Go Back   IceInSpace > Equipment > Astrophotography and Imaging Equipment and Discussions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
  #1  
Old 21-05-2009, 10:28 PM
lookus
Registered User

lookus is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: gold coast
Posts: 135
LPI vs DSI II for planetery images!! sorry if this is a noob question

as i said, sorry if this is a noob question, but i want to know if the meade LPI is actually better for planetery images or is it just limited to planetery images and therefore less expensive than the DSI II?

or

can the DSI II do both and is therefore more expensive than the LPI?


hope someone or someones can please enlighten me, as i am considering one ( or both if it is needed to do both)(beleiving that i will need a .5x focal reducer for DSI)

i have a 8"mak/cass with 2500mm focal length @ f/12.3. on a heq5 mount.

thanks for any advice/opinions
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 21-05-2009, 11:37 PM
Tandum's Avatar
Tandum (Robin)
Registered User

Tandum is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Wynnum West, Brisbane.
Posts: 4,161
It's pretty hard to find accurate specs on the LPI, I guess they don't want us to know, but a few google searches seem to show that the LPI max exposure is 16seconds while the DSI is an hour. The LPI is 8bit while the DSI is 16bit. The LPI has 8um square pixels while the DSI has 8.3 x 8.4 um. The LPI has a 6.5mm diagonal across the chip, the DSI has 8mm.

To me the 16second limit and 8bit images stops the LPI from being anything but a panetary imager.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 22-05-2009, 05:45 AM
lookus
Registered User

lookus is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: gold coast
Posts: 135
so it sounds that the DSI II would be better all round?
yes?
definately for DSI but also for planetery?
is this correct?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 22-05-2009, 07:07 AM
Ric's Avatar
Ric
Support your local RFS

Ric is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wamboin NSW
Posts: 12,405
Hi Lookus, from my experience the DSI can be used as a planetary imager but is definitely more suited for deep sky as it's name suggests.

The LPI is a dedicated planetary imager and more suitable in that area. A word of warning the LPI only works with windows XP or older operating systems. Vista won't recognise it. I have tried a suggested work around but it still wouldn't play the game.

Cheers
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 22-05-2009, 07:32 AM
lookus
Registered User

lookus is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: gold coast
Posts: 135
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ric View Post
Hi Lookus, from my experience the DSI can be used as a planetary imager but is definitely more suited for deep sky as it's name suggests.

The LPI is a dedicated planetary imager and more suitable in that area. A word of warning the LPI only works with windows XP or older operating systems. Vista won't recognise it. I have tried a suggested work around but it still wouldn't play the game.

Cheers

thanks for your reply ric.

my laptop runs XP and it is where any ccd camera would be plugged into. only the processing would be done on my desktop PC which runs vista.will such a setup work? or is it the entire meade software which is vista incompatible?

cheers.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 22-05-2009, 10:56 AM
Ric's Avatar
Ric
Support your local RFS

Ric is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wamboin NSW
Posts: 12,405
Hi Lookus, the problem with Vista in this case is that it does not recognise the LPI drivers. It is quite strange as I can run the DSI and Envisage using Vista without a problem on my lappy. I then have to use a second computer running XP to image with the LPI.

Once you transfer your data to your desktop PC you shouldn't have any problem on the processing side of things.

Cheers
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 23-05-2009, 06:51 AM
lookus
Registered User

lookus is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: gold coast
Posts: 135
thanks for the help all.

if i were to focus primarily on planetery cameras how would the meade LPI campare with a dbk 21? or are the dbk's really only for DSI?

cheers
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 23-05-2009, 02:52 PM
Ric's Avatar
Ric
Support your local RFS

Ric is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wamboin NSW
Posts: 12,405
Hi Lookus, I'm not fully up on the specs for the DBK21 but from what I've read about them they are a dedicated planetary camera and would definitely run circles around the LPI.

If you are going to do dedicated planetary imaging it would definitely be a better buy.

You may want to start another thread regarding the DBK as I know there a quite a few members who use them and could offer some invaluable input to aid you in your decision.

Cheers
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-06-2009, 07:38 AM
kon1966 (Kon)
Registered User

kon1966 is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Villawood
Posts: 238
Whch camera DFK 21colour or Meade DSI II colour

In the same boat, I am starting off in astrophotography and have budget for the DFK 21AF04.AS or the DSI II colour. Both are around the same price.

Question is which one is suited for both plantary and deep sky and ease of use with the software provided and which one has general better picture quality. eg less noise etc. After getting better at taking photos, I then would upgrade the camera.

My equipment is heq5 with C8, 80mm guide scope. I will be using meade f3.3 reducer as well. I know the DSI screws straight into the back of the reducer adapters and I would need to buy a 1/4 adapter for the DFK camera. I want to buy today so quick response is appreciated.

Regards
Kon
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 05-06-2009, 10:34 AM
bmitchell82's Avatar
bmitchell82 (Brendan)
Newtonian power! Love it!

bmitchell82 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Mandurah
Posts: 2,597
Well i can give you a bit of a hint here,

Look at your equipment you have now.! don't get a ccd/camera that isn't suited to what you are doing.

Recently i was talking to a friend of mine about this issue, and it isn't untill your doing it that you will figure out what you really want to do.

For this im going to give you one handy piece of information.

The LPI, in my honest opinion is $Ih7. ive used one here and they are really a kiddies toy. usefull for nothing more than the moon or maby jupiter (don't expect to capture the moons of jupiter... once you progress to DSO's (theres a lot more of them to image than the 3 planets that have anything worthy of imaging!) the LPI will go into the corner never to be used again...

DBK21, not a bad setup Unreal planetary imager super sensitive ect ect. though if you don't have a "Large" aperature scope youll fall down in the imaging, the more aperature, the more usefull magnification you can pull the more detail you see. The DBK does have a long exposure mode that will allow you to capture some alright images but that isn't its forte. Once your though with your planetary phase, this camer is useless for a guide camera as it isn't sensitive enough, another friend of mine recently brought a DSI to guide after seeing that i never had problems with getting a guide star no matter what, where as he was struggling even at 5 second iterations.

Another thing for planetary you will need to purchase a x5 Power mate this will do the same as dropping a high magnification eye piece for decent results. as i said maginification is king, when talking planetary.

Which brings me to the last piece of equipment you guys have asked about... the DSI II colour. As for DSO's and long exposure times aperature isn't king (well it is but meh for beginners a 80mm ED refractor will be your best friend untill your sure of what you want to do) the DSI can capture shots of the moon/planets but it will not be good. But talking about taking photos of nebula/galaxy's this is a nice piece of kit (ditch envisage its $hI7 and grab something else to take your shots. Best of all when you finally get the dollars up to purchase a DSLR or a dedicated Astro CCD the DSI is a kick ass guider, slap it into a nice little guider (mine is only 16.95 dick smith special 114mm reflector) and your set to take 20min + exposures! happy days easy done!

So what would i do? well im bias but knowing what i know now and considering i have 10" reflector.

DBK21 + 5x powermate - Planetary Imgaging only.
DSI ccd - Long exsposure DSO (anything over 2 min and you need to guide...
DSLR (get one with digic III so you can control using the USB 2). Dedicated Astro photography for DSO's.

you both own Cassigrain style scopes so they are really planetary scopes but can double as some good Narrow Field scopes with the right equipment.!!!

Good luck
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 05-06-2009, 11:23 AM
kon1966 (Kon)
Registered User

kon1966 is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Villawood
Posts: 238
Thanks Brendan, I bought the DSI II colour from B&^%$L. They said the same thing as you about the DSK, great for planetary and DSI for deep space. You mentioned not to use envisage, what other software is compatible?
Regards
Kon
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 05-06-2009, 03:07 PM
bmitchell82's Avatar
bmitchell82 (Brendan)
Newtonian power! Love it!

bmitchell82 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Mandurah
Posts: 2,597
Well i use nebulosity 2.0 i find it a nice little package and when your guiding with PHD you can connect it and use a Dither function helps reduce noise and with this then Drizzel the image to make it 2 or 3 times the MP... turns a 12mp camera into a 36mp camera yay. Welcome to the world of heart aches and joy! and the Steep learning curve
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +10. The time is now 01:14 AM.

Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.7 | Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Advertisement
Testar
Advertisement
Bintel
Advertisement