I was out last night in some pretty good seeing and did some images of the planets. I again attempted a large image of Jupiter with a 5x Powermate and a 2x Teleconverter on a Canon EOS 600D in 1920x1080 @ 30fps video crop mode through a Sky-Watcher 12" Goto Dobsonian, manually tracked and here is the result. Stacked in Registax 6.
I have added the second pic below as an improvement over the first one.
A fine result for the equipment used Tom, I am sure there will be many others that look at your results and decide to have a go with DSLR cameras. A great way for an introduction to planetary imaging.
Thanks for the comments guys. I know that the image is probably too large for the detail it presents, but it now makes me want a 16" :O
Trevor, I have been doing this for a year now with a DSLR and have been improving along the way. I believe the DSLR/Dobsonian combination is a very viable one and soon I hope to be able to write some kind of review on my experiences with it.
With a single sensor doing all red, green and blue at the same time there are the obvious drawbacks with colour management. I am very impressed, though, with the auto white balance of the Canon. I have noticed that in poor seeing the DSLR does not seem to manage anywhere near as well as dedicated cameras do (of which I have no experience though), but when the seeing is very good the DSLR starts to shine.
Thanks to everyone on this board for the insights/tips/feedback/inspiration to keep me going. Here is one of my first shots.
Very good!
I guess framing is easier with a DSLR than a webcam?
Also you mention the white balance setting.
Exactly what were all your settings on your camera to achieve this terrific result?
When I shoot stills I use RAW so I can modify WB, contrast, Picture Style etc later if need be. With these videos, you are effectively shooting jpg, ie you have to choose your settings in camera.
For my Jupiter, Mars and Saturn images I use:
Picture Style: Landscape (more vivid colours (but blue is enhanced), higher contrast)
Contrast: max
Sharpness: max
Saturation: max
These settings unfortunately maximise the noise as well, but that's what stacking is for. I have tried less aggressive settings but the resulting image ends up being more washed out. I believe the higher contrast compensates somewhat for the lower contrast in Newtonians.
ISO ends up being between ISO400 and ISO3200 depending on magnification/object brightness. Exposure is nearly always 1/30th sec (the longest) at 1920x1080 3x crop mode @ 30fps on the 600D. With my 550D I used the 640x480 video crop mode @ 60fps and 1/60th sec. the 600D gives you a wider image but less fps.
With Saturn and Jupiter I generally shoot 1min to avoid planetary blurring.
I've had no experience with a webcam, all I am used is attaching the camera to the telescope, selecting live view, focussing the image and taking the video. If I had to connect up a laptop etc I would be (as a personal thing) less likely to shoot as often.
That shows splendid detail especially with the Moons, I have noticed your improvements over the months with the DSLR and scope - this image is very impressive.
This image is overdone in terms of its size and the colouring of the Moons. I'll keep working on it. There is more detail to be had from Jupiter here. I will definitely be testing this out everytime there is excellent seeing.
Really good results for the equipment, Tom, but I think the processing lets the image down a bit.
A bit of extra knowledge and work in the processing could really make the image pop.
Have you thought about using a webcam like the DMK? Do you not have a laptop you could use by the scope, is that the reason for using the DSLR?
I hope you don't mind, but here's a quick process of your first image. If I took more time, I'd process the Moons and the Limb separately and combine them. I processed this one purely for the detail on Jupiter.
I realigned the colour channels, curves, saturation, colour balance, sharpening, and reduced the size. Images look sharper when they're smaller, so reduce them to 1000px or less first.
Thanks for your advice and ideas Mike, all of it is very much appreciated . You are right about my processing, something I am quite inconsistent with.
I do have a laptop, and I probably could use a webcam. My main reason for using a DSLR is the convenience (ease of setup/focussing etc). A webcam, I believe, would make it a little more time consuming for setup etc, and while it looks like I would get better results with one, I would definitely have less opportunity to image. I have always wanted to squeeze as much out of the setup as I can, and with the better seeing now with Jupiter I have had a good chance at it. Processing, though, is a challenge. A DSLR, especially the 600D, also gives me alot of flexibility in wide or narrow fields (evidenced by the Ganymede shot and the 4-moon shot above.
Thanks so much Mike for the advice and the tutorials you have given. I do't think I'd have got this far without this site
. You are right about my processing, something I am quite inconsistent with.
