B&W or Colour?

[smutly]

Hi there

Just a quick question (i still have plenty of reading about stacking and other things). Is it best to take photos in B&W or colour?

I am slightly limited in the way i can capture an image with my camera.

The camera has a fixed lens but has manual settings so i can take upto 30 second exposures. Here is an example of M31 from 07/08/2010.

Both shots untouched single frames, piggybacked on scope, 12x max optical zoom (72mm focal), 30 sec exposure, F/3.7 at ISO 1000.

Jeff.....................

[greenkat]

Hi Jeff

My personal opinion would be to take shots in colour

You can always convert colour to b/w if not happy.

If its the yellow cast your not happy with, you can remove that in most photo editing software.

Nice shot of M31 by the way

Greenkat

[smutly]

Thanks for the reply greenkat.

I would like to know how to darken the light pollution if possible. I have PS CS3 which I use for some of my daytime infra-red photography. Just another quick little question. Oat it usually necessary to take many photos and stack them? Do you get better results this way and which stacking software would be best to start with?

Jeff..........

[smutly]

Thanks for the reply greenkat.

I would like to know how to darken the light pollution if possible. I have PS CS3 which I use for some of my daytime infra-red photography. Just another quick little question. Is it usually necessary to take many photos and stack them? Do you get better results this way and which stacking software would be best to start with?

Jeff..........

[smutly]

Sorry about the double post. I am at work on the mobile phone.

Jeff..........

[greenkat]

Hi Jeff

Stacking your images is the way to go, take as many as you can then you can load them into a program such as "Registax" or "Deepsky stacker" both free to download & lots of people on here using them so can help you if you get stuck.

Personaly, I use the Envisage software that came with my Meade DSI camera.

You can download the software from the Meade website and try that if you struggle with the other two.

Hope that helps a little

Dont worry, I'm also at work and skyving

For enhancing your images, try this tutorial using Photoshop.

http://www.astropixels.co.uk/Guide_levels_and_curves.htm

[LukeSkywatcher]

I have the same issue/thought between colour and B&W. It would be easier to image in B&W to eliminate LP. But it can be got rid off easily enough in colour images. I also have just started down the road of stacking images. Its amazing the detail it brings out. Maybe shorten the time of your exposures and take lots more of them and then stack them. Although for a 30s exposure there isnt that much LP in your image.

Deep Sky Stacker is free and simple enough to use. I'd try that. Registax is used mainly for movies (webcams,CCD's etc)

[smutly]

Thanks for all the advice.

Jeff........

[Sparrow]

Hi Jeff - what is your camera and can it save images in RAW format? If so, then you may as well image in colour - even if you select B/W, the RAW file still includes all the colour data.

I'd recommend Deep Sky Stacker for your type of image. Registax tends to be better suited to lumar planetary imaging with hundreds of shots to stack. With the right settings, DSS will substantially correct the light pollution cast.

As for multiple images - yes most definately - it's the way to reduce the noise in your images by stacking multiple images. It also dramatically increase the signal to noise ratio so that you will get better, more detailed images. Unfortunately, 30 second exposures will limit you somewhat, but there are worthwhile targets for that exposure length. When it comes in to the night sky again, you could try for M42 in Orion.

One last thing, if your camera has a manual mode, you could take 30s darks to subtract from your images - this will improve the images further. Just take 30s exposures with the lense cover on. They are added to the file list in Deep Sky Stacker to subtract from you light frames.

You're on a slippery slope now:) there's loads of information on the forum on imaging echniques etc

Happy imaging

Regards

John

[smutly]

Hi Jeff - what is your camera and can it save images in RAW format?

Hi John

I have just recently got rid of the sony h2 (great little camera) and purchased a canon 350d so i have a bit more control over the camera. Just familiarising myself with the extra functions and lenses.

Thanks for the other info.

jeff..............

[ollypenrice]

The importance of multiple image stacking can't be over emphasized. The noise just goes down, down and down. Not until you have about forty subs does the benefit begin to fall off. Much noise is random and eventually cancels itself out while all signal is systematic and reinforces itself. In an astrophoto you are always trying to drag out very faint signal so you need this excellent signal to noise ratio to distinguish bewtween the two.

Deep Sky Stacker is slow but excellent. I've only just started using it but I like the way it can handle rotation, which my previous software couldn't.

Olly