Eta Carinae - mucking around with zones

[Omaroo]

Hi all

I'm starting to delveinto the book I bought the other day - Zone System for Astro Imaging.

It's prety comprehensive, and it'll take a while to get my head around the zone technique - especially for RGB colour. I've done a couple of monos and I'll put them up shortly.

Anyway - here's a re-process of a stack of two images - one from my Nikon D40 and another from my 350D. I selected the dark zone and deleted most of it - and smoothed the dim zone. Noise isn't too bad for two DSLR images stacked I think. Sharpening the bright zone is a challenge though - artefacting occurs very quickly - probably not helped by cramming it into 200kb to put up here. Anyway - good fun as usual. :thumbsup:

[leinad]

Nice attempt Chris!
I too have that same book, it's great!
I do find that his technique can be a little too strong depending on your images acquired.
Remember to use a flat curve on the brightzone when increasing the dim and midzone features, to prevent over doing the brightzone features.

I'm still learning all these processing techniques myself :) a little harder when your images don't have such a good SNR

[Omaroo]

Thanks Daniel

Yep - keep both the bright and dim zones flat on either side if the curve. This is a lot easier with the mono's I'vebeen experimenting with... :lol:

[TrevorW]

looks good to me !!!

you will have to write up an article

Cheers

[multiweb]

Good one mate! :thumbsup: Really like the colors on this shot. Sharp as too.

[RobF]

Looks like you're well on the way to adding another arrow to the quiver Chris. Once you've got your head around how something works you can always worry about taming it down later.

Just be careful to keep an eye on the clock while you're in the repro cave.....! :whistle:

[Hagar]

Looks pretty good Chris, I have had this for a while and think I should get it out and have a go at getting a bit of my processing right for once. Keep at it mate.

[Omaroo]

Thanks fellas - I appreciate the feedback. :thumbsup:

Back to the cave..... :lol:

[bloodhound31]

I like it Chris.

yep, a laymans tutorial from you?

Baz.

[Alchemy]

ive had aread of the book too, not that ive followed up any of the techniques, still all good fun . Ive suddenly discovered the same thing about widefield trying to cram it into 200kb, to do it with any clarity it has to be really small.

[spearo]

looks good
frank

[Omaroo]

Thanks everyone. Lots more to learn yet! I keep realising that I'm so, so far from even thinking about reaching a standard that the Sidonios, Jases, Vanderhavens and Wards of this world produce with regularity, it's painful. :(

[Hagar]

Chris don't feel too bad this old brain can read something today and still do the opposite tomorrow.
In one ear and out the other is starting to become the norm for me.

[Omaroo]

You're not the only one Doug - believe me. :sadeyes: