Astrophotography Software for imaging

[icmoon]

Hello all,

A year ago last June I bought my first telescope (I don't include the Tasco) a Celestron Evo 9.25 and lots of eyepieces & bits & bobs.  I injured my back and haven't actually used it yet. Because of my back I may have to do more on the photography side than the viewing as I can't stand for long.  What would you guys suggest as a starter software program for a newbee?

I just can't wait to get going in this new and fantastic hobby.  I'm no youngster, I can still recall the Gemini program & then Apollo.........It still thrills me with all that's going on.

Many thanks in advance & I hope to get going soon.

Take care

Simon

West Sussex

[happy-kat]

You can sit to view, you have a telescope with the eyepeice holder at the bottom and being on a tripod it should not need to be fully extended.

[ronin]

Initially go get a webcam of some variety, construct whatever is required to place the webcam sensor at the  focal plane and go planet imaging. Slight problem being the relative absence of planets.

For this you need the webcam and a laptop to collect the video - not long duration video. Then download video into Registax or/and AS2 - each seems better at one aspect then the other. Or just Registax, to keep it simple. The action is feed video into registax, select best frame, tell it to select say the 200 best frames matching that and stack those. Then process. OK a bit overly simplified but that is the bare bones.

The webcam can literally be that, a webcam - modified by removing the lens. Or you can get one of the ZWO's - more cost.

For DSO the 9.25 is not ideal, too long in focal length. So a focal reducer is likely required. Also is it Alt/Az or Eq mounted.

Another aspect I suppose is with a webcam, try a ZWO you can feed the output to a laptop and view on the laptop, presume something like Sjarpcap will enable this, while sitting down.

[happy-kat]

There are two users on the No EQ DSO Challenge thread imaging with that tripod if it is the AltAz one so don't be put off by not being EQ but they do not use the Sct/Mak but small fast refractors.

link here

[SilverAstro]

1 hour ago, icmoon said:

 I may have to do more on the photography side than the viewing as I can't stand for long.  What would you guys suggest as a starter software program for a newbee?

I'm no youngster, I can still recall the Gemini program & then Apollo......

Oh yes you are ! I can still remember Sputnik I !! and Patrick's first S@N,,, but I'm not here to pull rank lol!

As well as looking at 'photography' stuff look out for people discussing EAA ( Electronically Assisted Astro) and/or/aka Video ( sub forum on here https://stargazerslounge.com/forum/123-video-astronomy/ ) in the comfort of your chair by the fireside.

[icmoon]

Ok, you win!........Just wished I'd started 'astromomy' years ago.  Thank you for the suggestions I will check them out, they do sound intereting for someone like myself.  I have a Canon 7D & wonder if that were suitable for some very basic astrophotography.

[happy-kat]

Camera lens especially prime lenses can take great astrophotos.

[icmoon]

Many thanks for that. Is there any prime lenses that I should look at in particular, their focal range or largest aperture etc?

[happy-kat]

I assumed you already had a camera and lenses. Any length from wide to say 200mm.

[icmoon]

I too have a bright streetlamp, one at the back of my house one at the front, very annoying indeed but would it help at all to put up a large board to at least block out the direct light or is this pointless do you think?

[iapa]

2 hours ago, icmoon said:

I too have a bright streetlamp, one at the back of my house one at the front, very annoying indeed but would it help at all to put up a large board to at least block out the direct light or is this pointless do you think?

That would improve matters. There are posts elsewhere where people have strung blankets or similar between long poles that they fit into brackets they've attached to fence posts to make temporary barrier - helps get around fence hight restrictions etc..

Are these Sodium or Mercury lights or are they LED? For Sodium or Mercury lights a 'light pollution filter' can help as well any other light barriers you can use.

I did some stuff with Nikon D90 and Canon 700D cameras using the software that came with the cameras a while back with various consumer (e.g. cheap) prime (35mm and 50mm) and telephoto lenses (such as 75mm-300mm). Got some screw in bahtinov masks to help my focusing which made a bit of a difference.

The cameras where piggy backed on the telescope, then later direct on the mount when I realised I could do that (I'm slow sometimes) and I just used the mount to point where I wanted to be.

PS I too remember watching Messrs Armstrong and Aldrin stepping out on to the Lunar surface.

 

[happy-kat]

I have a red dot finder that fits in the camera hot shoe. Works well for aligning.

[SteveNickolls]

Hi Simon,

Astro-imaging doesn't have to be expensive to try it out to see if you will take to it. Maybe have a look at Deep Sky Stacker software (free) for stacking your images and StarTools for the processing? StarTools can be used for free (but you can't save any images until you pay for a copy). There's lots of other alternative software about and it really depends on your preferences which you end up using. Any software will have its learning curve. If you are interested or intent on imaging using an Alt-Az mount there's the very active 'No EQ Challenge' thread on SGL you could look at. Also for Alt-Az imaging I'd recommend the book, "Astro-photography on the Go Using Short Exposures on Light Mounts" by Joseph Ashley who is a great helpful guy. You can buy his book at our sponsors FLO.

Concerning camera and lenses, I'm not familiar with the 7D but good images can be had as others have said from using just a camera and a lens on a tracking mount as a starting point. If you have a Canon remote that will help with taking images without inducing shaking and an intervalometer will help further in taking multiple images.

Good luck in your hobby.

Cheers,
Steve

[icmoon]

Many thanks for that. Is there any prime lenses that I should look at in particular, their focal range or largest aperture etc?

I have some lenses, so I guess I'll start with the good old 50mm 1:4

[happy-kat]

That's a nice lens very fast a good starting point you'll get about 8 seconds before star trailing on a static mount. Depending on how it performs you might need to stop it down a bit. When focusing choose a star on one of the third intersections it will better even out star focus across the frame. Use the self timer or get a intervalometer they are cheap about £13. 

[happy-kat]

You'll be able to make a start learning about taking photos, light, flats, bias frames. Stacking and processing. If you use your mount you'll get between 30-45 seconds before field rotation is too much depending where you point in the sky. 135mm is a nice length too for framing I like images from that length.

[alacant]

8 hours ago, icmoon said:

the good old 50mm 1:4

They're great. You can get e.g. the whole of Orion. Have a look on eBay. There are some bargains to be had e.g. 135mm and a 200mm Ashai can be found cheaply and they take nice sharp astro  snaps. For software, just take loadsa short exposures and stack them in deep-sky-stacker. You can process the stack you get in The Gimp -both are licence free. HTH.

[happy-kat]

and right now a fiull version of paintshop pro x9 ultimate is just £19.99 download plus comes with free extras and can add free Nik's plugin collection and runs many photoshop plugins like gradient exterimator

[Astrofriend]

Hi Simon,

You don't have to be old to remember Gemini, I do it :-)

 

I have two different setup with my Canon DSLR camera, for the moment a 6D.

 

When I are on move I have my light travel package with me. It's based on a Skywatcher Star Adventurer:

http://astrofriend.eu/astronomy/projects/project-star-adventurer-repair/project-star-adventurer-repair.html

Scroll down and you see what I bring with me, no computer, control it from an intervallometer.

 

The lens I wanted was a Canon APO 200mm f/2.8, but could not afford it so I bought a Sigma APO 150mm f/2.8, you can read about it here and see two test photos:

http://astrofriend.eu/astronomy/projects/project-sigma-150mm-f2_8-lens-vignetting/project-sigma-150mm-f2_8-lens-vignetting.html

 

I also have shorter focal length lenses, from 16mm Zenitar fisheye and up to telescope.

I belive your Canon 7D will deliver very good looking images with the right lens and mount.

 

When I use my bigger telescope, a TS130 APO and EQ6 mount which is more or less stationary it requires computer support. Here is a list of my equipment and if you scroll down you see what softwares I use for Windows and also what Apps for my Android mobile telephone, I have links to them all:

http://astrofriend.eu/astronomy/equipment/astronomy-equipment.html

 

Maybe of some help?

 

/Lars

[Uplooker]

May have missed it but the OP was looking for starter software.

I read that as software for controlling the camera, in this instance a Canon.

I would suggest Astro Photography Tool (APT) or Backyard EOS.

I personally use APT and find it very good, although I now use it for controlling a mono CCD

[Astrofriend]

I have APT too, it's wonderful. Ivo who is the deceloper of it is very fast to correct bugs and add new futures.

 

I think his goal this year is to add Nikon support, not only Canon and ASCOM cameras.

 

http://www.ideiki.com/astro/Default.aspx

 

/Lars