What exposure time and iso should I have for the Orion Nebula?

[Anakin Skywalker]

Wow that pic looks great!😀 especially all the detail you've managed to capture. I still can't figure out how to stack images in Registax because i'm fairly new to it so any advice of how to process images would be great. This is one of my other attempts to capture M42 with highly polluted skies. It was a challenge to get detail but with some tweaking i managed to get some detail

May the force be with you.

 

[wxsatuser]

3 hours ago, orion25 said:

I've been taking one off shots of M42 with my Orion SkyMax 127mm since 2015, first with the classic Nikon D50 and as of 2018 the Nikon D3200. I found that I could get a pretty good image at ISO1600 at 20 seconds. But that is what works well with my scope. I suggest, like others here, to experiment to see what settings work best for your scope. I don't spend much time stacking and like the spontaneity of one-offs, but undoubtedly stacking will add more depth, color and detail. Here is one of my favorite images of M42 from 2019 with minor tweaking of levels in Photoshop, no stacking:

Regards,

Reggie  

 

Nice one Reggie you have caught the correct teal colour of the Trapezium.
Mostly we see it blown out white or some other colour.

[bottletopburly]

56 minutes ago, Anakin Skywalker said:

I still can't figure out how to stack images in Registax

Registax is for creating an image from a movie file , you need Deepskystacker or Siril and use the scripts to make it simple 

[Anakin Skywalker]

2 hours ago, bottletopburly said:

Registax is for creating an image from a movie file , you need Deepskystacker or Siril and use the scripts to make it simple 

Ok thanks i'll try that!😀

[orion25]

16 hours ago, wxsatuser said:

Nice one Reggie you have caught the correct teal colour of the Trapezium.
Mostly we see it blown out white or some other colour.

Thanks. I was pleased to get the colors and the Trapezium. I experimented with different settings on the camera until I found a nice balance between a clear Trapezium and bright, colorful nebulae.

[Savjol Kanto]

I would recommend you to use ISO 800 and take 30 minutes of exposure. Since your telescope is not designed for astrophotography id suggest you o take 30x 1 minute exposure images. If you try my suggestions please let me know the results.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Savjol Kanto

[Spacecake2]

On 23/01/2020 at 13:37, orion25 said:

I've been taking one off shots of M42 with my Orion SkyMax 127mm since 2015, first with the classic Nikon D50 and as of 2018 the Nikon D3200. I found that I could get a pretty good image at ISO1600 at 20 seconds. But that is what works well with my scope. I suggest, like others here, to experiment to see what settings work best for your scope. I don't spend much time stacking and like the spontaneity of one-offs, but undoubtedly stacking will add more depth, color and detail. Here is one of my favorite images of M42 from 2019 with minor tweaking of levels in Photoshop, no stacking:

Regards,

Reggie  

 

I don't know if you will reply but with my celestron 127slt you can see star trailing at 10 second exposure times! so how did you get it to not slip? 🤔

[fifeskies]

14 minutes ago, Spacecake2 said:

I don't know if you will reply but with my celestron 127slt you can see star trailing at 10 second exposure times! so how did you get it to not slip? 🤔

I would have thought you should be able to go beyond 10 second exposures with this mount.

Have you made sure you have selected "sidereal" as the tracking rate, if lunar or solar are selected it will make stars trail.

 

Maksotov telescopes do have a long focal length however and for photography are more suited to an EQ mount for long exposures

 

 

Edited January 21, 2021 by fifeskies

[SamAndrew]

I suspect the trailing you are seeing in very short exposures is caused by the camera's mirror moving and causing vibration - you can try setting it to mirror lock up and using a remote shutter release.

Edited January 21, 2021 by SamAndrew

[Jamgood]

My last attempt at Orion was:

12 x 300s - 12 x 30s - 12 x 10s Lights ISO 1600

12 x Darks for each set of Lights

30 x Bias

30 x Flats

 

All guided shots taken with a Canon 60Da on a Skywatcher 130PDS in Bortle 8. Stacked in DSS and edited in Photoshop.

 

I got this. Not perfect but my best shot yet.

 

Edited January 21, 2021 by Jamgood

[orion25]

6 hours ago, Spacecake2 said:

I don't know if you will reply but with my celestron 127slt you can see star trailing at 10 second exposure times! so how did you get it to not slip? 🤔

I used an EQ mount with tracking to minimize trailing.