The LMC - a welcome break from DSOs

[thegableguy]

Since hooking up guiding I've had about as many misses as hits. Actually, probably more misses than hits. I was getting a bit frustrated by it all. After a few weeks' break I was ready to do a widefield or something a little easier, but then the Moon came out all super-like and when it started waning the clouds rolled in and stayed for a fortnight.

Last night was the first properly clear night we've had in ages, but it came at the end of a very long day and I was knackered... but then I took out the trash and saw the sky and thought I'd do a quick DSLR-&-lens-only attempt at the LMC. I didn't even align, just plonked the mount down approximately in the right position, switched it on, aimed it at the LMC and started snapping. The stars are a little bit eggy but overall I'd say I got pretty lucky.

60 x 1-min subs, entry-level crop sensor Nikon at ISO 400, through a new 100mm macro lens we'd just picked up - just a cheap Tokina. I won't be using this lens for AP again; there's a lot of CA and huge amounts of vignetting, even on a crop sensor at f/5. Never mind, it was cheap and works very nicely in the studio and that's why we bought it.

I'm going to try again with a vastly superior full-frame camera and my beloved 70-200mm. I'll be interested to see the difference.

Any suggestions for editing / processing very welcome.

[Atmos]

Considering that it has all been done on the cheap it is an excellent result! Vignetting isn't really too much of an issue, good flats correct for that very well.

[Crushellon]

That's a good result, I like it. I think you've inspired me to have a go at it when I get my new 80D for christmas. :thumbsup:

[thegableguy]

Thanks fellas. It should make a good benchmark for the better lens and camera; more importantly, it's lifted my spirits from the trench of imaging failure they'd fallen into...!

Making me rethink the whole reflector path, that's for sure. I love galaxies, as a concept they simply cannot be beaten, but maybe a year or two with a nice refractor is worth considering.

[cometcatcher]

Sweet image.

Yes, a good refractor is so much less frustrating than a reflector.

[Somnium]

you increase the FL you increase the pain. one thing i can see in this image is a bit of a gradient from sky glow. you can do an artificial flat to take care of that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW67PwUP8Ww

[ZeroID]

Nice one, well done. I keep meaning to go back and have a better go at LMC and SMC myself. Needs to get round more into my less LP'd western sky first though.

[thegableguy]

There was a bit of a gradient, but by far the bigger problem was vignetting. Because I hadn't aligned properly, by the end of the hour it wasn't centred well and this lens has pretty nasty vignetting. Here's an uncropped version with no gradient or circular filters applied.

[Crushellon]

Your sig says you have an ed80? Why not just image with that? I have a Skywatcher ed80 and I've taken a bunch of nice pictures with it. Just put your guidecam in your reflector and you camera in the ed80. That way you can play around with the idea with out spending any money?