LMC Wide Field 200mm, f4 - 26.11.08

dugnsuz (Doug) · #1 27-11-2008, 11:43 PM

Hello all,

LMC – Tarantula Nebula (NGC2070) and surrounding area.
26.11.08

Image details…
Canon 40D (modded)
Canon 70-200mm f4L lens, 200mm @ f4, Hutech IDAS LPS2 Filter
Skywatcher Synscan EQ5 mount
Autoguided with PHD

10x30sec, iso800 (used as a layer mask to tame Tarantula blow-out)
9x420sec, iso800
Flats, ICNR.

Stacked in Images Plus, processed in PS.

Last night (Wed) was the first real early, clear cloud-free night in the Adelaide Hills for a while. I recalled Mike Salway’s recent post on “Rekindling interest in Astronomy” as I imaged under clear dark skies – it’s nights like this that help!!

Link to higher res…

http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k...urrent=23a.jpg

Cheers
Doug

leon · #2 28-11-2008, 09:35 AM

Ah Doug you make me sick with these great Lens wide fields,

looks pretty good to me mate, keep at it.

Leon

multiweb (Marc) · #3 28-11-2008, 09:41 AM

Great stuff doug.

Keep'em coming. Where the hell do you guys get clear skies? All I can see is clouds, clouds and more clouds? Did you leave the country?

atalas · #4 28-11-2008, 09:45 AM

Nice shot Doug.

Craig_L · #5 28-11-2008, 11:03 AM

Lovely shot Doug. Nicely framed and lovely colours. Has a nice transparency about it. Maybe it's that ISO 800 instead of 1600.

Do you know what the name of that bubble-like nebula is at 8 O'clock from the Tarantula and about halfway to the left edge of frame? Can't seem to find it on Star Atlas Pro.

Craig

jase (Jason) · #6 28-11-2008, 11:55 AM

Excellent work Doug. Colour balance and saturation looks spot on. Great composition too. Well done.

iceman (Mike) · #7 28-11-2008, 11:59 AM

That's a beauty, Doug. One of your finest. Lovely processing.

dugnsuz (Doug) · #8 28-11-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

Ah Doug you make me sick with these great Lens wide fields,

looks pretty good to me mate, keep at it.

Leon

Thanks leon

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Great stuff doug.

Keep'em coming. Where the hell do you guys get clear skies? All I can see is clouds, clouds and more clouds? Did you leave the country?

A case of "For one night only" with the clear skies I'm afraid, last night was business as usual!

Quote:

Originally Posted by atalas

Nice shot Doug.

Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig_L

Lovely shot Doug. Nicely framed and lovely colours. Has a nice transparency about it. Maybe it's that ISO 800 instead of 1600.

Do you know what the name of that bubble-like nebula is at 8 O'clock from the Tarantula and about halfway to the left edge of frame? Can't seem to find it on Star Atlas Pro.

Craig

Thanks Craig, not too sure about the catalog number of that object - it does draw the eye to it though. I noticed too at iso800 the lack of a separate red peak in the histogram which is obvious at iso1600

Quote:

Originally Posted by jase

Excellent work Doug. Colour balance and saturation looks spot on. Great composition too. Well done.

Thanks jase

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

That's a beauty, Doug. One of your finest. Lovely processing.

Cheers Mike

Thanks for all the comments...Doug

RB (Andrew) · #9 28-11-2008, 04:43 PM

Excellent shot Doug, and I agree it's one of your best I reckon.

dugnsuz (Doug) · #10 28-11-2008, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RB

Excellent shot Doug, and I agree it's one of your best I reckon.

Cheers Andrew - and that's your best avatar I reckon!!

Garyh · #11 28-11-2008, 05:16 PM

Yes I agree! nice image Doug! I like how you get the Ha standing out in your SMC/LMC shots!
I nearly got the 70-200mm f/4 version but a cheap 200 f/2.8 came up on ebay and I had to buy it!
cheers Gary

dugnsuz (Doug) · #12 28-11-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garyh

Yes I agree! nice image Doug! I like how you get the Ha standing out in your SMC/LMC shots!
I nearly got the 70-200mm f/4 version but a cheap 200 f/2.8 came up on ebay and I had to buy it!
cheers Gary

Thanks Gary

My good friends Levels and Curves help a lot with the H Alpha

With your 200mm lens - Do you have to stop it down a bit to get tight stars or do you leave it wide open?

Doug

rogerg (Roger) · #13 28-11-2008, 05:44 PM

Very good image

I like the contrast in colour, the nebulas stand out nicely.

dugnsuz (Doug) · #14 28-11-2008, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerg

Very good image

I like the contrast in colour, the nebulas stand out nicely.

Thankyou Roger

RB (Andrew) · #15 28-11-2008, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugnsuz

Cheers Andrew - and that's your best avatar I reckon!!

There's safety in numbers huh !

Bassnut (Fred) · #16 28-11-2008, 06:56 PM

Doug, Tad widefield for my tastes, but tight-as-a-nun guiding, low noise (ICNR seems to be the go, looks good here) colour, focus etc, top work.

Garyh · #17 28-11-2008, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugnsuz

Thanks Gary

My good friends Levels and Curves help a lot with the H Alpha

With your 200mm lens - Do you have to stop it down a bit to get tight stars or do you leave it wide open?

Doug

Doug, lens is quiet sharp wide open but I find it very sharp stopped down just a little like at f/3.5

cheers Gary

dugnsuz (Doug) · #18 28-11-2008, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Doug, Tad widefield for my tastes, but tight-as-a-nun guiding, low noise (ICNR seems to be the go, looks good here) colour, focus etc, top work.

Cheers Fred - I did have to apply a Noise Ninja filter on the image. 9 images in the stack weren't enough to beat that S/N ratio trap.

"Tad widefield for my tastes..." AAARRGGHH, blasphemy!!!!

Them's fightin' words ya varmit

Martin Pugh · #19 29-11-2008, 11:55 PM

That certainly is an excellent shot Doug

great stuff
cheers
Martin

dugnsuz (Doug) · #20 30-11-2008, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Pugh

That certainly is an excellent shot Doug

great stuff
cheers
Martin

Thankyou Martin.
I may have to frame this thread as I'm getting so many kind comments from imagers whose work I admire

Oh my swollen ego!!!

Cheers all.
Doug