Thread: Camera & Scope
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Old 24-10-2009, 06:16 PM
dpastern (Dave Pastern)
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Brisbane
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Peter - you probably will be OK as is, without a field flattener or focal reducer. Just get the necessary t adaptors to attach the camera to the focuser, so you can shoot at prime focus.

As for camera settings, depends on what you're shooting. For DSOs, bulb mode. I'd recommend:

1) turning off the cameras in noise reduction

2) No higher than ISO 800

3) a remote control so you don't have to depress the shutter button and introduce vibrations

4) mirror lockup (you camera doesn't have that option from memory I'm afraid)

5) self timer (probably 10 seconds)

What sort of mount? Are you accurately polar aligning/drift aligning? If the answer to that is yes, you should be able to get 2 min subs I reckon. The longer you can get, without star drift, the better.

I'd recommend taking darks and flats too. This is my understanding (and guys, correct me if I'm wrong in what I say):

darks - put the lens cap on the camera. Take an exposure with the same ISO/shutter speed as your lights (data shots). Take them near the end of your shooting session I reckon, cos that's when the CCD/CMOS sensor will be warmest and create the most thermal noise. The basics here are to use the darks to remove the noise that's prevalent in your lights (data) shots. Take as many as possible, at least 10, if not 20 or 30.

flats - used to correct vignetting and dust spots etc. Don't remove the camera from the scope. Don't change focus (from what you were using with your light shots). Set the camera to AV mode. Keep the same ISO as your lights. Get a White T shirt and place it over the front of the scope. Make sure it's as flat and even as possible. Get a torch, shine it down the front of the scope, thus lighting up the outside of the T shirt. Take shot whilst doing this. Again, like darks, I'd recommend taking a bunch of them.

Use deepsky stacker to load the .cr canon raw files for darks, lights and flats. DSS will combine the darks into a single master dark frame. Same with the flats.

Hope this helps.

Dave
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