Skywatcher Heritage 130P or somthing just a little bit pricier?

[ianpwilliams]

Ok thanks, will have to give that a tr

[ianpwilliams]

I quite like the look of the dew shield in this thread, made from a camping mat:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/69413-best-material-for-diy-dew-shield/

I wonder if it would be possible to create something like that for the 1100D lenses? A camping mat might be too thick for a smaller version though, so I wonder if there would be a thinner material that is just as effective.

[happy-kat]

If you experiment with card you will see it does not take much to interfere with what the lens sees, I found it a balance of stopping glare but not affecting image. Maybe a funnel flaring outward would give a longer dew shield.

[ianpwilliams]

I'm going to buy a camping mat, so I'll have plenty of material to experiment with!

When it comes to the subs, do you take lots of 6-second subs and put them into stacking software? And do you use darks (which I believe you can just take with the lens cap on), and maybe flats too?

[happy-kat]

With my very minor dabble I took lots and stacked and darks with lens cap but did not bother with flats. If you take darks don't forget to turn in camera noise removal off.

Perhaps if I had more patience I might but I can't see it happening in what I want to try.

[ianpwilliams]

Thanks, I'll remember that. Looking forward to taking some simple wide field shots and testing the water, and then getting more advanced later on

[ianpwilliams]

Would I be right in saying that there would be no point in polar aligning if using the mount without power? Does the stacking software only work if you take shots while being polar aligned? And if using a ball and socket head (which I intend to use), wouldn't that make polar alignment irrelevant anyway, because the camera wouldn't be in line with the mount?
 

[happy-kat]

DSS I use and I absolutely didn't polar align. But then my tripod is not motorised.

When I eventually build my barn door I will be polar aligning as much as I can.

[ianpwilliams]

Ok maybe I'll polar align once I have power running to it instead then.

[ianpwilliams]

My first ever astro photo! Yes I know it's not great. But it was just a handheld shot, with the basic 18-55mm lens, and no advanced settings. But it's a start!

[happy-kat]

The first of a journey :-)

[purdo]

Yes, no doubt the first of many.

[ianpwilliams]

Without a doubt the first of many! And even this was a good example for me of what can be done with image processing. When I took the photo the moon was a bright yellow disc, and that's how it was in the photo as well. So I ran it through a basic colourize effect (which basically reduced the saturation lots), and all of a sudden I could see some of the shadows and craters etc on the moon. I suspect that I might actually enjoy the image processing part the most if I can get good at it.

[ianpwilliams]

Ok, I'm planning on putting the camera on the mount tonight, seeing as clear skies are forecast. I'm not expecting miracles by any stretch, this is almost a dry run really. I know the moon won't be visible (based on what Stellarium says), so I'm thinking a random patch of sky where there are some stars, and just go for it. So settings-wise I'm thinking:

1600 ISO

6-second subs with 6-second gap in between each one (don't know how many subs though - the more the merrior I suppose? any recommended minimum number?)

Focus - focus on a bright star using Live View and stick with that (as no bhatinov mask avalable)

Then lots of darks (again not sure how many?) with lens caps on, and noise removal off, and presumably standard short exposures as per a normal photo?

[happy-kat]

Darks are as lights I think.

Have fun don't forget the zoom feature to check your test image in review mode to check focus and once focused switch lens to manual

[ianpwilliams]

Oh ok, so for darks you would go exactly the same, i.e. 6-sec subs with 6-sec gaps, same ISO (I'm now thinking 800 ISO on advice of Photon book), with the only difference being NR off for the darks?

And as for doing it tonight, looking on stellarium it looks like I would be looking at trying it at more like 11pm rather than 10pm (and I've got work tomorrow). The days are still too long for my liking!

[happy-kat]

If you take darks turn off noise reduction for all images.

With nr off you do not need 6 second gap. I do about 3 so camera is steady from mirror slap. Do at 10pm just to have try and start bet it takes 30 mins to get ready anyway then soon 11pm :-)

Bare in mind I am a real novice.

[ianpwilliams]

So these are the settings I'm looking at in my Manual Mode (I'm assuming that many of these options should be set to disabled, like I've said here):

Exposure length - Bulb

Aperture 5.6 (default)

ISO - 1600 (I've gone back from 800 to 1600 having read this thread about 800 supposedly not being great on this camera http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/167076-the-noise-produced-by-a-canon-1100d-at-various-iso-settings-and-temperatures/)

Flash Exposure Compensation - zero (default)

Manual Focus

Image Effects - Standard (default)

White Balance - Auto (there isn't a "Disabled" setting)

Auto Correct Image and Brightness - Disabled (default was "Standard")

Auto/Manual Focus - Manual

Single Shooting (my remote timer will manage the shots)

Metering Mode - Evaluative Metering (default)

Image Size and Quality - RAW (maximum size)

Then in Custom Functions Menu:

Menu #3 - Long Exposure Noise Reduction - ON for Lights, and OFF for Darks

Menu #4 - High ISO Speed Noise Reduction - Standard (default), or maybe ON for Lights, and OFF for Darks?

There are also various other Custom Function options, but I have no idea if I should be changing any of those or leaving them alone. Do you or anyone else who owns an 1100D think that the above settings are the right way to go?

[happy-kat]

I have noise reduction permanently turned off.

Let the stacker program work with the lights and darks to manage noise out in stacking processing.

[ianpwilliams]

Oh well that makes life easier if it's just off all the time. I get the idea that it's best to switch off anything that can be switched off which relates to image processing.

[ianpwilliams]

I'm now leaning towards the 80ED Outfit (again) as my first scope rather than the 150PDS, which although I'm sure would be great, it does appear to be a compromise scope, and so it seems like two scopes would be the way to go instead.

So I'm thinking an 80ED Outfit to start with, which will be easier to use, and hopefully good for moon/planets/large galaxies and nebulae, and then eventually the 200PDS for an improved viewing experience and also better imaging of smaller galaxies and nebulae. And of course the 80ED could then be used as a guide scope on the 200PDS.

[ianpwilliams]

Well I'm finally getting closer to actually doing some astronomy! I'm moving up to Edinburgh next week, where there is a nice big garden (a communal one, so I hope the neighbours are ok!), so there'll be no excuse not to buy a scope!

However, despite having my HEQ5 Pro mount, and despite fully intending to buy an ED80 Pro Outfit, I'm actually seriously considering buying the Heritage 130P scope first (which is ironic considering the title of this thread!), just because of the portability (I'm still going to be on the 2nd floor), the price, and the speed and ease involved when it comes to setup and storage.

[happy-kat]

If it means your appetite for the hobby is motivated and not frustrated sounds like a plan :-)

[ianpwilliams]

That's what I was thinking really. An HEQ5 / ED80 Pro Outfit setup would probably scare the hell out of me (frankly the idea of polar aligning the HEQ5 already has, although I fully intend to dive in and properly go for it when I get the ED80 Pro Outfit). But the Heritage 130P looks like it's pretty much as grab and go as you can get thanks to the flexitube, and just looking must be so exciting (whereas photographing a constellation was satisfying, but not particularly exciting!). And £128 is ridiculously cheap.

[ianpwilliams]

Not to mention that some of these astro photos could take upwards of an hour to take, so a little dob like the 130p would be great to play around with while that was happening