Two from last night (M27 & NGC7635)

[Darth Takahashi]

Well things are starting to come together with MaxIm DL5 & LRGB imaging, now I'm in control and can configure my captures. Also, I'm back using a Hartmann mart for focusing the SBIG2000XM. All in all things are definitely now going in the right direction.

Special thanks to both Damian(Takman) & Mark(Taff) for pointing me in the right direction and to useful links etc... Also to everyone else who gave advise.

Telescope: TOA130F @ F7

Camera: SBIG2000XM

Filters: Astrodon CRGB in CFW7

Software: MaxIm DL & Photoshop CS4

My biggest mistake for far was not realising the importance of the screen histogram especially when saving your TIFF files... DOH!

Hope you like the images, the bubble is a first for me... I would have like to have added more data but the clouds rolled in a 2:35:mad:

Neil.

[assouptro]

very nice captures Neil,

Looking like you've cracked it!

The bubble looks great I can see why you were annoyed at the clouds.

The heart nebula or ic 1805 is at the other end of cassiopeia if you fancy a stab at it

I use Cartes du Ciel for finding new targets its free and easy

Bryan.

[steppenwolf]

Very nice indeed, especially the M27 image

[Darth Takahashi]

The heart nebula or ic 1805 is at the other end of cassiopeia if you fancy a stab at it

Bryan.

I did think about this nebula but it meant changing my focal length by adding in the reducer and to be honest I haven't considered this yet, not sure I can get the camera and filter wheel setup close enough to the reducer, will check it out soon.

Neil

[Taff]

Hi Neil' they are both nice captures.Mark

[MartinB]

2 great images Neil and glad to hear things are coming together. Puzzled about the screen histogram comment though. The setting for this make no difference to the saved TIFF

[Darth Takahashi]

2 great images Neil and glad to hear things are coming together. Puzzled about the screen histogram comment though. The setting for this make no difference to the saved TIFF

Actually they do Martin, you have an option when creating the TIFF which determines the amount of stretch thats applied and the type. I selected copy from screen stretch etc... Then my TIFF are as I expect otherwise it was using a LOG stretch which was too much and inverting the colours, try it for yourself.

At least this is how its working for me?

If there is some sort of preference that need to be set I still don't know about it! This is how the program is working out of the box so to speak.

Neil.

[MartinB]

Neil the screen stretch is a crude linear stretch to enable you to easily see what you have captured, it isn't really intended to be used as a permanent stretch despite having the facility to do so. You can select a range of stretches when saving using the manual button but in my opinion you are best not using any of them. The auto button simply applies a correction when saving an image of a higher bit depth to a lower depth.

It is far and away better to make sure neither of these buttons are selected. Your images are then saved with no stretch applied. If you use levels, curves or other stretches such as DDP these changes are retained when you save the file.

[Darth Takahashi]

Hi Martin,

I agree that auto wasn't working, at least when using Photoshop! I'll try your recommendation tomorrow now when I have more time. At least the screen stretch was working for me with no significant side efffects at least in my images so far!

I'll have a better idea tomorrow though!

Neil.

[MartinB]

Neil, I suspect that if you save without using the screen stretch and then process with levels and curves in PS you will find you have better star colour. I think some of your stars have been saturated by the linear stretch. Will be interested to hear how you get on.