ICEINSPACE
Moon Phase
CURRENT MOON
Waning Gibbous 67.3%
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28-05-2015, 11:40 AM
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loc46south
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Milton - New Zealand
Posts: 176
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Recommendations for DSLR Control
Hi - I need some advice - What is a good reliable camera control program for a Canon 550D DSLR. I am all set up for CCD Imaging and have had no experience with a DSLR other than the odd family or holiday snap.
Reason - a couple of nights ago the Aurora put on a really good show while I was up at my observatory - I attempted to catch it with the DSLR. You can guess what the result was.
Any help would be appreciated. I've tried the software that comes with the camera - Don't like it. I've also tried The SKY X Camera Control - it will hook up to the camera then it crashes.
Thanks
Geof Wingham
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28-05-2015, 11:48 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Posts: 3,964
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28-05-2015, 12:58 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: margaret river, western australia
Posts: 6,070
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For simplicity you could use a $20 ebay intervalometer. Let it take shots
during your session, and then delete what is of no interest at the end of the session.
raymo
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28-05-2015, 12:58 PM
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Turn the lights off!
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Parklea NSW
Posts: 1,207
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+1 for Backyard EOS.
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28-05-2015, 01:16 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 331
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Hi Geoffrey,
I use APT ( Astrophotography Tool ) and find that it is pretty good. You can also use it for a CCD... As other have mentioned BackyardEOS is also nice.
Nebulosity should work too, but is a bit more pricey, although i have had trouble with my DSLR's and nebulosity.
All I have used with my 450D and 1000D is just the USB cable to laptop.
Also, an intervalometer from eBay is a good idea as ray mentioned if you don't want to have a laptop with you. Mine cost me $15.
Goran.
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28-05-2015, 01:49 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Posts: 3,964
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if you are after an intervalometer you may as well consider downloading magic lantern http://www.magiclantern.fm/ (its free)
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28-05-2015, 01:59 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 77
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+1 for Backyard EOS.
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28-05-2015, 02:00 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Lake Macquarie
Posts: 7,096
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I have had some problems with Backyard EOS running on my netbook. I use the netbook to run Metaguide for the guide camera and find that BYEOS will freeze from time to time which eats up CPU cycles and thus stops Metaguide as well which ruins my imaging run. I believe it freezes during image download to BYEOS. So I prefer to use a simple intervalmetre from ebay for the Canon control, and rely on a Bathinkov mask to focus. It would probably work if I got a new laptop but I can manage.
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28-05-2015, 02:09 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Harrington Park
Posts: 5
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Same as you Glenn, intervelometer and Bahtinov mask but use PHD Guiding. Running on an Acer Aspire one. Also use PHD for drift alignment.
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28-05-2015, 02:09 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mitcham, Vic
Posts: 313
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I used magic lantern on the camera for quite a while. That worked well. No need for anything external to the camera, plus it adds extra features to your camera. I'm now experimenting with APT since it's free for the basic features and it seems okay. But the only reason I've moved to APT is so I can use the camera with Astrotortilla - otherwise I'd stick with magic lantern.
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28-05-2015, 03:16 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 558
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Backyard EOS is a great bit of software.
Beware of the cheap invalometers, they are not exactly accurate. There was another article here on IIS about that.
Try EOS for free and you only need a USB cable for it to work
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28-05-2015, 05:38 PM
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loc46south
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Milton - New Zealand
Posts: 176
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Seems like Backyard EOS is favorite - I downloaded the test version but seem to be having problems with it. I can connect to the Canon 550D using USB but it will only give me limited TV options for the shutter speed - I can only get Bulb, AV, Program and 10". Everything else works OK. If I use the EOS program that come with the camera I get full control of the camera, Primary use at this point is for Aurora recording, so I want it to be able to run a pre established sequence unattended.
Cheers
Geof Wingham
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28-05-2015, 08:41 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Posts: 3,964
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Quote:
Originally Posted by loc46south
Seems like Backyard EOS is favorite - I downloaded the test version but seem to be having problems with it. I can connect to the Canon 550D using USB but it will only give me limited TV options for the shutter speed - I can only get Bulb, AV, Program and 10". Everything else works OK. If I use the EOS program that come with the camera I get full control of the camera, Primary use at this point is for Aurora recording, so I want it to be able to run a pre established sequence unattended.
Cheers
Geof Wingham
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Hi Geoff
I'm not sure if you have/know this already but as well as the USB plugged into the camera you need
http://www.bintel.com.au/Astrophotog...oductview.aspx
and i believe this cord
http://www.bintel.com.au/Astrophotog...oductview.aspx
Cheers
Russ
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29-05-2015, 08:31 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Sydney
Posts: 1,005
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I go with a little intervalometer for my Canon - it cost about $40 and so far ( ) has been completely reliable. It also uses almost no battery power (batteries last a very long time indeed), so it's one less thing to worry on power drain. The downside is perhaps as much about no having instant access to frames as they are taken - so to check a frame I have to stop between exposures, check the preview, then recheck the guiding, then start imaging again. Upside is that it's really easy, and you can set it to do a bunch of darks after you go to bed!
But I'm tempted to try the Backyard EOS...
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29-05-2015, 08:53 AM
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Love the moonless nights!
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sydney
Posts: 2,284
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Canon's own EOS Utility SW works well and is free to Canon owners. Should have come with your camera.
You connect PC to Camera with USB cable and you are all set. Allows remote focusing, Liveview connection and remote shooting.
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29-05-2015, 08:57 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Lake Macquarie
Posts: 7,096
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Thanks Russell, I think the Shoestring cable links explain the problems I have had with BYEOS. I was relying on the laptop usb connector to the camera - thinking it also provided the bulb control, after reading info on Shoestring's site I see that is not the case. Yet another thing to buy, plus extension of course, at astro prices: over $140 just for the adaptor and extension from Bintel to replace my $19 ebay intervalmeter. Is it feasible to use my existing intervalmeter to control bulb, delay, run exposures, etc and just use BYEOS for framing, focusing, etc? Framing is one of the major time consumers when setting up a run, as often I cannot see the object I am imaging through the finderscope, and have to do numerous test subs to frame it.
Last edited by glend; 29-05-2015 at 09:42 AM.
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29-05-2015, 10:03 AM
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loc46south
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Milton - New Zealand
Posts: 176
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I have downloaded Canon EOS V2 and tried it - the software will provide full use of the camera including full Bulb and TV exposure function - I have also tried the camera with Maxim DL V6.08 and it also gives full functionality.
The camera is able to communicate fully with the PC by the USB2 cable. I have run a series of exposure tests from 1/4000 to 120 sec.
The camera is going to be used in an Observatory situation where it is powered by an AC Adapter and hooked up to a desktop computer -
The advantage that Backyard EOS gives is the sequencing ability to use different exposure settings and f ratio settings and the looping function. I could probably accomplish a similar result using Maxim and CCD Commander - it is just that Backyard EOS can do the same thing a lot more efficiently and the less software in the loop the less chance of problems.
Cheers
Geof Wingham
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30-05-2015, 06:49 PM
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Lost in Space ....
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Auckland, NZ
Posts: 4,949
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+1 for BYEos and PHD2. Never had an issue on a normal desktop PC running Win7. For the sake of one dedicated cable to the camera (450D) it has give me total control and flexibility for my sessions.
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31-05-2015, 05:18 PM
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loc46south
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Milton - New Zealand
Posts: 176
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Problems been sorted - it was the cache on BYEOS - used the "Flush Cache" function in Settings and now everything works as expected.
Thanks
Geof Wingham
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