Flats for widefield?

[swlloyd3]

Hey,

Just wondering, I am hopefully off on an imaging session tonight to try and capture the milkyway and from trying out some DSO imaging I know that dark frames will be useful in reducing camera noise.

Does the same apply to flats when imaging a widefield starscape?

Ste.

[Psychobilly]

Flats will help correct any light fall off in the corners of the frame...

What Camera and what lens will you be using...?

A DSLR with an APS-C sized sensor used with full frame lenses will have a lot less fall off..

You can process outy the fall off in CS... and get rid of a fair bit of the coma if its present by using the lens correction tools in the filters menu...

Peter...

[swlloyd3]

I will be using a canon 1000D and the stock 18-55mm lens kit for shooting the images...

I am also pretty sure that I will be getting a gradient from LP to the east once captured but I only use GIMP or paint.net as these programs are free. The only problem is I cannot find any tutorials on how to use these programs to remove gradients....

Thanks for the advice.

Ste.

[Psychobilly]

I would take it out in the post processing then since its a zoom... unless your certain your going to shoot "wide open"... ideal the flats should be taken without making any changes to the setup... WIth camera lenses shoot in Av mode at the same ISO and Aperture that you used to shoot the "lights"...

Is the camera going to be fixed or tracking?

[swlloyd3]

The camera will be tracking yes... Sorry for late reply!

never got to go and try imaging that night anyway!

I would most likely shoot 'wide open' but I have heard people say that the 1000D kit lens sweet spot is not 18mm (wide open) but around 24mm in order to avoid edge distortion.

Thanks for the tips all the same and I will bear that in mind when the next clear sky rolls around

Ste.