Do you think my Screen Calibration, Mode Or Photoshop not set up properly.

[Ewan]

I'm not adverse to learning myself but after having spent best part of yesterday processing my M42 shot i am finding this rather difficult could someone shed some light for me please ?

This shot of M42 from 02 ‎January ‎2013, ‏‎04:01:37 is a stack of 66 subs, no darks flats etc yet but i do have some, only reason not applied is i was just trying to see how coulours / data comes out first.

This was using the 600d @ prime Iso 400 & 800 30-45 secs each, i have seen advice on here for those times but i have also seen people doing 5 mins, Dave Smith (awesome picture btw).

I had very good Polar Align so i assume if my scope can do the time without trails i should be shooting way longer than i am ? 2,3,5 minutes maybe ?

I do not have a clip filter for the dslr at the moment as my train is scope, 6/3 FR, 2" SCT adapter then camera, i can do a different focus train using my 1.25" parts & use my UHC/S Baader filter, would this make a 'big' improvement ?

Using the 1.25" connectors means i will suffer from more FL + vignetting.

I have a Benq 24" monitor which has five 'screen colour selector' settings which when processing i have set to photo does this make any differnce as to what my eyes are going to see & i end up keeping / posting on here ? i thought it may to a point.

My PS settings are still as they were after i initially installed the program, i use the photography setting (top right) correct ? i have not changed to any other pallet but ashould i ?

Appologies for the long post but trying to convey most variables i thought may help in some good feedback & advice.

Thanks for looking appreciate any help.

EDIT: one last thing does my collimation look ok, can you tell ?, i have not long fitted Bob's knobs & seemed to set up fairly quickly(too quickly maybe) but star pattern looked good to me so just another question.

[andrewluck]

Hi Ewan

That's a nice low noise image. You're on the right track.

Find a colour option on the monitor that you like and stick with it for now. There's plenty of other stuff to worry about for now .

Can't tell on the collimation from this picture. You'll have to look at a defocused star under high magnification to see. There's plenty of guides on the web on how to do this.

If you have a lot of light pollution then a filter will enable you to take longer exposures before the background gets too bright. It will alter the colour balance though so you have to take care of this during processing. Aviod the 1.25" filter, it will cause vignetting.

There's a huge dynamic range in pictures of M42. Multi-minute exposures will show the faint parts of the nebula really well but the central 4 stars will be burnt out. The trick is to take a set of longer exposures for the nebula along with a set of short ones for the central region, process them independently and then combine them in Photoshop.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Andrew

[Ewan]

Cheers Andrew, i am going to hang onto this data for the time being as i can use it for the Trap when i take some 3-5 mins or longer next chance i get then combine the 2, thing is Freddie gave me some tips (which worked to an extent but my processing not up to his).

1st small combined image:-

Levels Adjusted (finally phew!!)

This is wat i showed Freddie so far, the problem i am finding is i end up with the surrounding area all pink / red as well, how do i avoid / correct this ?

I only have a 1.25" LP filter or UHC/S, looks like i will have to get a CLS Clip type now after all.

[andrewluck]

Hi Ewan

Can't view the full size versions of your thumbnails as they were originally posted in a PM. Can you re-upload them.

[Ewan]

Hi Andrew, i have for the main part sorted this problem now, got to grips with getting the colours i need / require using PS, just took me a while to find the right route.