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Dark Frames


Guest Lad98

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Guest Lad98

I use an unmodded Canon EOS 60d

In the menu there is a noise reduction option were the camara will take a dark frame ( I believe ) and subtract it from the light frame.

 

Not used it yet, taken darks instead, but then I was thinking, during an imaging session the temperature can change a few degrees from start to finish and as most of the darks are done after the lights, they could be a different temp.

 

So would it be better to use the canon option as the dark taken would be more accurate to the light  frame, or is this method not very good.

 

Of course it will double the lengh of time taken, but would the result be worth it.

 

 

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Guest Kheldar

You got it with the last line, half the imaging will be done in the time frame


 


Your best bet is to build up a dark "library" - I left my camera out in the garden for about a month when I had it and left it shooting away all night long.


 


You then collect all the subs together with the same temperature (BYE or APT records the temp in the file name) and use those against your data. The darks are good for 6 months or so :)


 


Bottom line - I would not recommend using the inbullt noise reduction


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nope not that i have been told.  Dont touch that one and take darks.  i am sure a grown will explain why not.  There is sure to be


one along later :)


 


Sheila


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Guest Lad98

Ok that settles that then.

Great idea to make a dark library.

I will start putting my camera out at night and start taking darks.

As you say APT records the temp, so with all these cloudy nights I should be able to build up a pretty good dark library.

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i use Maxim DL and register them as calibration frames :)  It does the rest then when you stack the lights


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Guest Lad98

If you are using DSS you should visit the website.

There you can find out the benefits of using dark frames to get better images.

Basically its the same as you are doing now but with dark frames added.

Dark frames use the exact same settings you use for your light frames, but cover the lens so no light can get to the sensor.

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Phil, in DSS you just load your dark frames and light frames and it knows to subtract these from the data frames (or subtract average/stacked versions of these from the stacked data subs); that is the easy part. Taking the dark is easy, the lights are a bit more tricky but still pretty easy once you know what to do (i don't really so i won't suggest how).

Jd

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