which camera is next?

[assouptro]

Hi Fellow stargazers

I recently took the plunge into ccd imaging after using several dslrs and I am hooked. I bought a second hand Atik 314l which is a great camera and I am sure it will give me many more hours of fun (should the clouds allow) but I am missing the resolution I could achieve with the canon 60d and 6d with their megapixel sensors. 

I have several scopes, ranging from canon lenses, a tsoptics 65quad, a revelation astro 80 and 100ed also 8" and a 12" meade sct's with 6.3 and yet to be used 3.3 fr/ff . I know it's a tall ask to have an "all rounder"  camera to suit all scopes and targets but I am looking for something sensitive and versatile that will allow me to produce prints of a decent size, A3 for instance.

I would like to stick with 1.25" filters if possible.

I keep looking at the 460ex and 490ex from Atik, mainly as they seem to fit the bill with filter size, and have more resolution and I am familiar with the operation of the Atik software but what else should I be looking at?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions 

Bryan

 

 

[Adam J]

On 02/04/2019 at 23:48, assouptro said:

Hi Fellow stargazers

I recently took the plunge into ccd imaging after using several dslrs and I am hooked. I bought a second hand Atik 314l which is a great camera and I am sure it will give me many more hours of fun (should the clouds allow) but I am missing the resolution I could achieve with the canon 60d and 6d with their megapixel sensors. 

I have several scopes, ranging from canon lenses, a tsoptics 65quad, a revelation astro 80 and 100ed also 8" and a 12" meade sct's with 6.3 and yet to be used 3.3 fr/ff . I know it's a tall ask to have an "all rounder"  camera to suit all scopes and targets but I am looking for something sensitive and versatile that will allow me to produce prints of a decent size, A3 for instance.

I would like to stick with 1.25" filters if possible.

I keep looking at the 460ex and 490ex from Atik, mainly as they seem to fit the bill with filter size, and have more resolution and I am familiar with the operation of the Atik software but what else should I be looking at?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions 

Bryan

 

 

If you literally mean prints as opposed to canvas then the rule of thumb is 300dpi for best quality so A3 would require a image with dimensions of 3500 x 4959 so about 17.3 Mega pixels. 

The 460EX is 6mp and the 490ex is 9mp so the best thing would be for you to get a 490ex match it to a scope that gives you about 2"PP (you actually need to be able to resolve detail at a pixel scale too or you will just have a blurred A3 image) and do two panels to get you up to the required pixel density, although its worth noting that you wont quite end up with a A3 aspect ratio so you will have to crop slightly but not horribly.

Your TS Optics 65 quad provides 1.8"PP and so is a ok match to imaging nebula with the 490EX at the required resolution and image scale over a two panel (tile) image. On the other hand the same combination will give you the required resolution and pixel density for A4 with a single panel (tile). You of course will not be blowing a galaxy up to A3 baring perhaps M31 which will also require two tiles to cover it anyway.

To get the same out of the 460EX will prove more challenging and you may have to accept 200-250ppi resulting in lower print quality or limit yourself to printing A4 or smaller. 

Another option is the ASI1600mm pro that (as a larger sensor with similar pixel size) will allow you to do the same thing as the 490EX with only a single panel. 

If you really meant canvas then you will get away with 150ppi and so the 490EX will be able to print to a good resolution for viewing at A3 size in a single image. 

Adam

 

 

[assouptro]

1 hour ago, Adam J said:

If you literally mean prints as opposed to canvas then the rule of thumb is 300dpi for best quality so A3 would require a image with dimensions of 3500 x 4959 so about 17.3 Mega pixels. 

The 460EX is 6mp and the 490ex is 9mp so the best thing would be for you to get a 490ex match it to a scope that gives you about 2"PP (you actually need to be able to resolve detail at a pixel scale too or you will just have a blurred A3 image) and do two panels to get you up to the required pixel density, although its worth noting that you wont quite end up with a A3 aspect ratio so you will have to crop slightly but not horribly.

Your TS Optics 65 quad provides 1.8"PP and so is a ok match to imaging nebula with the 490EX at the required resolution and image scale over a two panel (tile) image. On the other hand the same combination will give you the required resolution and pixel density for A4 with a single panel (tile). You of course will not be blowing a galaxy up to A3 baring perhaps M31 which will also require two tiles to cover it anyway.

To get the same out of the 460EX will prove more challenging and you may have to accept 200-250ppi resulting in lower print quality or limit yourself to printing A4 or smaller. 

Another option is the ASI1600mm pro that (as a larger sensor with similar pixel size) will allow you to do the same thing as the 490EX with only a single panel. 

If you really meant canvas then you will get away with 150ppi and so the 490EX will be able to print to a good resolution for viewing at A3 size in a single image. 

Adam

 

 

Thanks for such a comprehensive answer Adam 

I am right in thinking I would need bigger filters with the ASI1600mmpro? 

Cheers 

Bryan 

[Adam J]

No with the ASI 1600mm and the zwo filter wheel you will be fine so long as you are not at a very fast f-ratio so f4.5 or less. 

[assouptro]

1 minute ago, Adam J said:

No with the ASI 1600mm and the zwo filter wheel you will be fine so long as you are not at a very fast f-ratio so f4.5 or less. 

Thanks 

that is definitely food for thought!

[Adam J]

Just now, assouptro said:

Thanks 

that is definitely food for thought!

It's not all better with the ASI mind you. It has reflection issues and generally benefits from more expensive filters if you are imaging close to bright stars and want to minimise those reflections. Also requires a better pc for storing and processing images. 

 

[assouptro]

Yeah, I thought it would have a catch! 

I have done some research, and I think it’s CCD for me even though they generally cost more.