Imaging with a Star Adventurer

[Jonesdee]

I guide mine with a 60mm Altair Astro guide scope, GPCAM2 camera and PHD2 software.  This setup also allows me to get fairly quick and accurate Polar Alignment using the PHD2 Drift Align Tool.  Ten minute+ exposures are then possible (using a solid tripod of course).  I control the camera (modded Canon 100D) via Backyard EOS, which can also enable dithering via PHD2. 

I bought my Star Adventurer to avoid the long setup time required by my full size scopes and am delighted with it, although since completing my observatory it doesn't get so much use.  I mainly use Contax 50mm f1.8 and Yongnuo 200mm f2 lenses.  The Contax is excellent quality glass with full manual control and can be picked up cheaply these days. 

Dave

Cygnus.tif

[serbiadarksky]

5 hours ago, Icesheet said:

I would love to know how you're getting 8-10 min exposures especially @300mm, that's amazing!

 

Are you autoguiding?

Yup, I do

[russp]

DSLR with a 200-500mm zoom at 380mm on a SA.

[Bobby1970]

Thats incredible Russ

May i enquire as to sub length and other settings??

 

 

[russp]

3 minutes ago, Bobby1970 said:

Thats incredible Russ

May i enquire as to sub length and other settings??

 

 

Theres about 34 or 35 30sec subs in there - shot at ISO 3200 (although I have found out since I would have been better off at lower ISO) in my semi rural back garden . It's all in the processing - PixInsight. 

 

[serbiadarksky]

Well

My experiece says that you can go up to max 400mm unguided to 30-40 secs exposures with pinpoint stars, above that you will get trails

[SteveNickolls]

Here's a cropped image of the Sadr region in Cygnus taken earlier this year on 19.9.2017 using the Canon 600D DSLR with my 135mm Samyang f/2 lens on the SA mount. Image from x70 forty five second light exposures at ISO 400 plus x20 dark frames and x50 flat and bias frames. All frames stacked in DSS and processed using StarTools.

Cheers,
Steve

Edited November 22, 2017 by SteveNickolls

[serbiadarksky]

50 minutes ago, SteveNickolls said:

Here's a cropped image of the Sadr region in Cygnus taken earlier this year on 19.9.2017 using the Canon 600D DSLR with my 135mm Samyang f/2 lens on the SA mount. Image from x70 forty five second light exposures at ISO 400 plus x20 dark frames and x50 flat and bias frames. All frames stacked in DSS and processed using StarTools.

Cheers,
Steve

I like this image

Can you tell me why only 5sec exposures?

With 135mm you can go up to 3min

[SteveNickolls]

45s at f2 is the most the local light pollution allows before the image whites out. I now have a UHC filter to try out :-D

Cheers,

Steve

[DorsetBlue]

On ‎21‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 01:04, Jonesdee said:

I bought my Star Adventurer to avoid the long setup time required by my full size scopes and am delighted with it, although since completing my observatory it doesn't get so much use.  I mainly use Contax 50mm f1.8 and Yongnuo 200mm f2 lenses.  The Contax is excellent quality glass with full manual control and can be picked up cheaply these days. 

Dave

Cygnus.tif

Hi, I cannot find a Yongnuo 200mm f2 lens, they seem to stop at 100mm?

[Jonesdee]

You are absolutely correct - the Yongnuo is a 100mm f2 lens. My mistake, I was confusing it with a Canon 200mm that I have borrowed from a colleague (and sadly has to be returned).  Value for money, the Yongnuo is great, however the autofocus is not brilliant if you want to use it as a general purpose lens.  I focus it with the controls in Backyard EOS, or just do it manually.

I will edit my original post!

[SteveNickolls]

Here's the latest imaging of the Heart and Soul Nebulae region using the SA mount taken on 24.11.2017, this time taking 5 minute individual exposures. Equipment used was my Canon 600D DSLR with clip-in Astronomik UHC filter and 85mm lens at f/2 ISO 200. x25 300 second light frames plus x16 dark frames were taken and stacked with x50 flat and bias frames. The exif temperatures recorded for the frames were virtually constant at around 15 degrees C while the outside air temperature was 1 degree C. Adding the extra minute exposure reveals a lot more nebulosity and less noise. Frames stacked using DSS and processed in StarTools.

Cheers,
Steve

[Bobby1970]

Another stunning effort Steve. Well done. 

[Snooze]

Here are my attempts with the Mini version of the SA.

M42 - 43x 60s subs ISO800 @300mm f/8

M31 - 43 x 60 subs ISO800 @190mm f/5.6

Both images taken in light polluted skies (Bortle 7) with a canon 1200D + Sigma 70-300mm non APO

[serbiadarksky]

I get good results too with the Star Advenutrer and a 600D

Always I keep the exposure for all objects 8-10 min each sub

[SteveNickolls]

1 hour ago, serbiadarksky said:

I get good results too with the Star Advenutrer and a 600D

Always I keep the exposure for all objects 8-10 min each sub

Cracking images, can you tell us the fuller imaging details, camera, lens, number of exposures etc?

Cheers,
steve

[serbiadarksky]

1 hour ago, SteveNickolls said:

Cracking images, can you tell us the fuller imaging details, camera, lens, number of exposures etc?

Cheers,
steve

Here you go Steve

I use a modded canon eos 600D or thr t3i

Lenses are always the same, 200mm f2.8 set at 200mm and f2.8-5

All the images have more than 70-150 stacked images

Exposure time varry a bit from 8min for star colour and nebulosity and 10min for picking up the dust lanes

[Bobby1970]

Can I just ask. You guys talking about 8 and 10 minute subs, that is guided right??

 

[serbiadarksky]

2 hours ago, Bobby1970 said:

Can I just ask. You guys talking about 8 and 10 minute subs, that is guided right??

 

Yes, I guide it with a small scope and guiding camera mounted on the counterweight bar and actually thats the counterweight for my rig

600D+200mm lenses on the mount

Guide cam+guide scope on the counter for that

[serbiadarksky]

@Bobby1970 this is my rig except the camera, now I use a 600D modded not the 5D

Pretty simple but works perfect

[M Astronomy]

7 hours ago, serbiadarksky said:

I get good results too with the Star Advenutrer and a 600D

Always I keep the exposure for all objects 8-10 min each sub

I don't think you can call these good results. These are absolutely INCREDIBLE.

[serbiadarksky]

52 minutes ago, M Astronomy said:

I don't think you can call these good results. These are absolutely INCREDIBLE.

I put blood and time in thoose images

This 7 images represent more than 150-160 hours of imaging,sitting in -10°C to check all the photons on the images, stacking them, editing,but firstly-no GoTo system so the hardest part is to find the target (okay maybe not for orion or Rho)but Spaghetti and Ghost nebula 

[Icesheet]

What is the maximum focal length people have had success with the SA, guided or unguided?

I see there is a 380mm example here. Anyone had success at 400mm+?

[serbiadarksky]

5 hours ago, Icesheet said:

What is the maximum focal length people have had success with the SA, guided or unguided?

I see there is a 380mm example here. Anyone had success at 400mm+?

Well I had the chance to test out 400mm on the SA unguided, max exposure was 45sec, 50sec, 55sec with trails 

So I would say 50sec 400mm is max what you can get

[Icesheet]

1 hour ago, serbiadarksky said:

Well I had the chance to test out 400mm on the SA unguided, max exposure was 45sec, 50sec, 55sec with trails 

So I would say 50sec 400mm is max what you can get

Ok, so guided you might expect to get longer subs or maybe even similar exposures times with a longer FL? I have a 500mm scope which I'm keen to use. Seems like I'll be pushing it but there's no harm in trying I guess. Just worried if it doesn't work out it I might not necessarily be able to tell if it's down to my lack of experience or the limitation of the mount.