First real attempts at "Widefield"

[Macavity]

<Wibble Warning!>

Seems I've been putting this off *far* too long, so last night, I tried 
to apply myself diligently to learning the basics of "Widefielding"!

So, armed with my trusty Canon 100D, plus 24mm f/2.8 "Pancake"
atop the HEQ5, I persisted - Despite the mid-level misty clouds? 

First up my usual / typical (slightly indifferent) "widefield" Taurus.
FWIW, 10sec at a full-aperture f/2.8 and ASA1600! Hmmm...

Then I remembered that I had specially bought a Skywatcher 2" LP filter.
Here's a rather less-clouded Perseus before and after addition of the filter!

Some dimming of stars, but a useful reduction of the ORANGE cast?

Moving to Cassiopeia, I decide to try increasing the exposure time too.
The background still looked fairly tame-able going from 10s to 30s! 

Clearly the FOCUS is changed with addition of the filter, so I decided to
address this (for a change!). Despite my fears re. the STM lens, I found
removing the cam and auto-focussing on distant street lights worked!

SINCE things were "looking good", I blazed away whatever the cloud.
The images were processed a bit via GIMP "levels" to bring out detail.

Beta-Andromeda region - Including M31 (and M33 I reckon!)

A VERY MISTY Auriga "doing it's best" (as I was)?

Taurus with some improvements (Hurrah!).

A little NEBULOSITY coming through (I'm fairly amazed).

Finally, a tad understated, but my favourite thus far - Perseus.
(Including the double cluster... and Kemble's Cascade even!).

Nothing revolutionary! But I hope someone else is encouraged to "have a go"
with DSLR widefield. A very enjoyable evening! As one book says, a lot can be
achieved quickly, but it "takes a lifetime"... etc. Not sure I have all THAT long!

[happy-kat]

You might have local light pollution but in general looks like you pick up lots of stars. :-) must be tempting to look at taking several and stacking to see even more goodies from your sky.

I  quite like seeing the clouds in Taurus adds to the capture.

 

[Starwiz]

Very nice images!  

John

[Pete Presland]

Lovely widefield views, plenty of DSO's visible.

[Macavity]

Thanks folks! If I write things down, I might even remember, myself. lol 

From the experience, I am pleased that STM "fly by wire" (Uhm, who knew)
was possible to focus. I might even get the 40mm Canon Pancake - I sense
both operate better at f/4 than maximum and 20 deg is mostly enough? 

No clear sky since, but I have hopes for tomorrow night! Indeed the most
obvious is to take multiple images (I already did!) but use them to STACK,
rather than selecting the least cloudy - Whatever the cool atmospherics! 

Fun to finally play with the DSLR though? Only took 50 years or so to get
beyond the old Zenit-E (Ask your Dad... Grandad?) experience. Could quite
get into wide field. No need for the 20lb of S...stuff, before I even start! 

P.S. Then there is my pride and joy... The Canon 70-200mm f/4. I have
to get that one to "earn it's keep". Which I am sure it (ultimately) will... 

[happy-kat]

Very happy with the 40mm pancake here