The spider

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

Hello, here is Tarantula from last week. With my home modded canon 450D. I found this very hard to process (DSS then Star Tools). Don't have photoshop. Looks like the focus and PA were a tad hinky as well.
Used my 80mm refractor as was quite high winds which were threatening to put the 8" tube in the garden!
There is so much contrast in this field that I don't know how to start bringing out the different levels.
Anyway
Answers on a postcard to the usual address!
Graz
71 mins usable from 80 mins lights
calibration frames
3 min subs
ISO 800

[DJT (David)]

Hi Graz

Good try with the Tarantula. Theres a lot of data there.

Have you considered trying Backyard Eos? It might help with framing and also with getting the focus nailed. Am playing with a trial version at the moment and its a boon to know the focus is spot on before embarking on getting the subs out.

A great attempt

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

Graham. I have not used dss - when processing is complete what are you left with? Is the frame black and therefore linear, or has a histogram been applied?

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

Rowland, the image in dss was not as dark as they usually are, the curve was a parabolic S shaped with the peaks in the first third, i.e the upslope of the first curve. Wish I knew how to screen capture in Vista then I could show you.
This is the same pic with the DSS curve turned into a straight line sloping up from left to right.
Graz

[Langaandy (Andrew)]

they do like pretty good, ive been trying pics like this but im still in the market for a camera so im using a compact canon. i have a few great ones of the moon and one semi reasonable pic of what im pretty sure is the horsehead nebula( from where i am in sydney its up and to the right of orions belt) but its not very light.

as for screen capturing on vista. there is a button on your keyboard somewhere near the delete key. push that and then open a word doc and paste it it will ave taken a pic of you entire screen. this can then be cropped or put into paint and so on.

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

Hi Graham. Does this help. Non linear stretch in GIMP, with a strategic black point clip. removing pixels that will affect processing adversely.

Perhaps, remove background gradient first and then stretch.