Saturn Pic - Awful

[Kain]

Had a go at photographing Saturn tonight, absolutely awful pic, but it''s a start/

I was using a 9mm Celestron EP with a 2x Barlow - Picture taken with a cannon powershot A70

It was in perfect focus with my eyes (I could see the devision - Yay!) but camera couldn't get the focus.

I had a plat with photoshop and made it slightly better, but to be fair I ain't got a clue what I'm doing!

Kain

[GordonCopestake]

With afocal imaging your camera's focus needs to be set to infinity and locked there. Autofocus wont work. Looks like a good start though! It doesn't help that this time of year it doesn't go dark. Wait till winter when you see M42 hehe

[Kain]

To be honest mate, I wouldn't have a clue how to manual focus on my cam, I wouldn't even know if you could!

Still considering it's my first try, I'm quite pleased.

I was trying to see if I could see the Beehive cluster, but the damn trees are starting to block my view of saturn

Kain

[GordonCopestake]

As the sky moves your view changes. It moves suprisingly fast, just look at a star at high magnification and see how fast it moves out of your view.

As for your camera, what sort is it? Most digital cameras are able to set manual focus somehow, maybe it's time to find the manual you never read

It's pretty good for your first go yeah, my first try is about as good hehe

[Kain]

Thanks Gordon

Now I wonder where that manual went??

Oh the camera is a Canon Powershot A70

Kain

[GordonCopestake]

The A70 is a great camera for afocal work as if i remember correctly it has a fold out screen. I used a bracket for my afocal shots before i moved to prime focus with a DSLR, something like below. Not brilliant but it does work.

[Kain]

Ahh right!

I'll have to see what I can do!

Oh I did manage to see M44 - Beautiful sight!

Also posted some moon pics in the Lunar forum

Kain

[geppetto]

Kain

Thats not an awful image, its one of your learning curve images and we all have shed loads of those

Using that eyepiece and the barlow is giving you quite high magnification and any slight movement

will trash your image.

Afocal imaging ain't easy but keep on going and keep posting your results, you'll get there for sure.

Good on you for trying 8)

[OXO]

Very good effort and a good image seeing as how long you have been at this excellent infact!

James

[Jamie]

I agree with Philip.

If you had loadsa experience / all the right kit / perfect conditions then you would be a bit disapointed with it BUT

Seeing as you are learning what to do as you go i would say its not too bad mate.

At least you can tell what it is.

My first Saturn pic was unrecognisable.

So keep em coming.

[The Warthog]

Kain, I've never taken an afocal shot of Saturn like that, because I've never tried. So good on you for trying! It's not awful, it's a learning experience.

[Kain]

Thanks guys! It's quite a confidence booster when you realise something isn't as bad as you thought it was..

I doubt tonight I will bother with the camera, I'm hunting clusters!!

Kain

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Kain, if you want a confidence booster WRT imaging, get some astronomy books at a car boot / jumble sale. Even twenty years ago the stuff you have posted would be top notch for affordable home user telescopes. Rog is already past the image quality of 200 inch telescopes according to the dusty tomes in my library (that's the pile next to my bed) and Arthur has gone off sorting out some monster telescope that he got his hands on. Wait and see what he does with it.

Captain Chaos