Deep Sky Imaging advice

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

I'm looking to get a camera for deep sky imaging. Does anyone have any views on the relative pros and cons of the following:
Gstar
DSI II Pro
DMK 31AF03.AS
or any other options in a similar price range?

[montewilson (Monte)]

Try asking in the Deep Sky section. Your questoin may have gone unnoticed in this section.

[iceman (Mike)]

Hi peter

What equipment do you intend on using it with?
Any particular targets you intend imaging with it?

Do you own a DSLR?

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Hi Peter,

Interesting to notice that all the cameras you ask about are all Monochrome.

Any particular reason?

Not that there is anything wrong with Monochrome (I use colour personally) but colour filters will be needed to obtain colour images with the 3 cameras you nominated and a huge learning curve on colour balancing each colour channel.

Just curious.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

I have a 10" f5 GSO dob mounted on EQ6. I already have a Neximage but would like to be able to capture images of fainter objects (nebula, galaxies, globulars etc).

I was looking at the monochrome camera because I believe I'll get better resolution and I think I'm up for using colour filters but will start with monochrome images. Single shot colour is obviously appealing but there must be a compromise?

I don't own a DSLR and that is also an option however right now I suspect the DSI II pro is probably my best bet as I already have a laptop. People seem to be divided about Meade products however I don't have any previous experience or bias at this stage hence the post.

Peter

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

I've taken a couple of shots using the DMK 21AF04.AS for DSOs and was pleasantly suprised at the outcomes ( http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...&highlight=DMK
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...&highlight=DMK
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...&highlight=DMK There was no IR blocking filter used with any of these so the stars a a bit blobby). I'm not a big fan of the DSI (but that is just a personal thing and I've only used the older colour one, great guide camera though ) What's your upper price limit. I have an ATiK 16IC and from what time I've had to use it I've been pretty impressed with it.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Paul,

The DMK21 pics are impressive. I was expecting the 1/4" chip to give a really small field of view. I guess that's the impact of the focal reducer. The Gstar and DSI both have the new Sony 1/2" ExView HAD chip - ICX429AL I think.

Have you taken any colour images with filters yet? One of the issues I was trying to avoid was focus troubles due to the camera being too far from the focuser using a filter wheel and I'm not keen on pulling the camera out of the focuser to unscrew filters from the adaptor (or repositioning the primary mirror).

I haven't had a good look at the ATIK yet - is it a long exposure modified Toucam? Looking at the Astrovid website it looks like these are around US$650. This is probably within the price bracket I'm considering. Does anyone stock them in Aus?

Any reasons you are not a fan of the DSI?

Peter

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

I'm probably not being fair to the DSI, it's probably the program I dislike the most , however I found it very hard / impossible to get nice sharp stars with long exposures, they always ended up blobby even with an IR filter. Also with the 9.6x7.5 pixel format you are either constrained to use the in program dark subtraction, or adjust the ratio before applying your dark frames. If you want to see some nice DSI images, do a search in the Deep Space forum for threads started by EzyStyles. He has produced some of the best DSI images that I've seen around.

As for the filter wheel, I haven't tried yet. What sort of scope are you going to be using. An SCT will be np at all. A refractor may be a different story. I used an ED80 for mine but it isn't stock standard. I've changed the focuser to a Williams Optics 10:1 focuser which has a shorter profile to the standard one. Consequently I can only just get enough out focus with the FR attached (about 0.7x reduction) and just enough in focus with the extension tube and FR (0.5 reduction).

Using an ATiK colour filter wheel and m/m c-T thread atapter will add and extra 25mm to the imaging train. On top of this the FR will be a further 2.5 cm away at the end of the T-1.25" adapter. I don't know if I'll get that to come to focus.There are a couple of combinations with different FR I could try. If we ever get some consistant fine weather up here I'll do a couple of trials.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

I don't think anyone supplies them here. I got mine from Astrovid np. I've just checked and ATiK produce a reduced T-1.25" adapter that my be of use.

I've just noticed you are in BrisVegas. Maybe you'd like to take a trip up the coast one night and check out a couple of cameras?

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Hopefully the new imaging chip format on the DSI II addresses the dark issue as they are closer to square pixels now (8.3x8.6 um). Any thoughts on why it is so hard to get sharp stars with this imager?

A trip up the coast sound like a great offer.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Not sure why it was so, could be from the sensitivity to IR. Hopefully Ezy Styles will see this thread and pop in with some pearls of wisdom.


Drop me a pm and we can work out a time for a visit.

[EzyStyles (Eric)]

oppps sorry peter, finally saw this thread. I haven't used the Pro version as yet but i believe still works the same in envisage. ask away.