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Hi Paul
I use CCDSoft and when my images get downloaded and displayed, they look pretty awful because the on screen representation is automatically stretched from the background level to the white level. Note that this does not affect or alter the image file saved to disc; it is just an on-screen stretch of the image in memory.
I can change this setting to show it from 0 to 65,000 and then it looks similar to the image you posted. That is, the screen cannot represent the full range of tones so the background sky looks very dark with only the bright stars showing.
Like Gary, I use CCDStack – I am a recent convert (2 to 3 weeks ago) to the application and I like it a lot – so much easier to use for image calibration (Darks & Flats) and Alignment and Combining.
CCDStack also provides a nice easy option to save the image “as is” on screen. That is, if you have performed say a DDP and made some histogram adjustments, it saves the rendered image (it applies your settings) as a separate image from the underlying raw data.
I would always recommend saving your raw captures and save as a new file when you have applied changes to the data, so you can always get back to the original.
CCDStack has a 30-day fully functional free trial.
Cheers
Dennis
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