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Imaging with a Webcam

JimD

By JimD
in Getting Started With Imaging

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dephelis

dephelis

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I've left the original IR filter in (and just removed the webcam lens.

It's usually a good idea to remove the standard webcam IR filter as they don't tend to be astro quality and are designed to work in high light levels.

No filter as yet

Jeff

It's worth picking one up, un-filtered webcam sensors tend to give that pink/reddish cast to the image as they are quite sensitive to that wavelength. The IR also makes it harder to achieve spot on focus.

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nephilim

nephilim

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...which they did, annoyingly, last night when I was trying to get a shot of orion to practice stacking on.

(how long before I can edit posts!!??)

I'm not sure you'll have much luck with Orion i'm afraid, webcams ( unless long exposure types) arn't ideal for DSO's (as far as I know), with the XBox cam your much better off with lunar & planetary. If u do give Orion a go & are sucessful, i'd be very interested with the results :smiley:

Steve

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JimD

JimD

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I'm not sure you'll have much luck with Orion i'm afraid, webcams ( unless long exposure types) arn't ideal for DSO's (as far as I know), with the XBox cam your much better off with lunar & planetary. If u do give Orion a go & are sucessful, i'd be very interested with the results :smiley:

Steve

I'll certainly post my pics once I have any.

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JimD

JimD

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It's usually a good idea to remove the standard webcam IR filter as they don't tend to be astro quality and are designed to work in high light levels....

On the thread I've been reading at least (quoted earlier in the thread), opinion is divided on exactly how rubbish the original filter is. I'll see how it goes, because it seems like a proper IR filter costs about 3 or 4 times what I paid for the web cam.

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JamesF

JamesF

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Lack of exposure time is the real killer for DSO imaging with a webcam. I managed to get the Xbox camera up to about three and a half seconds, but no further. It will be interesting to see what you can capture with it.

James

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Aenima

Aenima

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On the thread I've been reading at least (quoted earlier in the thread), opinion is divided on exactly how rubbish the original filter is. I'll see how it goes, because it seems like a proper IR filter costs about 3 or 4 times what I paid for the web cam.

Hi Jim,

Here is a link to what looks like a good alternative to buying the filter and adapter seperate.. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200841839461&item=200841839461&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466

HTH,

Cheers

Aenima

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sparkyjon

sparkyjon

Posted
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The C8 would be lovely for webcam planetary imaging. You don't need a GOTO mount though. I use my EQ3-2 with the aftermarket motors for my 127 Mak. You'd have to ask around to check but an EQ5 might take the C8. You might be able to pick one of those up with motors for £200-ish. I thought there was one in the classifieds, but it seems not.

I can't find any information on the size of the central obstruction for the Vixen, but all the comments say it's very big. For the sake of argument and because it's the ratio of the larger Vixen scopes of similar design, let's say 40% of diameter or 44mm. The 127 Mak has a central obstruction of 40mm as best I can measure it. That means the Vixen has a total light gathering area of 10164sq.mm (ignoring the vanes) and the 127 Mak has 14529sq.mm, or 43% more. Even if we were very generous to the Vixen and allowed a 35mm central obstruction the Mak would still have over 33% more useful light-gathering area.

So yes, that extra 17mm makes quite a difference.

James

james i've taken your advice and decided to keep my c8 , i have actually got the auto trak working (well i think it is anyway) i'll have to give it a good test next time i get out....

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JamesF

JamesF

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james i've taken your advice and decided to keep my c8 , i have actually got the auto trak working (well i think it is anyway) i'll have to give it a good test next time i get out....

Best of luck, and have fun with it :)

James

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Aenima

Aenima

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Yeah, those are the ones I vaguely mentioned in an earlier post but had no idea of the makes n models, but in general they seem more for live viewing in situations where the family would appreciate seeing stuff on a computer screen.

For imaging it seems like the choice webcams - spc900,toucam etc. give better results and after the chips were seen as worth re-packaging they ended up in dedicated cams like celestron neximage and - i think - the DFK lower end mono types but dont quote me. ;)

It would be better in the long term even on a budget to keep ur eye out for a 2nd hand toucam/spc880/900nc or even a 2nd hand imaging cam but be sure to check it isnt just a digital ep. first - as that one in the link looks like the orion starshoot series but lacking in logo etc. . the classifieds on here might be worth looking in from time to time in case a reluctant sale comes up, it is likely to be a fairer price than ebay due to fellow astro-peeps remembering they are still only webcams. :)

All the best

Aenima

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skir

skir

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nice jim . i'm hoping to get out tomorrow it's a bit wet out there for me and my crutches at the moment, supposedly a nice dry day..

I'm about to go hobbling about outside in a bit, the sky seems to be slowly clearing....................mmmmm, shouldn't have said that should I!

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  • 2 weeks later...
skir

skir

Posted
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How you coping skir..

I've got a virtually fully decked garden and its lethal this time of year lol..

Back to hospital Monday for my check up. Hopefully good news and i can start physio.

Getting along OK actually thanks mate. The cast comes of next week. Know what you mean about decking I've got some at home and its lethal when wet and that's without an injury!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

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sparkyjon

sparkyjon

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i'm out of the cast ,well kind of still got a removable cast, got 7 weeks of physio and up to 30% weight bearing , slow process but getting there , i've even bought an eq-3-2 mount i feel i can handle that lol... hope yours comes good soon mate sounds like you've done a good job on it to.. 4 months i've lost of my life lol... but i will admit if it wasnt for my ankle i probably wouldn't have got so into astronomy so quickly and deeply..

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JamesF

JamesF

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I gather it's possible to get "gritty paint" to use for decking to aid grip when it's wet. I've never tried it though. I found ours is worst when it has had a year or so for algae to grow on it (it's on the north east side of the house and never gets the Sun). A power washer usually sorts that out.

James

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todd8137

todd8137

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Stay clear of those phillips ones they cost 12 pound a year ago and most of them come from a company called morgans who were have in them made to the same spec as a phillips one by some dodgy asain company ,any one who pays ove 20 pound for a 12 pound web cam is crazy tesco do a webcam for 4:99 just as good and cheap you can get an adapter of ebay for a fiver ,

and i hate the idiots that sell them for silly money i seen one sold on here for £80 blumming stupid

pat

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skir

skir

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Sparkyjon

I'm waiting on a physio appointment at the moment. Not sure on how long the physio will take.

I had a skiing trip planned and because of this injury I couldn't go. So the money saved has gone on astro gear. I've had plenty of time on my hands to research, read and learn. If I'd gone skiing I wouldn't have been able to buy the astronomy stuff.

Every cloud has a silver lining and all that.....

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

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