First DSLR shot of Omega Centauri

[Robert_T]

A break in the cloud and rain tonight. It's been two weeks and I've been itching to try all my new gear, so I threw caution to the wind and decided to chance it. It took me nearly an hour and a half in the heaviest sopping dew to setup, get auto-guide to work, find focus on the camera and then struggled to get a guidestar for PhD guide that my webcam could see...wouldn't track properly, so recalibrated and it got better. Prob not the best polar alignment.

Cables everywhere, cursing, and clouds scudding over constantly, I started a series of 20 x 60s exposures using the 40D (unmodded), ICNR, the YO ED80 with WO 0.8x reducer (~460mm) and IDAS-LPS filter (prob wasted on this shot). Guided with webcam and WO ZS66SD scope. Ended up having to quit out after 11 exposures due to cloud and at least a couple of these shots were spoiled by cloud. Had to use the hair dryer every five minutes or so. The dew was like light rain.

Anyway, a quick process, align, crop (I was off center) and combine in Images Plus (no darks or flats) and a tweak in Photoshop (did some burning? to reduce over-exposure in the core)... and here's the result. Given all I went though I'm pretty well pleased actually. No doubt focus could be improved too, but I was racing the cloud.

Comments and advice most welcome.

cheers,

ROb

[Tandum (Robin)]

Looking pretty good to me bob. You gotta be dedicated to try in this weather. The dew is like rain at the moment.

[Screwdriverone (Chris)]

Damn... another one who just runs outside and snaps a few "shots" and runs back in.....

Seriously though Robert, that is a mighty fine pic for your first DSLR effort on OC.

Cant wait for the "good" ones

Chris

[Bassnut (Fred)]

umm, OK, and colour?

[Robert_T]

Thanks Guys, my backpack is still drying out...

Hmmm Fred, it does seem a tad washed out... I've just gone back and looked at the TIF and it seems I've lost most of the colour in converting to jpeg...is that normal maybe I need to really saturate before I convert

Originally Posted by Bassnut

umm, OK, and colour?

I've tried this and re-attached below... better?

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Exceptionally nice for a first go Rob. Did you process in PS as a Tiff or JPEG?

[Robert_T]

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Exceptionally nice for a first go Rob. Did you process in PS as a Tiff or JPEG?

Thanks Paul, I processed as a TIF... then for some reason couldn't save it as a jpeg in PS, so ended up using Pixel Studio to save in down in size.

Given I had decided after an hour and a half that it was a dead loss and I wasn't going to be imaging anything, I'm glad I persisted, and am over the moon to get anything recongiseably Omega... probably as good as anything I ever got in my film days, better actually as my guiding was never up to 30min exposures

[RB (Andrew)]

Well a great start on Omega Cent, Rob.
It is a tricky one to get right that's for sure.

Originally Posted by Robert_T

I processed as a TIF... then for some reason couldn't save it as a jpeg in PS,

The reason is that when you process in tiff you're in 16 bit mode.
When you're ready to save it as a jpg you need to go to Image | Mode | 8 Bit

Then this will allow you to save it as a jpg because jpg is not available in 16 bit mode.

I do this at the very end, as it's best to stay in 16 bit mode when processing.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

What Andrew said

Also do you use the "Save for Web" option under the file menu? It give great options to keep your uploaded image as close as you can while using jpeg. (yeah not perfect but better than letting a machine decide for you )

[Robert_T]

Thanks Andrew and Paul, some great practical tips there, much appreciated

I guess going to 8bit from 16bit is why I lost the small amount of colour that was originally apparent?

cheers,

Rob

[jase (Jason)]

A pleasing first DSLR image Rob. No turning back now. Well done.

[AlexN]

nice! I hope my first dslr shot turns out this nice! Good to see you chance the weather! You know i would! /Will tonight when i get home from work../

Alex

[Ric]

Hi Rob, a fine first DSLR image. Both images have fine resolution and you have brought out some nice colour in the second image.

I'm still waiting for my first chance with my DSLR, your image has made me all that more eager.

Cheers

[Alchemy (Clive)]

Originally Posted by Robert_T

it seems I've lost most of the colour in converting to jpeg...is that normal maybe I need to really saturate before I convert

typically i will up he saturationn by 15 to 20 prior to converting to JPG as i find mine do the same.

well presented first shot.