· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Astrophotography and Sketching >> DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all) vmsguy sage Reged: 01/09/07 Loc: West Virginia 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring.       #5541075 - 11/26/12 09:23 PM Attachment (80 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   It's been a while since I have posted out here. Haven't been able to image much lately, but last week I took my modified T1i and my trusty 180mm Nikkor ED to North Carolina. I was on the coast, and the moon was up, but the sky was clear. I used a 72mm-52mm step down ring to stop down the 180mm to ~f/3.5. The resulting image is 83 subs @ 120seconds each and ISO800. No darks, flats, or bias frames used in the processing. DSS to stack, and CS6 curves and levels. Click HERE for cropped FULL res image. Brent Edited by vmsguy (11/26/12 09:24 PM) Post Extras:       Nils_Lars Postmaster Reged: 01/04/08 Loc: Santa Cruz Mountains , CA Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: vmsguy]       #5541182 - 11/26/12 10:23 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Lots of details for 180s subs , that step down ring looks like it worked perfect. Post Extras:       fco_star Pooh-Bah Reged: 12/13/10 Loc: Texas, Midland Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: Nils_Lars]       #5541214 - 11/26/12 10:40 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Beautiful image, I hope to get something like this with my Nikkor.... good job Post Extras:       zjc26138 Loved By All Reged: 02/24/05 Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: fco_star]       #5541258 - 11/26/12 11:06 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Fantastic image! Post Extras:       Phil Wheeler Carpal Tunnel Reged: 12/31/05 Loc: 3 miles WNW of Celestron Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: vmsguy]       #5541277 - 11/26/12 11:13 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Nice, Brent. What mount did you use? Guided or not? I hope to do similar things with my Canon 200L f/2.8 lens on a Vixen Polarie -- but I've yet to try it. Your results are encouraging. Post Extras:       mmalik Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/13/12 Loc: USA Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: vmsguy]       #5541291 - 11/26/12 11:21 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This is a beauty. Post Extras:       vmsguy sage Reged: 01/09/07 Loc: West Virginia Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: Nils_Lars]       #5541299 - 11/26/12 11:24 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Erik, I took 120 second subs. Couldn't go much longer because of the moon. Brent Post Extras:       vmsguy sage Reged: 01/09/07 Loc: West Virginia Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: Phil Wheeler]       #5541307 - 11/26/12 11:26 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Phil, I use an unguided Orion Sirius mount. Camera and lens only, no piggyback. Brent Post Extras:       Phil Wheeler Carpal Tunnel Reged: 12/31/05 Loc: 3 miles WNW of Celestron Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: vmsguy]       #5541312 - 11/26/12 11:27 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks, Brent -- I sensed you were traveling a bit light from your message. A very nice result! Post Extras:       LeCarl super member Reged: 03/16/11 Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: Phil Wheeler]       #5546308 - 11/29/12 09:40 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Wow! Sooo clean, beautiful horsehead! A very good lens! can you post a not cropped version? (I want to see the corners if possible) I really like simple setup! step down is a good idea too! (instead of using the diaphragm that make stars look fuzzy!) My 200mm F3.5 At F6.8 look a way worst than this! (and soo dark!) Post Extras:       vmsguy sage Reged: 01/09/07 Loc: West Virginia Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: LeCarl]       #5546495 - 11/30/12 12:12 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yes, I'll post a full res image tomorrow when I get to work. It is on my laptop there. The full res image has a good bit of vignetting because I didn't take flats and was pretty aggressive in stretching to get to the data with 2 minute exposures at iso800. Brent Post Extras:       vmsguy sage Reged: 01/09/07 Loc: West Virginia Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: vmsguy]       #5547285 - 11/30/12 01:59 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Here are links to 3 images, all unprocessed. DSS output as 16bit Tiff DSS output as jpg Single 120 second frame. Stacked tiff: (88 MBytes) http://webpages.marshall.edu/~maynard169/master1-83f.TIF Stacked jpg: http://webpages.marshall.edu/~maynard169/master1-83f.jpg Single frame: http://webpages.marshall.edu/~maynard169/hh-wilm-120s-800iso-063.jpg Brent Post Extras:       dp297 super member Reged: 12/14/10 Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: vmsguy]       #5548298 - 12/01/12 05:07 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Beautiful...thanks for sharing Brent Post Extras:       LeCarl super member Reged: 03/16/11 Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: dp297]       #5548742 - 12/01/12 12:46 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   WOW! Yeah, thanks for sharing, this image was sooo good!!! Now, I need this lens!!! (sickness about buying new/old things!) The corners are very good, maybe closed to F4, it can give perfect wide field! Flat is a must and easy to do at this focal, imagine what this lens can do in a dark site, guided, dithered, with Ha! Starting today to try sell my 2011 nikkon 70-300 VR EDII (not good at F5.9... fixed focal is better) Your lens exact specs? pictures? (I want to thanks you again, very good images, very informative too! ) Post Extras:       vmsguy sage Reged: 01/09/07 Loc: West Virginia Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: LeCarl]       #5549711 - 12/02/12 01:13 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The lens I used is the f/2.8 180mm ED Nikkor, manual focus. Here is a Ken Rockwell review. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/180f28.htm Here is another review from Jerry. http://www.astropix.com/HTML/I_ASTROP/EQ_TESTS/NIKON_180MM.HTM This is a great lens, that has gained a strong following from us astro imagers. I picked mine up on eBay several years ago, and you can still find them there occasionally. I need to create a web page of my images using the 180mm. Some of them were taken at very dark sites. Brent Post Extras:       spectre super member Reged: 05/09/10 Loc: Abington, PA Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: vmsguy]       #5550310 - 12/02/12 12:58 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Francisco, I have virtually the same equipment you do. I'll be very interested to see your results with the Nikkor 180mm. I'm in the market for a lens for widefield and I'm leaning that way Post Extras:       fco_star Pooh-Bah Reged: 12/13/10 Loc: Texas, Midland Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: spectre]       #5553552 - 12/04/12 08:43 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Spectre, I can tell you that I love my Nikkor 180, stop at 4 you get perfect stars, my best so far is M31 1 hour of integration time, I'm wondering what this lense could do in a dark site M31 Nikkor 180mm Edited by fco_star (12/04/12 08:45 AM) Post Extras:       nofxrx Vendor (HyperCams & Mods) Reged: 07/12/05 Loc: Palm Bay,Florida Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: fco_star]       #5554604 - 12/04/12 08:33 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hey Brent! Brent here, telling you this is a wonderful image! lol Almost like referring to oneself in the third person, but also not...very confusing.. How much was this cropped? just curious what the FOV is like for this area as I am going to be testing mine out in the same area later this winter.. I just picked one (Nikkor 180ED) up to go with my Nikon D800 (OH THE HORROR!!Not Nikon?!?!? LOL) for only $250! Post Extras:       vmsguy sage Reged: 01/09/07 Loc: West Virginia Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: nofxrx]       #5554963 - 12/05/12 01:14 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Brent, A few posts up I have links to some full frame images. They are all unprocessed, a 16 bit tiff, a jpg, and a single sub. Brent Post Extras:       SunBlack professor emeritus Reged: 05/05/11 Loc: Rome (IT) Re: 180mm Nikkor with 52mm step down ring. [Re: vmsguy]       #5555389 - 12/05/12 10:04 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Nice image, vmsguy. I dont notice vignetting introduced by the stepping down ring on the unprocessed frame. I wonder how the ring will work on a FF camera..... Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all) Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 16 registered and 26 anonymous users are browsing this forum. Moderator:  fishonkevin, tecmage  Print Thread Forum Permissions       You cannot start new topics       You cannot reply to topics       HTML is disabled       UBBCode is enabled Thread views: 1390 Jump to *Announcements and News* -----   Cloudy Nights Announcements   Discussion of CN Articles, Reviews, and Reports   Celestial Events*General Astronomy* -----   Beginners Forum   General Observing and Astronomy   Outreach   Light Pollution*Equipment Discussions* -----   ATM, Optics and DIY Forum   Binoculars   Binoviewers   Cats & Casses   Classic Telescopes   Equipment   Eyepieces   Mounts   Observatories   Reflectors   Refractors    Video and Electronically Assisted Astronomy*Astrophotography and Sketching* -----   Beginning and Intermediate Imaging   Film Astrophotography   DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing   CCD Imaging & Processing   Solar System Imaging & Processing   Sketching   Astro Imaging/Sketching Contest *Observing* -----   NEO   Planetary and Solar System Observing   Lunar Observing   Deep Sky Observing   Double Star Observing   Solar   Variable Star Observing and Radio Astronomy*Telescope Specific Forums* -----   Celestron NexStar    NexStar GPS / CPC Telescopes   Questar Forum   Meade ACF/RCX / LX / GPS    Meade ETX*Speciality Forums* -----   Arizona Science and Astronomy Expo   NEAF (Northeast Astronomy Forum) and NEAIC (Northeast Astro Imaging Conference)   AstroArt   Astronomy Clubs and Star Parties   Astronomy Software & Computers   AstroWebsites   Science! Astronomy & Space Exploration, and Others   Space Rocks   Stellar Media*Swap and Shop* -----   Shop and Swap Audio Components*CN Feedback and Vendor Announcements* -----   Vendor and Group Announcements*International Year of Astronomy 2009 - Forums are now closed.* -----   IYA Archive Info CN Forums Home

Cloudy Nights LLC Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics