M45 LRGB

[tooth_dr]

LRGB image from the past couple of weeks.  The camera was changed and scope was moved between exposures - the downside to a reflector  Had to crop it a bit too.

It's looking like rain for a few days, I just want to practice on this data.

I'll need to address the star sizes soon ( I keep ignoring them) if I want to progress in this hobby, but even getting a decent RGB combo was an achievement for me.  Looks a bit soft.  Adding Lum to RGB I'm struggling again.

I had a lot of luminance but limited colour data.

RGB was 5 x 300s per channel.

 

A small 2 x 2 panel mosaic was really do this target justice.

 

 

Comments welcome

Adam.

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by tooth_dr

[Adreneline]

I like the understated colours Adam - just a hint of blue and realistic coloured stars. Very nice.

This is a target I have shied away from so far cos' I'm sure I will never do it justice.

One day - maybe.

Adrian

Edited November 19, 2019 by Adreneline
Typo

[tooth_dr]

7 hours ago, Adreneline said:

I like the understated colours Adam - just a hint of blue and realistic coloured stars. Very nice.

This is a target I have shied away from so far cos' I'm sure I will never do it justice.

One day - maybe.

Adrian

Thanks Adrian. I’m never sure how far to push the colour saturation, it’s hard to find that balance. 

[Hallingskies]

That’s a great effort.  I’ve never been able to tame the stars and retain the nebulously details as you have done.

[Jkulin]

Adam that is really lovely.

What camera are you now using for these latest images with the Epsilon

[Star101]

Very nice image Adam.

Whats the issue with Lum to RGB?

 

[tooth_dr]

9 hours ago, Jkulin said:

Adam that is really lovely.

What camera are you now using for these latest images with the Epsilon

Thanks John.  I just bought an Atik EFW3, so I figured it was just make more sense to use the Atik 383L.  I've it spaced to perfection now so I wont be touching it!!

[Jkulin]

31 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

Thanks John.  I just bought an Atik EFW3, so I figured it was just make more sense to use the Atik 383L.  I've it spaced to perfection now so I wont be touching it!!

So with the EFW3 and the 383 you can get a backfocus of 55mm? Are you not using an OAG? As that was why I changed from Atik as I wanted to use an OAG and Atiks FW was too thick?

[tooth_dr]

6 minutes ago, Jkulin said:

So with the EFW3 and the 383 you can get a backfocus of 55mm? Are you not using an OAG? As that was why I changed from Atik as I wanted to use an OAG and Atiks FW was too thick?

Hi John.  With the Tak I'm after a backfocus of 56mm (+0.7mm to account for the filter thickness).  This was achieved with some spare space, so I ended up needing a spacer.  The thickness of the EFW3 is 21.8mm and the backfocus of the camera is 17.5mm, this gave me 39.3mm.  So I had roughly 17.5mm to fill in using an M54-M54 adapter, and an M42-M54 adapter.

[Jkulin]

Ok Adam, so you weren't able to use an OAG?

That was one of the main reasons I switched to Moravian because of Atiks FW thickness.

[tooth_dr]

26 minutes ago, Jkulin said:

Ok Adam, so you weren't able to use an OAG?

Well not really John.  I never intended to use an OAG so that question I just dont know the answer to.

[ollypenrice]

Lovely. Personally I'm a strong colour enthusiast but this often gets me reprimanded on the French forum, though I seem to get away with it here!

What's the LRGB issue? When you have strong luminance it can easily dilute out the colour. In Photoshop I address this by adding only a low opacity of luminance, increasing the colour saturation of the bottom RGB layer and then putting a slight blur into the top L layer before flattening and repeating the process. On the final, full opacity iteration of luminance addition I omit the blur.

Olly

[MartinB]

This is a very fine idea.  I'd stick with getting it wrong if I were you!

3 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Lovely. Personally I'm a strong colour enthusiast but this often gets me reprimanded on the French forum, though I seem to get away with it here!

I don't think you get away with anything here Olly.  There is no correct level of saturation, or artefact free sharpening/noise reduction come to that.  May be the "group think" is a little more accommodating and less puritanical on here.

[astro mick]

Nothing wrong with that Adam.Lovely close up.

Mick.

[Rodd]

I like the conservative palette as well.  Seems very realistic.  Great image

Rodd

[tooth_dr]

1 minute ago, Rodd said:

I like the conservative palette as well.  Seems very realistic.  Great image

Rodd

Thanks Rodd 👍🏼