How low do you go? cooling..

[Earl]

I always go for -20c this seems to be the standard, what do you do?

[daz]

-15 or -20 depending on ambient - don't want to wear the cooler out

I have a library of darks from 30s to 30mins at -10/-15/-20/-25 just in case! Need to do my bias frames still tho....

[Freddie]

-15 to ensure I can achieve the same set point even in summer, may change this and go lower now though as I have stopped using darks.

[NickK]

-15 to ensure I can achieve the same set point even in summer, may change this and go lower now though as I have stopped using darks.

Same here - usually -15 even though in winter -24 is easy to get.

[Davey-T]

-15 to ensure I can achieve the same set point even in summer, may change this and go lower now though as I have stopped using darks.

Can you get -15 on hot summer nights ?

I had trouble getting this with Atik314L+ had to settle for -10 but subs

didn't look any different

Davey-T

[RobH]

-15 for me too, for the same reasons as the others.....it means you can shoot darks in the daytime as long as you're not in direct midsummer sun.

Rob

[perfrej]

Up here we get the opportunity to never exceed -30 if we want. When the weather is too warm there is no darkness

On a serious note, I always shoot at -30C. I can go to -45 without problem during fall, winter and spring, but -30 I can always do, even in early and late summer.

My SBIG has been at -55 at times...

/p

[Freddie]

I can get -25 from ambient. Not above 10 that often as in the middle of summer the nights are so short I don't bother with imaging

[ollypenrice]

For simplicity, minus 20.

Olly

[Starlight 1]

-15 or -20 depending on ambient - don't want to wear the cooler out

I have a library of darks from 30s to 30mins at -10/-15/-20/-25 just in case! Need to do my bias frames still tho....

I take it that you can use any of your darks from your library at any time yes,

So if the forum had a big dark library that anyone can put into or take copes of, It will same lots of time for anyone .

Or do it not work that way.

[ianaiken]

-20 for me too, this is right on the border of the lowest operating temp of the cam, at least what is recommended in the manual.

[Earl]

I take it that you can use any of your darks from your library at any time yes,

So if the forum had a big dark library that anyone can put into or take copes of, It will same lots of time for anyone .

Or do it not work that way.

Darks are Camera specific, would be nice if that was not the case.

[Starlight 1]

Darks are Camera specific, would be nice if that was not the case.

So it would not work if lets say a list like.

Camrea 1000d Darks 30s -15

Camrea 1100d Darks 30s -15

and so on will still not work.

[Earl]

So it would not work if lets say a list like.

Camrea 1000d Darks 30s -15

Camrea 1100d Darks 30s -15

and so on will still not work.

Camera Specific as in each individual camera, not just a model of camera.

[Starlight 1]

Ok I got it Thanks Earl.

[Earl]

Interestingly some people report replacing there dark masters ever so often as the response of the ccd changes over time.

Others dont use darks at all.

[Stephen]

6 months was the figure I worked to when replacing darks on my 450D.

A week or so of leaving the camera out in the garden all night shooting away got me roughly 50 frames across the range of temperatures I use (only ever used ISO800 and 60 or 120s subs.)

Shall not be bothering with darks for the 314L+