[dekao]

This is a great topic! Gorgeous pictures and lots of useful content.

I just got myself a Celestron Ultima 100 and I am willing to catch some of the sky with my K-5.

[geo444]

This is a great topic ! Gorgeous pictures and lots of useful content.

I just got myself a Celestron Ultima 100 and I am willing to catch some of the sky with my K-5.

.
+10 !

What, 352 days since the last AstroPhotography has been posted,

I can't wait to post 3 of my first Astro-Shots taken with this Pentax Champion,

Hercule Cluster, shot 3210 days ago, K-5 at ISO 80 setting on a SkyWatcher 254/1200 :

A large M-13 version, 2208 × 1536 is pixel-peepable here :

https://en.astronomike.net/1240634.jpg?20110529
.

[geo444]

...
I had some time to rework these 3 old .PEFs from start to a better picture...
= the faintest stars get rid of the redish noise, completely :
.

.

A much larger M-13 version, 2304 × 1568 is pixel-peepable here :
https://en.astronomike.net/1247739.jpg?20200415

... or with its Datas here :
Messier 13 - Pentax K-5 @ iso 80 : 3 x 10 min - Proto DIMA 254/1200 - Clusters AstronoMike.net
M13 - Pentax K-5 iso 80 : 3 x 10 min - Proto. 254 / 1200 - Clusters AstronoMike.net

... else you could also pixel-peep it here :
https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/7467909648/photos/4058270/m13-hercules-pntx-k5

+ At the lower right of M-13... you can also see :
- IC- 4617 Magnitude ~15 Size ~1,1' x 0,4'
- Ngc6207 Magnitude 12 Size 3'x1,1'

Enjoy...

[geo444]

.
Another set of 6 .PEF files I had some time to Rebuid from start...
are the 6 Exposures of 630 sec. each at ISO-80 from M-45 with the Pentax K-5
- the first version was made from 3 .PEFs only :
Pleiades M45 Pentax K5 geo444 Galleries Digital Photography Review

The fact that I erased my SD-Card between the 2 nights has resulted in Double-Crossed Stars...
I couldn't restore the Exact Camera Position on my S-W 200/1000
= No Special Effect Filters were used !

Colors, Noise wise, the last 6 .PEFs version is far better :


.

A much larger M-45 picture, 2296 × 1528 is pixel-peepable here :
https://en.astronomike.net/1252091.jpg?20200611

... or with its Datas here :
Messier 45 - Pentax K-5 @ ISO 80 : 6 x 10 min. - SkyWatcher 200/1000 - Clusters AstronoMike.net
M45 - Pentax K5 iso 80 : 6 x 10 min - SkyWatcher 200/1000 - Clusters AstronoMike.net

... else you could also inspect it here :
Pentax K5 M45 Pleiades geo444 Galleries Digital Photography Review

Enjoy...

---

Last edited by geo444; 06-22-2020 at 01:47 PM.

[geo444]

...
Now, if you find this last 6x10 min. version a little too much...
I recently built a 3x10 min. M45 with far less noise than the older version
here is this 3 Exposures of 615 sec. each at ISO 80 with the K-5 :
.

.

A much larger M-45 picture, 2296 × 1504 is pixel-peepable here :
https://en.astronomike.net/1251525.jpg?20200602

... or with the Datas here :
Messier 45 - Pentax K-5 @ ISO 80 : 3 x 10 min. - SkyWatcher 200/1000 - Clusters AstronoMike.net
https://en.astronomike.net/deep-sky/clusters/1376725.html

.

It just sits between the first Noisy 3x10 min. version :
Pleiades M45 Pentax K5 geo444 Galleries Digital Photography Review

... and the last Electric Blue 6x10 min. version :
Pentax K5 M45 Pleiades geo444 Galleries Digital Photography Review

Please, tell me which one do you prefer ?

[Rick_B]

...
Now, if you find this last 6x10 min. version a little too much...
I recently built a 3x10 min. M45 with far less noise than the older version
here is this 3 Exposures of 615 sec. each at ISO 80 with the K-5 :
.

.

A much larger M-45 picture, 2296 × 1504 is pixel-peepable here :
https://en.astronomike.net/1251525.jpg?20200602

... or with the Datas here :
Messier 45 - Pentax K-5 @ ISO 80 : 3 x 10 min. - SkyWatcher 200/1000 - Clusters AstronoMike.net
M 45 - Pentax K-5 iso 80 = 3x10 min - Pollut° Lumin Maxi - Clusters - astronomy photos AstronoMike.net

.

It just sits between the first Noisy 3x10 min. version :
Pleiades M45 Pentax K5 geo444 Galleries Digital Photography Review

... and the last Electric Blue 6x10 min. version :
Pentax K5 M45 Pleiades geo444 Galleries Digital Photography Review

Please, tell me which one do you prefer ?

geo444, I like both

[geo444]

geo444, I like both

.
Thanks Rick ! Here is M-17 Omega Nebula
.


.

Messier-17 Omega Nebula in 1824 × 1280 pixel, taken through a Hazy Sky :
https://en.astronomike.net/1240578.jpg?20200309
... 2nd sub guiding failed !

Omega Nebula with its Datas here :
M-17 - Pentax K-5 iso 80 = 4 x 12 min - Pollution Lumin. Maxi :
M17 - Pentax K-5 iso 80 = 4 x12 min - Pollut° Lumi Max - Nebulae - Astronomy AstronoMike.net

That was shot through a Sky-Glow Neodymium Filter, not efficient enough !
Next time, I'll try the UHCs Filter, more able to extract the Nebula from Light Pollution...
dpreview/galleries/7467909648/photos/3227971/rosette-pentax-k5
... and increase Exposure duration up to 15~16 minutes...

Price to pay with an UHC Filter is that it's Very Difficult to use
Even after 17 min. Long Exposure, you can't see anything but Bright Stars :
https://www.cloudynights.com/gallery/sizes/32054-pk5lv-5-6/large/
- Pentax K-5 UHCs - ISO-80 = 1007 sec.(17 min.) F/4,7
M-51 is Way Brighter than M-17 in Blues-Greens !

How to do Astro-Photography with very little money :
Electro-Opto-Mechanical DIY to improve Pentax, Samsung cameras
a 100% free site, No cookies at all !

---

Last edited by geo444; 11-04-2020 at 10:52 AM.

[hsp-2007]

There has been no astrophotography thread for K-5 yet, so with your permission I'll start one. In forums without a specific forum for this kind of subject, I've seen a thread like this remain active for years. Let's see your K-5 sky photos, all kinds, including stars, planets, deep sky telescope objects, spacecraft, satellites, and atmospheric phenomena. Also advice, data, and ideas.

To start with, I want to post the data I took for the camera's built-in interval timer. It's a cool feature that the K-5 has the interval timer in the camera, so you can do without attaching an external one. In the menu, you can set the interval timer with a shutter interval, a total number of activations, and a time to begin the activations. The firmware acts like a finger pushing the shutter - that is, the interval you choose is the time between shutter activations, not the time from when the shutter last closed. That means, if the camera needs 1 second to process each shot, and you have the shutter open for 30s, you must set the interval to 31 seconds or more. That's because the camera must be ready for the next shot when the timer fires, or that shot will be skipped.

The issue is complicated by the Dark Frame Subtraction feature, DFS, which in the menu is called "Slow Shutter Speed NR". If DFS is on, after each shot the camera takes a reference frame with the shutter closed which is then processed with the image to remove hot pixels and other problems, at the cost of almost doubling the time per shot.

Using my K-5, I determined the minimum interval time for each of the long shutter times. Enter this value, or higher, into the interval time menu. Using too short a time will cause shutter activations to be skipped; using too long a time will unnecessarily waste time, and we don't want to do that if we are taking sky pictures. As you would expect, the values for DFS on are much higher than those with DFS off. You decide which you want to use.

Values in Bold are more efficient in time used, and have proportionally less dead time, than their neighbors. Use them if you can. For instance, 20s is a good choice for an exposure time - set the interval to 21s if you have DFS off, or 35s if you have DFS on.

Exp NoDFS DFSon
0.25 1. 1
0.30 1. 1
0.40 1. 1
0.50 1. 2
0.60 1. 2
0.80 2. 2
1.00 2. 3
1.30 2. 3
1.60 2. 4
2.00 3. 4
2.50 3. 5
3.00 4. 6
4.00 5. 9
5.00 6. 10
6.00 7. 12
8.00 9. 14
10.0 11 18
13.0 14 21
15.0 16 27
20.0 21 35
25.0 26 42
30.0 32 54


Some interval times are convenient divisors of an hour.
An interval of 6s gives 600 shots per hour.
An interval of 10s gives 360 shots per hour.
An interval of 12s gives 300 shots per hour.
An interval of 18s gives 200 shots per hour.
An interval of 36s gives 100 shots per hour.

Just putting this thread in my favorites, I wonder to get a shot from milky stars

[VoiceOfReason]

I had my K5 astro modded and it works very well for astrophotography.

[PhotosbyV]

Beautiful photo!
What sort of modifications did you make?

[VoiceOfReason]

I sent it to Kolari Vision to have the glass in front of the sensor replaced with some that allows Ha and Sii through. Basically gets a bit more of the red through.

[blues_hawk]

I sent it to Kolari Vision to have the glass in front of the sensor replaced with some that allows Ha and Sii through. Basically gets a bit more of the red through.

That's a terrific shot.

[blues_hawk]

I full spectrum modded my own K5 with good results. It stays on the scope full time so I wasn't concerned bout losing af. I use a uv/if filter that passes HA to limit any IR halo issues. This is last year's M42, and I think it was before the modifications. If I can get a break in the weather I hope to have one to compare with it.

Cheers!


TPO 150mm/f4 +GSO coma corrector
Pentax K5 iso200/600sec (I think)
Skywatcher Eq6r-pro /gso finder+asi120 autoguiding
Indi/ekos remote control
Siril/rawtherapee (foss ftw)

[VoiceOfReason]

Here's what happens with a Redcat and l-Enhance filter on an astro modded K5

[VoiceOfReason]

That's a terrific shot.

Thanks! I like your M42 too!