Fuji Finepix S1500 Camera

[Space Cowboy]

Great pics Sparrow! How did you take the m42 pic? I know what you mean about fitting it to a scope i've just bought a bracket and the finepix is too big for it. I can't see screwing it to the eyepiece will work either as it wont focus properly just get a tunnel affect when i used it on a tripod over the eyepiece. Fortunatley my compact camera works nicely with the bracket!

[Sparrow]

Hi Stuart,

From what I can remember, the M42 was a stack of about 10 images. They were taken using the camera's own zoom lense (no telescope) completely manual settings and focus. I think it was ISO1600 (the higher ISO's were too noisy) and the maximum exposure of 4 seconds with the lowest F stop available (2.8 I think) The camera was on a camera tripod and I held a 1 1/4" LP filter by hand in front of the lense.

It was my first time using Registax to process the images. With more experience now I could probably get more out of the stack, but unfortunately I don't have the subs any more.

The whole set up was very amateurish but I was happy that I'd managed to get a bit of the nebulosity and it did encourage me to move on a get more equipment.

It's a shame I haven't got the moon images to hand - they were quite good - maximum zoom, and I think I used auto settings for exposure and focus (changed the focus option to centre only or something like that). Camera tripod was essential. If the moon shots turn up I'll post them in this thread.

Regards

John

[Space Cowboy]

Hi John,

I'm amazed that its possible to take images of a nebula purely using the camera without a scope! That would be great if you could find those moon pics!

Heading up to the Roaches near Leek today to get some landscape shots. BTW superb moon pic on your profile album!

[stuartsmith01]

just bought an astro engineering digi adapter from telescope40, and i do thank you for your advice though, thats kind. regards stuart.

[Sparrow]

Thanks for the moon compliment Stuart,

M42 is probably the brightest nebula in the sky which is why I chose it to try with the camera - 4 second exposures are very limiting. I don't think there's much else it would capture other than maybe M51 and M82, but I'm doubtful about them.

As for my early moon shot with the fuji - sadly I've remembered what happened to them - my power supply blew early this year taking out both hard disks - nearly everything was safely backed up except those early astro images. The M42 image was rescued from an email in my sent items folder.

Best wishes

John

[Space Cowboy]

No worries John, soon as we get a clear moonlit night i shall endeavour to reproduce your lost moon pics ;-)

Thanks for all your info!

Stuart.

[Space Cowboy]

Here is a moon shot with the finepix 8000 on full 18x zoom (handheld) Quite pleased though i'm hopeful to get a better shot when used with a tripod!

[Sparrow]

Nice Stuart - Yes a tripod will help a lot. I think I actually used the digital zoom as well as I was going to crop the image anyway - helped with getting the focus and exposure but you'd definately need a tripod for that.

Don't forget - this is what got me started spending £££££ on scopes etc - be warned lol:)

[Space Cowboy]

Of course digital zoom! Must try that next time. Already went over budget when i bought my goto scope so the astrophoto side is being kept to a strict budget! My goal in the future is to upgrade to a 10" Dobsonian though it will be hard to give up the auto tracking....bit like using a tv without the remote ;-)

[resonator77]

SjGold

with the help of good sirs and madams I achieved to take some photos of the moon, those are raw photos without any processing:)

I believe you can do the same with your Fuji

Resonator

P.S photos are taken by Canon 1000D

[Sparrow]

Nice images Resonator - what were you using for a lense ? - was it at prime focus?

As good as the Fuji 8000fd is, it can not achieve those kind of results using its own magnification. I don't want Sjgold to build up false hopes.

Regards

John

[Space Cowboy]

I was going to say thats a DSLR camera. I'd only get that kind of a result through the telescope. At the moment i cannot use it with my universal scope adapter as its too large (zoom lense too long) Using a tripod over the eyepiece i can only get a tunnel type image. With my ACER compact i can activate the zoom which produces a nice full image but activating the fuji zoom is a complete no no.

[resonator77]

Sparrow, SJGOLD

silly me, forgot to tell that it was telecope Nexstar and Canon 1000D:o

meant to say no processing, stacking, raw photo:)

[Space Cowboy]

No Worries Resonator those are very nice images!

[Jim_M]

Sorry if I am bring this up from the dead but I'm using the Fuji S1600. Takes good moon shots, well not bad anyway.

I am looking to see about night sky shots and time lapse hopefully at some point.