Would I really get better pictures by binning?

[Demonperformer]

I've been reading-up a little on resolution and airy rings.

With an f/6 scope the formula I have found gives: 2.44 * 0.520 * 6 = 7.613μm as my optimal pixel size.

My camera has 3.8μm pixels, which is almost exactly half the optimum , which would seem to imply that I would get better pictures by binning 2*2. Indeed, if I use the SCT @f/10, it appears I should be binning 3*3 to get as close to the optimum as possible. This would be great for exposure length (1/4 and 1/9 respectively), but it seems extremely counter-intuitive to me that my images would be any better.

Is it right, or am I missing something?

[Please don't suggest I need to buy another new camera with different pixels!]

Thanks.

[sloz1664]

Yes you are correct. If you were to image at 1x1 binning you would be imaging at a sub pixel value. The norm is around 1 - 3 pixels. Which can be subjective. I bin 2x2 on my Tal 200K SXH9 combo. The SX has 6.45μm pixels.

Steve

[cfpendock]

I always bin 2x2 with my SCT at f10.  I have experimented with both binned and un-binned.  I couldn't detect any difference in the final images, but for a given total exposure time, of course the binned was better, simply because the 2x2 pixels seem to be much more sensitive, so I could reduce the time for each sub, and hence obtain many more subs for a given time.

Chris

[Tim]

It all depends on the night. But if you wanted to go with the average seeing in UK skies, then yes, bin 2X2.

[kens]

Also depends on your camera. With the newer CMOS cameras like ASI1600 there is little benefit in binning at capture time versus in post processing. Hardware binning reduces the bit depth on those cameras and any other binning happens in the driver in software. CCD cameras OTOH do get real benefit from hardware binning.

[Demonperformer]

Ah, that would make a difference. It is the 1600. So the sub pixel value doesn't matter? 

[kens]

In the interests of world popcorn supplies I wouldn't say it doesn't matter. You'll have a noisier image without binning but that is best addressed in post processing with the ASI1600. Now the big question is whether to bin each sub or the stacked image. I bin the stacked image but haven't tried binning each sub. If I want to zoom in on a small target I might then resample the final image to remove pixelation but that does not increase the resolution