Howdy
Did a total of 1 hour on NGC 300 earlier
6x10 mins ISO 200
10 inch f5.6 newtonian, modded 350D, uv/ir filter and MPCC
hand guided as usual.
Sky light polluted, could barely see the LMC
This is a quick go at processing with IRIS and Photoshop, may be able to do better later on with more time on the PC.
I didnt realise there was a cluster of faint galaxies nearby (upper left)
Scott
Thanks
Eric, Ive used ISO 400 @ 5 mins in the past and find that ISO 200 @10 mins each works just as well and means only 1/2 the number of images to process. I cannot go more than 10 mins even at ISO 200 or the sky will be too bright.
Scott
How my opinion has changed over the last year about ISO sttings.
I used to always think I got better results with the higher iso but in fact is better with lower ISO's longer exposures.
The point is even when you image at the lower ISO's yes your first impresion of each exposure does have less detail visualy but its just hidden and you can then bring out more detail through processing due to less noise.
Highest ISO I will ever use will be 800 and will use ISO400 the most...I may up the ISO only for HA imaging due to the high light blocking ability of the HA filter.
Yes the sky was so light last night, its seemed to be that way for last few weeks, worse than normal, but till Orion moves past Zenith I cant image it, and so cant use the UHCS filter which chts through the light pollution. So in meantime will try for galaxies like this one.
Scott
Thanks Striker
Yes I concur, I get good results from high ISO with Ha imaging only, ISO 200 always gives be good results unfiltered, because as you say the detail is there and levels can be stretched all the more to bring it out.
The histogram of my 10 min. ISO 200 shots is about 1/3rd the way across on the left. Obviuosly from a really dark site it would be barely out from the left at all and the sky would thus me buch darker, resulting in much less stretching to bring out detail, and thus much less noise.
In the old film days Id never dream of getting even the detail I have, so digital imaging sure is a Godsend for astrophotography.
Scott
