[skogpingvin]

What camera and tripod do you use?

Um, who were you asking?

Oh, and Uppsala? Awesome!

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Last edited by skogpingvin; 02-10-2016 at 03:36 AM. Reason: Wanted to add something.

[Sagitta]

I'l probably be seriously busting out the O-GPS in a few months time.

We're buying a house, and the new location is - while not perfecty dark - very dark as far as skies go for the average person (rural Maine for the win, here...).

The way the house sits, the backyard basically points due west, and is fairly open. If I get ambitious enough, darker skies are a quick (less than 20 minutes) car ride away as well. Granted, the eastern skies should be darker from the house, but thats doable as well as longa s I don't mind having the place show up in my shots.

Um, who were you asking?

Oh, and Uppsala? Awesome!

I asked you, but missed something in the tapatalk app.

Yes I live here. How come?

[skogpingvin]

This is my setup, a K3-II married to a Sigma 150-500 f/6.7 (I think), on a pretty heavy Manfrotto tripod. I use an electronic cable release giving me programmable interval shooting (which is very useful for stacking images later) but I'm not sure if I can lock the mirror up prior to taking a shot using the cable release. I'll have to fiddle with that. I also read (here, I think) a trick to make the tripod more stable by hanging a bucket from the head with a few bricks in it. I'll see if that is possible.

...and Uppsala, an old friend of mine (best man at our wedding 30 years ago) is a professor at the University there (he actually lives in Marielund). We lived in Bergen in Norway for three years and only got to visit him once - he tends to come down here a couple of times per year. But Uppsala is wonderful.

This is my setup, a K3-II married to a Sigma 150-500 f/6.7 (I think), on a pretty heavy Manfrotto tripod. I use an electronic cable release giving me programmable interval shooting (which is very useful for stacking images later) but I'm not sure if I can lock the mirror up prior to taking a shot using the cable release. I'll have to fiddle with that. I also read (here, I think) a trick to make the tripod more stable by hanging a bucket from the head with a few bricks in it. I'll see if that is possible.

...and Uppsala, an old friend of mine (best man at our wedding 30 years ago) is a professor at the University there (he actually lives in Marielund). We lived in Bergen in Norway for three years and only got to visit him once - he tends to come down here a couple of times per year. But Uppsala is wonderful.

Well it is a small world. Been shoooting som stars skies not far from Marielund as it is not as much light pollution being so close to Uppsala.

Your setup seems sturdy. Mirror lockup works fine on cable release with 2s timer. Do you use the astro tracer function?

[skogpingvin]

Well it is a small world. Been shoooting som stars skies not far from Marielund as it is not as much light pollution being so close to Uppsala.

Your setup seems sturdy. Mirror lockup works fine on cable release with 2s timer. Do you use the astro tracer function?

Yes I do, but I think I might give up trying to use the 500mm for deep sky shots, I've got a Meade LS6 (which is effectively a 1560mm f/10) which probably does a better job, combined with DeepSkyStacker

I'll be using the AstroTracer for wide angle shots, and I ordered a Pentax 10-17 from BH. The AstroTracer was the main reason I got the K3-II.

Yes I do, but I think I might give up trying to use the 500mm for deep sky shots, I've got a Meade LS6 (which is effectively a 1560mm f/10) which probably does a better job, combined with DeepSkyStacker

I'll be using the AstroTracer for wide angle shots, and I ordered a Pentax 10-17 from BH. The AstroTracer was the main reason I got the K3-II.

What is the fastest shutter speed you find useful and what dso have you tried to take a picture of?
I tried hard with my FA300*/4.5 and get mixed results. Sometimes 20s works fine on one frame, on the next it shows trails. And even on 5 s. Strange behavior. I doesnt seems to depend on the angle. I use the OGPS withPentax K5.

I shared some of them here.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=F737011014D7C7F!8441&authkey=!AP7jvre8...t=folder%2cjpg

[skogpingvin]

What is the fastest shutter speed you find useful and what dso have you tried to take a picture of?
I tried hard with my FA300*/4.5 and get mixed results. Sometimes 20s works fine on one frame, on the next it shows trails. And even on 5 s. Strange behavior. I doesnt seems to depend on the angle. I use the OGPS withPentax K5.

I shared some of them here.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=F737011014D7C7F!8441&authkey=!AP7jvre8...t=folder%2cjpg

I can't see trails on any of those photos, they look very very good. What's the last one - is it Andromeda? That's phenomenal! You can't see that from Australia.

There looks like there's a bit of noise there - do you use stacking software, like DeepSkyStacker? That will get rid of a lot of that for you.

I can't see trails on any of those photos, they look very very good. What's the last one - is it Andromeda? That's phenomenal! You can't see that from Australia.

There looks like there's a bit of noise there - do you use stacking software, like DeepSkyStacker? That will get rid of a lot of that for you.

Oh, thank you. It sure is Andromeda. It is amazing to see it after exposure. But you have lots of dso that arent visible here. It is processed in DSS but I found out yesterday that I did some errors. Next will be better.

Are you sure there are not any trails? One frame is OK but the other with same setting stars begin to move. Strange. Changing shutter speed to 5 or 10s did not help. But suddenly doing some 30s test made it better on 20s afterwards.

[snimcho]

I read that interesting thread I confirm that O-GPS1 can't make all shots perfect but it is good enough for me) Here are links to my pictures from last year:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21721896672/in/album-72157658702873815/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21545146219/in/album-72157658702873815/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21545152319/in/album-72157658702873815/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21275865549/in/album-72157658702873815/

I had the chance to see Andromeda twice. Once near the city and the second time in the mountains. Dark clear sky is essential for these kind of pictures.
Also the answer of the question how long I can expose with the astrotracer is quite simple... and the answer is: prepare the setup, do a couple of tests and check what works in your case. It includes your lens FL, your sensor capabilities and your angle. It will take less than 10 minutes. Of course, you need first to read the astrotracer manual. Atleast, to be able to calibrate it as a beginning Then stack pictures if you need and I'm sure that everyone can get nice and clear pictures of the sky with O-GPS1

In some cases you even don't need a tracking system. For example that picture is made with Olympus e-p5 on 14mm wide open, 20s, stacked:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21544160018/in/album-72157658702873815/

Ragards

[skogpingvin]

Again, better shots than I'm getting with 500mm. I've got a new 10-17 fisheye now, but the shies are cloudy here at the moment. No astronomy plus no birdwatching = frustration!!

[Sagitta]

Ran out to the new-to-us house yesterday (we have electric! Yay!) and stopped short looking skywards.

I have some seriously dark skies out there. I'll definitely be dusting the astrotracer off to see what I can do with it. Not having to actually drive or hike anywhere to use the thing? Yes, please!

[skogpingvin]

Ran out to the new-to-us house yesterday (we have electric! Yay!) and stopped short looking skywards.

I have some seriously dark skies out there. I'll definitely be dusting the astrotracer off to see what I can do with it. Not having to actually drive or hike anywhere to use the thing? Yes, please!

Jealous? Me?

Yes...

[Aaron28]

Jealous? Me?

ditto

I read that interesting thread I confirm that O-GPS1 can't make all shots perfect but it is good enough for me) Here are links to my pictures from last year:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21721896672/in/album-72157658702873815/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21545146219/in/album-72157658702873815/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21545152319/in/album-72157658702873815/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21275865549/in/album-72157658702873815/

I had the chance to see Andromeda twice. Once near the city and the second time in the mountains. Dark clear sky is essential for these kind of pictures.
Also the answer of the question how long I can expose with the astrotracer is quite simple... and the answer is: prepare the setup, do a couple of tests and check what works in your case. It includes your lens FL, your sensor capabilities and your angle. It will take less than 10 minutes. Of course, you need first to read the astrotracer manual. Atleast, to be able to calibrate it as a beginning Then stack pictures if you need and I'm sure that everyone can get nice and clear pictures of the sky with O-GPS1

In some cases you even don't need a tracking system. For example that picture is made with Olympus e-p5 on 14mm wide open, 20s, stacked:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/snimcho/21544160018/in/album-72157658702873815/

Ragards

That is amazing shots. How long is the exposure time? How many frames?