Widefields on the EQ platform

iceman (Mike) · #1 23-04-2006, 08:09 PM

Here's a couple of teaser/samples from last night..

Widefield on the EQ platform, with the 350D on a fixed tripod on top of my EQ platform.

Used the 18-55mm lens @ 18mm, f/3.5 @ 90s, ISO 800.

These shots are completely unprocessed, simply converted from RAW, auto-levels and saved as jpeg websize.

I've got a series of 7-10 of each to stack and process, will get to them in the next few days I hope.

Thanks for looking.

RB (Andrew) · #2 23-04-2006, 08:14 PM

Not bad at all Mike.
Can't wait for the final versions.

Striker (Tony) · #3 23-04-2006, 08:27 PM

Its great when you get results with simple methods...Well done Mike.

The images would have been better if you had LowePro bag though no question....lol

h0ughy (David) · #4 23-04-2006, 09:12 PM

Very nice Mike good work. nice last night, but very turbulent. I saw lots of meteors.

Itchy · #5 23-04-2006, 11:38 PM

These look very promising Mike.

iceman (Mike) · #6 24-04-2006, 06:04 AM

Thanks guys, being just single shots i'm pretty pleased wih the detail.

Will attempt stacking them soon. I also think I have enough coverage for a long mosaic of the milkyway - I hope!

iceman (Mike) · #7 24-04-2006, 06:22 AM

Here's a quick pass of those 3 jpegs above through registar (then screenshot and paste into photoshop).

Looks promising, hopefully it will turn out better with the full versions, oh and a bought version of registar too..

iceman (Mike) · #8 24-04-2006, 06:35 AM

Autostitch did a great job on the jpeg's too.. (stitched, opened in photoshop, slight curves adjustment and crop to rectangle).

I also noticed on the autostitch website that there are now a few commercial tools using the autostitch technology.. might be worth purchasing one of those so that you can feed in TIF's instead of JPEG's.

asimov (John) · #9 24-04-2006, 08:02 AM

Wow Mike....thats a very nice result! Well done.

davidpretorius · #10 24-04-2006, 08:20 AM

had a look at another drool at a 350d on the weekend at a camera shot, you are not helping by posting this lovely stuff!

well done

middy · #11 24-04-2006, 09:06 AM

Lovely shots

I never thought of imaging several sections of sky and stitching them together. I'll put in on my growing list of things to image.

FOOTPRINT · #12 24-04-2006, 09:24 AM

Hi Mike,
A very good effort on the Montage of the Milky Way, great contrast and colour, are you going to try the same thing in one/two shots with the Fish-eye lens, you could get horizon to horizon.

regards........Jim

iceman (Mike) · #13 24-04-2006, 09:35 AM

Thanks guys.

Yeh Jim, that's the plan when scorpius is over head. Can't wait to try it.

ving (David) · #14 24-04-2006, 01:22 PM

hey great shot mike! heaps of stars in that

nice stitching too