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M42 Canon EOS/C11/Orion Skyglow

darditti

By darditti
in Imaging - Deep Sky

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darditti

darditti

Posted
Posted

I was out imaging the high gibbous Moon last night with a Canon EOS 350D and a C-11, and, as it was transparent and cold, I thought I would give M42 a go with the same equipment, with the addition of a 2" Orion Skyglow filter to suppress the moonlight slightly.

I have never used this combination before on a DSO, my deep-sky work is always done with a cooled B&W Artemis 285 CCD, so I was really amazed how good the result was off a standard unmodded EOS with an inexpensive LPR filter, with a brilliant Moon close by, with short exposures. I could see how good the result was just from the unprocessed display of the camera. I used the camera at 800 ISO with auto noise reduction on (which takes darks after every light frame), and took JPGs, not RAWs. Having no automatic way of doing it, I sat there clicking away for 24 exposures of 30s each, using the AP900 without any guiding.

The images were stacked in DeepSkyStacker and given levels and curves adjustment in Photoshop, without alteration to the colour balance. Clearly there is some noise there and longer exposures would have been better, and it needs a flat as well, but I am really surprised it compares so well to my best result on this object using the CCD (http://www.davidarditti.co.uk/M42-07-03-09lrgb.jpg)

I will definitely be using this method again, with guiding.

David

M42-08-10-17skyglwEOSC11.jpg

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LostNSpace

LostNSpace

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Thats not a bad result David considering you shot in jpeg instead of RAW, the trapezium is nice and clear.......Nice colours too.....

I would recommend though if you do use the 350 for future astroimaging that you shoot in RAW, shooting in RAW will give you more data to play around with, even at 25/30 secs.......You should be able to pick up a Canon RS60E3 remote switch cheaply enough, so you wont be limited to just 30 secs subs......

The 350 is a very good camera for astroimaging once you put it through its paces.......

Look forward to seeing future images from you......

Mark

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darditti

darditti

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Thanks for the comments...but what is AS?

I understand the point about RAW mode, and will use it in future. I actually have a 2.5mm jack plug to RS232 lead, that the person who sold me the camera supplied, which I imagine is for controlling the EOS with a computer, but I have never used it, as I don't know what software it needs. Any advice gratefully received.

Again, I was really surprised how effective this camera is on an emission nebula, with no modification.

David

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Tim

Tim

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That is a fantastic image, and another boost for dslr astrophotography. The quality of M42 right off the camera the first time I saw it (it was my first DSO image) almost made me squeal with delight.

Do a google for DSLR Shutter. Its a great free app that will automate your exposures with the cable you have. Its from stark labs I think. Its what i use with mine.

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Psychobilly

Psychobilly

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Hi Dave,

Thas a cracking image ... Im ever so slightly obssesed with M42 at the moment as its such an interesting object to image. Whilst Waiting for M42 to put in an appearance I was obssesed with NGC7000 must be some sort of pattern developing here...

Sorry for this slight drift off topic..

Thing...

When i was in KM5D mode (the nikon was away for repair after falling of the scope) I bought a cheap and cheerful manual remote for the KM5D and a cheep and Cheerful MC-36 Clone in Canon flavour... which uses a 2.5mm stereo jack plug . I then chopped the connector of the end of the KM5 manual remote fitted it with a 2.5mm stereo jack socket and now have a programable interval remote which can be used for both the KM5D and the 350D...

9542_normal.jpeg

(click to enlarge)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Minolta-remote-cord-RC-1000-same-as-Sony-RM-S1AM_W0QQitemZ250307911778QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250307911778&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Timer-Remote-TR-90-C6-for-Canon-350D-400D-450D-XT-XTi_W0QQitemZ200262463654QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200262463654&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

The Minolta pinout is :

Back of the camera Front of the camera

o o o

C F S

C for Common

F for Focus

S for Shutter release.

The way to activate focus is to connect C and F, and for the release, C and S.

Here's the Canon Connections..

9543_normal.png

(click to enlarge)

Billy...

I Just had a thought it might be possible to fire the KM5D camera using a "canon" serial lead using this adaptor... hmmmmmm... pity the KM5D is in work....

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Psychobilly

Psychobilly

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ah is it the timer remote ...

Thats a full intervalometer can progam up a seuqenxce of shots any duration any gap between them and any delay before they start...

I set a dealy of 30 s before the first shot and use velcro on the tripod and remote to plonk it in place whilst teh sequence id running ...

My pier has a ring of velcro round it so that i can plonk camera remotes hand controllers etc on it to keep them out of the way...

Billy...

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Psychobilly

Psychobilly

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Made it form the cheapest minolta remote I could find... then used the switch part to make a manula remote for the Canon ... waste not want not :)

The info on the connctions of the two remotes was in the earlier post...

AS are Ebay links for the two remotes - its worth looking you might find cheaper... one thing you will notice is that the cheap remotes from HK or China have expensive postage and work out about the same as the "uk" supplied ones more expensive but cheaper postage..

Billy...

Again apologies to Darditti for the drift in the thread...

Billy...

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darditti

darditti

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No need to apologise for the thread drift, it is all interesting stuff.

I tried DSLR Shutter from Stark Labs last night. It did work perfectly with my "bulb" cable, USB-serial converter, and laptop when under test indoors, but the problems started, as so often, when I got it outside. It didn't seem to communicate with the camera when the signal was routed through the powered hub and USB extensions of my observatory/warm room setup. Eventually I found it would work if the signal was routed through a long serial cable and USB adaptor, avoiding hubs and repeater cables. By that time it was getting light, though.

I also investigated the Canon EOS control software, but found there were a lot of problems and oddnesses with it. It won't work if mirror lockup is enabled on the camera, which I was doing, and it won't trigger exposures longer than 30s. It works through USB, and exposures over 30s have to be triggered through the "bulb" connection. (I don't know if all other DSLRS are the same or not. It seems a very illogical system to me, having to have two connections). With long exposures triggered through the "bulb", they didn't seem to import to PC via the Canon software (though I am not certain about that - it all seemed highly inconsistent and buggy, and often the PC seemed not to want to "see" the Canon at all).

So I achieved little with the Canon last night, and went away with the feeling that DSLRs are in the end rather problematic for long-exposure astrophotography unless used in a very simple, manual way.

Maybe I will have a better experience next time.

David

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thing

thing

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Posted

You'll find that most cameras go to 30 secs then bulb. I'm quite looking forward to the gadget a couple of posts up arriving. Means I can set it up for 20 or so 2 min exposures and go in for a cuppa and some History channel while it does it's thing.

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Psychobilly

Psychobilly

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The com port number will change when you move the usb serial adapto from directly connected to the computer to the hub.

you can check where its gone usign device manager.

It might have moved outside the range that dslr shutter can use...

Have a look at this...

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php/topic,33172.0.html

Towards the bottom post #8

Billy...

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