Hi All,
Well after the great information and advice I couldn't wait until the weekend to give this another go. Light pollution is still a problem but I am not worried about that at the moment - technique is my aim for now. I plan to head to my dark site (about 30 min away) and hope to really push the equipment as my tracking has really improved since overhauling the Meade. I have also had a run on a new G11 with Gemini 2 and it is in a different class on its own so if the technique is heading in the right direction, I will be getting one very shortly.
So here goes.
Image 1 = Antares and into Ophiuchus. Framing is poor. Canon 40D 12x3min @ ISO800 (I get a wash out beyond that due to LP). EF50mm F1.4 lense at F4.0. No guiding at all. I spent 1.5hrs drift aligning. + 12x3 min Darks. Very windy last night and still relatively warm (~15 deg up to midnight)
Image 2 = Crux. Exactly same setup as above.
My Photoshop skills are limited but I have learnt how to adjust levels and curves for now. Stacked in DSS.
My aim is to try at least 5min or higher and go for around 20 subs minimum.
I would much love to hear your suggestions and recommendations. Thanks for looking!
Cheers,
Darrin...