Quote:
Originally Posted by graham.hobart
Just thought I would pick the brains of the people who have gone from DSLR to OSC CCD's. The reason I want to talk about OSC is the fact that my skytime is limited and I want to get every last coloured pixel from the frequently cloudy skies down here in the shadow of Mount Wellington. I would like to know about those who have made the transition, the pitfalls and the "If I had my money again I would" type scenarios.
Just to make it clear as well I am not familiar with Photoshop, though I might be in the future.
I have Star Tools, DSS, and Maxim DL though the latter I am still getting my head around.
The camera would be used on refractors mainly, with the odd sojourn on a Newt 8".
Any advice about MP size, debayering, calibration frames etc as I have looked around and seen a lot of expensive cameras!
I currently have a self modded 450D and a 1000D.
I also own a 314L+ Atik which I am saving for the time when I can do more Ha.
Another question-Anyone recommend a good starter text for PShop?
Am working on getting that sometime this year as well and although I have seen a lot of tute's on line, I am an old fashioned kinda guy who likes to thumb through real books!
Cheers
Graham  |
Hi Graham,
Honestly, my advice would be to master what you got before throwing money at further upgrades. You have a very capable setup already, with heaps of potential.
It can take a while to master all apsects of imaging. The need to master these aspects will not disappear when buying a CCD. Sure you will acquire more photons quicker and with less noise, but if you're still struggling with consistently nailing your focus, framing, and processing, a switch from a DSLR to an OSC CCD won't yield that much of an improvement.
As for software, for processing astronomical images, I would stay away from PhotoShop. PS is a great piece of software for generic photo use, but addresses very few AP-specific problems without having to invest into additional plug-ins. Your money would be better spent on an AP-specific package like PixInsight, AstroArt, AIP4WIN, etc.
A lot of people here on IIS use PS, because that's what they are used to, coming from other backgrounds of photography. Others got into AP, way before dedicated software was available. Yet others prefer it because they like to be in control and know precisely what they are doing.
People may disagree with me, but getting into PS in this day and age purely for AP is, IMHO, a waste of money and time. We are spoilt for choice with far better and cheaper (AP dedicated) alternatives.
Nebulosity, while a great capturing tool, is somewhat limited in the processing department compared to the software you already have. Between ST and Maxim DL you already have all you need - you could even toss ST aside and make due with Maxim DL if you're so inclined.
Cheers,