Software

[Saket]

Hi,

Do I require a another software for imaging from laptop or PHD2 also does the imaging part simultaneously with guiding.

I own a Nikon DSLR

[PeterCPC]

PHD is only for guiding and not capture. For imaging you will at least need an intervalometer or something like Backyard Nikon. PHD will guide your scope whilst BN captures the images.

Peter

[ronin]

For the actual "imaging" bit you need to collect a series of images of the object, say 10 at say 30 seconds duration for each exposure.

After this you can get say 5 or 8 or 10 Dark exposures, easiest done by setting the intervalometer to 5/8/10 exposures, putting the lens cap on, pressing the go button on the intervalometer and putting the DSLR+Intervalometer in a fridge (it is dark in there). Darks need to have the same DSLR settings as the exposures.

These need to be savd by the DSLR in RAW format, not the normal jpeg, so you need to change the image format.

You load these into a software package called Deep Sky Stacker, exposures in one folder and darks in another, select each group, exposures and darks, and get DSS to stack them.

After that comes the long one of processing the stacked image, it seems from reading that many use PixInsight for this with Photoshop being anoither often used software package.

 

[valleyman]

I use a Nikon and unlike Canon they don't supply a free Capture Software.

Download a programme called "digiCamCapture" it is free and runs Nikon Cameras

Also for Stacking Registax 6 again free.

 

Pat