My first attempt at digital star trails

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

about 5 hours worth of 3 min shots. Taken with a 300D. Because of the USB1 download time the outer trails have gaps. Might try it again with the 20D after doing a custom white balance.

[MrB (Simon)]

Nice!
I should give this a go oneday.
What were you using to control the 300D?

[batema (Mark)]

How good does that look. An amazing outcome for a simple set up.

Mark

[iceman (Mike)]

Great result, Paul! Nicely done.

Maybe next time leave the photos on the card so you can reduce/eliminate the gaps.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Nice trails Paul. What ISO setting did you use for this?

Peter

[Dennis]

Lovely work Paul. Nice dark skies huh!

Cheers

Dennis

[h0ughy (David)]

nice work Paul - and i am envious of your dark skies. i had the fastest memory card i could get for my camera, and managed to get the download down to 2 seconds with the Pentax and it downloaded the raw and jpeg in that time, maybe you could do the same with the Canon. I was thinking of trying to get it down to 1 second and allowing the camera to buffer - yet to try that one. Lovely skies mate......

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Splendid work. Great colours too. Did you have much trouble with dew?

[multiweb (Marc)]

Nicely done Paul. Great colors.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Thanks everyone. It was fun and I'm looking forward to doing it again. The only other thing I need to do is get another controller. I was shooting the 20D through the Vixen at the same time but had to do it manually with the old fashion bulb type cable. (see question from Simon)

Simon:

What were you using to control the 300D?

I have a 20D controller that the cable had been cut in two and a 2.5mm socket and plug have been attached. I simply unplug the 20D end and plug the cable into the 300D. Works a treat. Plus the 20D end can be plugged onto the 300D bulb cable and used in an emergency (flat batteries or controller being used on the 300D)

Mike:

Maybe next time leave the photos on the card so you can reduce/eliminate the gaps.

They were written straight to card. This is 300D technology were talking about here. Most of the gaps are my fault actually. I left a 20sec gap between images to help the chip cool down and not get amp glow in the bottom corner. I thought at 17mm FL I could get away with 20 sec. Obviously not.

Peter:

What ISO setting did you use for this?

ISO800 pete, and no darks. Next time I think I'll stop the lens down a bit more and eliminate some of the fainter stars. Should look more dramatic that way.


Dennis:

Nice dark skies huh?

Yes Dennis, definitely darker than suburban Brisbane. You should visit one day and see for yourself.


Dave:

i had the fastest memory card i could get for my camera, and managed to get the download down to 2 seconds

While my card isn't the fastest its no slouch in the 20D. In the 300D though it's a different story. Next time I'm going to create a custom white balance during daylight with the modded 20D and then use that. It's got a relatively fast download plus I think it will buffer better than the 300D.

Jeanette:

Did you have much trouble with dew?

On everything but the lens. I had a 4" dew heater wrapped one and a half times round the barrel and the thousand oaks controller at full blast. It was the the only dry surface on the block.

[erick (Eric)]

Tear along the dotted line


Thanks Paul, giving me lots of ideas for when I get around to trying this with my humble K100D.

ps. Is that aeroplane lights, bottom left to upper right? Cannot see colour?

pps. Why does everybody place the SCP in the photo? How about N, E and W? Something different? Watch M31 smear out across the Northern horizon?

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Yes there are a couple of planes in there Eric.

Why does everybody place the SCP in the photo?

It's my best view. Though I do have a good westerly view as well. Might give that a go one night.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Paul,

That is a fantastic star trail image. Makes me want to get out and do one, as well.

Regards,
Humayun