Images from Cambroon finally

[[1ponders]]

I extracted the digit finally this afternoon and quickly processed the images I captured last Saturday night at Astroron's place. I hadn't expected to get anything really worthwhile that night as I was Christening the G11 and was basically giving it an autoguiding shakedown. Consequently I only captured in jpeg mode and didn't take any darks. I'm kicking myself now for not doing it properly. The mount tracked like a dream.

All processing is simply levels and curves.

All shots, bar one were taken through my Orion 80ED. The first two, M31 (single image) and the Tarantula are both unguided at ISO800 for 3 minutes. Andromeda is uncropped and unadjusted, while the Tarantula is a stack of nine image stacked and adjusted in PS. Not flash but I'm wrapped in the time I can go for without guiding.

The next is NGC253 stack of 14, ISO800 for 5min, autoguided with a ToUcam, K3CCDTools V2 and 8" SCT. Stacked and processed in PS

The next is Eta Carina, same as NGC253.

And the last is EC through my meade with the 6.3 FR at ISO800 for 5 min, autoguided as above.

And the last one is a single shot from the first round of ECs but I've put it in so a comparison can be made with Strikers EC from the other night. We were using identical scopes and ISOs and capture times I think. The only big difference were the cameras. My 300D up against his 20Da. For those you you who have forgotten here it is again http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6887

I don't know what processing he was using but the image looks very close to what came off his camera raw as I remember it.

Any way my images. Apart from the unprocessed M31 and EC all other shots have been cropped to one degree or another

[RAJAH235]

Your tracking looks spot on, Paul. Lovely pics all round. :D L.
ps. Eta is my favourite Ob. Ta.

[beren]

:thumbsup: Top stuff , good to see some work finally from you with the new set up :P sense a giant is a rumbling :)

[[1ponders]]

Thanks guys. Yep I have high hopes for this mounts :) I though I'd put this unprocessed Tarantula in to give some idea of original image size as the posted one was cropped pretty heavily

[ballaratdragons]

Holy Toledo Batman!!! :eyepop:

They are stunning Paul! WOW! All of them!

Great job mate!!!

[[1ponders]]

Thanks Ken, but I'm kicking myself for not taking any darks. They look pretty "dirty" to me. But I'm looking forward to my next night out at Ron's. I'll focus on only one or two objects for the night and do it properly.

Btw I didn't mention all focusing done with DSLR Focus. I'd be lost without it.

But man you should see Tony focus using the 20Da. Simplicity itself focusing on the lcd screen with the 10X zoom. Where I can take 10 min or more getting my focus just right, he does his in about 10 sec. It's awesome to watch and to see the images coming out looking fantastic in their raw state

[avandonk]

Imaging anything is a nightmare, too many variables, but when it works it is so satisfying. To capture a fleeting moment or an apparent eternity is something we do because it is there and we still wonder!


Bert

[[1ponders]]

You're right there bert. To say I was chuffed when I saw what was downloading out of the camera onto my computer screen is an understatement. Considering I wasn't really focusing on capturing, just working out the idiosyncracies of the new mount I, I was pretty amazed at the tracking, especially the unguided. I did take particular care with my drift alignment, but the apparently small PE was a very pleasant surprise. Don't know how long I'd be able to go prime through the 8" though unguided.

[TidaLpHasE]

:prey2:Awsome Paul, that's a really nice collection you got, makes me want a G11:sad:

Look forward to seeing more of your images;)

[Itchy]

Congratulations Paul,

They are very good for "snapshots". Just imagine what you can do when you put some effort into it! I look forward to more.

How much is one of these G11's anyway?;) :prey:

Cheers

[Striker]

Great stuff Paul.....these shots are fantastic....

You must be happy....

And your were only really testing the G11...wait till you really focus on imaging.

Top stuff Paul

[Robby]

Hi Paul,
Great work mate... There's just one thing missing from your "full credit" list.... :confuse3:
Those are really excellent shots....
Cheers

[[1ponders]]

Itchy, G11 with Gemini is around $5000 Aus, without Gemini about $3500 (I don't have gemini). Damn heavy mount, but boy is it stable.

Sorry Robby but I couldn't spell sputzer, spetzer, spitzer?? so didn't couldn't give it credit :P

[davidpretorius]

lovely images, i like m31 as it shows the core like when i saw it at ballarat!. my lcd laptop screen then shows tantalising outer detail if i move my head around.

yup, i can't wait for the next round!!

[RB]

Paul it's gonna take me a few minutes to reply to these, I'm just taking them all in........... :eyepop:

[RB]

Paul they are fantastic shots especially and when you say the two are unguided for 3 mins, thats terrific.
Can't wait for you to get a full-on session with dark frames etc.
Well done and congrats on the mount, it sounds like a beauty.

My 20Da arrived too and I'm looking forward to giving it a shot (pardon the pun) this evening.

:)

[[1ponders]]

Thanks Andrew. From what little I've seen of it I think you will be very happy. I'm just waiting for Striker to put his up in the "Buy, Sell and Trade" Forum. I think I'll get someone to design me a bot to watch that space so I can be first in line.

[h0ughy]

Paul I am in total awe of what you have achieved. congratulations and well done. Are you going to bring it down to Lostock?

[Striker]

Sorry Paul, It's not going to happen...haha.

Anyway you cant complain about these images..their great.

[[1ponders]]

I don't know what I'm bringing yet h0ughy. Too many choices. It's likely though

[atalas]

Great work Paul !

[h0ughy]

I will make it easy for myself and bring the lot. Maybe a 20Da might be able to share some time on my mount :) can always live in hope. Those images are fantastic, were you dancing around the lappy when they came through??? :lol:

[[1ponders]]

They don't come down to the laptop until I empty the camera card so I can only go on what appears on the lcd of the camera. I had a bit of a zoom look of a couple as I did them and they looked promising but I must say it was a pleasant surprise when I finally downloaded them and had a good look. As I said at the top, I wish now I'd done the right thing and at least snatched some darks. I have a library of darks but not for the temperature from last Sat. The ones I have are for around 24-25 deg and it was only 15-18 the other night, so the ones from the library won't be much chop. Tooo much noise.

[astro_south]

So that's what you were doing with all those cables :D

Great shots mate - shame that fog rolled in - could of had a few more!

[[1ponders]]

Yeah Andrew, I was really looking forward to getting a good high shot of saturn. I'd held off since it rose above the hill, waiting til it got close to the meridian and nice and high, plus the telescope was nice and cool after 7 or 8 hours of being set up. I was just starting to get setup for a saturn run when that dam fog moved in. :mad2: :shrug:

[Stu]

The unprocessed Tarantula is awesome. Try it as your desktop...
That doesn't mean I stole it...

[xelasnave]

So what you are saying you did all that without really trying..I,m depressed. Seriously you gotta be very happy with your progress with the set up. Congratulations and I want what he has got (you know like the commercial)
alex

[[1ponders]]

Thanks Alex:lol: Don't get me wrong I was very pleasantly surprised with the results. Just wish I'd learn from my mistakes and treat every session as though I was in capture mode. Even when I'm only trying things out. As I've come to realise that even in "muck around" sessions you have the chance of getting shots that are worth processing.

[seeker372011]

wow! fantastic stuff, especially as you say you were only "warming up"