Re: Serious camera question - what it boils down to?

Your images are excellent---especially considering the technique you are
using. Thank you!

Doink
"RS" <russ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2gtkk11qr9r5albsektso1beff9bor8v40@xxxxxxxxxx
> Regarding DSO imaging (as opposed to planetary), you don't need a
> steady, rock-solid, non-periodic-error mount *IF* you image as I do. I
> take very short exposures (less than 10 seconds each) and then combine
> them for a virtual total exposer time of anywhere between 5 and 20
> minutes. This way, I avoid image rotation and the need for guiding as
> well. I dont even polar align! I do all my imaging int alt-az mode. As
> far as planetary imaging, the total exposures are short enough that
> the mout requirements are even LESS demanding.
>
> I am not a "great" imager, but I have managed to avoid the usuall
> imaging pitfalls by using this method. If anyine is interested in
> seeing examples, my non-guided alt-az images are located here:
> http://epcinternet.com/astron/
>
> Again, they're not great, but I dont have any guiding or mount isuues
> either.
>
>
>
> On Sun, 09 Oct 2005 18:55:47 GMT, "David Nakamoto"
> <res07oeg@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>>Hi everyone !
>>
>>In my opinion, it boils down to three things. The first thing is that at
>>the
>>current time one still needs a steady, rock-solid mount with minimum
>>periodic
>>error that's visible in the telescope/camera setup you're using, learning
>>to
>>accurately align everything, and a lot of patience. Learning image
>>processing
>>is a must also, but since this can be done in the "safety" of one's heated
>>office in a comfortable chair, I don't count this part of the business
>>(haha!)
>>but it is necessary.
>>
>>The second thing it boils down to is that you need to learn, through this
>>newsgroup, web sits, and books, how to do imaging. It's more than just
>>the
>>equipment, although that's important, because as far as planets are
>>concerned
>>you still need reasonably good tracking coupled with high magnifications,
>>and as
>>far as deep sky is concerned you need rock-steady tracking and lots of
>>sensitivity on your pixels, among other things. But learning how to
>>process
>>images is just as important, so you learn what you need to do when you
>>take the
>>original images, and learn what you can and can't get away with. among
>>other
>>things.
>>
>>The third thing it boils down to is that right now there seems (to me) to
>>be
>>three things developing; (1) webcams for planets, and high resolution
>>images of
>>the Moon and Sun, (2) dedicated cooled CCD cameras for deep sky, and (3)
>>DSLRs
>>that act as good introduction to imaging, takes great wide field images,
>>and
>>prove good on the brighter DSOs.
>>
>>Part of the DSI technology might make things easier in the future,
>>especially
>>that feature that gets rid of tracking errors. I'm certainly keeping my
>>fingers
>>crossed ! I think the DSI is certainly worth checking into; it should
>>generate
>>great webcam type images, and good images of most DSOs amateurs think
>>about.
>>I'm not sure about the Pro; those expose filters make me cringe. Didn't
>>Meade
>>do their research, or were they simply "going their own way for its own
>>sake?"
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> --- Dave
>


.

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