K-5 For Astrophotography

maxxxx · 01-17-2015, 02:29 PM

Originally posted by Eric Seavey

You take a photo of the subject, and then you move the camera a little such that there are vey few stars in the frame. Then you unfocus the camera and take a photo. In photoshop you take the blurry image and add it as a layer and select difference to reduce the light pollution.

Thanks! I'll try that tonight.

JimmyDranox · 01-17-2015, 04:17 PM

Originally posted by Eric Seavey

You take a photo of the subject, and then you move the camera a little such that there are vey few stars in the frame. Then you unfocus the camera and take a photo. In photoshop you take the blurry image and add it as a layer and select difference to reduce the light pollution.

Very interesting.

I don't do astrophoto, but I have some friends who does. And two years ago, I thought if that something alike can be done, photographing the sky with a Sodium pass filter, and a Mercury pass filter, and than extracting the light pollution in Sodium and Mercury, exactly in the same way you did.

I didn't have those filters to try this, but I still think it can be done.

seti_v2 · 01-20-2015, 07:27 AM

Work In Progress. Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33 in IC 434). Only got 7 x 1200" exposures before having difficulties. I plan on capturing much more data.

Celestron C8, 7nm H-alpha filter, modified Pentax k5 ISO800 all mounted and guided on NEQ6 mount.

seti_v2 · 01-21-2015, 09:18 AM - **1 Like**

Completed my horsehead in HaRGB. 11x1200" in h-alpha and 13x120" in RGB

HaRGB

Just Ha

**fs999** · 01-21-2015, 11:41 AM

Wonderful shots Seti ! HaRGB is my prefered.

How is it that the haRGB, with approx. 10x less light, has the same amount of details ?

seti_v2 · 01-21-2015, 05:52 PM

Originally posted by fs999

Wonderful shots Seti ! HaRGB is my prefered.

How is it that the haRGB, with approx. 10x less light, has the same amount of details ?

You use the Ha image for luminance and combine it with the RGB data for color. So the HaRGB image has all data from ha and rgb

SirTomster · 03-15-2015, 10:30 AM

Cannot let this thread drop of the first page of K5 so adding an album I am working on. I learned a new way to do post and trying it out with some photos I took last year at Mirror Lake Utah.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/24037406@N02/sets/72157651361815211/

All done on Pentax K5 with a Rokinon 14mm F2.8 Lens. All shots 30 seconds @ ISO 6400.

gatorguy · 03-15-2015, 10:56 AM

Originally posted by SirTomster

Cannot let this thread drop of the first page of K5 so adding an album I am working on. I learned a new way to do post and trying it out with some photos I took last year at Mirror Lake Utah.

All done on Pentax K5 with a Rokinon 14mm F2.8 Lens. All shots 30 seconds @ ISO 6400.

Very nice! What PP software and/or technique?

SirTomster · 03-15-2015, 11:07 AM

Originally posted by gatorguy

Very nice! What PP software and/or technique?

Photoshop and Adobe Camera Raw.

I did some basic edits in ACR then brought it into Photoshop. There I separated out the foreground and the background and applied curves. Just curves.

I learned it from a Photographer named Royce Bair. His blog is here: Into The Night Photography

He has a post on curves here; Into The Night Photography: View of the Milky Way with Your Naked Eye

I actually learned the steps by taking a class he had here in Salt Lake yesterday. He also has an ebook coming out in a month or so with the steps as well.

JimmyDranox · 03-15-2015, 11:20 AM

Superb shots. Thanks for this link.

SirTomster · 03-15-2015, 11:52 AM

Originally posted by JimmyDranox

Superb shots. Thanks for this link.

Thanks. I have some 11X14 & 12X18 prints being done @ Costco. Picking them up in the next hour. Excited and scared to see how they look printed. I never printed anything at these sizes but decided to try it with these shots.

y0chang · 03-16-2015, 08:42 PM - **1 Like**

Orion Nebula, Pentax K-5, ISO 3200, 30 sec, DA 55-300mm at 300mm/
f 5.8 with Pentax O-GPS1 Astrotracer. You can see a bit of trailing, I got an even better calibration later on in the night, but then the clouds rolled in.

SirTomster · 03-17-2015, 08:18 AM

Originally posted by y0chang

Orion Nebula, Pentax K-5, ISO 3200, 30 sec, DA 55-300mm at 300mm/
f 5.8 with Pentax O-GPS1 Astrotracer. You can see a bit of trailing, I got an even better calibration later on in the night, but then the clouds rolled in.

Awesome. Wow I did not know you could get something like that without a telescope. Hmm I have the O-GPS1. I have a 150-500mm lens. I need to go play!

**fs999** · 03-17-2015, 08:23 AM

Nice shot y0chang !

**Eric Seavey** · 04-07-2015, 10:35 PM

I did a test shot of the M42 from my parking lot early this year. I will try again next year in a dark location.

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01-17-2015, 02:29 PM	#751
maxxxx Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 385	Originally posted by Eric Seavey You take a photo of the subject, and then you move the camera a little such that there are vey few stars in the frame. Then you unfocus the camera and take a photo. In photoshop you take the blurry image and add it as a layer and select difference to reduce the light pollution. Thanks! I'll try that tonight.

01-17-2015, 04:17 PM	#752
JimmyDranox Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Ploiesti, Romania Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,632	Originally posted by Eric Seavey You take a photo of the subject, and then you move the camera a little such that there are vey few stars in the frame. Then you unfocus the camera and take a photo. In photoshop you take the blurry image and add it as a layer and select difference to reduce the light pollution. Very interesting. I don't do astrophoto, but I have some friends who does. And two years ago, I thought if that something alike can be done, photographing the sky with a Sodium pass filter, and a Mercury pass filter, and than extracting the light pollution in Sodium and Mercury, exactly in the same way you did. I didn't have those filters to try this, but I still think it can be done.

01-20-2015, 07:27 AM	#753
seti_v2 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 59	Work In Progress. Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33 in IC 434). Only got 7 x 1200" exposures before having difficulties. I plan on capturing much more data. Celestron C8, 7nm H-alpha filter, modified Pentax k5 ISO800 all mounted and guided on NEQ6 mount.

01-21-2015, 09:18 AM - 1 Like	#754
seti_v2 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 59	Completed my horsehead in HaRGB. 11x1200" in h-alpha and 13x120" in RGB HaRGB Just Ha

01-21-2015, 11:41 AM	#755
fs999 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Luxembourg Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,638	Wonderful shots Seti ! HaRGB is my prefered. How is it that the haRGB, with approx. 10x less light, has the same amount of details ?

01-21-2015, 05:52 PM	#756
seti_v2 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 59	Originally posted by fs999 Wonderful shots Seti ! HaRGB is my prefered. How is it that the haRGB, with approx. 10x less light, has the same amount of details ? You use the Ha image for luminance and combine it with the RGB data for color. So the HaRGB image has all data from ha and rgb

03-15-2015, 10:30 AM	#757
SirTomster Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 416	Cannot let this thread drop of the first page of K5 so adding an album I am working on. I learned a new way to do post and trying it out with some photos I took last year at Mirror Lake Utah. https://www.flickr.com/photos/24037406@N02/sets/72157651361815211/ All done on Pentax K5 with a Rokinon 14mm F2.8 Lens. All shots 30 seconds @ ISO 6400.

03-15-2015, 10:56 AM	#758
gatorguy Moderator Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,092	Originally posted by SirTomster Cannot let this thread drop of the first page of K5 so adding an album I am working on. I learned a new way to do post and trying it out with some photos I took last year at Mirror Lake Utah. All done on Pentax K5 with a Rokinon 14mm F2.8 Lens. All shots 30 seconds @ ISO 6400. Very nice! What PP software and/or technique?

03-15-2015, 11:07 AM	#759
SirTomster Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 416	Originally posted by gatorguy Very nice! What PP software and/or technique? Photoshop and Adobe Camera Raw. I did some basic edits in ACR then brought it into Photoshop. There I separated out the foreground and the background and applied curves. Just curves. I learned it from a Photographer named Royce Bair. His blog is here: Into The Night Photography He has a post on curves here; Into The Night Photography: View of the Milky Way with Your Naked Eye I actually learned the steps by taking a class he had here in Salt Lake yesterday. He also has an ebook coming out in a month or so with the steps as well.

03-15-2015, 11:20 AM	#760
JimmyDranox Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Ploiesti, Romania Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,632	Superb shots. Thanks for this link.

03-15-2015, 11:52 AM	#761
SirTomster Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 416	Originally posted by JimmyDranox Superb shots. Thanks for this link. Thanks. I have some 11X14 & 12X18 prints being done @ Costco. Picking them up in the next hour. Excited and scared to see how they look printed. I never printed anything at these sizes but decided to try it with these shots.

03-17-2015, 08:18 AM	#763
SirTomster Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 416	Originally posted by y0chang Orion Nebula, Pentax K-5, ISO 3200, 30 sec, DA 55-300mm at 300mm/ f 5.8 with Pentax O-GPS1 Astrotracer. You can see a bit of trailing, I got an even better calibration later on in the night, but then the clouds rolled in. Awesome. Wow I did not know you could get something like that without a telescope. Hmm I have the O-GPS1. I have a 150-500mm lens. I need to go play!

03-17-2015, 08:23 AM	#764
fs999 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Luxembourg Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,638	Nice shot y0chang !