· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article    Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Cloudy Nights - Official Forums of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy 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] Forum Archives · 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 ThorBob super member Reged: 11/22/06 Posts: 122 Loc: 69.19°N, 16.7°E (Norway) M45 through 300mm telephoto.       #2102056 - 01/06/08 10:07 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This weekend I took my first shot at imaging the Pleiades. For a semi wide-ish view I used my D300 with a Nikkor 300 f2.8 lens, all mounted on a HEQ5 mount. After seeing some of the stunning results by others in this forum I know there is massive room for improvement, and I am open to all suggestions! Shot January 5 2008. Nikon D300 / Nikkor 300 f2.8VR @ f2.8, ISO 800. Exposure 120 sec x 54. Thor -------------------- - Sky Watcher ED80 Pro - Vixen R200SS - HEQ-5 Pro - Nikon D200 / D300 - Philips SPC900NC My SmugMug Gallery Post Extras:       LLEEGE Running out of Oxygen Reged: 03/03/05 Posts: 9080 Loc: Cloud-chester,NY Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: ThorBob]       #2102062 - 01/06/08 10:09 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Very nice. -------------------- "Okay! You draw the straws. I'm-a taking the parachute." Post Extras:       FoxK Carpal Tunnel Reged: 11/07/07 Posts: 2662 Loc: Cape Cod, MA Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: LLEEGE]       #2102083 - 01/06/08 10:22 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Superb even I have a Nikon D40x with same lens...mind if I use the same parameters u did and post?...might be an interesting comparison -------------------- Orion 80mm ED Apo Refractor 8" Classic Dob (used as Newtonian on CG5 mount) Meade 70-AZ-A 70mm Guider using PHD LS60TCaK/B600/C CG-5 Advanced GT Mount Nikon D40x with T-Adaptors Philips SPC900NC(1/4"ccd)& Quickcam 9000(1/3"CMOS) Imaging Source DMK 21AU04.AS - click for cloud prediction for Plymouth, MA. area Post Extras:       s58y Postmaster Reged: 12/12/04 Posts: 5509 Loc: Eastern NY Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: FoxK]       #2102239 - 01/06/08 11:37 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Very nice wide field image of M45. It looks like the modern Nikon 300mm f/2.8 lens has a lot less CA than the 25-year-old Nikon 300mm f/2.8 lens that I used to use for imaging. -------------------- Hutech 30D, SBIG ST-402 autoguider SV80S, TV102iis Old camera lenses: 800mm f/5.6, 180mm f/3.4 AP900, Barndoor tracker http://www.pbase.com/s58y Post Extras:       Tomvictor professor emeritus Reged: 08/09/04 Posts: 509 Loc: N.59.11.47. Norway Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: s58y]       #2102474 - 01/07/08 04:07 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Nice one Thor, seems like the lens has very good edge performance when looking at the full picture at your web (if un-cropped?). If you take some flats you will get rid of the uneven field illumination. I use a electroluminescent panel that works just fine. -------------------- Tom Victor http://www.ccd-astrophoto.com/ Takahashi EM-200 - 10" LX200ACF - Artemis 4021M - Mini Borg 60ED - FLI CFW - DSI PRO II. Canon EF200L f/2.8 - 450D - Baader mod. 350D. Edited by Tomvictor (01/07/08 04:38 AM) Post Extras:       novbabies Postmaster Reged: 06/05/05 Posts: 15678 Loc: Northern Georgia! Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: Tomvictor]       #2102505 - 01/07/08 05:04 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thor, that is en excellent wide image - what must the temperature have been ? -------------------- Good Seeing! Mark Orion 12" XTi f/4.9 VERY old Edmund 6" f/8 reflector Assorted binoculars Post Extras:       Buzzer professor emeritus Reged: 07/21/07 Posts: 659 Loc: Long Island, NY Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: novbabies]       #2103969 - 01/07/08 07:42 PM Attachment (35 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thor, If you are using Photoshop, get gradientxterminator, here is what I did to your picture in 2 short processes. You took a very nice shot, Andy -------------------- Meade SN-10 Carbon Fiber TMB 92ss Mini Borg 50 Guidescope Celestron CGE Mount QHY8 Orion Starshoot Autoguider http://buzzer.zenfolio.com/ "I THINK THE WEATHERMAN NEEDS MORE EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT" WANING CRESCENT OBSERVATORY Post Extras:       Dave M Post Laureate Reged: 08/03/04 Posts: 4928 Loc: N.E Ohio Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: Buzzer]       #2103982 - 01/07/08 07:47 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Very! Nice widefield, Thor.. Nice color in the Neb. -------------------- Dave Meade 16" F4.5 EQ Starfinder Meade 10" SCT / Losmandy G11 Tak FSQ106ED Canon 20D SBig ST-4 http://www.spacew.com/gallery/image006006.html Ps 19:1 The Heavens Declare the Glory of GOD. Post Extras:       tidroplane Pooh-Bah Reged: 10/02/06 Posts: 1181 Loc: Everett, Wa. USA Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: Dave M]       #2104004 - 01/07/08 07:54 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Beautiful image Thor!! -------------------- Clear skies.....David AT111EDT AT80EDT-CF AT66ED G-11, Gemini ST2000XCM Post Extras:       FebStars scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 02/02/06 Posts: 826 Loc: MA Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: tidroplane]       #2104334 - 01/07/08 10:34 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Very nice, Thor. You have captured the majesty of the Pleiades! Tom -------------------- Tom H Orion ED80 Celestron 8 Televue Genesis 500mm Orion EQ-G, LXD75 Mounts "The cure for boredom is curiousity. There is no cure for curiousity." Post Extras:       ThorBob super member Reged: 11/22/06 Posts: 122 Loc: 69.19°N, 16.7°E (Norway) Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: FebStars]       #2106923 - 01/09/08 04:38 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   LLEEGE: Thank you! FoxK : Thank you, and feel free to post a D40 version, could be interesting to see! s58y : Thank you! This is my first try at AP with this lens, but for "normal" shooting it quickly became my all-time "long lens" favorite. Tomvictor : Thank you Tom! Yes it is an uncropped shot, and I really should have made a few flats while I was at it. And those panels seem like a great idea! (specially considering the lack of daylight up here right now...hehe). novbabies : Thank you! And truth be told, the temp was not bad at all; a couple of degrees above freezing..(strange climate indeed, 200 miles north of the artic circle and not a snowflake on the ground yet..). Buzzer : Thank you! And I do have gradXterminator, but I have not yet figured the best settings for shots like these (ie: removing gradients without impacting the nebula). But you seemed to have nailed it; any suggestions as to settings? Dave M : Thank you Dave! tidroplane : Thank you David! FebStars : Thank you; it is indeed a beautiful target! Thor -------------------- - Sky Watcher ED80 Pro - Vixen R200SS - HEQ-5 Pro - Nikon D200 / D300 - Philips SPC900NC My SmugMug Gallery Post Extras:       ctcables Vendor (Reco Labs) Reged: 11/14/06 Posts: 151 Loc: Oregon Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: ThorBob]       #2106970 - 01/09/08 05:38 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Do you have a post of the 40d photo? I have been looking at getting the canon 40d or the nikon D300, plan on using for day shots as well. help advice is great. -------------------- Telescope F4.5 14.6 inch Fused Quartz Mirror strehl .996 18 PT carbonfiber mirror cell Antearies Quartz secondary 2 strut carbonfiber Feather Touch focuser Main scope is 31 lbs Time to build off and on for a year. Post Extras:       Buzzer professor emeritus Reged: 07/21/07 Posts: 659 Loc: Long Island, NY Re: M45 through 300mm telephoto. [Re: ctcables]       #2111156 - 01/10/08 07:57 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thor, I actually learned how to use it from,http://www.astropix.com/, This is a cd romm tutorial, on how to use photoshop and some plug ins, for Photoshop. I do not know Jerry Lodriguss , and have never met him, but I learned how to use it from this tutorial. I am sure there are explanations on the GradX website also. But buying the cd rom will elevate your shots, it help me tremendously. Andy -------------------- Meade SN-10 Carbon Fiber TMB 92ss Mini Borg 50 Guidescope Celestron CGE Mount QHY8 Orion Starshoot Autoguider http://buzzer.zenfolio.com/ "I THINK THE WEATHERMAN NEEDS MORE EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT" WANING CRESCENT OBSERVATORY Post Extras:       Andy Weeks member Reged: 12/12/07 Posts: 87 Loc: Batavia, IL Photoshop Tutorials [Re: Buzzer]       #2112170 - 01/11/08 07:27 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I agree. His tutorials (although written for PS7) are fantastic. Photoshop for Astrophotgraphers -------------------- Andy in Batavia, IL (Mg 4.5 Skies) 10" SCT w/6.3 FR Canon XTi (Unmodded for now) & Phillips SPC900 NC Webcam My Astrophotography Blog Post Extras:       gewehr43 sage Reged: 07/07/06 Posts: 356 Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico Re: Photoshop Tutorials [Re: Andy Weeks]       #2112535 - 01/11/08 10:56 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Very nice image!! -------------------- Daniel Z 10" Meade Starfinder on CI700 SV85S Apo on LXD500B 34mm Celestron Axiom 22T4 Nagler 13T6 Nagler 6.7mm Meade UWA Post Extras:       SolidAhmed sage Reged: 10/16/06 Posts: 411 Loc: Los Angeles Re: Photoshop Tutorials [Re: gewehr43]       #2116855 - 01/13/08 06:25 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The nebula in this picture is stunning. -------------------- Celestron C6-S GT Schmidt-Cassegrain w/XLT Canon Digital Rebel XTi F-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Vixen 10x50 www.InterstellarArt.com Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. 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