First light with new camera

[Geoff45]

I know--another Tarantula, but first time out you don't want to go for the hard stuff


Details:

Object: NGC 2070
Scope: William Optics ZS110 APO refractor
Mount: Losmandy GM8
Camera: QSI 540 wsg
Guide camera: Orion Starshoot.
Exposure: RGBL 3 x 5min each for a total of one hour

[iceman]

That looks nice, Geoff! What type of camera is it?

[Geoff45]

See this website (http://www.qsimaging.com/)
Geoff

[renormalised]

QSI....Quantum Scientific Imaging.....the 540 series is a good camera.

Geoff, you've got the one with the autoguider interface??. Bintel are now stocking them, or will be shortly.

[Geoff45]

Yes. it has a pick-off prism just in front of the filter wheel. Since the whole thing (off axis guider, filter wheel) is integrated into the camera body, the prism is quite big, so there shoulldn't be any problem finding guidestars. I have only had it out on two nights so I don't know if there will ever be a problem, but when I tried it there were always suitable guidestars in the field of my Orion Starshoot autoguider.
I didn't want to wait for Bintel to get their stuff in, but the price they were quoting was pretty much the same as I paid by getting it direct, so I would have bought it from them if they had something on the shelf.
Geoff

[renormalised]

How much are they asking for the cameras??

[Geoff45]

Close on $9000 when you add in filters and software, but it was an over the phone back of the envelope estimate, so don't quote me on this one.

[Alchemy]

yikes thats some dough.

Still with a system to guide with on the same axis at least theres no flexure.....

now if QHY can just put that on their system id be happier.

[renormalised]

Bit steep for a 4.2Mpix camera. Puts it out of the price range of most people/most imagers.

[Geoff45]

Be sure to make this point next time Peter Ward or Mike Sidonio post a pic!

[renormalised]

That'll go down a treat!!!:P

[gregbradley]

The actual camera is US$3995 which is pretty reasonable in the CCD world especially if it has a built in off axis guider.

Greg.

[renormalised]

Yes, I know. But it looks like Bintel are possibly asking $9000...given import duty, GST and everything else. Even if you had to pay $5000, I would think that was OK, but $9000 is stretching things a bit too far. They are very good cameras, though.

[Hagar]

You have to realise the $4000 price is the base price and it is $US.
So multiply the US price by 1.5 to bring it to AU$ = $6000 add a reasonable set of filters at $1000AU makes it $7000 then add customs and freight and GST about 20% Makes it $8500 and then count on the fact a shop like Bintel does not get the quantity discounts a shop like Opt Corp gets and suddenly $9k is not an unreasonable price.

There is always other options available in the imaging game but as usual we all only work to our own budgets. I for one looked hard at an SBIG mono CCD because it included on camera guiding but my budget wouldn't allow it and I looked at what else was available and ended up going with a QHY9 for several reasons but be sure budget constraints was one of them. I will continue to guide with a separate guide scope, and am more than happy with the QHY9 results and the service Gama Electronics gives with these cameras.

We all do the best we can with what we can afford.

[renormalised]

You are right there...we can only get what we can afford. What we need is a strong Oz dollar to help things out:D:thumbsup:

Although, I'd get the QHY9 before I got the QSI, simply because it's cheaper, has plenty of Mpix and has good performance.

[multiweb]

Wow! That's very steep for a 4MP. Didn't realise it was so dear. It's a very nice picture though.

[Geoff45]

Actually the camera with the built in autoguider (http://www.qsimaging.com/540-select.html) has base price of $US5290. But hey, I was posting a pic, not trying to initiate a thread about camera costs, which belongs in the equipment section. How about some comments (good and critical both welcome) on the pic?
Geoff

[renormalised]

Actually, I think it's quite a good looking and compact piece of kit....and blue's my fave' colour:D:D

What's its weight like on the end of your scope??

The pic.....not bad at all, but looks a little out of focus to me (although that's probably my eyes:P:D)

[Hagar]

The Picture, I did forget to comment. Nice clean image. Seems to be lacking a little on colour depth (Saturation) The OIII of the core has come through quite well but the Ha regions seem to be lacking a little. I am not sure how all this LRGB stuff works but perhaps you need a little more expoosure on the red. Only guessing.
I have included a repo (hope you don't mind) I have increased the red channel using curves and also reduced the blue a little and increased the red in colour balance.

I am sorry the thread was highjacked. There was no intention to do so. Just everyone is interested in something new, particularly when it is a one of , new to our market item. I doubt the intention was to dissmiss your image.:shrug:

[Geoff45]

That may be right. I was using new software (Maxim) and assumed that the default for focussing was the luminosity filter, but it turns outMaxim just uses whatever filter is in front of the camera. You have to set the one you want. I probably ended up focussing through a coloured filter--not a good idea with a refractor, even an APO.

[Geoff45]

Yes the repro looks more like many of the pics I've seen. I'm also new to the colour filter stuff, so advice is appreciated.
Geoff

[Hagar]

I have just been looking at some of the good imagers images and they seem to vary the amount of exposure of the diferent colours to suit the target. I don't know if there is any hard and fast rules or wheather it is based on the cameras sensitivity to the diferent colours. Perhaps an email to Peter Ward or Mike Sidonio may shed some light on these assumptions or perhaps Greg Bradley may help as he volunteers information freely.

Good luck with it all. I am waiting for a set of filters before I can venture into RGB.

[Geoff45]

I've been doing a little reading. In theory you photograph a star like the sun (G2v) of which there are lists. I think it should show equal amounts of RGB, since it is, by definition, white. If not, then the difference gives you info on how to adjust exposure weights for R, G and B

[Hagar]

Here is a link to a site that explains it quite well.

http://www.woodlandsobservatory.com/true_colour_imaging.htm

[Omaroo]

Nice camera by the looks Geoff. :thumbsup:

I like the image. I've followed Doug's lead and done a repro (apologies in advance) and quite like the colour. There is a spread of both reds and blue/greens throughout - so a balance does exist. I didn't alter colour balance at all - I just accentuated the saturation a little. It's not just all red or all aqua. I've also reduced the stars a little and run an unsharp mask.

The tendrils were starting to develop some serious clarity and structure, and I'd love to see it exposed longer when you get the time.

Anyway - here's my interpretation.

Great effort - it certainly shows promise!

[Geoff45]

I relly like the mix of red and green. It seems a shame to always let the red dominate.
Geoff

[strongmanmike]

Geoff, prepare for a long journey, a fun one at times a frustrating one at times but always with one aim...TO IMAGE AND BEYOND! :P

The QSI's look to be agood option, know of them but not heard much about them as yet, very interested in how it goes especially the cleaver off axis incorporation - neat!

Not quite sure what you meant by your comment to tell Peter Ward and Mike Sidonio that, next time they post an image...?

have fun!

Mike

[Gama]

I think he's refering to the money you guys pumped out to get you Cameras, over someone pointing out his spending on a camera.

Jeepers, lets hope they dont look at out scope prices !.

Theo