Software change

[Guest chrism37]

Hi all

 

I'm moving away from my DSLR for now, I want to use CCDs instead. I have an Opticstar PX-35C coolair camera on the way (Cheers Rob!) and my trusty mono DMK21.

 

I've always used PHD for guiding, EQMOD for my mount and Backyard EOS for capture. What alternatives are there for capture with the CCD cameras? I have used sharpcap before, and IC capture which comes with the DMK but they don't have that many features (crosshair overlays, using historical images to match alignment and framing, 5x and 10x digital zoom, complex capture plans etc).

 

I will be doing planetary and DSO work as well as lunar mosaics. I intend to use the DMK for lunar and with filters for Ha and LRGB, and the opticstar for OSC and planetary. The DMK will be used for the more detailed longer exposure stuff.

 

I've found the following via Google but wondered if anyone has any recommendations/cautions to thin out the list a bit before I start trying them out? Freeware preferred but happy to pay whatever is necessary for the right suite of tools.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

 

wxAstroCapture (free)

Pixinsight (£191)

Firecapture (free I think)

IC Capture (already got it, not bad but no complex capture plans)

MaximDL (£119 for basic version)

Lucam (£75 or £125)

 

etc etc etc !!!!

 

[red dwalf]

hasn`t that camera arrived yet ? post office.

i used to use wx astrocapture, then moved on to sharpcap, now trying sharpcap 2 and firecapture, all free, i`ve always found using new software a bit of a pain having to learn all the settings and so on again, but i think i`ll be sticking with firecapture for now.

the ccd camera might also work with astro photograpy tool, free also for the cut down version, very good program i use with the canon, but it also works with ccd cameras, although they might need to be ascom campatiable like the Atiks

[Guest chrism37]

Cheers Rob, I'm going to try those.

 

Camera arrived just after you posted! Misty out so no chance to try it but very excited