I have been trying to get some results from my new little 50mm Nikon lens..it seems to have focus issues as certainly I cant be the problem
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So using the heq5 mount with polar alignment achieved using polemaster, and using the new intervalometer I found taking 5 minute subs gave a reasonable result, and used the interval function set at 30 seconds between captures in an effort to minimise noise ...I cant assess if such worked or not...I managed two hours worth of which I used 20 decent subs finishing up around 2 am, and to get into the habit took 6 dark frames and used four....
Stacked it all in Deep Sky Stacker which at first produced a heart breaking result due to the fact that I failed to remove two trailed 10 minute exposures... I thought I had but I had not...as my daughter said one does not function well when one needs sleep...my main problem in life ...never enough time for sleep as there are so many neat things to do.
Anyways the second stack in Deep Sky Stacker showed a reasonable result compared to the previous night and the poor result as well as the first stack from last night results...focus was better but I think the lens may not be up to what I expect.
So in DSS there seemed nice colour but after processing in Star Tools I just could not bring out decent colour... so I created three photos for Photo Shop and coloured one blue, one red and one green and played at merging them using the rubber function to colour various regions...by feel and with no reference to what the real colour should be...
...then created some solid colour layers and using the rubber function coloured a few stars with out reference to what they really should be...all this to produce a result but mainly to make the best of what was really a nasty start...learnt a few more things in each of Star Tools and Photo Shop....anways after I produced a rather vivid colour photo I created a black and white which I layered with the high colourversion to tame things to my liking...I like this approach better than playing with saturation as one can sharpen and contrast the black and with version for better effect...in my view and probably the opposite to the way things should be done.
Then using the doge tool in Photo Shop I lightened a few places and using the burn tool darkened a few regions to create contrasts that I thought effective...Then over to Gimp to "tighten" the levels and a final brightness and contrast fiddle...scaled the image down in Gimp and here it is...hot from the oven.
alex
Motivation.
To do something to make some contribution to the community here.
Conclusion.
When I get the dedicated wide field mount running I think I shall produce acceptable results and hopefully after a chat with the camera store from where I purchased the 50mm lens to get it to work at more than one f stop ….anyways the only way is up.
Alex
