RGBL with DSI

[blinky]

If I set my Meade DSI to save FITS files it saves an R, G, B & L file. How do I use the L file? I know it is luminence but what do I do with it?

Can I add the RGBL files to Deep Sky Stacker or do I have to combine them into a standard RGBL File first?

The plan at the moment as the BBC Weather site has tomorrow evening clear is to try for a proper image of M42. I will be doing a drift align and trying for a range of exposures from 15 seconds to 2 minutes (If the HEQ5 can handle this?). I take it you would suggest stacking the diffrent exposures seperatly and them layering then in photoshop?

I just want to make sure I capture the data in the best form, this is the thing with astrophotgraphy, you only get a night here and there and never get time to fully experiment to get the best results!

[daz]

Craig

Stack each 'colour' in DSS separately and then bring them into an RGB image into PS

The L layer can be done as another layer on your combined RGB image and use the blend mode and opacity to control how much of the layer is visible in the final image.

I think there's a better explanation on here somewhere, but that's the gist of it!!

[blinky]

OK I will give that a try! Cheers

[blinky]

Does anybody know where the L comes from in the Meade DSI? As it is a colour camera surely it will only be capable of producing RGB images? How does it generate a L frame?

[MartinB]

Covert your combined colour image to mono. Then process it seperately from the RGB. Apply sharpening to the L image but don't sharpen the RGB. Apply smoothing to the dark background areas of the RGB. Noels "space noise reduction" works especially well. In photoshop, after processing the L and the RGB add the RGB to the luminence using "colour" as the blend mode (100% opacity). Other image processing packages may do things slightly differently.

[blinky]

Will give that a try on my M42 image, thanks!