[SunValley]

Here are my attempts at Comet Lovejoy. I used the FA50 1.4 with almost the same settings as Sunvalley, but I have no tracking device, so my exp. was about 8sec, F2.2, iso1600 with a K-30. I was surprised how easy it showed up in my first shot.



Then I tried the Auto Sears 300mm 5.6 prime. Again with no tracking, my exp. was about 5sec at iso 10000, F5.6

Wow! That's only one 8s shot? You should try stacking. The freeware DeepSky Stacker will allow you to stack multiple images of the same star field so you get a clearer image of the comet. 8s is probably the best time for the 50 mm. Try stacking 30 to 60 of those frames. ... or get an O-GPS1 and stack multiple 60 to 90s shots!

[Kendigitize]

Wow! That's only one 8s shot? You should try stacking. The freeware DeepSky Stacker will allow you to stack multiple images of the same star field so you get a clearer image of the comet. 8s is probably the best time for the 50 mm. Try stacking 30 to 60 of those frames. ... or get an O-GPS1 and stack multiple 60 to 90s shots!

I will look for that software right now. I have hundreds of shots from previous meteor showers that I've done in Startrails, but that sotfware sounds exactly like what I need. It gets pretty dark out here in the desert, so I think that's why I get such good results with no light pollution. I want the O-GPS1 someday when I have more $$$. It's well worth it.

Ok, so it only took a few min to get the software set up and I had 12 shots with the 50mm that I could stack. WOW! What a differance. Thanks so much for you advise. I'm going to do a hundred or so shots tonight and then maybe try to get the winter milkyway with my Rokinon 16mm f2. around midnight.

Here my first try at stacking them:

[Stone G.]

A lens that is fine enough to do astro images AND close focusing/macro images and for under $100 is a no-brainer! The "slowness" of the lens is less of an issue with the high-ISO performance of today's Pentax also! (My 54B will be here in a couple of days. I found it for $79/shipped!)

Congratulations cheekygeek,

True, I have been using this lens a lot for Lunar and Solar photography (together with a 2X Tamron SP teleconverter to which the Model 54B responds very well) - but not so much for starfields and deep-sky, because my favourite 300'is lens here is my Tamron catadioptric 350mm f/5.6 Model 06B - it is a hazzle to focus focus properly, but it is just sooo wonderfully free of any abberations.

In fact, I had to go back to 2012 to find some test images just after I received my O-GPS1. I have now done some stacking (never came to it back then) and found, that the Model 54B may indeed have its place in my future arsenal for certain deep-sky photography too. A few samples:


Orions Sword. 5 Images stacked in DSS: 15 sec. at f/5.6 and ISO 1600.


M13 in Hercules. 19 images stacked in DSS: 25sec. at f/5.6 and ISO 1600


Pleiades. 35 images stacked in DSS: 20 sec. at f/f.56 and ISO 3200

All images taken with my Pentax K-5.

The lens does produce some fringing, typical for many photographic lenses, around the brighter stars, but this is easily manageable in post-processing.

Enjoy you Model 54B when it arrives cheekygeek!

[loco]

OK, you guys inspired me to go out in the cold tonight and attempt to capture Comet Lovejoy. This is 11 frames stacked in Deep Sky Stacker with one dark frame. These are 10 second exposures at ISO 16000 taken with the K-30 and DA* 300 lens at f/4.5 (I think). The tail is just barely visible.

[SunValley]

I will look for that software right now. I have hundreds of shots from previous meteor showers that I've done in Startrails, but that sotfware sounds exactly like what I need. It gets pretty dark out here in the desert, so I think that's why I get such good results with no light pollution. I want the O-GPS1 someday when I have more $$$. It's well worth it.

Ok, so it only took a few min to get the software set up and I had 12 shots with the 50mm that I could stack. WOW! What a differance. Thanks so much for you advise. I'm going to do a hundred or so shots tonight and then maybe try to get the winter milkyway with my Rokinon 16mm f2. around midnight.

Here my first try at stacking them:

Looking forward to seeing those shots! The Rokinon should do great. You can expose for 25 s and get the same trails as 8 s with the 50.

---------- Post added 01-16-15 at 10:11 PM ----------

OK, you guys inspired me to go out in the cold tonight and attempt to capture Comet Lovejoy. This is 11 frames stacked in Deep Sky Stacker with one dark frame. These are 10 second exposures at ISO 16000 taken with the K-30 and DA* 300 lens at f/4.5 (I think). The tail is just barely visible.

That is remarkable! Thanks for sharing. Lots of details in the tail too.

[Kendigitize]

Here are my shots using the DeepSky Stacker software for the first time. I'm starting to get the idea of how it works.

This is with the Rokinon 16mm F2:


These are with a Takumar 135 F2.5. 4 sec exp, ISO2500 F2.8;

[loco]

Nice job, Kendigitize! It's fun to experiment with it. Sometimes I find the hardest part getting the object in the frame! lol

[Paul Evans]

Hi chaps, I'm just getting into this Astrophotography business, started out with a Haig mount and soon found limitations of that with longer telephoto lenses. So graduated to a motorised Skywatcher EQ5 with PC control, on which I have a K5 with DA300 and a 1.4TC.
I'm working from the eastern side of Manchester here in UK, so reasonably light polluted. This is my first serious effort with the new kit - 40 exposures of 2 mins each, plus darks and flats, stacked in DSS and finished off in Lightroom.
Hints and tips welcome...

Paul

[loco]

Gorgeous shot of these! Can really see the swirls in the galaxy (M31, I assume?). Nice work. I wish I had a motorized mount of some kind, but my telescope is a Dob so I can't really do any tracking.

[SKYGZR]

Targets are M81 & M82 near Ursa Major

[loco]

Targets are M81 & M82 near Ursa Major

Thanks!

[Obin Robinson]

I did an equipment test tonight to check the "worst case" situation with the Pentax K-3. I shot RAW images but this is a stack of JPGs. No darks, no flats, no bias frames. This is the Deepskystacker Live output with no tweaking in any astrophotography software. The target was Comet Lovejoy and I limited the exposures to 10 seconds long and did not autoguide the mount. That would simulate my laptop battery dying in the field. I am really happy with the results. I think the K-3 performed beautifully.


obin

[Kendigitize]

I did an equipment test tonight to check the "worst case" situation with the Pentax K-3. I shot RAW images but this is a stack of JPGs. No darks, no flats, no bias frames. This is the Deepskystacker Live output with no tweaking in any astrophotography software. The target was Comet Lovejoy and I limited the exposures to 10 seconds long and did not autoguide the mount. That would simulate my laptop battery dying in the field. I am really happy with the results. I think the K-3 performed beautifully.


obin

Nice! What lens was this with?

[Obin Robinson]

Nice! What lens was this with?

I used my Celestron 80ED doublet apochromatic telescope with GSO dual-speed 2" focuser. The camera was attached using a Hotech SCA T-adapter which I find is superior to other methods. Even though the telescope is a doublet I still use my William Optics minus violet filter. Here's a photo of my gear as I was getting the telescope acclimated before the session. The camera doesn't go outside until it's time to balance the telescope and focus with the Bahtinov mask.





I didn't even use the autoguider as this session was a test to see how the K-3 did with the comet in a 'worst case' scenario. The ST80 in the background is my spotter for finding the objects I am going to photograph.


obin

[zzeitg]

Some very nice shots in this thread!!!


But one thing still not clear to me. I read that with O-GPS1 the tracking time could be up to 5 minutes. Is this time not long enough to be able to produce a proper shot? I mean is stacking a must for astrophotography?