Deep Sky Stacker - Grey Issue

[CoolhandJo]

I don't understand why DSS persists in turning my Canon 350d (Mod) lights into a dull boring grey after registering and stacking?
I have tried every setting possible with the same result.
Funny thing is it depends on the target as some targets it doesnt strip the colour out of and turn it greyish, whilst others it does?
I recently took 2 hours worth of lights on ETA CARINA, ran it through DSS and got greyish tones. Ran it through AIP4win and got lovely rich colours and balanced balck and white points.
Anyone else had the same issue and or fix?
Thanks in advance

[iceman]

I've *always* had this issue with Deep Sky Stacker and I have never been able to fix it.

Various people have suggested just boosting the saturation, but that doesn't work for me either.

If you can find a solution, please let me know! I avoid using DSS because I just can't get it working properly to produce colourful images.

[CoolhandJo]

Mike, somehow that makes me feel better! I am not the only one! Thought I may have done something wrong? Strange that is sometimes works though. My guess it depends on the amoount of skyglow and the white and black auto setting the prgram runs, but its just a guess :(

[allan gould]

Mike
Ive never had an issue with DSS - except when I fiddled with the settings and it just wouldn't stack with the parameters I used. Went back to my original and all was well. If you'd like I can post them and then if you mimic that it should work. Similar thing happened with a friend of mine.
Allan

[CoolhandJo]

Allan,

even though you addressed your post to Mike I assume you will post it to my initial response so as we can all benfit?

[bojan]

Never had ANY issue or problem with DSS..
Your problem might be in background calibration.
The calibration should be "Per Channel Background Calibration", and not "RGB". RGB is perhaps more appropriate for dark skies, while it will seriously twist colours taken from light polluted areas.
The setting is available at the bottom of the "Light" tab in Settings.

Also, for final tweaking (including colour boost) I am using DPP (from Canon, it comes with camera).
I had a post on this forum earlier this year, describing the whole procedure.

EDIT:
I am using tiff format as output from DSS and input into DPP, for final tweaking.

[CoolhandJo]

Thanks Bojan. Iwill give that a try

[troypiggo]

I found the same thing with DSS. I'm now using Nebulosity and have no such trouble.

[bojan]

What I am doing is described lower on this page...
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=48651&highlight=Digital+photo+professiona l+DPP&page=2

There must be some settings you guys are using in a wrong way..
Don't just give up, DSS is VERY good (and freeware) and it should work for you too.
It is simply impossible that some of you have problems with DSS, and the rest of us don't. Every such problem must have a simple explanation, it is just a matter of will to sort it out.
And if the problem still persists, you should contact developers.. I am sure they will help.

[bloodhound31]

I have used DSS for years now and I ALWAYS get a grey final result. I just thought this was normal.

All you have to do is go into the highlight midtone shadow sliders and adjust until you are happy with it. Then export it to your selected editing program and finish it from there.

I wrote a page (http://www.asignobservatory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84&Itemid=125) on it a while back with step-by-step screen shots.

[CoolhandJo]

Thanks Barry. Very useful information! I will give that a try also. :)

[iceman]

Let us know how which solution works best for you, Paul.

[bojan]

One more thing that may be the cause of what we are talking about:
When saving stacked (tiff )file, you should tick "no compression" and "Embed adjustments but do not apply them".
This will ensure the colour balance the same as in raw (CR) files.

[CoolhandJo]

Ok. the good news is that After stacking the grey images can be "restored" back to full colour by using the saturation, luminance, and RGB sliders as per Barry's tutorial :).

It wasn't an issue with wrong settings as I made sure the advice given by Bojan was done but yet still had grey out.

I have also contact the developers and they have responded to me. They are looking into it for me.

But, it seems that saturation levels is the way to go.

However, I will be doing a direct comparison with DSS and AIP4WIN over the next few days and will post the differences. I am still concerend that DSS may strip resolution and or colour vibrancy from the original which no amount of satuation tweaking can restore - so I will do a compariosn and post for comments...

[bojan]

Paul,
DSS does nothing to final image if the setting are not applied.
The final tiff file is in virginal form - except it contains averaged data from subframes (using a specified algorithm) and some other information, but the data is not compromised in any other way.
The colours can be manipulated in other software packages (because they are much faster than DSS, and more versatile. That is why people use PS or whatever for curves etc)

[CoolhandJo]

Bojan,

Interesting as I tried to use PS curves on a .tiff that dss spat out and it could not be manipulated enough to look pleasing? But had no such issue with AIP4WIN.

Anyway I will ensure I re test this and post some pics on the results

[bojan]

Hmmm.
I remember JJJ mentioned some time ago she is using Autosave.tiff for post processing as apparently it has less artefacts and possibly better dynamic range (16 bits)....
Still, this should not be the case... Then again it may be you just "feel" things are different and not pleasing enough? ....
Maybe AIP4WIN is actually performing some pre-processing to its output data files?
Have you tried post-processing with DPP?

Could you post some examples so that we can see what we are talking about?

However. the contact with developers is very valuable.. keep us posted on the progress.

[CoolhandJo]

Ok, so I have spoken with the developers again (Luc), and he confirmed that there should be no damage to the files during stacking other than calibtration process.

But, I ran the DSS program again, and it did spit out grey output again. But this time I saved as TIFF BUT took bojan's advice and chose the option "embed adjustments in the saved image but do not apply them", and EXCELLENT. IT WORKED!

Opened it in PS and all good! Colours there!

So it seemed that calbriation does change some things in the process but theyar enot permanent and not needed to be applied on saving.

I have attached the output from DSS (grey) and then teh saved DSS image in PhotoShop

I hope this helps :) It has helped me! Thanks Bojan well done :thumbsup:

[bojan]

:thumbsup:

[troypiggo]

That's excellent news.

[mswhin63]

I will have a careful read and try as well, because mine are coming out grey. I noticed when loading the image files the colour column says the image is grey so I thought that was it but will give the ideas above a go.

[CoolhandJo]

Even though DSS "grey" is nullified when opended in post processing software (as long as the appropriate save slection is done), I still think that DSS plays a bit with the colour balance.

A direct comparison with DSS and AIP4WIN can be found here:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=59927

I used the same De Bayering algorithm for each.

Would like to hear others opinions, but I think AIP4WIN does a better job.

[bojan]

I suggest you do a bit of colorimetry before final conclusions.
Also, the post-processing must be exactly the same, preferably automated.
I suppose the same colour spaces have been used for both images?
If according to developers DSS does not add any artefacts (which is my experience as well) then perhaps AIP4WIN does something to the image (which should not be the case)? Perhaps you used some settings without being aware of?

[CoolhandJo]

Bojan, I will check it out again to make sure.

[mswhin63]

Hi All,

Follow the advice from Bloodhound many thanks :thumbsup:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=582792#post582792 is a link to a post I made, the last of which I used DSS.

Used JPG's though not CR2 will later but going out soon to snap snap some more :D