Webcam Settings

[mak90fan]

Hi Everyone, I have some questions about webcam settings.

I have a modified MS Lifecam 720hd, using Sharpcap. My scope is a 130p SW Supatrak.

I'm after advice on what video quality to use for moon & Jupiter imaging, most info points to 640 x 480 but I can go to 1280 x 720? I have had great success with moon but I feel it can be improved on?

Next, do I need an IR Filter for my camera? 

Next, should video clips be short for Registax to be most effective?

Lastly, Jupiter is a ball of light through my camera, even through every filter in my filter set, can this problem be tackled?

Responses much appreciated in advance..Thanks John

 

[saggiemaggie7]

hi sorry i dont know much about video quality i would like the same infor tbh i have the lifecam 3000hd im presume yours is the same or similar i tend to just mess around with the settings in sharpcap and do what i can lol i do find with jupiter the more frames the better i usally do about 40 500 frame videos load them all into PIPP and tell it to give me the 1200 best ones it loads them into a new avi file which i then put in registax my results arent brill and can be improved upon this is jupiter from last night i have the 200p though 

 

 

[mak90fan]

Hi Saggie, 

I think our cameras are the same. I came across PIPP somewhere yesterday and overlooked it, what is it's purpose? Your photo is great, how do you tackle the glare from Jupiter, I too shot it last night but got just a ball of 'focused' light

[saggiemaggie7]

hi pipp reduces the amount of frames in your avi files it takes the best ones out getting rid of all your blury out of focus frames so that way when you put your new avi in registax it is a small avi file full of good frames once stacked the image most of the time looks a little clearer but still blurry you need to use wavelet settings then you processing software to tune up your image this is a link to a youtube vid i watched when i started not to long ago gave me a basic idea but i think the best way is just to mess around with different setting s and see what works for you  i also here neodymium filters are good for planets so i have one of those on order they are also good light pollution/moon filters  ill let you know the effects of it when it arrives  

 

 

[saggiemaggie7]

i dont use icap i use sharpcap in there i set my my frames per second high as it will go around 30fps max for me and then mess with exposure and other settings you wont bring out much detail in live view i could just about make out GRS when that picture was taken

[Astrosurf]

A UV/IR filter is usually recommended to modified webcams, but better wait till someone else more knowledgeable confirms that!

I've never used your make of cam so don't know how SharpCap displays the settings. Maybe you could post a screenshot next time?

I muck about with Exposure and Gain. I keep Brightness down a bit so the background is black. Exposure adjusts in steps (or at least it always has for me!) and Gain is more a gradual slider. You should be getting detail if you bring Exposure and Gain down. I find if Exposure is too high the frame rate drops, but that's with my ASI cam.

If it was me, I'd use the larger resolution, or at least I'd try both and see which produced the better result.

Jupiter rotates fast, so I usually keep my frame count at 3000 (at about 25-30 fps). I've tried 5000 but the images weren't so good. Might have been seeing, though, rather than smearing. Again, try both, and more, and see what happens.

 I stack in Autostakkert!2 as I find it gives better results, but I take the file back into Registax for the Wavelets function.

Good luck!

Alexxx

 

 

[saggiemaggie7]

for some reason with thisperticular webcam the gain isnt adjustable in sharp cap  or not for me anyways lol

 

[mak90fan]

Thanks for the advice guys, it seems I've found the settings in Sharpcap which could be the breakthrough I need?

I will be hunting a UV/IR filter which appears to be £30 New. 

I got a fuzzy shot of Jupiter from last nights endeavour,  the band's are slight but definately there 

My lunar shots, detail wise, are great at both resolutions , might tone it down with a filter. 

I think I need to invest more time to practice & be more prepared once outside to try a variety of approaches.

Cheers, Thankyou....

 

[saggiemaggie7]

sometimes leaving the dustcap on the end of the scope but taking the little cap of steps down the apeture that may help aswell

[mak90fan]

Hmm? That also sounds worth a go too, I'm going to jot down some variable settings & take them outside as a reminder, the best results can be assessed for further use...?

[Astrosurf]

2 hours ago, saggiemaggie7 said:

for some reason with thisperticular webcam the gain isnt adjustable in sharp cap  or not for me anyways lol

 

Do you have a screenshot?

[saggiemaggie7]

35 minutes ago, Astrosurf said:

Do you have a screenshot?

Hi i dont atm but ill switch the laptop on when i get a chance and take 1 of the settings pain in sharpcap  

[mak90fan]

It's been a while but here is a great result using my 130p  ?

[Astrosurf]

Very good! Be careful not to over-process the colours. It's tempting I know! But Jupiter's colours are very subtle.

[mak90fan]

Hi Astrosurf, I guess that's down to over contrasting maybe? I need some more time fine tuning my processing skills ?

I now have Synscan, so do you think a longer capture period than my current 30 seconds (about 400 frames)  will benefit my results? 

Thankyou for your feedback .

[Astrosurf]

I do 3000 frames at 25-30fps = approx 2 - 2.5 mins. Longer and you get smearing as the planet rotates so fast. You can derotate with Winjupos but the software looks really complicated to me! I stack for 80% of best frames but others suggest as low as 40 or more! You can try different settings in Autostakkert! 2 and see what happens.

What processing did you use? I stack in AS! 2 and then Wavelets in Registax.

[mak90fan]

I use 'parts' of the Registax software, I have seen a few Youtube video's and folks generally point to switching some aspects of the software off, which I have done, since then my results appear more lucrative, MS Photoshop for the final touches.

Thankyou for the info on 'Best Frames' I too actually did my last processing run at 80%, again better outcomes. Something I may stick with.

I am waiting to get to use my new Synscan (its raining in Derby) but it seems largely straight forward. I will definitely run longer captures as you suggest.

This may sound silly but if I track 'say' the Orion Nebula, would my 130p & 720 Webcam set up, at captures of 2mins or so, give me any results or am I reaching too far?