Deep Sky Stacker settings for beginner

[jman17]

Hi,
I am a beginner trying to learn how to properly use Deep Sky Stacker with some fixed tripod astrophotos of the LMC etc and have a few questions about it that maybe someone could help me with. The first one is that I set the ‘Reset all white balance settings if using a modded DSLR' in the Recommended Settings to be on (in green font) by mistake and cannot find out how to turn this option off. How is this turned off? Also, I read that to take my Deep Sky Stacker images into Star Tools I need to save my stacked images from DSS as a FITS file but am not sure what type I should save it as. Should I save as a 32bit FITS file for this or should I just save as 16bit, and should it be rational or integer? Also what settings should I set in the RAW/FITS Digital Development Process Settings section? My camera is an unmodified Nikon 3100 DSLR so should I be ticking the box for ‘Monochrome 16bit FITS files are RAW files created by a DSLR or colour CCD camera’ and using ‘Generic RGGB’ in the drop down list as the Nikon D3100 is not there? I’m not sure of exactly what to do and would appreciate any input.
Thanks,
jman17

[JA]

Hi JM,

Here is a walk through dealing with various settings, which may be of some help....

Click here to load the video

Loading...

or older??? version

Click here to load the video

Loading...

Best
JA

[sil (Steve)]

Typically DSLR use RGGB bayer matrix and it works fine for processing my nikons.

FITS try 32bit, the stacked image contains all the data from your photoset so keep it at the highest bit depth possible for more flexible processing options. But unfortunately I've found many astrophotography programs dont support all FITS formats, so you might have trouble with going from one to the other. I work entirely within PixInsight for stacking and processing tripod dslr shots, so I dont know if this problem will arise for DSS -> StarTools. Failing that, if you can use TIFF, again 32bit if possible. Rational vs integer, try them . Basically try them all to go from one program to the next. The file sizes should be big containing all the data from the images, if you go to 16bit instead (or worse 8bit) you are throwing away data. The stacked image will probably look black at first, stacking alone doesnt make a nice looking image. You need to then stretch the image and work on it to bring out the colours and details.

[jman17]

Hi,
Thanks for the info and links, they were very helpful. I saved an image as FITS 32bit integer and it seemed to open in Star Tools with no problems. I have still been looking though for how to turn off the option set in the Recommended Settings (in green) to ‘Reset all white balance settings’ if using a modded DSLR but can’t find out how to. Will this being in green and apparently set have a negative effect on my shots, given I am not using a modded DSLR, or will it probably not matter?
Thanks,
jman17

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

I turn white balance off with RAW and do that in StarTools.

Preprocessing of RAW data is better performed with no adjustments to white balance. DSLR data is not linear and bias darks flats and lights all vary in that respect. Something we have to live with and not get too concerned over. Keeping the data RAW and unaltered provides a better chance of proper calibration, that's all.

However, this document recommends the use of auto white balance in DSS. Keep in mind that the data is being adjusted across images having different linearity. So, given that everyone seems to view things differently, it really comes down to what the software does and the eye. Does it look OK.

[HeavyT]

Hi jman17

Did you ever work out how to turn off the modded dslr recommended setting? I have found myself in the same situation tonight, can't turn it off and restoring defaults left it on

Thanks and clear skies.