[SKYGZR]

This is what can be accomplished with experience (time invested.) Normally, I use a "modded" Canon 500D (T1i) for doing astro work, yet wanted to produce something with my un-modded K5ii. Did use an Astronomics CLS filter (2" screw on), that was attached to a coma corrector. An 8" f/4 Schmidt-Newtonian was the "lens". The mount/scope were also guided using a seperate mini-scope and guide camera. This is numerous images from various exposure times (10) @ 90s & (10) @ 180s @800iso w/the best 70% "stacked" together. The core has been layered over using shorter exposure times. A "synthetic" luminance (grayscale) layer was also used to enhance some of the details. Manually focused on a bright star, using the live view "zooming" function.

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Last edited by SKYGZR; 10-30-2016 at 12:05 PM.

[Class A]

This is what can be accomplished with experience (time invested.) Normally, I use a "modded" Canon 500D (T1i) for doing astro work, yet wanted to produce something with my un-modded K5ii.

Great stuff!

Thanks for sharing.

Are the halos artefacts or real?

[SKYGZR]

The circular "halos" (like the one to the right) are "real" as they happen with this optical design (esp; on bright stars). I could have tried to brush/sponge them out, yet left them for "appeal".

[Aaron28]

magnificent!

[Class A]

The circular "halos" (like the one to the right) are "real" as they happen with this optical design (esp; on bright stars). I could have tried to brush/sponge them out, yet left them for "appeal".

That's what I thought, thanks for confirming!

I would have left it untouched myself as I agree, they have great appeal.

[Pete_XL]

This is my version of Orion Nebula M42 M43 and Running Man Nebula (NGC 1977). Stacked from about 30 shots of 25 secs at ISO 1000 with K5, O-GPS1 and a Sigma 2.8 70-300 mm EX OS at 200 mm and F2.8.

Next time I will close the aperture more, screw ISO higher, shorten exposure time and do more photos to get a sharper result.

Stacking was done with DeepSkyStacker and final PP with Photoshop , mainly iterative tweaking of levels & curves. Finally I used frequency separation technique in Photoshop to have more control on the background without affecting the structures within the objects.

[geomez]

This is what can be accomplished with experience (time invested.) Normally, I use a "modded" Canon 500D (T1i) for doing astro work, yet wanted to produce something with my un-modded K5ii. Did use an Astronomics CLS filter (2" screw on), that was attached to a coma corrector. An 8" f/4 Schmidt-Newtonian was the "lens". The mount/scope were also guided using a seperate mini-scope and guide camera. This is numerous images from various exposure times (10) @ 90s & (10) @ 180s @800iso w/the best 70% "stacked" together. The core has been layered over using shorter exposure times. A "synthetic" luminance (grayscale) layer was also used to enhance some of the details. Manually focused on a bright star, using the live view "zooming" function.

You're blowing my mind right now.

[fs999]

Wonderful shot SKYGZR !

Nice shot Pete_XL ! Thank you for the advice ! Is this a cropped shot ?

[Aaron28]

nice shot pete! kewl beans that it were done wit the o-gps! yes!

[wigley891]

I've been doing astrophotography with a K5 for a while.just recently got a K5IIs that I'll be using going forward.


The main page of www.starsabove.net has the M63 shot I did a couple of weeks ago with the K5IIs. It was 24 x 10 minutes @ ISO 80 for a total of 4 hours. The mount was guided using PHD2 guiding and a Meade DSI pro. The M63 frames on that were stacked using Deep Sky Stacker and then processed using PixInsight. I shoot that low ISO long since the noise is so low.


The DSLR gallery has stuff that was also done by some of the other guys in our group but most are mine. There are that most recent one with the K5IIs, some with the K5, and some older ones done with a K100D.

[wigley891]

Oh, I forgot to mention that M63 was through a AT6RC scope.

[Pete_XL]

Wonderful shot SKYGZR !

Nice shot Pete_XL ! Thank you for the advice ! Is this a cropped shot ?

Thank you! Yes ist was cropped. I used 2 x drizzle in Deepskystacker and the cropped (a bit too much...)

Yesterday we had a clear sky her in Westfalia. The following picture of M51 Whirlpool Galaxy ist the smallest and darkest object I think I can reasonably catch with my K5 and equipment. Nevertheless, since it was made in my backyard under a lightpolluted sky I like it anyway.


(76 shots per 15 secs with K5, O-GPS1, Sigma 70-200 mm, at 200 mm, ISO 3200, F3.5, Deepstystacker with 3x drizzle)



---------- Post added 04-16-15 at 18:56 ----------

By the way......I loaded the pictures of the last O-GPS1-session with M51 into Geosetter.


And there you see, what the limitations of the system are. The declination and the gps coordinates vary heavily. Standpoint drifts about 15 meters. Though you have to subtract some degrees of variation because I followed the galaxie you see that the declination shifts from picture to picture (see transparant area that represents the field of view at 200 mm focal length). I fear that the inclination angle varies too. That is why I get startrails exposing longer than 15 seconds at 200 mm.


But: O-GPS1 gives me about 10 x more exposure time and that is why I love it!

[SKYGZR]

@Pete-XL...Focusing is one of the most difficult issues...esp; when using a regular lens. Have you tried selecting a bright star, then zooming into 10x w/live view? Setting the focus @ infinity is usually not correct, need to "back it off" a tad. Each of your images suffer from this, as well as some "trailing", probably due to the inaccuracies of the O-GPS1.

@ wigley891..your colors came out well, and show nice details as well as your others...I might have to invest in pixinsight someday

[Pete_XL]

@SKYGZR.....Yes I always focus the best I can by pointing at a star and using 10x live view to get the best focus manually. Better results are not achievable with my equipment I fear.


Sharpness is also a question of crop and magnification. For example the M51 picture has a very narrow field of view of only 2.3 x 1.52 deg after using 3 x drizzle of the stacking software. I wonder if anyone can produce pinpoint stars with that field of view and the relatively wide aperture for dark objects with K5 and O-GPS1. I have tried older but good prime lenses with no better results. Perhaps less crop and magnification is more (at least for bigger DSOs).

[JimmyDranox]

For focusing try a Bahtinov Mask. You can find different sizes in astronomy stores. It's the best way to achieve focus on stars.