What a difference a year makes. The first image is M42 and the Running Man using a D700 DSLR on my FS-60 scope, with a Tak P2Z mount. It was taken in November 2010. The second was a test (commissioning my Atlas focuser) from a week or so ago, using a Starlight Xpress SXVR-H18 camera, FSQ-106ED scope and AP900 mount. If I can improve my results that much again by end of 2012 I'll be a happy camper. The wonderful thing about astro-imaging is that you can always do better, and there are always people producing images that clearly demonstrate this
Higher res version of the second image here:
http://rickstevenson.smugmug.com/Ast...9_JCbRBjW-O-LB
Cheers,
Rick.