Taurus, Hyades, Aldebaran and the Newbie

[Shera]

Here is my second attempt at using my SA last night. I spent ages messing around with different lenses after my first attempt at the Pleiades using the 70mm-300mm lens didn't really work (https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/302520-my-first-attempt-at-using-my-star-adventurer/). I tried the Pleiades again but I spent that long on trying to get it properly focussed that the camera battery wore down! As a result when I decided to try the bull's head I only got a few shots! I'm learning all the time! I only got 10 shots and one dark but I moved the SA between focussing on the Pleiades and the bull's head and as a result it seemed like some of the shots were trailing possibly due to the slight change in location for the Polar alignment? Anyway I ended up with a total of two (!) shots that were ok and I tried stacking them on DSS but it only used one. I deleted the dark so basically DSS used one light. ISO was 800 f5.0 for 100 seconds using a Canon EOS 400d DSLR and I used the 70mm-300mm lens and processed in DSS and GIMP. I'm sure many of you are cringing at my shoddy methods!!!!! Anyway I'm really pleased with how it's turned out! Aldebaran has a twinkle! I'm not sure how to bring out the colour of Aldebaran? Comments are always welcome! 

[wimvb]

Astrophotography is very much a learning game. To avoid low batteries you can either make sure you have a (few) spares, or buy a mains adapter.

Don't give up and try to have fun with being out on a clear night. Before you know it, you'll bag a beautiful image.

Good luck.

[toxic]

good second try

try focusing on a very distant object in the daytime using live view and zoom in with the buttons not the lens manual focus when thats done take a bit of tape and tape the focus ring and lens body so the focus wont move and leave it in manual focus.

dont move the mount unless you polar align it again but with the SA its only a couple of minutes to do.

also use the 18/55 lens to start with at F5.6 to F7.1 at iso 3200 for a first try it may look a bit washd out on the screen but it wont be in dss and make sure it is in RAW format.

hope this helps 

[Shera]

10 hours ago, toxic said:

good second try

try focusing on a very distant object in the daytime using live view and zoom in with the buttons not the lens manual focus when thats done take a bit of tape and tape the focus ring and lens body so the focus wont move and leave it in manual focus.

dont move the mount unless you polar align it again but with the SA its only a couple of minutes to do.

also use the 18/55 lens to start with at F5.6 to F7.1 at iso 3200 for a first try it may look a bit washd out on the screen but it wont be in dss and make sure it is in RAW format.

hope this helps 

Thanks. I'm borrowing the Canon EOS400d and it doesn't have live view and only goes up to ISO 1600 but I guess I could try distant objects and take pictures of them and then adjust the lens and note what mm gives the best result?

[toxic]

4 hours ago, Shera said:

Thanks. I'm borrowing the Canon EOS400d and it doesn't have live view and only goes up to ISO 1600 but I guess I could try distant objects and take pictures of them and then adjust the lens and note what mm gives the best result?

ok no live view  no problem just set it up on a tripod and look through the view finder at a distant object in the daytime then tape it off at that if you know its going to be clear that night and go for 300 seconds at iso 1600 just try a couple of shots at that here is the same  object at 50mm F7.1 at 30 seconds iso1600 but with a different eos - unprocessed.

only 2 main things to remember get polar aligned and focus every thing ells come with practice and your well on your way

[wimvb]

I don't have live view on my pentax either. Here's how I work around this.

1. Make/buy a bahtinov mask. For a lens you probably have to make one from a black card. Google "homemade bahtinov mask" for instructions.

2. Place mask in front of lens. Use either tape or a filter holder.

3. Take an exposure of a bright star, Vega, Deneb, Sirius, or whatever is available. Exposure time depends on star brightness. You can use highest iso for this. Just make sure that the diffraction spikes are bright enough.

4. Examine on lcd screen. Adjust focus & reshoot until in focus.