More testing with my new ZWOASI2600MC camera so gave it a work using M8 Lagoon Nebula out under Bortle 8 Sydney skies , Full Moon rising , neighbours flood lights , 3 minute subs with the ZWO 2” Duoband filter
6” f6 Bintel newt on an EQ6-R Mount
ZWOASI2600MC with ZWO 2” Duoband filter and Baader Coma Corrector
Camera cooled to -10C
40 x 180sec dithered guided subs
20 x darks
20 x flats ( 19000 ADU and 0.92 sec ) using an A3 LED illuminated drawing panel with touch control variable illumination and white T shirt double thickness
PHD2 guiding at 0.90 to 1.20 arc sec error
Goto and tracking EQMOD StellariumScope and Stellarium
Frame Focus and Capture APT
Stacked in DSS
Processed in Startools V1.6 OSC linear data set
After using a Canon 600D DSLR for just over 3 years , I can’t believe how good this camera is under heavy light polluted skies using the Duoband filter
Using my DSLR the maximum sub length in Sydney was 60 to 90sec and even then the subs were washed out with all types of noise and obviously worse in summer.
Also I’ve only been cooling the camera to -10C and according to the specs it’s capable of up to -45C below outside ambient so dark current can still be greatly reduced even though there’s minimal noise in the subs in the first place
So much more experimenting and testing to do and I haven’t even got down to my dark site yet
Totally gobsmacked with this camera !!!
Original frame version
Crop version at 2.5 x zoom to show more detail
I was thinking that gains in reducing amp glow might not be substantial under -10, but looking at the graph, the 2600 still has a linear glow:temp right down to -10... like you say, heaps more to play with!
Fantastic result Martin. The detail you've managed to extract under Bottle 8 skies is amazing. I shot this with a 6 inch Newt a couple of nights a go under Bottle 6 with my modded DSLR and haven't captured half the detail ( mine was half your total integration time though ). Even if I'd given it 2 hours it wouldn't have captured the detail you've achieved. Well done and keep showing us just how good your camera is. Money well spent, I'd say!
Incredible detail , I was going to get another zwo mono but you have me thinking to get one of these one shot colour...can't wait to see what you get down the coast given I plan to put the new camera on the eight I have..I would love to see a shoot out between your set up and a 150 Espirit...mmm how much change if you go for Newtonian. I really can't get over the detail.
Alex
Awesome image Martin. I will go a far to say one of the best M8 I have seen . Dam your image is probably going to cost me $3000 . I have been keen to see how good they go. I must say quite impressed .
Thanks so much one and all
These latest ZWO OSC cameras with the Sony sensor are simply incredible, and I haven’t even pushed this camera yet
Yes definitely money well spent for sure , not even considering going Mono for the immediate future.
Also I downloaded the next version of Startools V1.6 which has some major improvements on some of the modules.So this image is testament to how well Startools V1.6 processed the data
Raymo
A box brownie ?? Hmm .... it’s a shame you don’t have a print ???
Thats a wonderful image Martin. You certainly are showing us what the camera is capable of, also your image processing in startools is encouraging me to take another look at it. I tried it but could not get anything decent. Now though i have good data.
I am envious of your clear skies, light polluted or not!
I have a clear night coming up tomorrow, i'll be imaging.
I am still looking longingly at my ASI2600 and shaking my fist at clouds.
One thing I did note though, I could not see any significant difference between -10 and -15 degree darks so I shot a dark library at -10 and will leave it at that. Easier on the cooler and power supply if it is running less current anyway and leaves plenty of headroom to run the same temperature all year round.
Paul
Don’t worry about cloudy skies , you will get your chance to give this great camera a workout soon
In regards to cooling I’m of the understanding that when I set it to -10C in APT , it’s actually-10C below outside ambient as APT gives you the current temperature of the camera before you cool. Over the past week when connected APT reads the camera temperature to be between 16C and 18C so in actuality the sensor is cooled to only +6C to +8C when set at a target of -10C. Is that your assumption or understanding ?? The ZWO specs say this camera can be cooled to -35C below ambient. I think when summer hits with 22 to 28C nights I will be cooling to -15C to -20C
Your thoughts ?
Paul 71
Thanks for the kind comments
I was thinking to make the jump down to Deep Space section early next year once I’ve spent some imaging time it’s this camera.I don’t want to embarrass myself so no rush
It has been a long time since I used APT as it could not deal with focusing my SCT, but I understood the target temperature to be an absolute, not relative temperature. Absolute temps are really the point of the cooled cameras as it means you can shoot and reuse darks.
You could test that by installing SGP as a trial and hooking up the camera to it. Cool the cam to -10 in SGP and see what the cooler power stabilises at, then warm it up and connect and cool it in APT and see if the cooling power is about the same.
That's a beauty Martin , It must be gratifying to see the big newt realize its full potential matched with your new camera. I see fine detail in there you just don't get with smaller aperture.
Cheers,
Tony
Tony
Thanks for the kind comments, although I wouldn’t necessarily class my 6’ f6 as a big newt
I have an 8” f5 at my dark site and some folk use 10” f4’s and 12” f4’s too , nevertheless it’s been a great scope for over 3 years. It was advertised on the Bintel website back then as a great visual scope which can also do lunar and planetary imaging but not imaging with the larger sensors , I think I’ve ruled that out over 3 years imaging with both DSLR APS-C and OSC cooled APS-C sensors
Ryan
Thanks too
I think this image will steer me to a OSC camera instead of mono with filtering. I am struggling to really determine which is better, but for the moment my 450D will do until more doe arrives. Great image!
Maybe do some darks at different temperatures. Then you can analyse them and see how cool you need to go to keep noise down. By it's specs it seems to bottom out at -20C. But jeez, it looks like very noise anywhere under 0C. Better than my asi071 at about -5 to 0C - and I figured read noise was a way bigger contributor with that camera
As others said, the main advantage is consistent temperature for calibration files. With the asi071 I only use darks, dark flats and flats; bias frames not needed with these cameras.
Thanks Chris
So far the camera is exceeding my expectations, especially using the filter in light polluted Sydney
I’m yet to get some decent long subs down at my dark site weekender
Hope to be down there in 2 weeks
Thanks again
). Even if I'd given it 2 hours it wouldn't have captured the detail you've achieved. Well done and keep showing us just how good your camera is. Money well spent, I'd say!
, It must be gratifying to see the big newt realize its full potential matched with your new camera. I see fine detail in there you just don't get with smaller aperture.
