Brushing up on lost skills with M57 and M31

[DanWebster]

Not having done much imaging over the some I've forgotten a lot of what I'd learned earlier in the year. So in an effort to brush up I've had some quick sessions to get back into the swing of things.

M57 - 10th November 2012

This is a single frame as all the others were no good, but after applying a few dark frames I'm quite pleased with how many extra stars came out.

The fact that the stars also have a little colour is a pleasing bonus, as it's something that's normally missing from my efforts - see below

M31 - 17th November 2012

This is 29 subs at 30 seconds and with dark frames applied. I had intended to use some flats, but I've completely misunderstood how they're taken. For some reason I've been under the assumption that they're supposed to be the same exposure duration as the lights, and as that was 30 seconds, the flats were saturated and useless. Whoops.

Both those photos are taken with a canon 1100d on a SW 200p and are unguided.

[Gina]

Nice ones Flats want taking at the same ISO and with nothing touched in the imaging system - particularly focus. You want a nice flat white object (light boxw, EL panel or white T shirt) and adjust exposure for a near midway histogram or use auto-exposure (Av).

[DanWebster]

I've set up a plain white image that I display on the TV via the PS3, and with a white t-shirt stretched over the end of the scope, take the pictures.

I'll need to play around with exposure times, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on the histogram

Tomorrow night is looking like it will be clear, hopefully it will stay that way, and I can get practicing.

One other thing I wanted to ask. With the 1100D in the scope, the pictures naturally came out in landscape orientation when viewed on the laptop. However, when I took the scope and camera out of the mount to point at the TV the images were portrait when viewed on the laptop. I had no idea if they needed rotating clockwise or anticlockwise, so how do you all get round this problem? Should I not even take the scope out of the mount?

Cheers

Dan

[Gina]

You can turn off the auto-rotate in the camera menu.

[whooshbang]

Is it possible to create a library of flats at different ISO and simply re-use the same flats for processing?

[whooshbang]

Nice images by the way Dan

[Jessun]

Is it possible to create a library of flats at different ISO and simply re-use the same flats for processing?

Yes, it's possible. At least on a stationary rig. I use my flats for months, and only do new ones if I move/rotate the camera, or if I notice some new and particularly nasty dust bunnies.

I am not worried about moving focus, as I aim for that same good focus. Others may argue that even a focus shift can be bad.

I wouldn't rotate the camera though - not at all.

PS, browsing around so quickly I didn't notice the slight thread drift. I too would like to add that you're off to a promising start on your work there DanWebster!

[DanWebster]

You can turn off the auto-rotate in the camera menu.

Ah of course, thanks

Nice images by the way Dan

I too would like to add that you're off to a promising start on your work there DanWebster!

Cheers.