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Old 29-01-2007, 10:37 AM
Rob_K
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Rob_K is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Bright, Vic, Australia
Posts: 2,158
I've been using a borrowed Fuji Finepix S5500 for a week or two, and it's certainly a step up from my el-cheapo Kodak automatic. Comet was OK in night mode at 3-sec, f2.9, but when I cranked it up to 15-sec, all I got extra for my trouble was a trillion extra hot pixels & star trails, with no gain in comet brightness. Seems the f/ratio cranked up in synch, so I got longer exposure with less aperture - thanks for nothing!

Tried but couldn't independently set aperture - perhaps it's just that I haven't mastered the controls yet. Anyway, I suppose it's all about making the best of what you've got. With the low light shots there is a lot of noise that has to be dealt with, and I found that the Noiseware program (freeware version, limited to jpegs only) gives me satisfactory results, after tweaking in PS. Downloads at:

http://www.imagenomic.com/

I've attached 3 images showing processing of one of my comet shots, taken at 3-sec, f2.9 in Night Mode: the original image; after tweaking in PS; and after applying Noiseware luminance filter.

Have also attached an image of the Pleiades (3-sec at f2.9), probably about the best I'll do with the camera. No tracking, so anything I do above 3-sec begins to trail. Have fun, Robert_T!

Cheers -
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (DSCF0478 b rotated.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (DSCF0478 c lighten shadows 1.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (DSCF0478 c lighten shadows 1_filtered.jpg)
27.8 KB56 views
Click for full-size image (Pleiades, 12-05 UT, 9 January 2007, DSCF0277 copy.jpg)
78.8 KB52 views
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