1st light QSI583wsg - M33 18Nov2016

[geoflewis]

Hi everyone,

Attached is my first ever image using a mono CCD camera, a 2nd hand QSI583wsg with Astronomik 1.25" Type IIc LRGB filters.

Capture: Maxim DL5 -  L = 11x10min; R,G,B 6x10min each. I shot everything at bin 1x1 as I didn't want to complicate things with mixed binning.

Scope: TSAPO100Q (4")

Mount: AP1200

Guiding: Lodestar via PHD2

Calibration & stacking: MaximDL5

Post processing: ImagesPlus + PS HLVG plugin

I hope that you like it. Comments and feedback welcome.

Regards,

Geof

[ChrisLX200]

I would be more than pleased with that as a first light - well done!

ChrisH

[geoflewis]

Thanks Chris,

I'm certainly pleased with it. I have about 4 years experience shooting astro images with a DSLR, but I was full of trepidation shooting different filters with the QSI; I really didn't know what to expect.

Geof

[steppenwolf]

An excellent first light - well caught!

[geoflewis]

Thanks Steve

Geof

[Astrosurf]

Lovely job! I do 2x2 binning for the colour but do find it a pain having to resize the images!

Alexxx

[swag72]

A great start to your CCD career!!! The KAF8300 sensor is a great sensor too

[geoflewis]

Thanks Sara,

I dream of capturing anything remotely close to your superb work, so thanks very much for the encouragement.

Regards, Geof

[geoflewis]

1 hour ago, Astrosurf said:

Lovely job! I do 2x2 binning for the colour but do find it a pain having to resize the images!

Alexxx

Thanks Alex, I used 1x1 binning for everything as there were already too many moving parts - new obs, new mount and pier, new camera, new filters, etc..... I see that many folks use 2x2 binning for RGB channels, but having to resize was a step to far for me right now. I'm also not too sure of the benefit, is it just file size and download speeds?

Regards, Geof

[ChrisLX200]

4 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

Thanks Alex, I used 1x1 binning for everything as there were already too many moving parts - new obs, new mount and pier, new camera, new filters, etc..... I see that many folks use 2x2 binning for RGB channels, but having to resize was a step to far for me right now. I'm also not too sure of the benefit, is it just file size and download speeds?

Regards, Geof

Stronger signal - better s/n (at the expense of 1/4 the resolution if 2x2 - not a problem for LRGB though if you're using a 1x1 Luminance channel).

ChrisH

[geoflewis]

4 minutes ago, ChrisLX200 said:

Stronger signal - better s/n (at the expense of 1/4 the resolution if 2x2 - not a problem for LRGB though if you're using a 1x1 Luminance channel).

ChrisH

Thanks Chris, I don't understand that (yet), but I'm sure I'll get there eventually

Cheers, Geof

[Pompey Monkey]

Top start with a CCD! I have a KAF 8300 chip in my camera too.

It's sooo much more suited for AP than a DSLR (as good as they are).

[geoflewis]

Thanks Paul,

One of my biggest concerns about switching from DSLR to mono CCD is the extra time required to collect data for all the RGB channels plus luminance. I could get 'passable' results with my modded Canon in a couple of hours and sometimes that is all I'd get on a target, so at least I'd have a colour image of sorts. However, now that I have a permanent rig in an observatory, which saves a huge amount of time in set up / break down activities, I'm hoping that I can grab those more fleeting opportunities and collect data over several nights. No question this first CCD image knocks the socks of anything that I captured with a DSLR over the past 4+ years. I'm still learning the ropes and expect that be true for quite a while yet, but its nice to get that first image under my belt. I chose the QSI with the KAF 8300 chip as it fairly closely matches the FOV I'm used to with the DSLR, so at least target framing should be reasonably familiar to me.

Regards, Geof

[ollypenrice]

9 hours ago, geoflewis said:

Thanks Paul,

One of my biggest concerns about switching from DSLR to mono CCD is the extra time required to collect data for all the RGB channels plus luminance. I could get 'passable' results with my modded Canon in a couple of hours and sometimes that is all I'd get on a target, so at least I'd have a colour image of sorts. However, now that I have a permanent rig in an observatory, which saves a huge amount of time in set up / break down activities, I'm hoping that I can grab those more fleeting opportunities and collect data over several nights. No question this first CCD image knocks the socks of anything that I captured with a DSLR over the past 4+ years. I'm still learning the ropes and expect that be true for quite a while yet, but its nice to get that first image under my belt. I chose the QSI with the KAF 8300 chip as it fairly closely matches the FOV I'm used to with the DSLR, so at least target framing should be reasonably familiar to me.

Regards, Geof

It is entirely erroneous to think that mono CCD is slower than OSC or DSLR. It is in fact considerably faster. It's just that you set yourself higher standards with a CCD. You could get a better image with your CCD in a couple of hours than with any other camera. Much better. For fun I'll prove this using a fraction of the data I captured recently with Gnomus on the Heart Nebula and bung it on a new thread! I like a challenge.

Binning simply means counting blocks of 4 pixels as single pixels as Chris describes. It is no bother at all to resize. Just make the RGB image up and then then open it in Photoshop or whatever you use and go to Image Size. Replace the horizontal and vertical pixel count with the pixel count you see in your unbinned image and click OK. Hey, if I can do it...

But the value of binning depends very much on your pixel scale (or in shorthand on your focal length.) At long focal lengths it can be worth binning colour because the binned colour won't look 'blocky.' At short focal lengths it will. If you really want nice stars at shorter focal lengths I would avoid binning.

Anyway you've made a cracking start. You say you have HLVG but to my eye the green is still a just a tad high.

Have fun,

Olly

[geoflewis]

45 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

It is entirely erroneous to think that mono CCD is slower than OSC or DSLR. It is in fact considerably faster. It's just that you set yourself higher standards with a CCD. You could get a better image with your CCD in a couple of hours than with any other camera. Much better. For fun I'll prove this using a fraction of the data I captured recently with Gnomus on the Heart Nebula and bung it on a new thread! I like a challenge.

Binning simply means counting blocks of 4 pixels as single pixels as Chris describes. It is no bother at all to resize. Just make the RGB image up and then then open it in Photoshop or whatever you use and go to Image Size. Replace the horizontal and vertical pixel count with the pixel count you see in your unbinned image and click OK. Hey, if I can do it...

But the value of binning depends very much on your pixel scale (or in shorthand on your focal length.) At long focal lengths it can be worth binning colour because the binned colour won't look 'blocky.' At short focal lengths it will. If you really want nice stars at shorter focal lengths I would avoid binning.

Anyway you've made a cracking start. You say you have HLVG but to my eye the green is still a just a tad high.

Have fun,

Olly

Hi Olly,

I guess that its my lack of mono CCD imaging experience that made me think that I needed more time to capture enough data. I'm shooting fewer, longer subs than with my DSLR, but regardless thought that I needed a minimum of, say, 1 hour for each RGB, plus what ever I could get for L, allowing for some bad subs that might need to be discarded. If I was only imaging for 2-3 hours total then wouldn't I risk not having enough RGB data, e.g. if I only shot 3x10 mins each RGB then had a couple of plane trails, cloud ruined subs, etc. to discard, then would I have enough colour data? Should I perhaps shoot more shorter subs for RGB, say 5 min subs at bin 2x2? It is all part of my learning, so I very much appreciate all the help I'm getting here.

Yes, I too think that it still looks a bit green. I ran HLVG weak, so maybe a second iteration, or HLVG medium or strong would have yielded a better result.

I look forward to seeing your cut down data Heart Nebula image.

Many thanks, Geof

[ollypenrice]

Here's the link. 

Olly

[geoflewis]

11 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Here's the link. 

Olly

Sorry Olly, where is the link..?

Geof

[geoflewis]

3 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

Sorry Olly, where is the link..?

Geof

Ignore that I found it. Great result, thanks for sharing it.

Geof

[Astrosurf]

I do find my DSLR quicker at getting data as I can just leave it running, but poss not such good data. I'm not that good an imager so am not too worried. It's great getting nice Ha or luminance with my Atik and the quality is great, but then I don't do RGB 'cause I want more L or Ha for extra-good data. I'd have to have another night for RGB but then I'm hankering for another target!  No pleasing some people!

Alexxx