ETA carina new camera test

[Pepper (Steve)]

Finally replaced my Nikon D5200 with a D5300.
Here is a eta carina from last night using it and a .85 reducer.
I’m amazed at the colour difference from my old junker. I really was pushing dung uphill with the d5200.
Comments and criticisms most welcome. I finally feel now all my equipment is good with no real weak links.
Really enjoying this hobby and all their is to learn from it.

Details:
Ed100 .85 reducer
Nikon D5300
40 x 120 sec iso200
4 x 120 sec iso 400.
No darks
Quick adjustments in gimp after dss stack.
Phd guiding hovering around a buck, eq5pro mount.

[Mickoid (Michael)]

Good result for an unmodified DSLR. Plenty of nebulosity showing, you'd have to be happy with your new camera after a result like that. Try it at 800iso and you'd probably get more out of it without increasing the noise too much.

[Pepper (Steve)]

Thanks mate. Yeah baby steps at the moment. I was gonna up the iso a touch the next time. Ran out of time last night. Was falling asleep in the chair.
I’m absolutely stoked with this new camera. Can’t believe I put up with the junk that d5200 spat out for so long.

[jahnpahwa (JP)]

yeah, very nice! Super clean looking

Do you check your histogram after test shots to see where the hump is sitting? I'm still getting to grips with it all, but I saw a video somewhere showing that yeah, you do a test shot to make sure the guiding can handle the duration, but also check the histogram to make sure you're optimising exposures... I think it was astrobackyard from a fair while back.

Just noted you used no darks... amazing! My 550d would have massive hot beehive in the middle of the image. (I reckon, though, darks might be the go if/when you do go a bit harder on the ISO?)

[Pepper (Steve)]

Thanks mate.
I’m certainly no histogram master so I don’t pay much mind to it other than the things I’ve read about how it needs to be off the Lhs.
The d5200 was hard to move it off the lhs and with increased exposures came the horrible red glow that made getting a decent image hard.
The 5300 behaves totally different.
I’m very excited about this camera and know at least it’s not that making it hard for me.
Just like “oils ain’t oils”. Cameras ain’t cameras.

[leon]

Nice one Steve, I really like that one, looks pretty natural in colour, well done indeed.

Leon

[LostInSp_ce]

Nice work steve. Guiding is spot on, details aren't overly sharpened, noise levels have been suppressed well and it fills the frame up perfectly. It's difficult for me to comment on colour from this machine but it seems to look as Leon says natural. Well done!
P.S. Congrats on the new camera!

[Pepper (Steve)]

Thank you Leon and lost in space.
I’m finally feeling like I’m getting somewhere now.
Tonight I did same at higher iso. I’ll check it in morning.

[Fernando]

Nice picture. Congratulations. Good luck with the new camera!!!