Now and then...

[Peter Ward]

The current inclement weather has driven me to digitizing a whole bunch of negatives and transparencies (I suspect younger IIS members will think I'm making up words :) )
and came across a rather old astro-image that I took of...wait for it ....M42!

Have to say...the technology has improved :D

Rather than waffle on....here is the link (http://www.atscope.com.au/BRO/gallery451.html)

[RobF]

I bet the thrill of seeing the 1983 image for the first time was right up there with the 2018 effort - would have been exciting for the time :)

[Peter Ward]

LOL. Indeed.

I retired on the A380 with over 20,000 hours of flight time....but remember
my first solo in a 152 Cessna like it was yesterday :)

[Jeff]

Wow Peter, that really looks like several orders of magnitude difference. Really shows how things have progressed, including on the processing software side.

Many amateur images now look far more impressive than the professional images of the early 1990's … except maybe for some of the IR images, small target Hubble shots, and planetary fly-bys.

Makes one wonder what amateur affordable technology will be able to achieve in another 35 years.

[Ryderscope]

Ah yes, we remember the days. Very good comparison.

[RickS]

Interesting comparison, Peter. I wonder how much the 1983 equipment would cost in 2018 dollars? :lol:

[Peter Ward]

Adjusted for inflation, my $2000 C8 kit, would be about $5000 today. That said, computer controlled mounts and digital imaging has totally changed the landscape.

I used to put my film into a hypering tank in with the hope of getting a lofty 6% QE. I still use the hypering tank....it does a fantastic job on desiccating & recharging SBIG chamber plugs! After a baking in a hard vacuum at 90c they come out dry as....

[Derek Klepp]

It’s amazing how far we,ve come in such a short time.I still have my old Olympus a travelling companion from the eighties.
Merry Xmas.

[SimmoW]

amazing comparo Peter, wow it must've been hard back then.

Didn't know you were a pilot, kudos to you! no wonder you're so good at getting those results out of your equipment, great discipline

[Peter Ward]

Well, QF certainly took a very dim view on your prospects if you even came close to scratching the paint (something I managed to avoid). :lol:

As for Astrophotography with film...not exactly hard, but you had to be methodical. Even nailing the focus was tricky (yet I note, even with real time digital tools, many still don't nail down the focus :shrug: ) Guiding on a reticle for the best part of an hour was also testing.

Thankfully SBIG's venerable ST4 autoguider changed all that....and to suggest CCD's might surpass film at your local camera club would get you close to being lynched!
How times have changed.:)

[multiweb]

That M42 shot in 1983 still looks bloody good by today's standard. There is something that never changed in the way you're imaging. Consistent attention to details and basics. :thumbsup:

[Peter Ward]

Ta Marc, I wouldn’t go that far. :thanx: Back in the day, people like Steve Quirk were producting amazing deep sky images far better than I could conjure up from suburban Melbourne.

In the jurrassic there was no internet either. :lol: Sky& Telescope magazine (USA) was the source for vendor ads and news about the latest techniques or gadget.

[Andy01]

That's pretty cool - wonder what we (or our decendants) will be able to achieve from our backyards in another 35 years?

[Peter Ward]

Observing comfortably in Tassie, in summer shorts, in the middle of winter?

But apart from buggering up the climate, I suspect EMCCD's will be the next big thing...available now, but eye-watering prices. :sadeyes: