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11-07-2011, 02:42 AM   #1951
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QuoteOriginally posted by BlackRockBacon Quote
great images everyone! This thread is always an interesting way to kill some time.




From a photo walk earlier.

Due to my lack of Grad NDs I exposed for the sky, and recovered quite a bit of data from the shadows.
Very nice.. love the subtle tones. Thanks.

PS: After looking at this some more I have to congratulate you. The purplish tones in the clouds mirror the harsh brush at the bottom and the yellow sky contrasts with that purple and grey so well.. it's great to see a picture so understated and yet perfect as well..

Thank god you didn't use a graduated ND filter. That would have destroyed the entire form of the work as they're always visible as an overlaid effect.

cheers
Steve

11-07-2011, 02:44 AM   #1952
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QuoteOriginally posted by bossa Quote
Wow! fantastic.... Those AstroTracs are pretty pricey but seem to do the job.

Is the Sigma the original 70-200 or one of the HSM varieties? I'm also shocked at how well the lens did in this.
Thank you so much!!! This is the APO HSM. I'm still fairly new to this and this is the most high-tech lens I have now. I just got this lens and it is AMAZING for what I do. I was using a Quantaray 70-300 before. Now I see why people pay crazy prices for lenses. The difference is VERY clear. I think so many people would be amazed if they would just point there lenses UP every now and then. Oh yeah, and the AstroTrac has been the best investment I've made in quite some time. I have a telescope but no motor-drive for the mount. Plus I wanted something the was easily portable. I got tired of viewing faint green blobs of light and decided to do just astrophotography. Now I'm reading about stacking photos and that whole process so...hopefully there will be many more pictures to come. I joined this site to learn and share so when anybody has knowledge to share, please DO!

Semper Fi!
Josh
11-07-2011, 02:51 AM   #1953
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The Feather.

My K5 and a 30 year old Ricoh XR 50 F/1.7 lens. The resolution is a killer and I'm shocked that I just found it on my mum's old camera and she told me to keep it.

Name:  The Feather.jpg
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11-07-2011, 02:58 AM   #1954
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Well done.

QuoteOriginally posted by GWARmachine Quote
Thank you so much!!! This is the APO HSM. I'm still fairly new to this and this is the most high-tech lens I have now. I just got this lens and it is AMAZING for what I do. I was using a Quantaray 70-300 before. Now I see why people pay crazy prices for lenses. The difference is VERY clear. I think so many people would be amazed if they would just point there lenses UP every now and then. Oh yeah, and the AstroTrac has been the best investment I've made in quite some time. I have a telescope but no motor-drive for the mount. Plus I wanted something the was easily portable. I got tired of viewing faint green blobs of light and decided to do just astrophotography. Now I'm reading about stacking photos and that whole process so...hopefully there will be many more pictures to come. I joined this site to learn and share so when anybody has knowledge to share, please DO!

Semper Fi!
Josh
Hi Josh,

Well done mate. So the lens is not an HSM II but just the 1st HSM? I'm starting to wish I'd kept mine frankly as I've been spiraling out of control with LBA or GAS (as we muso's call it) ever since. I'll be buying a GPS1 soon I feel but I'm not sure how it's accuracy compares to the AstroTrac. It would probably be simpler to use as there's no physical tracking by the camera body on a mount but only the sensor is doing the tracking.

cheers
Steve


Last edited by bossa; 11-07-2011 at 03:06 AM.
11-07-2011, 03:13 AM   #1955
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Thank you.

QuoteOriginally posted by bossa Quote
Hi Josh,

Well done mate. So the lens is not an HSM II but just the 1st HSM? I'm starting to wish I'd kept mine frankly as I've been spiraling out of control with LBA or GAS (as we muso's call it) ever since. I'll be buying a GPS1 soon I feel. I'm not sure how it's accuracy compares to the AstroTrac but it would probably be simpler to use as there's no physical tracking by the camera body on a mount but only the sensor is doing the tracking.

cheers
Steve
Thanks again! I believe this is the HSM II. There is a 'II' on the box. Like I said, I'm fairly new to the high-tech lenses but I know this thing is super fast and quiet focusing (even though it doesn't help at for astropics). PLEEEASE let me know about the GPS unit if or when you get it. I just learned about that particular piece of gear about a week ago. I had no idea Pentax made anything like that. I wonder if you could combine the AstroTrac WITH the GPS unit and achieve superior tracking! Sounds like a good idea to me...kinda. I have more astro-pics in my photo album and I started an astrophotography 'Group' on here as well.

Josh

(What is LBA?)
11-07-2011, 03:42 AM   #1956
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QuoteOriginally posted by GWARmachine Quote
Thanks again! I believe this is the HSM II. There is a 'II' on the box. Like I said, I'm fairly new to the high-tech lenses but I know this thing is super fast and quiet focusing (even though it doesn't help at for astropics). PLEEEASE let me know about the GPS unit if or when you get it. I just learned about that particular piece of gear about a week ago. I had no idea Pentax made anything like that. I wonder if you could combine the AstroTrac WITH the GPS unit and achieve superior tracking! Sounds like a good idea to me...kinda. I have more astro-pics in my photo album and I started an astrophotography 'Group' on here as well.

Josh

(What is LBA?)
Hi Josh,

I don't think the AstroTrac could work with the GSP1 because both would be trying to track the stars independently. I imagine (not sure) that the GPS unit would be moving the sensor based on some algorithm that factors in it's position on the Earth's surface combined with it's orientation in relation to the GPS satellite system.. As such, I can't imagine that the GPS unit is actually 'tracking' the stars but merely has that effect. If that's the case then the AstrTrac would probably null any of the GPS unit's hard work and you'd be back to star trails again.

Just my surmising.

Cheers

Last edited by bossa; 11-07-2011 at 03:47 AM.
11-07-2011, 06:42 AM   #1957
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Nice results GWARmachine

Is it possible to get picture in original resolution (via PM or email) or crop of the center and one corner to evaluate how good is astrotracker?
I'm currently deciding what to buy, astrotracker or equatorial mount for my images.

This is my best result on cheap equatorial mount that limited my exposure time to 30 sec.



11-07-2011, 06:56 AM   #1958
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Uploading here drastically dilutes the resolution of the files. Some people know how to convert their files for upload though and judging by how good they look online the originals must be startlingly good. Your picture of Taurus is very nice however but it would have been great to capture the nebulosity surrounding the Pleiades. A single 30 sec' exposure won't cut it for that though and so most people are now stacking seperate exposures using special software. Stacking short exposures and using the O-GPS1 or your equatorial mount would definitely work though. People take 30 exposures at times and stack them to get the final image.
11-07-2011, 06:58 AM   #1959
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Same feather...

..after some experimentation in LR3:

Name:  The Feather-7.jpg
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11-07-2011, 07:06 AM   #1960
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When viewed in original resolution on flicker hints of nebulosity around the Pleiades can be seen. Image was made from stack of 50 30sec exposure, at ISO3200 and f/4, but even with that many exposure stacked I can't get nebulosity out without too much noise getting in the way. I know the technique to capture reasonably good astrophoto, but I don't have tools :/
I'm interested in astrotracker cause it has more potential usage than dedicated EQ mount, but I want to be sure that astrotracker is doing good job.
11-07-2011, 07:32 AM   #1961
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Sorry, I assumed it was one exposure. There's an Astro-Photography thread on here where people discuss these techniques. perhaps you could join in?

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/113178-astrophotography.html

Cheers
11-07-2011, 07:33 AM   #1962
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Feather me Blind.

Another version of that 1st Feather pic:

Name:  The Feather-8.jpg
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Last edited by bossa; 11-07-2011 at 07:34 AM. Reason: Forgot to attach a picture.
11-07-2011, 07:37 AM   #1963
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QuoteOriginally posted by bossa Quote
Sorry, I assumed it was one exposure. There's an Astro-Photography thread on here where people discuss these techniques. perhaps you could join in?

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/113178-astrophotography.html

Cheers
Oh, I didn't know for that thread. Thanks
11-08-2011, 08:40 AM   #1964
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Love it!

QuoteOriginally posted by Acheron Quote
Oh, I didn't know for that thread. Thanks
I started a 'Group' on here for astrophotography as well. Please share your thoughts and pictures there too. Great shot by the way. The weather has been so terrible here.

I absolutely love the AstroTrac. It's extremely accurate and portable. Thats the most important part to me because I'm currently living in Japan and have to travel to get to dark skies. I've only got to use it a few times so I'm still getting used to accurately polar aligning the set-up. Check out my album on here. Any errors are currently due to my lack of knowledge and experience, which I'm surely not afraid to admit. Of course that's the whole reason I'm here, TO LEARN! (especially about stacking)
11-09-2011, 07:33 AM   #1965
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For the first time for me, I made use of the multiple exposure feature on the K-5 because I didn't bring my ND filter with me. I didn't really need the ND to make the turbulent crashing waves look smooth. Cool feature to have!

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