taking picture of saturn with a zoom camera

[abumuhannadh]

hi guys!

i was browsing the net and came across this picture

in this picture, Saturn's rings are clearly visible, althogh moon doesn't look very big.

now, i have taken a moon shot with my 18x zoom Panasonic FZ28 camera (10 Megapixel) and the image is almost same size and detail as the picture above.

here is my shot

so i was thinking, i could take a shot of Saturn with my cam. and looked around if anyone has done it.

i came across a rather disappointing picture.

some one used an extra 1.7x telephoto lens with a camera just like mine (that means the magnification goes up to 30.6x) yet the image does not look very nice. it shows the rings as bulges but not pleasing to look at.

here it is.

so, i guess i wont be able to take a picture of Saturn's rings??

PS: i mean without a telescope.

[The Sailor]

Took this one last night, not really a good one but still learning about what my camera can do.

Jim

[abumuhannadh]

Took this one last night, not really a good one but still learning about what my camera can do.

Jim

thats pretty nice one. i actually meant without using a telescope

[The Sailor]

Yes I did understand that, I have taken a few with just the camera but as said still learning.

Jim

[abumuhannadh]

you mean the photo above is taken with just the camera??? wow

what was the magnification factor?

[LukeSkywatcher]

I've never tried to image Saturn with just my camera but i have imaged Jupiter with it:

300mm lens

10X zoom (in camera)

[The Sailor]

you mean the photo above is taken with just the camera??? wow

what was the magnification factor?

Noooooo, that was attached to the telescope, still trying to get the camera sorted to use alone, sorry

Jim

[Earl]

The blur is down to motion, you will need to track a planet really.

[lostinspace]

love your shot of the moon,

john

[astromerlin]

A good Saturn there, Even if the camera is used without a telescope you'll need a mount that tracks the planets. Good exposure level, I'd take several images and the stack them in Registax do an RGB alignment. Even the above image, a bit of RGB alignment and perhaps adjust the histogram a bit will sharpen the image up.

Nice one.

Abumuhannadh, That image of Saturn has a good size there but is well over exposed. The imager really needed to reduce the exposure a fair bit until the rings are just showing and he would have improved it, Chuckle, I found some of my early ones the other day that looked alot like that. It cheered me up.

John

[Digz]

Now this is really interesting. Part of what I want to do when I get my EQ6 mount is to mount my DSLR and an assortment of my lenses ranging from a top range 200mm (340 with 1.7x TC) to a lower end 400mm prime and 500mm zoom.

The mount will track and I am interested to see what the results will be, given what is shown above I am fairly optimistic of getting some semi decent results.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Now this is really interesting. Part of what I want to do when I get my EQ6 mount is to mount my DSLR and an assortment of my lenses ranging from a top range 200mm (340 with 1.7x TC) to a lower end 400mm prime and 500mm zoom.

The mount will track and I am interested to see what the results will be, given what is shown above I am fairly optimistic of getting some semi decent results.

The fact that your mount will be able to track is half the battle won already. The rest is up to you and what settings you use on your camera.

Even with fixed tripod imaging...all is not lost. You just have to remember to keep your exposures to below 4 mins (i think) so you do not get any trailing of stars in your image. Also keep the magnification down or else any slight hint of trailing will be magnified. Unless of course you want to create star trails. Then just point your camera at Polaris and let it do its own thing.

[Euan]

Now this is really interesting. Part of what I want to do when I get my EQ6 mount is to mount my DSLR and an assortment of my lenses ranging from a top range 200mm (340 with 1.7x TC) to a lower end 400mm prime and 500mm zoom.

The mount will track and I am interested to see what the results will be, given what is shown above I am fairly optimistic of getting some semi decent results.

Using an EQ6 for that is a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, although you could easy stick a big lightbucket newt on there along side it for auto-guiding purposes

[Digz]

The fact that your mount will be able to track is half the battle won already. The rest is up to you and what settings you use on your camera.

It certainly is (providing decent polar alignment). As for camera settings, this will be trial and error. I've done a fair bit of lunar photography so I know what settings to use for the moon, but Saturn, Jupiter, Mar will be a different ball game!

Euan, it may considered that, but as I am getting the EQ6 with a 250 newt and I am a keen amateur photographer I wont be able to resist trying it. It also beats forking out extra for an astrotrack or similar.

[LukeSkywatcher]

You can forget about Mars for a couple of years. Its well past its sell by date for this year. It will in opposition again in 2012.

Saturn is still good for a few months yet but we are losing it fast.

Jupiter is on the UP and should become really good towards late summer. Of course it wont be placed brilliantly til 2014.

[Digz]

You can forget about Mars for a couple of years. Its well past its sell by date for this year. It will in opposition again in 2012.

Saturn is still good for a few months yet but we are losing it fast.

Jupiter is on the UP and should become really good towards late summer. Of course it wont be placed brilliantly til 2014.

ok, thats worth knowing. Ive really got to get my head into all this stuff now. Time to dig out the books etc

(BTW do you have any references on where I can find information like this?)

[LukeSkywatcher]

You can get all this info from the numberous monthly astro mags on sale or even better (and cheaper) you can get this info right here on SGL from other members. The amount of information on all astro related topics locked up here in the minds of members is astounding (not including mine).

If you want to know ANYTHING........................just ask. Never be afraid to ask questions. There wil ALWAYS be someone who gives you what you want to know.

The only stupid question is the question that is not asked.

[Digz]

Nice one, appreciate the advice Paul :-)

[abumuhannadh]

OK, i took some pictures of Saturn tonight. with just the camera, 18x optical zoom plus 4x digital zoom. and here is the result.

i had to play with the contrast in photoshop to make it noise free.

so, i was obviously able to catch the rings (although it is almost edge on).

the "star" on the left might not be a star, i guess it is a bad pixel since there is only a magnitude 10 star at that position when i checked in Stellarium and even titan is brighter than that and should have been visible if that star was too. and there is another 7 magnitude star which should have been visible on the bottom right.

so i have decided it is a dead pixel.

date and time of the picture : May 20, 2010 21:14 GMT.

location : 24.5N, 39.6E

[astrokat]

try shorter exposure then stacking then in registax you may find it wont burn out detail of the rings

[abumuhannadh]

i really doubt that, i think getting any detail is beyond my camera's capability.

still i might try that.

and i think Avistack is easier that Registax.

[abumuhannadh]

I've never tried to image Saturn with just my camera but i have imaged Jupiter with it:

300mm lens

10X zoom (in camera)

wow, that is even better than many shots taken with telescopes.

[astrokat]

what camera you using bud

[abumuhannadh]

mine is a Panasonic FZ28

18x optical zoom and 10 Megapixel image size.