Best SPC900 Image

[themos]

The frame rate and the bit-depth are the limiting factors. There's only so much you can do with 8 bit images.

[JamesF]

I notice you also have a C9.25" is your sig. How's that compared to the MAK127? Do you have any imaging advice for using the C9.25?

Haven't even got as far as imaging with it yet It's boxed up now until I get the obsy built. Assuming the weather allows it that may move forward now though. My wife said I couldn't start any more projects until the new sitting room/bathroom/landing are finished, but she's just imposed a delay by insisting that no more "dirty" work takes place until after Christmas, so what's a man supposed to do with six weeks?

James

[earth titan]

As I understand it, frame rate is the main issue. The more expensive cameras will operate happily at higher frame rates and as such will reduce the effects of poor seeing.

But then I'm no expert and will stand corrected if this is not the case.

Typed by me on my fone, using fumms... Excuse eny speling errurs.

[bus_ter]

Haven't even got as far as imaging with it yet It's boxed up now until I get the obsy built. Assuming the weather allows it that may move forward now though. My wife said I couldn't start any more projects until the new sitting room/bathroom/landing are finished, but she's just imposed a delay by insisting that no more "dirty" work takes place until after Christmas, so what's a man supposed to do with six weeks?

James

For goodness sake man, you do know Jupiter will reach opposition in just over 2 weeks and will be at it's closest until the year 2021! How can you leave your C9.25 in the box and miss this!! Crazy.

Also as someone who has recently upgraded from a MAK127 to a C9.25 and also has a SPC900 I'm very interested in seeing your results and comparing to my own.

ref: http://earthsky.org/tonight/on-december-2-jupiters-closest-opposition-until-2021

[bus_ter]

The frame rate and the bit-depth are the limiting factors. There's only so much you can do with 8 bit images.

Is 8 bit just the number of shades of colour that the webcam can register? If so, how's that limiting the image? I would say sharpness and resolved detail are the big limiting factors of any planetary image. Does having a smooth gradient of colours make a big difference?

[bus_ter]

In regards to what can be produced with this webcam check out Olorins images..

[tich]

I've never had anything as good as what I've seen on this thread as I can never get the colours quite right. I don't know if it's my limited experience or poor processing skills or all of the above. I've generally took around a 1000 frames using my flashed spc880 using a 200P. Both images below were taken with 2 stacked 2X Barlows due to my limited kit at the time but I have since brought a 4x Imagemate & so far the images have been worse, so bad in fact I deleted them in disgust....

3/2/2012

11/3/2012

[themos]

Is 8 bit just the number of shades of colour that the webcam can register? If so, how's that limiting the image? I would say sharpness and resolved detail are the big limiting factors of any planetary image. Does having a smooth gradient of colours make a big difference?

I think it does when it comes to enhancing the detail.

[Delboy_Hog]

Great thread, some cracking images and like you say, hopefully more people will see it and add their pics.

My best effort to date with the 127 mak from early October. Many areas still to improve on, which I'm actually quite excited by, and that's before I start the processing. Nothing more than a bit of tinkering with the wavelets in Registax 6 at the mo...

4 min capture @ 10fps.

Question: Do fellow SPC900 users have a fixed setup when capturing (levels of exposure, gain, brightness etc) or do you, like me, seem to spend ages trying to find the best combo every time you go out? It just seems that conditions can be so variable that the same levels don't work every time. Normal or my imagination?! Any suggestions on what to change about the below?

Exposure=-6

Brightness=76

Contrast=30

Saturation=0

Gamma=0

ColorEnable=255

BacklightCompensation=0

Gain=43

Things I need to improve on: Imaging somewhere darker than the city centre, set up further away from the house and on grass, not the patio (heat currents affect seeing), using a 'decent' barlow (basic skywatcher 2x at present), using an extension tube, trying the 3x barlow, using a neodymium filter, trying longer captures (i've seen up to 10 minutes mentioned on SGL recently?!), nailing alignment so that tracking doesn't require adjustments mid-capture, capturing when target is high in the sky, learn how to process and most importantly, getting a night of good seeing!

[JamesF]

For goodness sake man, you do know Jupiter will reach opposition in just over 2 weeks and will be at it's closest until the year 2021! How can you leave your C9.25 in the box and miss this!! Crazy.

Well, yes, I know, but the problem is having somewhere sufficiently safe to keep it whilst half the house is being pulled apart.

Anyhow, my 127 Mak can see the undersides of clouds just as well as any C9.25

James

[tranas]

My best set of images using my Celestron NexImage (which is a rebranded Philips in an astro-friendly case) was similarly October last year (15th to be precise). There was exceptional seeing.

At the same time I managed to take a large number of images and make a time-lapse movie. I even made a "making of" video and stuffed it on YouTube! :-)

There`s a good movie you made, put a lot information into this. Personally for me a lot what to learn, I just start to use REGISTAX. Well Done.

[stephen_usher]

There`s a good movie you made, put a lot information into this. Personally for me a lot what to learn, I just start to use REGISTAX. Well Done.

I'm glad that you found it useful.

[earth titan]

Haha...

Good seeing at last.....

28th november 2012.bmp

[PH-R]

Great thread I have just found it. I find the camera to be excellent. Only way for me to get better images is by buying more aperture, which is not going to happen any time soon.

Images from last night 28-11-2012.

Pic1 100ED 2.5 barlow, 5fps, Gain 50, Gamma 10, Saturation 100, Brightness 38, I think:

Pic2 100ED 3x Tele + 2.5 barlow, 5fps, Gain 50, Gamma 0, Saturation 100, Brightness 38, I think:

[zakkhogan]

this is my best so far using the neximage