QHY8 First Images

TheDecepticon · #1 21-09-2009, 09:34 PM

Hello everyone!
Here are the first 2 images from the weekend's effort to get to know the new QHY8. I know they are not the best, but I'm happy with them considering the effort required to get them. I would like to thank everyone who assisted me with advice in making these first two images possible.

Helix Nebula,
6x15min, dodgy flats and bias frames, captured using CCD Capture, calibrated and stacked in DSS, curves, levels,etc in PS CS2

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/ph...eat=directlink

Great Orion's Nebula,
9x10min and 5x1min, same processing & capture software as above

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/ph...eat=directlink

Thanks for looking!
Gray.

multiweb (Marc) · #2 21-09-2009, 09:35 PM

It's looking real good Gray. Nice one!

RobF (Rob) · #3 21-09-2009, 09:37 PM

Wow Gray - they're very decent!
I love how well you've tamed M42 in particular. Look forward to seeing more from your new toy.

Hagar (Doug) · #4 21-09-2009, 09:49 PM

Hi Graham, You've got to be happy with these two images. I gather you have cropped the sides a bit to fix your small problems but now you have your flats on the way it should be onward and upward from here.

I wish my first images with the QHY8 were this good. Poor Theo was under a threat of death from me at first but his persistance now gets me some good images.

You have captured these very well. Orion looks great and it is a real hard target to image well.
Looking very good. Keep at it.

renormalised (Carl) · #5 22-09-2009, 12:17 AM

Nothing wrong with those images, at all. For first attempts with a CCD they're damn great!!!. Especially ol' Orion, and the Helix ain't no slouch either!!

Gama · #6 22-09-2009, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hagar

...... Poor Theo was under a threat of death from me at first but his persistance now gets me some good images.
.....

I still see my therapist every week

..

But, the images, are great for first light shots..
Great processing work..

Theo.

Tandum (Robin) · #7 22-09-2009, 01:32 AM

Gray, there's more in that helix. The outer nebula is there and not many images show it. If you curve it out you'll see it, you'll need to deal with the gradient but you'll see the whole image.

telecasterguru (Frank) · #8 22-09-2009, 06:53 AM

Gray,

Pretty decent images for a first light. The Helix is fine and Orion works well. I look forward to seeing your work as it progresses.

Frank

h0ughy (David) · #9 22-09-2009, 07:40 AM

not bad for the first go - i have yet to use my recently acquired qhy8. i have not had the time to learn to set it up yet.

TheDecepticon · #10 22-09-2009, 01:18 PM

Thanks for that, guys!

Hi Hagar! Yes, I still had to crop it a bit as the camera moved when I plugged it in, so a bit of gradient and dust spotting were not taken care of too well with the flats I took, but, still am very happy with it. Next time!!

Thanks, multiweb, RobF, renormalised, helps to spur me on!

Gama, I hope you get out of therapy soon!!

Tandum, I'll have another go at it and see how it turns out.

Telecasterguru, I think showing your work makes you a better imager by giving you the desire to post better images and please more people.

Houghy, it's a great toy, you'll love it when you start using it!

pmrid (Peter) · #11 22-09-2009, 05:33 PM

Good on you Gary. Tonight is my first night with my new QHY8 also. I will be tapping into this thread for hints.
Peter

AlexN · #12 22-09-2009, 05:55 PM

Great work mate! That M42 will probably have more in it too... 9x10min subs of M42 will normally bring out the entirety of the tail end of the neb etc.. just a little more stretching required I think... Other than that, you're off to a flying start with your new camera and you'll definitely get the hang of it fast!

Great stuff!

Paul Haese · #13 22-09-2009, 06:53 PM

Very nice work. I like the scale of the M42 shot, but a bit bigger in actual size would have been better.

Colouring is really nice too.

TheDecepticon · #14 22-09-2009, 07:13 PM

Thanks Paul! I would have like it bigger and with the rest of the field it was captured with, but I had to chop it, unfortunately. For the colour, I did have your Orion from last year (I think) in mind when I tweaked the colour. More red and a bit less pink.

Hi Alex, I'm gonna run the files through IRIS, and see what difference that makes, then I might try Nebulosity. It's amazing how many repos you can do!!

Thanks Peter, your welcome to PM me for any advice and there is some very smart guys on the forum who might chuck in a few footnotes, too.