Quote:
Originally Posted by Astrobserver99
I am looking to upgrade my Canon 300D to something that can take longer exposures with less noise.
My budget is limited to around $1000.00 for a camera.
So far, I have narrowed the choice down to the new Atik 16IC Cooled Astro Camera and The Canon 40D DSLR.
I guess my main questions are:
1. Will the 40D enable long exposures with low noise. 10 minutes would be great but 20 minutes even better.
2. Would resampling the images taken with a 40D to a smaller size remove most of the noise.
3. Would I be better off getting the cooled Atik, even though it has a smaller chip and lower resolution. The Atik should be capable of 20 min exposures with no noise.
I am leaning towards the Atik, as it is a dedicated astro camera and also has an autoguider port for later use as an autoguider if need be.
Cheers,
|
Hi Rob
I am certainly no expert, although i will throw in my tupence worth'
1. The 40D will let you do longer exposures with lower noise, this answer is based on a few points. firstly its a newer camera than the 300D, and i know its "quieter" as a result. 10 mins without noise on an unmodded DSLR just isnt gonna happen, in the winter, you can get away with a few minutes tops, especially if your gonna stack images, i have taken a 10 min exposure with my 1000D (i know its not the same camera) it was really noisey, so forget 20 mins for defo, and in the summer it will be even shorter, i am guessing 90 secs to 2 mins, although again this very much depends on ambient conditions, so no, i would forget 10 or 20 mins subs with an unmodded DSLR.
2. No. it wouldnt remove it, but it might make it harder to see, there really is no substitute for darks to remove noise, and even at that, depending on conditions you will will need several if stacking, people say you need a few darks for every few subs, TBH i have had my best results when taking MORE darks than subs, but its up to you
3. That Atik might well be able to do the exposure lenghts you desire, as i believe its peltier cooled, and a quick look around 'tinternet shows thats its a very well recieved product. Although using a CCD has its own pitfalls, one of them being a very steep learning curve, especially if its not the "one shot colour" type, and mono with filters. At the end of the day its buyers market and up to you, but i am sure our more learned members will chime in with more advice for you.
