Hi all,
Seems like a very long time since I actually did any astrophotography as opposed to talking/thinking about it.
Clouds parted for a very nice night of imaging down here in SA last night allowing me to finally test out my newly modded/cooled Central DS Astro 40D DSLR.
Set my sights on probably the 'noisiest, grittiest' part of the sky - the LMC!
Camera averaged a temperature of around -13.5ºC throughout the 3 hour session. (Ambient Temp started off at around 24ºC and dropped as night fell - have to admit that I didn't check ambient air temp while imaging...I just focused on the sensor temperature!!)
So details...
Canon 40D - cooled/modded by Central DS
Canon 70-200mm f4L IS lens - 200mm @f4 stopped down with cheapo ebay step rings from 67mm to 37mm to tighten up stars - unsure what f ratio that ends up with!!
IDAS LPS2 filter
In Camera Noise Reduction off.
18x10min subs @ iso1600.
Bright 58% Moon looking down on the scene until around midnight - 2/3 through imaging run.
Not as dramatic a difference as I had dreamed/hoped for, but promising nonetheless.
Very nice Doug, quite a bit smoother than your last rendition. I do think your background has a bit of red tint to it. I had a look in PShop and a little tweak in curves on the red seems to improve the background, at least to my old eyes.
Very nice Doug, quite a bit smoother than your last rendition. I do think your background has a bit of red tint to it. I had a look in PShop and a little tweak in curves on the red seems to improve the background, at least to my old eyes.
Cheers Doug - tweaked the red background a bit and reposted
Just re-read your first post above. Step rings to close down the aperture. Cool idea. Hadn't thought of that. Nice round aperture instead of diffraction spikes? Me go ebay now...
PS - I think your equivalent aperture would work out to around f/7.2. That's a good aperture in terms of sharpness and minimising CA for your lens.
Just re-read your first post above. Step rings to close down the aperture. Cool idea. Hadn't thought of that. Nice round aperture instead of diffraction spikes? Me go ebay now...
PS - I think your equivalent aperture would work out to around f/7.2. That's a good aperture in terms of sharpness and minimising CA for your lens.
Bert (avondonk) uses an aperture mask to stop down his 300mm f2.8 which gave me the idea to try step ring adapters.
Configuration for the 70-200mm f4L IS with its 67mm lens is...
67-72mm ring>>72mm IDAS LP filter>>72-52 ring>>52-37 ring
Quote:
Originally Posted by multiweb
Maaaate! That's awesome! Well done indeed.
Merci buckets Marc
Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy
I would be happy with that shot many times over!!
I was happy too Dave until I saw jase's LMC - WOW!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjjnettie
Pretty schmicko Doug!
Cheers jjj - hopefully weather will play ball and I can get some quality time under the stars.
It was a strange/wonderful feeling to be under a dark sky from horizon to horizon the other night. Steady!! I'm tearing up!!!
Now your getting picky Doug, i consider that a beautiful wide field , green, red, pink, bugger the colour, well done i reckon.
You don't seem to pleased with the results, if i read between the lines.
Yes a great shot really and with a lot a moon it's an even better result considering, that moon light would have seriously affected the image, try it again in dark skies, probably notice a difference then.
Lovely Doug. Not worth comparing, your image holds its own. The lens mask has provided aesthetic stars in sharpness and colour. The cooled astro 40D looks a keeper. Well done.
That's awesome! Well done indeed. 
i consider that a beautiful wide field 
, green, red, pink, bugger the colour, well done i reckon.
