Jupiter DSLR

[RichardJ]

I was waiting to take some DSLR images of the Moon and thought just for fun I would have a go at using the video function on my Canon 600D to see what I could achieve.

15cm F8 Newtonian Dob. No tracking. Televue 2.5x Powermate. Video converted with PIPP and then processed with Autostaakert and CS5.

Europa, Callisto, Io and Ganymede from left to right.

Pleased with the result given the setup.

RichardJ :)

[raymo]

Great job Richard, and when you consider that even this fine image, with
skill, commitment, great seeing etc: could be bettered, it demonstrates that
many people underestimate what their DSLRs are capable of. It saddens me
that many APers regard a DSLR as a poor man's AP tool, to be discarded as soon possible.
I look forward to seeing your future planetary work, see what you can get from Saturn.
raymo

[Eris]

A great shot Richard considering the circumstances. It deserves acknowledgement. Well done. :thumbsup:

[Startrek]

Richard
That’s a fine image of Jupiter with great colour and detail
Well done !!
I use the same camera 600D and 6” f6 and 8” f5 newts
Due to my focal ratio I use a 4x Powermate and 5 x Powermate to achieve a suitable focal ratio of f21 for average seeing and f30 for nights of good seeing
I control my camera via BYEOS which IMO is the best DSLR capture software period
I’ve followed Jerry Lodriguss for a number of years , one of the best DSLR imagers in the last 25 years and have read most of his books
To achieve a 1:1 pixel resolution on the 600D make sure you capture in 5 x zoom setting , this will produce the best resolution
Like you, I use Autostakkert 3 to stack my AVi video frames which does a superb job and then I use Registax 6 to sharpen , de noise and adjust colour etc .., again a superb software program
Here’s an image of Saturn and Jupiter from last year using the above set up on the 6” f6 newt
I’m glad someone else imagers planets with an old DSLR , they do a great job
Keep posting
Cheers
Martin

[raymo]

The only drawback with DSLRs is the slower frame rate reduces the opportunities to get those lucky frames.
raymo

[Startrek]

[QUOTE=raymo;1528353]The only drawback with DSLRs is the slower frame rate reduces the opportunities to get those lucky frames.
raymo[/QUOTE

Raymo,
I only dabble in planetary so the DSLR is not a drawback for me (might be for other folk who want more out of planetary) On nights of good seeing when the planets fairly stable you just sit and be patient on live view and wait until the planet stabilises then hit record. At only 30fps it works quite well taking only 1200 to 1500frames. I’ve taken 2000 to 3000 frame files like that and after stacking there no discernible difference. Plus my scopes are toys compared to the likes of a C11 edge which most of the planetary guys use.
I’ve seen some planetary images of Jerry Lodriguss using his DSLR and they are top of the shelf stuff comparing to planetary cmos camera images.
Cheers
Martin

[Tropo-Bob]

Inspiring stuff; thanks guys.

[Tulloch]

Hi there, as Martin says above, the best way to image the planets is by capturing the Liveview stream at 5x zoom using something like BackyardEOS. Best resolution is obtained with the focal ratio at around 5x the pixel size of the camera (so around f/20). Have a look at Jerry's website here and follow the instructions - note that BackyardEOS has a free 1 month trial period so take advantage of that.
https://www.astropix.com/html/equipment/canon_one_to_one_pixel_resolution.h tml

However, if you have something that can track the planets, that would certainly help.

[raymo]

For DSLRs the same applies for DSOs. It is possible with enough skill and
with great gear, and a great location, to obtain images very very close to dedicated cameras.
It is a great shame that world famous APer Sarah Wager appears to have removed all her early efforts with a DSLR, because they were absolutely stunning.
raymo

[Startrek]

There are many great DSLR astrophotographers , but from my own personal experience with a Canon 600D with over 4 years of imaging all kinds of DSO’s in both Bortle 8 and Bortle 3 skies, my Canon 600D is no match (not even close ) for the current generation of cooled Cmos cameras with the new backlit Sony chip namely my ZWOASI2600MC which I’ve been using for only 12 months
With my Canon 600D you just cannot remove the fine background noise and expose superfine detail even stacking hours and hours of data and processing the crap out of the image.The 2600MC is technically so much more superior and capable than the Canon.The 2600MC has no amp glow even at a 300sec frame. I take darks but it makes no difference using them or not.
The specs (like the images) speaks for themselves, Canon 600 D QE about 39% , the 2600MC QE over 80%
My 2 cents .....
Martin

[JA]

It's a wonderful result Richard - Well done :thumbsup:

Best
JA

[yoda776]

Great result Richard - gives us DSLR users some hope. I would be extremely happy with that result.