colour or mono

[thommo10]

Hi all

I am going to buy a Atik Titan ccd camera, but I am undecided wether to get the colour or mono version. any help please.

[AndyUK]

This is one of those "light blue touch paper and retire" questions... but I'll have a go (and be prepared to be shot to pieces!)

If you get the mono version, you'll need RGB filters as a minimum. There is the cheaper set of Baader filters (LRGB), but the more expensive set is arguably the better ones to go for. You'll also probably find yourself needing a filter wheel sooner rather than later as removing the camera each time to screw in a different filter is much more complex than rotating the wheel and giving the focus a quick check. If you were using the Titan for planetary work (Jupiter?), then you'd need to be pretty sharp with your filter changing to avoid planetary rotation... So for a mono you may need to budget for an extra £300 for filters and manual wheel (although obviously if you can pick them up 2nd hand you'll save a fair bit).

Mono is more sensitive than a OSC - You'll be able to capture more data in each filter than you would for the same exposure with a OSC... but of course you will need to take 3 separate stacks of images to get the R, G and B. I have no way of comparing (say) a 3 hour OSC with a 1+1+1 hr RGB or a 3+3+3 hr RGB, but I would hope that the latter would be significantly smoother than either of the other two and I believe that the RGB version should give a "deeper" result than a straight 3 hour OSC.

The other obvious thing to note is that there's additional steps in the workflow than there is for straight colour images - This came as a bit of a shock for me, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it now! Specifically you'll need to align and combine the channels...

I have a mono 314L+ and I've found that, with the weather we've had since I bought it, I seem to have been accumulating mono images (specifically Ha) and by the time the next clear and available night comes around, the object's moved over and I can't get as many subs as I would have liked which then means waiting for the next clear/available night... and in some cases that's going to mean waiting until next year (which I'm personally finding REALLY frustrating!). However, this is probably down to my own stupidity in setting myself a minimum of 20 (or 30) subs for each filter

If I had the funds, I'd buy an additional CCD - a OSC with a wider FOV - so that I could get the instant "fix" of having a colour image to process at the end of the night (but keep the mono 314L+ for it's much smaller FOV).

I think for me this comes back to the old addage that the best telescope is one that you use... and related to cameras, it comes down to which one you enjoy using and will use the most (and obviously what you can afford), which is obviously a very personal decision.

I'm not sure if that helps, but I'll invite others to shoot away now...

[Deneb]

mmmm, tricky question. Is this your 1st foray into dso imaging ?

Have you thought about buying a DSLR, I mean it's a OSC a larger fov & much cheaper for a camera which has larger imaging chip. It's something to consider then your 1st ccd...

Nadeem.

[ollypenrice]

It depends on what you want to image. Since the Titan is a dual purpose camera it can do planetary pretty well and here a colour chip is attractive in terms of ease.

For deep sky, mono is more flexible. I have both but the OSC is not as consistent. Some objects just don't seem to suit it and, above all, it is never going to compete in Ha, which so many objects really need. And you can shoot Ha in the moonlight.

I must say that I don't find processing OSC images easier. They are easier if all goes well but they seem to be a bit more defect-prone in my case so they can be a fiddle to correct.

If ever you intend to get an Ha solarscope then go for mono, of course.

Olly

[thommo10]

Hi all

Yes it will be my first foray into DSO imaging, I have done Jupiter, Saturn,Mars and of course the moon using a modified webcam ie philips spc800/900, and I imagine it is different using a Atik Titan?, the mono version sounds a bit fiddely using the LRGB filters?

Thanks for your answers somthing to think about

[ollypenrice]

On deep sky I think you'll soon get the hang of filters. I think it is the most consistently successful method of all and, on balance, the simplest.

I can see the argument for going fr a bigger chip, though. The webcam sized ones are pretty cramped.

Olly

[TheThing]

Mono for the greater detail. I see there is a very competatively priced mono SPC900 in the Sale section, so you could 'dip your toe' without going to a great expense.....

[thommo10]

Looks like a mono with filters ?