Return to the Cloudy Nights Telescope Reviews home page


Speciality Forums >> Astronomy Software & Computers

Pages: 1
John Downing
member


Reged: 08/27/09
Posts: 36
Loc: Anaheim, CA
DSLR Focusing Software
      #3432506 - 11/06/09 09:06 AM

I am using a Canon 40D for AP and have an Optec TSF-S I would like to use with it. Would like to fine focusing software that will work with both. DSLR focus looks good but the web page doesn't list the 40D as either supported or not-supported. Email to them goes unanswered

Any suggestions for software? Does DSLR focus support the 40D? Is this program still active or should I stay away from? Perhaps they are just on vacation!

Thanks,
John

--------------------
La Ventana a las Estrellas
Roll off Roof Obs. Julian, CA
Meade 10" f6.3 SCT
Stellarvue SV105APO
Optec TCF-S
SBIG ST-7 w/CFW
Canon 40D
AP 900GTO
The Sky, CCD Soft, Nebulosity, T-Point, Pulse Guide.


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
FarmerDave
sage
*****

Reged: 09/07/07
Posts: 414
Loc: Northern Virginia
Re: DSLR Focusing Software new [Re: John Downing]
      #3437125 - 11/08/09 09:36 PM

Quote:


Any suggestions for software? Does DSLR focus support the 40D? Is this program still active or should I stay away from? Perhaps they are just on vacation!





DSLRFocus does not support the 40D, and appears to be pretty much dead. The author announced a new version about a year ago, but hasn't released it nor updated the Y! group dedicated to the software.

People have good luck with Nebulosity from Craig Stark, or IP Camera Control from Mike Unsold. Of course, a lot of people are having good luck eschewing software and using the Bahtinov focusing mask in one of its various incarnations (see my sig).

HTH,
David

--------------------
Celestron C6/C9.25/CG-5GT Mount
Orion 80ED/EON 72/Supercharged Atlas EQ-G
Garrett Optical Signature Series 10x50
Canon XTi (soon to be modded)/Canon 40D (unmodded)
Meade DSI/Meade DSI Pro/Philips SPC900N
1944 Ford 2N/1948 Ford 8N

Bahtinov Mask Generator * AstroCataLink * 40DShutterCount


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
John Downing
member


Reged: 08/27/09
Posts: 36
Loc: Anaheim, CA
Re: DSLR Focusing Software new [Re: FarmerDave]
      #3440130 - 11/10/09 01:26 PM

David,
Thanks for the update on DSLR Focus. I did find a plug-in for CCDSoft which adds 'drivers' for popular DSLR's. It can be found at: http://dslr.gbdt.com.au/download.html#plugin
Software Bisque speaks very highly of this product.

For me this is a great solution right now. I have had good success with @Focus (CCDSoft) using my ST-7 and I am hopeful it will work as well (or better!) with the 40D. Nice to have this capability in a program with which I am already familliar and at little cost. I was looking at moving over to Maxim DSLR but the cost, both monetary and in time learning a new program, was a bit much for me right now.

I guess I am a lazy focuser! Actually, I am at the stage right now where I am focusing my efforts on quality data acquisition and then learning how and what to do with it.

Now that I have my obs. up and running I am having a lot more fun working on these challenges.

Thanks again for the help. I will add a focusing mask to my process if I am not satisfied with the quality of automatic focus. But it should work just fine, there are some very accomplished imagers out there who have automatic focusing scripted into their process on a routine basis every 15 minutes or so, and one just can't argue with thier results.

Thanks again,

John

--------------------
La Ventana a las Estrellas
Roll off Roof Obs. Julian, CA
Meade 10" f6.3 SCT
Stellarvue SV105APO
Optec TCF-S
SBIG ST-7 w/CFW
Canon 40D
AP 900GTO
The Sky, CCD Soft, Nebulosity, T-Point, Pulse Guide.


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
FarmerDave
sage
*****

Reged: 09/07/07
Posts: 414
Loc: Northern Virginia
Re: DSLR Focusing Software new [Re: John Downing]
      #3440974 - 11/10/09 08:54 PM

Wow, $50 for a camera driver plugin. Hmmm, sounds like a market that needs some competition. Of course, I'm too cheap to buy the $350 host package to author against....

--------------------
Celestron C6/C9.25/CG-5GT Mount
Orion 80ED/EON 72/Supercharged Atlas EQ-G
Garrett Optical Signature Series 10x50
Canon XTi (soon to be modded)/Canon 40D (unmodded)
Meade DSI/Meade DSI Pro/Philips SPC900N
1944 Ford 2N/1948 Ford 8N

Bahtinov Mask Generator * AstroCataLink * 40DShutterCount


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Pages: 1


Extra information
4 registered and 1 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator:  desertstars, ~Steph~ 

Print Thread

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled


Thread views: 208

Jump to

CN Forums Home



Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics