My first ever digital image

[Andy Mac]

This is my first attempt at digital imaging - and using a laptop - and using Noel Carboni's Astronomy Tools. Up until recently, all my images have been strictly with 35mm film - so this was like starting all over again.

I decided to go for an easy target so I could tell myself that I'd got a result with this whole new set up.

The object I was really after, Barnards Loop (which appeared in the original stack), had to be sacrificed to get rid of the vignetting that I encountered. There were also some strange red & green stars in the original shot which I assume is a pixel thingy (didn't take any dark frames which I may do next time). I have taken the lazy route here and 'de-saturated' them out.

Although I've lost Barnards Loop, you can still make out both the Flame and IC434 in this shot.

One thing that drove me mad with the laptop was the lack of a mouse. The way you move the cursor around with your finger is NOT for me. Hopefully the mouse I've ordered will arrive on Monday.

For this shot I used my AstroTrac camera platform, a modded 350D DSLR fitted with a 135mm lens set at f2.5 - and a stack of 12X5 minute exposures all of which were combined in DSS and touched up in PS - mainly using Noel's Astronomy Tools. The images were all filtered with my Lumicon Halpha filter, too.

The image has various faults which are really down to my cack-handed attempts at processing. But the more I practice and learn from others (I'm currently about halfway through Michael Covington's book on DSLR astro imaging), hopefully the better will be my results.

Anyway, for better or worse here is my result from last night. Firstly, a B/W version, followed by a colour version. I would have taken more subs but Orion was fast disappearing below the rooftops by around 9pm.

[starrdawg]

Looks good to me Andy. At least you have a useable sky to work with. ;D

I would like to use your setup if I can EVER sell my Meade SCT-200 scope.

Rottenchester is not the best place for serious observations.

[Andy Mac]

Thanks for the post, starrdawg. I was out again this evening for a couple of hours - this time using my AstroTrac unit with a 500mm telephoto lens. I didn't really spend enough time on polar alignment before the Orion nebula disappeared behind the rooftops - so as a result, the images are a bit trailed. I'm not going to process them on my first-ever laptop, though, until my new mouse arrives (should be tomorrow). Using a finger on an inbuilt sensor is not for me and was driving me NUTS!!

Storm-force winds forecast for the south-west of the UK with heavy rain for the rest of us. Not good!

[starrdawg]

Those notebook "track-pads" can be a real pain, as is the small size of the keys. Thats why I bought wireless keyboard/mouse sets for both of our notebooks.

Using wireless USB units lets you use them up to 3 meters from the display/notebook. Very handy when you sit in your lounge chair.

[Andy Mac]

The postman delivered my mouse this morning - and what a godsend it was! If I live to be a hundred, I shall never get used to that inbuilt track pad!

The other thing he delivered was a mains unit for the camera. With these DSLR's, the camera battery lasts about an hour before it has to be recharged. As someone who is used to using fully manual cameras with film, I found this to be a right pain! Anyway this unit is just what I need. It connects to the mains supply and you can then alter the voltage to your particular appliance (in this case, 7 volts). You then have a wide assortment of plugs to use with different equipment. This includes a 'dummy battery head' for my 350D - so that's one problem overcome.

Exposures only run a few minutes as you 'build up a stack' of images to combine together. This is a far cry from my film days when I would typically combine two exposures together, each typically lasting about an hour. Downside of this new method is that because the exposures are so short, I can't disappear back into a nice warm house for an hour or so while the film exposes. My new foldaway chair has a section in the arm for holding a nice mug of tea (or whatever takes your fancy!). I time my exposures in the dark with my talking watch and can view the heavens (or next door's bedroom window! ) in the meantime with my 10X50 binoculars. In the old days I would have to physically go to the camera to press the cable release and to wind the film on. With the DSLR, one can remain sat in the chair & use the remote control. ;D Just a pity it doesn't have the range to work from my house.

Anyway, the combination of the chair with built-in drinks holder, the remote control release and the talking watch to time exposures makes astro imaging a breeze. If anyone can think of any more gimmicks I could add, please post and let me know! ;D ;D

[Andy Mac]

A sign of old age is when you begin to feel the cold at night. To add to my talking watch, I have just ordered a pair of these heated gloves for added comfort. ;D

[Andy Mac]

Both the images in my original post look utter crap on my new laptop.

Now reproduced after further processing (colour version achieved by using Noel Carbon's Astro Tools (a plugin for Photoshop) - false Halpha function: