M42 Which do you prefer?

[rfdesigner]

Whats that?

Unsharp masking?..

http://www.astrosurf.com/luxorion/digital-darkroom-examples.htm

In the good ol days, a negative was reimaged on new negative film, but fairly out of focus, this was then (once developed) placed in contact with the origional negative forming an "unsharp mask". The effect was to dim bright areas whilst leaving the dim ones unaffected thus dramatically reducing the dynamic range.

Today of course you can do it in seconds on your computer.

Derek

[Earl]

My last tweak of the data I have

[Trull]

Second set, dark background = space....

[Earl]

Interestingly I ordered a print from jessops of my latest version and the print came out exactly as it appears on my desaturated screen, I did the tweaking on my PC monitor ( i dual with a TV and a monitor) im going to order one now tweaked on my main screen,

[ollypenrice]

Sorry to be difficult but it is all in the blue, for me. Too much in the first one and not enough in the second. The reds are better in the second as is the background, but the hot blue stars have a green tinge and that can't be right.

In the second you have pulled out lots more faint stuff which, being mainly red, makes sense. But for me you have gone beyond the noise limit so I would settle for less outlying dust and less noise.

Very good stuff there though. Some Trapezium short exposures and this tutorial would be great for your image: Compositing 2 Different Exposures via Layer Masks

Hope you don't mind me not answering your question in a straghtforward way!

Olly

[skywatcher1701]

number 2

[CThody]

All amazing, but I like the third and fourth most. Fanstatic detail!

[mario11]

great both

[Hawklord]

Third one.

[Earl]

Thanks for the input it is all appreciated.

I think I need to seriously get a calibrated screen somehow

[Horus]

Second for me too

[rocketandroll]

The third and fourth look far better to me. Less burnt out, more subtle colours, more detail, darker cleaner background.

Will have a look on a decent screen later though to see if that's still the case :-)

Ben