24mm f1.4L Antares wide field

[Lester]

Hi all, this is my first use with the new 24mm f1.4L lens stopped down to f2.8. Used Canon 20Da mounted on the forks of the old orange Celestron 8" for tracking. This is only 20 x 1 minute exposures and could perhaps go longer with okay tracking. Many of the exposures were hindered by cloud, but at least I know it tracks okay and the lens performs well.

[strongmanmike]

Gee a nice looking image that Lester a very natural and crisp look.

Do you have a picture of the camera + forks setup..?

Mike

[luigi]

Very nice indeed, I like the result!

[dugnsuz]

Sweet stuff Lester - nice to see you heading to the dark side (widefield that is!)

[jjjnettie]

Very nice for just 20 minutes.
It'll be a great lens for Meteor Showers.

[Lester]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I will get an image of the set-up. Yes it will be good for meteor showers.

All the best.

[multiweb]

Top shot Lester. Very detailed with great colors. Loads to check around in that one. Nice work. :thumbsup:

[Hagar]

Very nice Lester. Interesting setup by the sounds of it.

[Lester]

Thanks for your comments Marc and Doug. Here are some shots of my set-up. Knocked up the support for the camera out of alluminium angle and channel and 1/4" gutter bolts, to fix the tripod mount head to. When not in use the fork assembley is removed from the wedge with 3 bolts. The tripod and wedge will stay out in the weather. The 2x10kg weights will stop any wind from moving the set-up (I hope).

[mexhunter]

Hello Lester:
Very nice picture of the Milky Way.
Best way to mount the Canon 20Da.
Regards
Cesar

[john_drummond]

Nice image Lester. I see that you captured the 'flightless' Kiwi.:eyepop:

Cheers

John Drummond
Possum Observatory Complex
International Astro Union Code: E94
Gisborne, New Zealand
E: 177d 53', S: 38d 38'
Email: john_drummond@xtra.co.nz
Website: www.possumobservatory.co.nz
Images: http://www.possumobservatory.co.nz/latest_images-all-continuing.htm

[Lester]

Thanks Cesar and John for your comments.

The Kiwi, I had to go and have a look; is that the dark region to the right of Antares? Looks like the long beak of the Kiwi looking back at Antares.

[john_drummond]

Hi Lester, yes, the head and beak are poiting towards Antares. The two legs are roughly pointing towards Rho Ophiuchi. Attached is a CCD + lens image I took of the area - the Kiwi is in the box...

Cheers

John Drummond
Possum Observatory Complex
International Astro Union Code: E94
Gisborne, New Zealand
E: 177d 53', S: 38d 38'
Email: john_drummond@xtra.co.nz
Website: www.possumobservatory.co.nz
Images: http://www.possumobservatory.co.nz/latest_images-all-continuing.htm

[Lester]

Thanks for that John, your image showed up the whole Kiwi well, now I can see body and all.

[john_drummond]

Yep, that's it. In NZ it's one of our favourite dark sky objects.

Near it is a long, dark nebula that points nearly to Antares. Over here many call it 'The Finger of God'. Attached is a photo showing it. CCD + lenses (details in file name). It starts at the centre and heads off at 11 O'Clock. Some use it as a transparancy indicator from dark sites.

Cheers

John D

[bartman]

Hi Lester,
Yes nice shot,
Just a question though......maybe stupid but does your set up track the sky?
I just cant see any wires/motor setup on the mount. I'm not familiar with the celestron fork mount.
Cheers
Bart
Or if anybody else can chime in with the answer as Lester has gone offline i see..... :)

[Lester]

Hi Bart, yes it does track, there are 2 synchronous motors in the base of the fork assembley that drive a large tooth wheel. It is very basic, without any worm drives, but doesn't have to be very accurate for widefield short exposure images. I run an extention cord and it plugs straight in.

Thanks again John, I will check out your last image of that region. I have no doubt that you have dark skies in NZ. Prity dark here, although within 8kms of Port Lincoln in the south.

[Lester]

John, I couldn't find the detail in the file name, (must be me not looking in the correct place). Outstanding image thanks for the view.

[Liz]

Great image Lester. :thumbsup:
Wow, and you live in a beautiful spot with those seaviews!! :)

[bartman]

Thanks Lester,
Its what I am missing in my shots I think! (tracking that is)
I just lay my dslr on a flat surface and shoot a few shots, stack 'em and process them to my best newbie knowledge in pse.
I never knew of or saw the Kiwi in my shots!
If you dont mind, here are two of my captures of the SCP. 15 sec subs x 6, DSS and PSE.
Bartman

[Lester]

Thanks Liz and Bart for your comments. Yes Liz, it is a wonderful spot to live, I find it very relaxing.

Bart, your images are a bit big for me to see on the small laptop screen, even so they show the milkyway well with its dark lanes and nebula. For simple tracking, if you want, you could knock up a barndoor mount. There are plenty on the net and easy to make. So that you could expose for longer.

All the best.

[bartman]

Thank you Lester, and shall dig a bit deeper. I have seen many a post about this 'barndoor' thingymajig. Never thought that this would be a tool for this job.
Thanx
Bartman

[Shiraz]

Hi lester

beautiful image. also, I recognise those clouds in your equipment shots.

regards Ray

[Lester]

Thanks Ray, yes you are not far away from here as the crow flies. So you would recognise the clouds.