My First week with a Gstar

[ReaPerMan (Paul)]

I have up til now been imaging with a Celestron NexImage camera (I've only been doing this since September). I have to say what a great little camera the Gstar is for a beginner like me. It allows you to see so much so easily and get familier with the mysterious fuzzy objects in the sky whilst practicing the skills that the big boys (and girls) have mastered (flats, darks, LRGB, Registax... photoshop etc etc.) all without breaking the bank.

Anyway here is the culmination of my first week with this little gem. Apologies for repeating some of the Pics but they have been reprocessed and enhanced as my skills have grown.

All the best

paul

[erick (Eric)]

A GStar colour camera?

[ReaPerMan (Paul)]

Hi Eric,

there is a Gstar Colour camera but this was taken with the Gstar-Ex BW camera with RGB filters. These pics were 200 frames L R G B and 150 frames for Dark and 50 frames for Flat. Stacked in registax. Post processed in Photoshop CS4 with alteration to Curves and Levels. Then some light processing with LR deconvolution in the Astraimage filter. The separate LRGB channels were then merged to produce the colour result. All in it takes me 3-4 times as long to process the pics than it does to take them.

I'm still learning all the things that the Gstar can do and I'm trying to get my home made Aux cable working so that I can change settings in the camera without having to press buttons on the back. I believe that there are some other settings that will enhance the result. At present I'm just using it in sense up mode with 128 accumulation (it produces 1 frame every 2.5 seconds)

all the best

paul

[erick (Eric)]

Thanks Paul - I should have read your sig which says "Gstar-EX". Sorry.

I'm going to get a clr when the next shipment becomes available. Not for photography but for display to the crowds! Especially in light polluted skies.

[allan gould]

Really excellent shots with the Gstar. Great teaching camera for public nights as well. A great beginning and make sure you post your attempts.

A great start

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Well done!!!
It's a ubeaut little camera. I love mine.
Have you downloaded a copy of the program "Loreal"?? You use it to get rid of the dark halo's. It's written in French, but it's pretty intuitive. You just need to load the image into the program in .bmp format.

[ReaPerMan (Paul)]

Originally Posted by erick

Thanks Paul - I should have read your sig which says "Gstar-EX". Sorry.

I'm going to get a clr when the next shipment becomes available. Not for photography but for display to the crowds! Especially in light polluted skies.

I was going to get one of the Colour ones as well but with the delay in shipment I got impatient and got a BW one.

Originally Posted by allan gould

Really excellent shots with the Gstar. Great teaching camera for public nights as well. A great beginning and make sure you post your attempts.

A great start

Thanks Allan I definitly be sharing as you get so much good advice when you post up your pics. There is so much to learn and everyone is so very helpful here.

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Well done!!!
It's a ubeaut little camera. I love mine.
Have you downloaded a copy of the program "Loreal"?? You use it to get rid of the dark halo's. It's written in French, but it's pretty intuitive. You just need to load the image into the program in .bmp format.

Thanks jjjnettie, I have been experimenting with ways to cut this ring effect down. Do you have a link for this program because when i search all i'm getting is hair care products!

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Loreal, for Stellar Cosmetics.
http://astrosurf.com/hfosaf/uk/tdownload.htm#loreal
there's lot's of goodies in this site, check out a few.