Fantastic
Fantastic
The guys in the know say it's best to use a webcam to image the planets. I bough a Philips SPC900NC and recorded Saturn last night. After I stacked the images in a software programme this is the result.
Image is small as the res on the camera is only 800X600 but it's better than I managed with my canon 1000d at a res of 3888 X 2592.
To achieve a good astro pic, you need to take lots of exposures and stack them in software. The above image was made from about 3000 video frames.
This astro imaging jobbie is not easyIt's interesting though
Pete
SXOC Member Number : 317
I've read about this too.Originally Posted by Petrol
The guys in the know say it's best to use a webcam to image the planets. I bough a Philips SPC900NC and recorded Saturn last night. After I stacked the images in a software programme this is the result.
Image is small as the res on the camera is only 800X600 but it's better than I managed with my canon 1000d at a res of 3888 X 2592.
To achieve a good astro pic, you need to take lots of exposures and stack them in software. The above image was made from about 3000 video frames.
This astro imaging jobbie is not easy
How van you get a concentrated image from such a low res camera?
If I pointed my webcam out of the window It would seethe whole sky and half the garden
Lol, I imagine it gets pointed down a big telescope
Yeah having a large scope and various eyepieces and lenses/mirrors do tend to help.
I was thinking of getting a Astromaster 130EQ-MD (the motor driven one) to start off in some imaging, maybe with a webcam as loads of folk seem to be using them these days.
Yep, my next 'largish' purchase is a telescope
I did find this one:
http://www.redboxcameras.com/product...rer-200p_eq5_/
but it's not motor driven.... is this going to cause me a massive issue when trying to take pics with long exposure? Also, it says it has a SLR connection, what does that actually mean? Does it mean you can only connect an SLR to it!? Or will my normal camera fit!??
Not being motor driven is going to be a bit er... difficult lol, your going to have to move the fecker by hand using the micro adjustment controls to compensate for drift - which on a multi exposure long capture session is going to be as fun as the visit to the dentist i just had
Thats a big aperture at 8 inch, wont you be better with a smaller scope and a drive attached?
Thats the conclusion I came to, need a motor!Not being motor driven is going to be a bit er... difficult lol, your going to have to move the fecker by hand using the micro adjustment controls to compensate for drift - which on a multi exposure long capture session is going to be as fun as the visit to the dentist i just had
Thats a big aperture at 8 inch, wont you be better with a smaller scope and a drive attached?
And for the last question - I have no ideaagain, you're probably right. Get a smaller one that's motor driven, for similar money, possibly
The webcam thing is odd. I'm intrigued to what a webcam can do in this situation that a regular camera can't do better. I'm totally stumped on that one!
Webcam is much easier for capturing a lot of images in succession for input into the stacker application. Taking dozens of shots of a single target over time with a normal camera is a pain in the arse, especially when you figure in having to work out shutter times and all that.
A web cam (even though its lower res) will capture hundreds of images in a row very easily and automatically to the computer, then you stick them in the stacker and it does it magic.
Capturing lots of images and merging them into one is a better way of doing things.
My 60D (and many other decentish DSLR's) shoots in 30FPS 1080 HD, wouldn't that be better than using a nasty webcam then?
Its not as simple as that, there are pros and cons for using webcams and proper cameras depending on what your imaging.
Its a very complex area.
I want to know what scope Petrol uses
Looks like one of Skywatchers reflectors, maybe the 150mil aperture one?
I hear that!
Theres more to taking pics than just a motor driven mount (tripod)
This is what I have
Skywatcher 200p telescope - 8" reflector
Skywatcher EQ6 Pro GOTO mount (tripod) The GOTO bit automatically points the scope at the right part of the sky and then tracks it. The problem with the tracking is, it's a bit iffy. This can be rectified with a guiding telescope and tracking system -
Skywatcher startravel scope for guiding the big 200p scope
Skywatcher synguider (guide camera which looks down the startravel scope to adjust any errors in the tracking)
Hope that made sence
As already mentioned, it's horses for courses when taking pics through a telescope. For bright objects like planets, a webcam is best. It's also important to take lots of pictures and then use software to compile a final image. That pic of Saturn for example, was made from 1000 frames from the webcam. - Stick that sort of usage on a DSLR and it won't last long!
This is how it works -
1 frame from the webcam of Saturn
Stack lots of em in software and you get this
For much larger things like nebulas, a DSLR is better -
There's about 3 hours of software processing to achive an image like that
Pete
SXOC Member Number : 317
Gosh.. Googling those bits made the total rise quite a bitplus I'd have absolutely no idea what to do with the software side of it.
Hmm maybe I'll buy just the 8" Telescope and enjoy looking at stuff. I presume with an 8" and a decent magnification (200x?), you can see the moon very well and other stuff pretty good? That would do me for the time being I think
(however, this now has to wait as I just spend this months play money on a new set of golf clubs
Why do you want to buy such a large item as a first scope, its not all about size and magnification especially when starting.
Get a smaller one not some 8 inch monster
If, say, I wasn't worried about taking pictures, surely the larger I can buy the better, I want to see things further away and in more detail
All you need is a scope with at least a EQ3 tripod, and fit a RA motor to it (about £80). That is enough to get snappingGosh.. Googling those bits made the total rise quite a bit
My Helios 150P (Made by Skywatcher) was about £400 including a EQ3-2 tripod. I just need the RA motor.
The problem with astromomy, is that when the seeing is best, the temperatures are so low, and also chance of bad weather.
When the weather gets better the sun doesn't really set properly and you don't get really dark nights.
Damn our shitty weather
It doesn’t work like that I'm afraid. The max magnification you can realistically go to is 200X for viewing. After that, atmospheric interference reduces the image quality. I can mag my scope up big time but the image is poor. For viewing, I tend to use low mag as you can see more.If, say, I wasn't worried about taking pictures, surely the larger I can buy the better, I want to see things further away and in more detail
Pete
SXOC Member Number : 317
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
