Imaging with the Samyang 135mm f2

[RobST]

4 hours ago, nephilim said:

So with no processing experience whatsoever I decided that the best route to 'properly' process my first image (Samyang 135) would be to bang my head against the wall with PixInsight. I spent a total of 16 hrs yesterday watching (copying) tutorials until I had a kind of work flow going.
I'm happy with this but it obviously needs better processing skills to bring out the best of it than I have at the moment but I'll persevere & it can only get better. 
IC1396 50x 180sec with the Samyang 135 @f2.8 & Zwo ASI533MC-Pro
Optolong L-eXtreme
30 x Darks but no flats or bias with this one as I'm just getting used to those. 
All stacking & processing in PI but I could find no way to export unless I put it into PS as a 16bit tiff which then meant having to spend a fair while with levels & curves which is where I spoilt it a little I think.

Thanks for looking & all CC very welcome

Steve

Looks fantastic 😀 and yes PI is tough but everytime you use it, you get a little bit better with it.

I'm knew to the whole processing stuff as well 😀

The only thing i would try to do with your image is something i need to do with one of my own and that's to knock the stars back abit in either size or brightness or both.

I think this is done using the starmask. And only adjusting the stars so the nebula is more prominent. 

It's worth saving lots of times during your prossesing, then you can go back and tweak things you may notice after 😀 i find after staring at the image for hrs during processing you can kinda get lost in the details.

I like to leave it for a few days after processing and then come back and see if there is anything i would change after looking at the image with fresh eyes.

Cheers Rob

[nephilim]

33 minutes ago, RobST said:

Looks fantastic 😀 and yes PI is tough but everytime you use it, you get a little bit better with it.

I'm knew to the whole processing stuff as well 😀

The only thing i would try to do with your image is something i need to do with one of my own and that's to knock the stars back abit in either size or brightness or both.

I think this is done using the starmask. And only adjusting the stars so the nebula is more prominent. 

It's worth saving lots of times during your prossesing, then you can go back and tweak things you may notice after 😀 i find after staring at the image for hrs during processing you can kinda get lost in the details.

I like to leave it for a few days after processing and then come back and see if there is anything i would change after looking at the image with fresh eyes.

Cheers Rob

Thanks Rob. I agree, I think I've crammed in about 30hrs of tutorials over the last couple of days & not quite sure what I'm doing now 😂 I think i'll have a break for a few days & go again later although I have learnt quite a few of the basics that i'm happy using now but to much is overload.

ATB
Steve

[desmcm]

Hope this is helpful re utility of IDAS NBZ filter with Samyang 135@f2, the following are single 180s subs, minimal processing (eg no noise reduction).

I'm not very experienced in this game, hence quite excitable, but I was astonished by these single frames. Not only the contrast and detail but the lack of significant haloing on Deneb or Sadr. 

Camera: ASI2600MC pro, gain 100, -5C.

Cheers, Des

https://www.astrobin.com/users/desmc/

 

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by desmcm
Loaded wrong image

[nephilim]

22 minutes ago, desmcm said:

Hope this is helpful re utility of IDAS NBZ filter with Samyang 135@f2, the following are single 180s subs, minimal processing (eg no noise reduction).

I'm not very experienced in this game, hence quite excitable, but I was astonished by these single frames. Not only the contrast and detail but the lack of significant haloing on Deneb or Sadr. 

Camera: ASI2600MC pro, gain 100, -5C.

Cheers, Des

https://www.astrobin.com/users/desmc/

 

 

Those are great for single subs, I'm next going to FLO & looking at IDAS NBZ Filter 😬

[RobST]

13 hours ago, desmcm said:

Hope this is helpful re utility of IDAS NBZ filter with Samyang 135@f2, the following are single 180s subs, minimal processing (eg no noise reduction).

I'm not very experienced in this game, hence quite excitable, but I was astonished by these single frames. Not only the contrast and detail but the lack of significant haloing on Deneb or Sadr. 

Camera: ASI2600MC pro, gain 100, -5C.

Cheers, Des

https://www.astrobin.com/users/desmc/

 

 

Amazing images, defiantly something i will try next time i can see a star 😂

Just got my az-eq6 pro so hopefully longer subs are easier for me now 😀

[nephilim]

So, I decided to carry on faffing with my image as a fellow SGL member on this thread mentioned a great tutorial for creating a Hubble Palette image (Apologies but I cant find who showed me it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV6ObLVRvNk )

This was my first image taken with the Samyang lens & as such the stars were not up to scratch, I removed them with Starnet++ (some like these images some dont but IMO this looks better as my stars were pretty grim)  I followed the tutorial & this is the result. I'm well happy with it although there are parts that could be better it'll do me as my first Hubble Palette of my first image (IC1396). 

I only  really started using PI on Friday & although very hard to get your head round I'm really enjoying using it & intend to use it as my main processing software. Any further tweaks to this I'll post in the appropriate section so as not to clog up the thread but thought I'd show this one off , I'm just amazed we can actually capture things like this in the first place🙂

This was 50x 180sec
30x Darks but no flats as I'm just getting used to those
Calibrated & processed PI
Taken with my signature gear & Optolong L-eXtreme in Bortle 3/4 

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by nephilim
Lacking info

[Mike73]

Completely worth showing off Steve 👍

[nephilim]

25 minutes ago, Mike73 said:

Completely worth showing off Steve 👍

Cheers @Mike73 I've spent all day on this 😂

[powerlord]

49 minutes ago, nephilim said:

So, I decided to carry on faffing with my image as a fellow SGL member on this thread mentioned a great tutorial for creating a Hubble Palette image (Apologies but I cant find who showed me it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV6ObLVRvNk )

This was my first image taken with the Samyang lens & as such the stars were not up to scratch, I removed them with Starnet++ (some like these images some dont but IMO this looks better as my stars were pretty grim)  I followed the tutorial & this is the result. I'm well happy with it although there are parts that could be better it'll do me as my first Hubble Palette of my first image (IC1396). 

I only  really started using PI on Friday & although very hard to get your head round I'm really enjoying using it & intend to use it as my main processing software. Any further tweaks to this I'll post in the appropriate section so as not to clog up the thread but thought I'd show this one off , I'm just amazed we can actually capture things like this in the first place🙂

 

Really nice. Can you provide some info on subs, filters, etc please ?

[nephilim]

4 minutes ago, powerlord said:

Really nice. Can you provide some info on subs, filters, etc please ?

Sorry, I'll edit the post

 

[nephilim]

2 minutes ago, nephilim said:

Sorry, I'll edit the post

 

@powerlord Edited with info on the post 🙂

[Petrol]

I'm really impressed with this lens and the images posted. F2 has big appeal to me in my light polluted back garden.  I'm building a mobile rig to take in my motorhome too so it looks like a winner.

Where is the best place to get one from?

I have a ZWO camera, where is the best place to buy the adapter?

Are the 3d printed rings the best option to mount it?
 

Pete

[nephilim]

13 minutes ago, Petrol said:

I'm really impressed with this lens and the images posted. F2 has big appeal to me in my light polluted back garden.  I'm building a mobile rig to take in my motorhome too so it looks like a winner.

Where is the best place to get one from?

I have a ZWO camera, where is the best place to buy the adapter?

Are the 3d printed rings the best option to mount it?
 

Pete

I'd say no on the printed rings, I started with a set & overtightened & the thing cracked. I ended up going down the PrimalucLab gear, expensive but so are the pieces of gear been trusted to them. 

[powerlord]

I got mine from ebay for 350 quid brand new in box, so worth a look there.

ZWO adapter, if you want to save a few quid you could do what I did:

 

[RobST]

23 hours ago, nephilim said:

So, I decided to carry on faffing with my image as a fellow SGL member on this thread mentioned a great tutorial for creating a Hubble Palette image (Apologies but I cant find who showed me it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV6ObLVRvNk )

This was my first image taken with the Samyang lens & as such the stars were not up to scratch, I removed them with Starnet++ (some like these images some dont but IMO this looks better as my stars were pretty grim)  I followed the tutorial & this is the result. I'm well happy with it although there are parts that could be better it'll do me as my first Hubble Palette of my first image (IC1396). 

I only  really started using PI on Friday & although very hard to get your head round I'm really enjoying using it & intend to use it as my main processing software. Any further tweaks to this I'll post in the appropriate section so as not to clog up the thread but thought I'd show this one off , I'm just amazed we can actually capture things like this in the first place🙂

This was 50x 180sec
30x Darks but no flats as I'm just getting used to those
Calibrated & processed PI
Taken with my signature gear & Optolong L-eXtreme in Bortle 3/4 

 

Stunning Image 😀 and never worry about clogging up the thread with images like this 😁

I have to say i love this thread because of how busy it is and seeing peoples progression.

[nephilim]

28 minutes ago, RobST said:

Stunning Image 😀 and never worry about clogging up the thread with images like this 😁

I have to say i love this thread because of how busy it is and seeing peoples progression.

Thanks @RobST I appreciate your comment. I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere. Although last night I wanted to see what the image would look like if I put the stars back in. The obsessive part of me decided to start from scratch (Good practise 😂) I like both images but slightly prefer the one with stars.

I think I'll leave this now but I will be getting more time on it as soon as the skies clear, this was only 50x180 from one night so I'm keen to see how far I can push it.

[RobST]

10 hours ago, nephilim said:

Thanks @RobST I appreciate your comment. I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere. Although last night I wanted to see what the image would look like if I put the stars back in. The obsessive part of me decided to start from scratch (Good practise 😂) I like both images but slightly prefer the one with stars.

I think I'll leave this now but I will be getting more time on it as soon as the skies clear, this was only 50x180 from one night so I'm keen to see how far I can push it.

Haha i was going to say put some more stars in to the image with none at all, but after saying take your stars out in a previous post i thought i wouldn't. 

This image looks perfect now, the details arnt blocked by bloated over bright stars a problem i have in my images.

But the stars give added interest as well.

Great Job

Can't wait for the bloody clouds to go away 😀

[nephilim]

3 hours ago, RobST said:

Haha i was going to say put some more stars in to the image with none at all, but after saying take your stars out in a previous post i thought i wouldn't. 

This image looks perfect now, the details arnt blocked by bloated over bright stars a problem i have in my images.

But the stars give added interest as well.

Great Job

Can't wait for the bloody clouds to go away 😀

@RobST Thanks mate, I need to have a look at reducing halos in my stars which I think are caused by the OIII channel from the L-eXtreme.

[nephilim]

21 minutes ago, nephilim said:

@RobST Thanks mate, I need to have a look at reducing halos in my stars which I think are caused by the OIII channel from the L-eXtreme.

 Yeah the weather up here in the Lakes is total garbage & forecast the same forever.

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by nephilim

[desmcm]

Wretched cloud filled skies in Yorkshire prevent me from doing any sustained imaging.

I did manage one 300s sub at f2 with my new asi2600mm pro (gain 100, T=-5 C) using one of the new Baader 6.5 nm Ha filters optimised for CMOS and f2. This is in fact the first image taken with the camera. Interesting to see how the Baader high speed 3.5nm version compares.

Detail is good but noticeable halo on Deneb - not as evident using the IDAS NBZ and asi2600mc (see earlier post). Comparison is apples and oranges I realise but the fact that the OSC data contain  OIII as well (usually more prone to haloing as far as I understand it) makes the performance of the IDAS NBZ seemingly even more impressive.

Cheers, Des

ps calibration, background removal and stretching of the image only.

Edited August 13, 2021 by desmcm
Typo

[Adreneline]

1 hour ago, desmcm said:

calibration, background removal and stretching of the image only.

Great field of view. Wow!

[geeklee]

8 hours ago, desmcm said:

did manage one 300s sub at f2 with my new asi2600mm pro (gain 100, T=-5 C) using one of the new 6.5 nm Ha filters optimised for CMOS and f2.

Superb Des - that new gear sounds like it's going to give you a lot of fun.

At first glance I thought Deneb was just suffering from some diffuse lighting - maybe from some high cloud or something.  If it's a halo, it doesn't seem as "in your face" as some for a single sub.

[desmcm]

3 minutes ago, geeklee said:

Superb Des - that new gear sounds like it's going to give you a lot of fun.

At first glance I thought Deneb was just suffering from some diffuse lighting - maybe from some high cloud or something.  If it's a halo, it doesn't seem as "in your face" as some for a single sub.

Thanks.

Good point re high clouds - there were definitely some around. More testing required…….

Cheers, Des

[powerlord]

Here's Cygnus with an L-extreme

 

[nephilim]

Can anyone point me in the right direction for a good quality Bahtinov mask that will fit my 135. I bought a 3d printed one which cracked so I dont want to go down that road again (I wouldnt trust anything 3d printed really as my printed mounting system cracked as well a few weeks ago 🙄)

TIA
Steve