showcase of unprocessed screen grabs

[garethmob]

hey guys, i started a thread in the social group but i thought id do it here

sadly i still havent had chance to give it a go but i know a lot of you have

the only rules here

all pictures must be "unprocessed" but live "recorded" videos are also accepted

defined raw images taken either directly from the laptop screen or by external camera........must not be photoshopped or edited in any way

[Psychobilly]

Define ... unprocessed

[garethmob]

lol sorry peter i'll update my first post

[Psychobilly]

I better start getting the brightness and contrast right form the camera and capture software then

Depending on the capture software you can carry out a lot of tweaking in it...

Peter...

[garethmob]

lol i no what you mean peter the idea is similar to the "competitors forum" it might bring more members into our fold if we post what we can see directly with out any milipation. i guess basic like everything u can do on the camera would be fine, and in the capture software like sharpcap be ok, but anything which involves proper editing in any other external program i guess wouldnt

[Psychobilly]

Ok here we go first lights from the SCB-2000P - the camera has had the filter removed... Captured on the NC10 via Video-2-go USB dongle usign Sharpcap

CPC800 SCB-2000P with TS 0.5x 1.25" reducer and Baader Planetarium UV-IR Cut (because I took the IR filter out)

I hadn't got the Brightness and contrast setting sorted ...

[Doc]

Thats really good Peter, you have even caught the centre star of M57, pretty impressive.

[Ptarmigan]

Oh golly-gosh ! Peter thats seriously impressive, my jaw dropped so far

would someone mind picking it up off the floor please !

Which globular, M13 ?

Apart from buying a 'scope where do I start !

Malcolm.

[Ptarmigan]

it might bring more members into our fold if we post what we can see directly with out any milipation.

You might be right there !

Especially as my eyes are not as young as they once were !

[Psychobilly]

Yes the glob is M13.... I didn't really know what i was doing and I have "upgraded" to a the 1/2" SCB-4000 as well but haven't pointed it at the sky yet...

I also have a f6.3 and f3.3 SCT reducers to try out... and the cameras on fracs...

I was guiding the SCT so was able to use the noise reduction in the camera.

Peter...

[Ptarmigan]

"upgraded" to a the 1/2" SCB-4000

I have just googled that and the SCB-2000P, I didnt know either. So, , I am gobsmacked, ~£200 and £90 approx ?

excuse me everyone - dumb question time ! >

These are live 50Hz type video (or perhaps 25Hz), or are you doing something clever to up the frame rate from 1/50 sec.

Doh! EDIT : I meant reduce the frame rate ie. up the exposure !

[Psychobilly]

The cameras are doing the clever suff they can stack the 50hz frames on the fly and a lot more to boot upto a max of 512 frames - Samsung call it "sense up"

[Ptarmigan]

512 frames is not long either is it !! Very impressive.

Thanks Peter

I'll be watching this space whilst doing some more googling for a beginners guide

[Psychobilly]

Around 10.2s the cams are pretty sensitive...

[Ben Ritchie]

Great stuff Peter, still waiting to try mine out under the stars (...silly weather...) but that M57 is very impressive

[Psychobilly]

The whole Video Astronomy thing has rekindled my interest... ok thbe images are never going to win POW or be magazine quality.. but they are essentially "instantaneous" in imaging terms.. and can be easily shared with a group of people... or viewed from the comfort of the living room

Some say that the images can look better on old Analog monitors rather than LCD's

[Ben Ritchie]

The whole Video Astronomy thing has rekindled my interest... ok thbe images are never going to win POW or be magazine quality.. but they are essentially "instantaneous" in imaging terms.. and can be easily shared with a group of people... or viewed from the comfort of the living room

That's very much the appeal for me too.

[Helen]

I've ordered a little 7inch TV on offer at Maplins to go with my watec I know the watec is supposed to more sensitive, but I DO like the colours in your shots Peter - so maybe a little Samsung later

Helen

[great_bear]

From my first night out with the SCB-4000:

All done with SCB-4000 and a Sky-Watcher 130P Telescope.

(close up of moon uses Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate)

[great_bear]

Forgot to say that the above shots are from a poorer-than-average night, under the light-polluted Walthamstow sky in London. With the naked eye you could only see a handful of stars when these shots were done.

[Psychobilly]

Nice range of targets you have "captured" with the 4000 there GB have you tried it in "day" mode for colour images

[West End Wendy]

I've ordered a little 7inch TV on offer at Maplins to go with my watec I know the watec is supposed to more sensitive, but I DO like the colours in your shots Peter - so maybe a little Samsung later

Helen

I have both the Watec and the Samsung and I usually use the Watec for it's increased sensitivity and better image quality.

But like you say, sometimes you do miss the colour, so the Samsung is a perfect companion.

I also use a 7" monitor - I can't tell you how much I prefer it to booting up a computer.

Tim

[Helen]

Thanks Tim - I'm all for reducing complexity!

Helen

[Peter Drew]

Another vote for the "old" analogue TV monitors. I've yet to see a better image on a laptop for instance. Another point, sky conditions, particularly moisture, have a significant effect on the performance of these cameras. As does temperature, much more difficult to get good images in Summer than in Winter.

[Rusty Strings]

In a permanent obsy a CRT monitor will probably give a nicer image but I wouldn't fancy humping one outside or to a star party, LCD or laptop wins for portability.