Step Back and Take Stock

[Shelster1973]

After a fair bit of thinking and inner turmoil, have decided that the best track for me in my imaging at present is to put my CCD and associated gubbins away in the box and move back to imaging with my D7100.

Don't get me wrong, am not in any way upset with my purchase or the quality of the CCD, it is just that it is taking too much tinkering to get to what I want, that with the very short amount of time I get to image with the pump weather and other commitments, I feel that my efforts will be best spent in getting my data with the D7100.  I know I can get the spacing for it spot and get pin point sharp images.  Getting this will help keep my interest alive and stop me heading into a downward spiral of CBA as the results from the CCD will be inconsistent.

Will still keep the CCD going and set up on my SA, so can get some widefield imaging done with that.

Now all I need is a clear night to get meslef back into it

(Not really an informative post, sorry, just a 'getting things off my chest and clearing my head' type of post)

[xtreemchaos]

I think astronomy and imaging are like old friends moving down different paths, the paths wined in and out but you can allways pick up where you left off at anytime. hopefully we will get some nice skys soon, the last two months have been not very enjoyable. all the best for 2018. charl.

[steppenwolf]

You make a good point - for the UK and its fickle skies there is much to commend a one shot colour approach and, rather crazily, the astrophotography manufacturers STILL  use the DSLR as the standard imaging instrument which is why CCD owners struggle to get their gear set up with the correct spacing!!

I digress, no reason why you shouldn't enjoy your DSLR imaging and I wish you joy with it!

[Alien 13]

There are a lot of people that find it a refreshing change to get back to basics with a DSLR on a simple mount with a nice wide lens...

Alan 

[michaelmorris]

Wise move. The important thing is this hobby should be fun, not a chore.

[Shelster1973]

Thanks all for the great words.

I guess like all things in the great game of life, this hobby can become a bit of an albatross and need either a good break, or a 'back to basics that got you excited' refresh kick in the butt.

I can still remember feeling super excited when I saw an out of focus, but recognisable Whirlpool appear on my laptop screen.  That is what I need to get back to and am sure I will get there again.

[bobro]

I know exactly what you mean : following an upgrade from my imaging EQ2 to a CG5 earlier this year everything went well with improved images - at first....

The weather has meant not enough time to figure out what isn't going right, so I'm tempted to get the EQ2 out again and just point it at Orion!

[Adreneline]

I'm a relative novice on this forum having only been imaging for 12 months - 12 months with ups, downs, countless frustrations and few good, rewarding moments!

I have to say the imaging has become more rewarding since I started imaging with a modest dual rig. The combination of using a Canon 70D or Atik 414osc on the ED80DS and the Atik428mono on the WO-ZS71 (typically Lum and Ha) nearly always results in something worthwhile at the end of an imaging session. If nothing else it provides an opportunity to spend hours and hours on cloudy nights processing twice the amount of data I would normally collect. I've also learnt how to get the best of combining images from different sources using PI and Registar and then layering and masking in PS - all from tips and gems gleaned from this amazing forum.

The ease of focussing the dslr  using FWHM in ByEoS offsets the tiresomeness (equates to lost imaging time) of focussing the CCDs using FWHM in Artemis Capture - I've given up with focussing in SGPro - the average HFR is not helpful in my opinion. One question I have is should I buy a second-hand dslr I can get modded for the next nebula season?

For me reward still outweighs frustration so "onward and upward" - hopefully that will soon be the case for you as well!

Adrian

[StargeezerTim]

For me, i want a fairly low tech approach that means i can avoid using a computer during imaging. I find it complex enough as it is using an autoguider and DSLR. I try to get the best I can from my trusty canons and find using camera and lenses good fun. As has been, it should be enjoyable and rewarding .

[Thalestris24]

Hi

I can empathise re going back to a dslr. I have a qhy8l and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it! But I've not used it for a couple of years. With the weather here being unpredictable and changeable, and mostly not conducive to imaging, having a dslr (full-spectrum canon 1100d) means it's quick and easy to take subs. Nevertheless I hanker after a cooled mono for proper Ha. I have a cooled mono 550d which is great if it's working, but it's unreliable and not working right now. Maybe it will spontaneously come back to life again! Frustrating hobby, eh - why do we do it??

Louise

[StuartJPP]

Phew....thankfully I stuck with my 6D, I felt left out not going down the CCD route, especially the ASI1600-MM that everyone seemed to have pursued.

There's merit in using a DSLR and like most things it is all a compromise. In an ideal world we would of course be using cooled CCDs.

Suggestion...Use your DSLR on good, clear, moonless nights and practice with the CCD on clear(ish) moon filled nights. That way you won't waste good night's fiddling and you will at least be capturing something.

[Thalestris24]

15 minutes ago, StuartJPP said:

Suggestion...Use your DSLR on good, clear, moonless nights 

Huh? What are they??

[Waldemar]

14 hours ago, Thalestris24 said:

Frustrating hobby, eh - why do we do it??

Louise

well... two options:

#1  we are (a bit) masochistic 
#2  we like to challenge our brains, which will drive us beyond our 'normal' capacity and find solutions because impossible is not in our vocabulary.

maybe there is a third: We are totally nuts... which may very well be the case....