ZWO 294MM first light - The Soul Nebula

[MartinB]

It's been a tricky time for imagers in the UK hasn't it?  I've been working between brief gaps in the cloud for weeks.  One properly clear night at the start of this week finally enabled me to get enough data for this project.  It is the first time I have used this camera.  All performed happily.  The flats looked pretty weird but everything seems to have calibrated ok.  Also my first time with Chroma 5nm NB filters.  The OIII is 5 steps out from the Ha and SII which is irritating but not the end of the world because Maxim will adjust on the fly. 

Scope: Tak FSQ 106 with 0.73 reducer

Camera: ZWO ASI 294MM  Gain set at 125

Filters: Chroma 5nm

Exposure: 54x6min Ha  52x4min OIII 43x4min SII  

Captured with Maxim.  Combined and calbrated with PI Weighted batch pre processing script.  

Post process with PI and PS

 

[iwols]

Simply superb bet your well chuffed?

[Craney]

55 minutes ago, MartinB said:

The OIII is 5 steps out from the Ha and SII 

Is that "focusing steps"  or  "exposure steps" ??

[MartinB]

1 hour ago, iwols said:

Simply superb bet your well chuffed?

Thanks iwols

12 minutes ago, Craney said:

Is that "focusing steps"  or  "exposure steps" ??

Steps on my Robofocuser.

[tooth_dr]

There really is detail right down to the smallest level. Nice to see a little grain, I think this is preferable to an overly smooth image. 

[MartinB]

1 hour ago, tooth_dr said:

There really is detail right down to the smallest level. Nice to see a little grain, I think this is preferable to an overly smooth image. 

Oh dear!  This is what happens when you do a process on a 13" laptop because your 30" monitor is temporarily unavailble 🤨  So a redo beckons!  I suppose the best noise reduction tool is a small monitor!

[tooth_dr]

2 minutes ago, MartinB said:

Oh dear!  This is what happens when you do a process on a 13" laptop because your 30" monitor is temporarily unavailble 🤨  So a redo beckons!  I suppose the best noise reduction tool is a small monitor!

I would take what I say with a pinch of salt Martin, and certainly wasnt intended as a criticism.  It's a very natural looking image.

[wimvb]

2 hours ago, MartinB said:

The flats looked pretty weird but everything seems to have calibrated ok. 

I have a similar issue with my Optolong rgb filters, especially the blue filter. But for me, it doesn't calibrate out (over correcting), and I've been trying to get the calibration to work, ie figuring out if it's the camera or the filters. Could you post/pm one of your master flats? Also, how do you take flats? 

[geeklee]

Fantastic image Martin.  The fine detail and associated contrast & brightness brings out such a depth to the image.  My own mixed attempts (still ongoing) at this target have left me feeling a little underwhelmed but your image highlights just how much is going on in the nebula and surrounding areas.

[Sp@ce_d]

This is lovely.. colours are really nice. I prefer this over the deeper saturated hubble palette. I remember a few years ago when richer colours were more fashionable   I had some comments about "make it less muddy" on one of mine which put me off for a bit..  when in fact I find muddy (not in a bad way) and smokey invoke a moodiness I really like. Bit more Turner.. and less Pollock/Warhole ? (I'm no art critic)

Focusmax sorts my focussing for each filter so wouldn't worry me I guess. Is it odd that they are not par focal ?.. I'm thinking of trying Chroma when I eventually need to move on to bigger filters than my 1.25" Astrodons. 

[MartinB]

3 hours ago, geeklee said:

Fantastic image Martin.  The fine detail and associated contrast & brightness brings out such a depth to the image.  My own mixed attempts (still ongoing) at this target have left me feeling a little underwhelmed but your image highlights just how much is going on in the nebula and surrounding areas.

Thank you Lee!

1 hour ago, Sp@ce_d said:

This is lovely.. colours are really nice. I prefer this over the deeper saturated hubble palette. I remember a few years ago when richer colours were more fashionable   I had some comments about "make it less muddy" on one of mine which put me off for a bit..  when in fact I find muddy (not in a bad way) and smokey invoke a moodiness I really like. Bit more Turner.. and less Pollock/Warhole ? (I'm no art critic)

Focusmax sorts my focussing for each filter so wouldn't worry me I guess. Is it odd that they are not par focal ?.. I'm thinking of trying Chroma when I eventually need to move on to bigger filters than my 1.25" Astrodons. 

Thank you.  There is always a feeling that there is more to pull out of the data and that we can make an image appear more "striking".  Looking back at my previous processes I know I have often over egged the processing.  I am slowly resisting the urge to push things a little bit more.

I'm happy with the Chroma filters although I did expect them to be par focal.  Certainly there is no hint of any halos which is good.  The 5nm band pass inevitably delivers smaller dimmer stars which helps.  I can't comment on things like contrast enhancement and so on since I don't yet have enough experience using them.

[MartinB]

3 hours ago, wimvb said:

I have a similar issue with my Optolong rgb filters, especially the blue filter. But for me, it doesn't calibrate out (over correcting), and I've been trying to get the calibration to work, ie figuring out if it's the camera or the filters. Could you post/pm one of your master flats? Also, how do you take flats? 

WBPP didn't save my masters despite my checking the "save frame groups on exit" box.  I've attached an Ha flat, one unstretched and the other autostretch with PI's STF.  They are taken using an EL panel.  I was using an OAG but this doesn't look like a shadow from the prism.  It doesn't worry me unduly since the subs have come out nice and clean but it is odd.  

[wimvb]

3 hours ago, MartinB said:

I've attached an Ha flat, one unstretched and the other autostretch with PI's STF.

Sorry, can't find it.

I'll pm you, because I don't want to hijack this thread.

Cheers,

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by wimvb

[MartinB]

7 hours ago, wimvb said:

Sorry, can't find it.

I'll pm you, because I don't want to hijack this thread.

Cheers,

 

Sorry Wim, here they are

[Allinthehead]

Congrats on a great first light, very natural looking image.

[Miguel1983]

Very nice image !

Have you tried the bin 1x1 mode yet by any chance ?

[MartinB]

16 hours ago, Allinthehead said:

Congrats on a great first light, very natural looking image.

Thanks Richard

13 hours ago, Miguel1983 said:

Very nice image !

Have you tried the bin 1x1 mode yet by any chance ?

Thank you Miguel.  I think the dual resolution mode is only available with the QHY version.

[wimvb]

37 minutes ago, MartinB said:

I think the dual resolution mode is only available with the QHY version.

I've read that ZWO have released a driver/firmware update that unlocks the 1x1 mode. Images will then be in 12 bit digital resolution, not 14 bit. Full well will also be lower.

[Miguel1983]

Yes, ZWO unlocked the bin 1x1 mode.

[MartinB]

3 hours ago, wimvb said:

I've read that ZWO have released a driver/firmware update that unlocks the 1x1 mode. Images will then be in 12 bit digital resolution, not 14 bit. Full well will also be lower.

 

3 hours ago, Miguel1983 said:

Yes, ZWO unlocked the bin 1x1 mode.

Oh that's interesting.  Thanks for this info.  Not sure whether I want those huge files but I might just swap my cameras round and pair the 294 with my 200mm lens.

[Miguel1983]

27 minutes ago, MartinB said:

 

Oh that's interesting.  Thanks for this info.  Not sure whether I want those huge files but I might just swap my cameras round and pair the 294 with my 200mm lens.

Well i'll find out soon enough, i pressed the button on the 294mm yesterday, i'm planning to pair it with my TS76EDPH which is 342mm.

I'll probably just use the bin 1 mode for Lum and bin 2 for RGB or bin 1 for Ha and 2 for Oiii and Sii when shooting narrowband.