Capture software

[Thom]

I'm soon to be getting a 'proper' imaging camera - a QHY5. I know these are more often used for guiding but my aim is to image lunar and planetary only so it should be just fine.

Is the supplied capture software the best to use or can anyone recommend anything else please? I'll be using a net book with Windows 7.

Thank you in advance.

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[RichM63]

I've no idea about the supplied software, I would guess that it should work.

Other software, SharpCap2, Fire capture are installed on my Win7 machine.

[leelee970]

I use the supplied capture software to test the camera first.

But SharpCap and Fire Capture give you much more control of the setting needed and used the most.

A good idea is to get a Bahtinov focus mask to help focus first on a near by bright star - then remove mask  and slew to planet/Moon.

Lee

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have used both SharpCap and FireCapture. I have a slight preference for the latter. It is very handy that it remembers previous settings per object, camera, and filter (so your keep good presets for each combination). Maybe the newer SharpCap can also do that.

[Thom]

Many thanks for all your responses and I am actively looking into those now.

I'm a fairly 'old hand' at imaging, but mostly with a SPC900 up until now.  The QHY5 represents a major step forward for me!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

AFAIK the QHY5 has the same chip as my ASI130MM. Got some excellent lunar results with that. Also works well on Jupiter. I do note some pattern noise in the chip, but this can be corrected with darks (unusual for planetary or lunar) and flats

[Thom]

Very useful information Michael, thank you.  I have never taken darks or flats for planetary imaging before.  This might be a whole new field for me to look into!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Only my ASI130 seems to need that. It's easy enough: just take a long sequence with the cap on the scope, and stack it as reference image