NGC3324 & Ngc 3293

[TheDecepticon]

Hi all,
Been trying some different things with capture and processing.
NGC3324 & in the same field is NGC3293.
Thanks for looking!

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/TheDeceptacon/Astrophotography/?action=view&current=NGC3324Composite.jpg

Cheers and clears,
Gray.

[TheDecepticon]

Tried reprocessing this image with out burning the stars out too much. I think it looks much better.:D

http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/TheDeceptacon/Astrophotography/?action=view&current=NGC3324-1.png

Thanks for looking.

[renormalised]

Nice piccies:D

[telecasterguru]

That is a really great image.
Can I ask, do you use ICNR on the 40D, what is your focus regime and when you say captured in Maxim what do you mean?

Thanks

Frank

[Hagar]

Very nice image. You just snuck in the cluster and it does add to the image

Well done.

[TheDecepticon]

Thanks guys, the original was a shocker!!:lol:
Frank, I do not use ICNR anymore, it sucks up too much of my time. I have a little bit of a library of darks starting to build up and I take a few here and there as I go through the night. I know about what temperature it was when I imaged "X" object so if I only take 2 darks, I've got some in this folder over....here!:D
Although I have a reflector with good diffraction spikes from the spider, I have ordered a mask from ozstockman to better assist focusing. I generally don't move the camera from the scope, so most focus changes are small. Generally, I use the EOS Utility and open the remote shooting window and then hit the zoom function. I focus the brightest star I can find till I feel that it is as small and tight as I can get it, then take a few 20sec exposures to check the diffraction spikes. If they aren't too good, I note which direction I moved the focuser(I have a motorized focuser running into my warm room via a cable to the hand box-must get a Focus USB from Shoestring) and take test shots until I'm happy with the focus setting. I generally don't lock the focuser after as I have it pretty tight to hold the weight and the motor stops it from turning(Craford style).
When I'm finished with the EOS software, I close it all and open Maxim and connect to the 40d, after checking my settings. On the sequence tab, I set up the destination folder, name of object, and naming rules to prevent file conflicts, light or dark fames or combo's thereof, exposure time in seconds, binning and number of exposures I want to do. Triple check everything turn the lights out and hit start. After I've done the EOS thing and while I'm setting up MaxIm, I'm slewing and centring the scope and cameras and then starting to guide with PHD. I also take a few short test shots of my subject for framing.:thumbsup::hi:
Cheers,
Gray.

[TrevorW]

Nice one Gray I took this back in Jan with the ED80 but yours is much better well done !!

How long where your exposures

[Alchemy]

any chance you can put up a 200kb image as well ? even if its just a teaser for the bigger image.

[TheDecepticon]

Trevor, the images are all 10minx6, total of 60min.:thumbsup:

Alchemy, here is your as close to 200kb image as I could get!:)

[Alchemy]

:thumbsup: thanks