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Further experiments with a DSLR


fwm891

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I've been imaging with an unmodified DSLR (Nikon full frame) recently to try and get better colour and less noise - seems to be pointing towards more and more subs. I've limited myself to 300s @ 800 iso for individual subs. Going longer didn't give me a lot more with the dslr unlike going longer with a cooled camera.


I like the colouration with an unmodified camera rather than the heavy red sometimes found with a modified body.


This is a stack of 18 x 300s subs taken over a couple of nights.


Camera set to 'daylight', manual settings via DSUSB shutter controller and captured direct to pc.


 


Processed in PI and PS-CS3


 


Rosette-18x300sDSLR_zps30795f95.png


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I do like the subtle colours Francis but cannot help wondering that with an image that good how much more was filtered out..


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I do like the subtle colours Francis but cannot help wondering that with an image that good how much more was filtered out..

 

Quite a bit Graham, The blacks have clipped a bit and the upload has increased the contrast somewhat. Lost some of its subtlety somewhere along the road and gained some strong magenta's...

 

Try a reprocess at some stage.

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Francis,


Very impressive and shows just what can be done with an unmodded DSLR, but I think it says even more about your processing.


I'm only just starting to get to tackle processing and if I can even get close to these results then I'll be happy.


I've got PS-CS3 but I don't think I can justify the price of PI at the moment.


 


Interesting that the camera WB was set to Daylight, I assume you were you capturing in jpg and have you tried with RAW (or the Nikon equivalent).


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Francis,

Very impressive and shows just what can be done with an unmodded DSLR, but I think it says even more about your processing.

I'm only just starting to get to tackle processing and if I can even get close to these results then I'll be happy.

I've got PS-CS3 but I don't think I can justify the price of PI at the moment.

 

Interesting that the camera WB was set to Daylight, I assume you were you capturing in jpg and have you tried with RAW (or the Nikon equivalent).

Hi Alistair,

Always shoot at 16 bit. I control the mount and camera with Maxim which produces 16 bit fits files, these I process in PI initially then convert to 16 bit tiffs for further work in PS.

Very rarely do I convert files to jpg. I prefer to keep things in 16bit and save smaller versions as png's.

If you have CS3 then you should be able to align your images in layers and convert your layers into a smart object (look in the layers drop down). You can then use different stacking modes median etc in the smart objects menu.

Failing that use DSS to stack you sub frames and save as tiff files. With DSLR's the key is lots and lots of subs, seems pointless trying to go much over 5 mins for subs and probably better to keep well below that anyway. Don't push the iso too high 800 is a good compromise, slower on bright objects like M42

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Hi,


Thanks, will keep those setting in mind.  


I thought that in 16 bit the white balance didn't matter, (at least on Canon RAW files) or did 'daylight' mean something else.


 


Al


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Hi,

Thanks, will keep those setting in mind.  

I thought that in 16 bit the white balance didn't matter, (at least on Canon RAW files) or did 'daylight' mean something else.

 

Al

Hi Al,

Essentially its the raw files that enable you to alter the colour balance after an image has been taken depending on the software you use to work on the raw files (Lightroom is a great alternative to PS and has in some ways better colour correction than PS).

I standardise on 'Daylight' for all astro imaging. Its constant setting auto WB will change setting even slightly each time you image or even swinging from one area of sky to another. If you have LP then that will be different depending on where you point the camera.

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