Thanks Mike
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Originally Posted by iceman
But I'd also be happy with an M31 like that!!
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You're right - it's so rare that we even see it, let alone get to photograph it, so I am happy that I managed to snag it - didn't even know it was going to be up until someone on the field yelled out an exclamation about it being up
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman
Did you take dark frames with any of these?
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Yeap, all had dark frames. Not many dark frames though, only one for each exposure length - not as many as I should have done. So i had to 'fade' the dark frames a little to simulate early/late evening (warmer/cooler). A bit dodgy, but it worked
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Originally Posted by iceman
What were you guiding with?
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I was guiding through my Megrez 80 prime focus (480mm) using my QuickCam Pro 4000. The software used was GuideDog.
I have previously found it an absolute pain guiding through my guidescope in the 6 point ring systems, and framing the subject, so I took the easy option this time - guide through the megrez and point the camera easily on it's ball-join tripod head. No fuss, easy to find a guide star, much more enjoyable.
I'm considering mounting the 70x700 guidescope on a ball-joint tripod head as a result, after all, it's significantly lighter than my L lenses so shouldn't be a problem. Medium duty tripod head.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman
10 minute exposures! Drool!
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It's nice to be able to do the long exposures, that's for sure. Once it's working, it's working, and 10 minutes isn't a problem. 20 minutes allows a little too much margin for error - someone pointing their laser pointer at the FOV or something like that, so I stick to 10 mins out in the field. Of course the problem is usually getting it all going in the first place