A quick Elephant Narrowband with my new ZS70

[davy999]

Put my new William Optics Zenithstar 70 through its paces at the weekend, captured loads of images with 0% problems. Cracking little scope!.

A quick trial on the Elephant Trunk nebula is attached.

Atik 314L with ZS70mm, guided with Atik Titan and 6"SCT

8 subs of 5 minutes for each filter (HA/O3/S2) Not much time but plenty of data came out. Can't wait to try it again with longer subs and more of them but pleased with the results so far.

Dave

[Chris]

Dave thats brilliant:headbang:, are you using a reducer/flattener with your zs70, if so please let me know which I've been after one for my zs66 for yonks:)

[davy999]

Hi Starfox

I never used one with the 66, but thought i would try first without with the ZS70 before splashing out on one. Seems that the 314L chip is small enough to not have any need for a flattener (few pennies saved for now then). I would imagine that if you are using a DSLR (as suggested in your sig.) then you would probably need one.

[ianaiken]

Cracking image, nice and sharp. I was so tempted by the scope.

[Chris]

Thanks Dave, yes my DLSR's do show up field curvature so I will need to get one at some point.

Yes I agree that you probably don't need one from the looks of it, lovely crisp stars across the frame there:)

[Gina]

Marvellous image - lovely colours and lots of detail - beautiful

[AndyUK]

That's a cracking image Dave, especially for only 2 hours total data... and very nice processing too! This is great now, but if you're intending to get some more, I very much look forward to seeing the next version - You must feel very pleased with that ZS70...

[davy999]

Hi Gina

Thanks for the comments.

Your from East Devon I see, anywhere near Sidmouth (my local.ish. observatory) ?

[Gina]

Near Upottery up in The Blackdown Hills - just a few miles from the Somerset border. I quite often use the Community Shop and PO in Churchinford. Where abouts are you then?

Sidmouth is 16 miles away.

[davy999]

Thanks Andy

You could say I am very very pleased, especially considering just 2 hours narrowband, but that would be a massive understatement. The ZS70 is a little cracker. I changed from the ZS66 as I have been getting so much focus slip of late it was driving me crackers. I was told the focuser on the ZS70 was nowhere near as smooth as the crayford on the ZS66, and true, on coarse adjustment you can feel its not perfectly smooth but as soon as you get it close and go to fine adjust it's as smooth as the trusty ZS66, with the added benefit that it holds on tightly to my Atik314L and Atik EFW2 with no slip at all.

Last weekend was the best imaging weekend since I started this hobby 2 years ago, lets hope for a few more like that and I can get a better image of this object.

ref. processing. I doubt I can get it like that again, seems its more luck than judgement as any time I had an image I liked and tried to re-process I can never get it as good as an earlier version.. weird !!

Dave

[davy999]

Hi Gina

I am in Merriott, near Crewkerne but travel down to the Norman Lockyer Observatory in Sidmouth every week (if work allows!)

Dave

[AndyUK]

Last weekend was the best imaging weekend since I started this hobby 2 years ago, lets hope for a few more like that and I can get a better image of this object.

I started 2 years ago too... and Sunday night was the best I've ever seen it as well... but then again, you're only just down the M5 so that's hardly surprising!

ref. processing. I doubt I can get it like that again, seems its more luck than judgement as any time I had an image I liked and tried to re-process I can never get it as good as an earlier version.. weird !!

Oh good - It's not just me then!

[Gina]

Definitely not

[Gina]

Hi Gina

I am in Merriott, near Crewkerne but travel down to the Norman Lockyer Observatory in Sidmouth every week (if work allows!)

Dave

Hi Dave

I see I've been to the NLO just the once so far - very interesting and enjoyable Must try and go again sometime

[Viv]

brilliant image Dave !

Love the narrowband colours.

[Black Knight]

That's a terrific image

Sent from my mobile using Tapatalk, so please excuse the speeling and granma!

[Quatermass]

Really nice image like it a lot.

[davy999]

Thanks all for your kind words, I am still very pleased with it, several days later )

Dave