final processing on my laptop looks terrible on my gaming pc which uses a high quality 24" dell lcd.Where as the monitor at work is a lot more forgiving as it's contrast and brightness is very poor.

I think if you overstretch the image or up the brightness and contrast the circles should be visible? but in the mean time mate you could have a play with this tutorial? it's ok for galaxies not good for massive nebula's though.

Image processing: Gradient removal

I hope it helps mate?

Matt.

[Darth Takahashi]

What!!! Dell make high quality monitor??? Only joking...

I used to do some processing in my spare time at work but the DELL monitors there are S%^T and produce all sorts of issues with colour. I need try to colour calibrate one of them with a spider but it was a complete waste of time.

I now only use my MAC's for the final colour balance:D with my new mathematical formulation etc...

[SlipperySquid]

tsk...You Mac fan boy!