... I finally got a photo of something spacey!

[Fishpaste]

I realise this is pretty crappy - but it's a start!

Any hints or tips on how I could get better results next time, most welcome -- or even thoughts on this image ie the colour.. should there be some blue in there?

Orions Neb - Canon 1100D... 300mm lense... broken tripod... ISO 3200... 20(ish) x 2 second exposures... 'some' darks... no bias or flats

[Langy]

Nice Pic, better than my attempt with a 300mm lens.

The only thing is if you are on a normal tripod without tracking you may better off having a shorter exposure time, as you look lik eyou may have started to pickup some trailing.

There is a rule out there called the 600 rule which the Canon cameras usually have a 1.6 crop size so this means 600 / (300mm x 1.6) = 1.25 seconds. Some people drop that to a 500 rule and I've also read some drop to 400.

More exposures will help and take the Bias images too. Once you have your main exposures, the Bias and Darks are nice and easy to do as it's just slip on the lens cap.

I used 1.6 seconds for my exposures and should go lower.

[Leveye]

There is much more color in there but you'd need a tracking mount to capture it. All the same well done!

[Fishpaste]

thanks Langy.. I'll give the shorter exposures a go next time the cloud decides to shift..

I just found this pic which says it was done using .33 second exposures and a 300mm lense - I presumed it was done with a telescope.. it is rather good!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/latent0image/6866355961/sizes/l/in/photostream/
 

I gather you should take around 10-20 dark frames.. is it a similar number for bias?

Would I get a better image if I dropped the ISO right down and did several times as many images - or would it just be less noisy - but also less nebula...

I presume I could get a sharper image with the DSLR - I just rushed the focusing a bit

[Langy]

Take a look at this, it's how I got started. Only covers the basics but a great help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0JSTF8SGi4&list=WLpWIx6AVA0qogAX0syRenFPf3pGFWEB6K

[Killie]

Langy, that is a good link. I will probably bookmark it myself for future use as I will probably forget it.

[smudgeball]

Hi

Nice image, round stars, no trails, nebulosity, not crappy in my opinion.

Sure there are better, but for the exposure time and equipment you should be pleased.

I bet the next one is better

Regards

Neil