Hello,

I'd like to share some pictures taken with Pentax O-GPS1 unit attached on a Pentax K-5 IIs camera. Two different 300mm/f4.0 lenses are used. Sigma 300/4 Macro and Pentax M*300/4.
I think these are interesting results for the O-GPS1 unit

Any comments are welcome.

Thanks

[DeadJohn]

Good results. You've picked up some of the nebulosity in Pleiades.

All 3 shots look too purple, probably due to lens CA. CA correction or adjusting color channels might be able to tone that down.

Those have all been stacked, correct? I gave up on the O-GPS1 for stacking because of the need to recenter targets every few shots.

[snimcho]

Good results. You've picked up some of the nebulosity in Pleiades.

All 3 shots look too purple, probably due to lens CA. CA correction or adjusting color channels might be able to tone that down.

Those have all been stacked, correct? I gave up on the O-GPS1 for stacking because of the need to recenter targets every few shots.

Yes, these are stacked in DSS. I also have to move the camera/lens many times when i take pictures with the O-GPS1 unit. As I don't have any other equipment for astro tracing, it is my only possibility to look deeper in the sky If you gave up on the O-GPS1, are you using anything else instead?
For these pictures I was tweaking the white balance in order to make them more colorful and I also increased the saturation. So the colors may be shifted but the pictures are more colorful this way.

[shaolen]

How did you get these photos!?

[Ex Finn.]

Nice images! You must have pretty good seeing at your location.

[snimcho]

How did you get these photos!?

In short, with a lot of patience These are many frames stacked in DeepSkyStacker.
What I found as really interesting is that it is possible to take such pictures with a small device which costs under $200. The classical approach is to buy some heavy and expensive equipment for astro pictures. I have never thought that I will be able to do this with a conventional camera/lens without any additional hardware The quality is not as high as it can be with specialized equipment but what you can see in deep space for that price is just amazing.

[DeadJohn]

...If you gave up on the O-GPS1, are you using anything else instead...

I have an iOptron Skytracker now.

[snimcho]

Nice images! You must have pretty good seeing at your location.

Thanks! As everywhere outside the city the sky is more clear All three pictures are taken during traveling in the mountains above 1000 meters sea level.

[Ian.morgan]

I have an iOptron Skytracker now.

I took the same approach. My o-gps1 didn't seem very accurate on the k-30, so I use the ioptron skytracker. It's great. Only tricky thing is that I never have time to get outside to use it !



---------- Post added 10-23-16 at 11:29 AM ----------

Great images by the way.

[RobG]

Fabulous results! I've never had any success with stacking.

fabulous images. I made some DSS attempts back with my DA 55-300, but the ISO noise at 16000 was pretty bad, and stacking 600 shots got old fast lol. and with that lens, at 300 i wasn't getting great light.
But none of my attempts came close tot he beauty of your shots, I would LOVE to be able to get those types of shots, perhaps with my new DA* 300 I might have a chance
I had considered upgrading to the K3 for the built in GPS, but if it isn't all that accurate I would get the tracker others had mentioned, It got pretty good ratings.
But all said, those are beautiful shots, I am quite envious