Telescope Reviews: Jun12 DSLR Challenge Poll!

We are very pleased and proud to present the June 2012 entries in the DSLR Challenge. The poll will close on July 8 at Midnight. The winner will be announced at our earliest opportunity after the poll has closed.

Here are June's entries!

Coliwabl:

Here is my submission of M13.

Taken 061912 from Dallas, Oregon, Latitude: 44.92 N, Longitude: 123.32 W with a modified Canon T2i prime with an Orion 10" f/4/7 Newtonian, mounted on a SkyWatcher EQ-6 Pro. (9) 60 second exposures, ISO 1600. Other than the tracking the EQ-6 Pro provided, there was no guide camera/scope. Processed with Registax 6.1, Photoshop CS5 and Adobe Lightroom 4.1.

SkyHound:

Five 60sec. exposers at ISO 800 with a Canon 3T.
110ED on a LXD75 mount guided. Processed thru Registax.
Not the best for sure but it is what you see when visually viewing.

martl:

Here is my test shot with my new unmodified 600D (finally I solved the nightmare with my 1100D). 23x6min ISO400 with 10"f5 newton and paracorr, guided with 8x50 finderscope and MGEN, darks+bias, no flats, stacked in Maxim, processed in PS2. Full field here: http://www.heiligkreuz.at/astro/galerie/displayimage.php?album=13&pos=1

CS
Martin

lakeorion:

Obvisously not in the same league, but remember - no telescope or real equitorial mount was used...

Nikon 55-300mm zoom lens f5.6 - Fujifilm IS Pro - MusicBox EQ on a photo tripod.

Camera was aimed with a ball head and dead reckoning.

Falcon-:

Here is my go at M13 - glad to have something to submit for the contest this month despite the skies recently!

Equipment: AstroTech AT6RC with AT2FF field flattener, Canon 1000D(stock), Celestron CI-700 mount, unguided.
Where: Gambier Island, BC, Canada
Exposure details: 18x 60s exposures (18 mins total) @ ISO1600
Processing: Nebulosity for capture, calibration, stacking and some post-processing. PixInsight for further post-processing. Slight crop from full-frame.
High resolution version available here

mcarroll:

Here is my entry.

Equipment --
Camera: modified Canon 1000D
Imaging telescope: AT6RC
Focal reducer: Televue 0.8x
Mount: Orion Atlas EQ-G
Autoguider: Orion SSAG with 50mm guide scope
DIY thermoelectric whole camera cooler

Image info --
Date: 6/9/12
Location: Elkins, WV
Exposure: 23 subs x 4 min at ISO1600 (main image)
+ 50 subs x 1 min at ISO1600 (core area of M13)
Processed using Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop CS5, Noise Ninja, and Gradient Xterminator

Higher res image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54961839@N06/7173807011/sizes/l

oldstargazer:

Used Celestron Omni 150 f5 with Canon T3i on CG5-GTa. Total time for 15 frms is 23min 10sec. Used several different ISOs to get more depth.

jgibson1@emich:

Here is my submission for this months subject..........

Modified Canon 350D @ ISO1600
Orion 8” f/4.9 (@f/9.8) w/Televue 2x Powermate
Orion Atlas EQ-G
Autoguided with 80ED & Orion Deep Sky Imager

Image captured near Chiricahua National Monument in Southeast Arizona in April 2012.

23 x 4mins = 92mins total
Stacked in DSS and Post Processing in CS3.

Link to a higher resolution version of my M13!

Clear Skies,
Jason

srosenfraz:

Here's my M13 image from a couple of weeks ago.
Hi Res Version and more image details available at http://www.astronomersdoitinthedark.com/index.php?c=131&p=449

This image consists of 236 x 2 minute exposures at ISO 400 with a Celestron C8, Celestron FR at f/5.8 (1160mm), and a Gary Honis modified Canon 450D. Guiding is with ONAG On-Axis Guider, Lodestar autoguider, and PHD Guiding. Thanks for looking!

Al8236:

Well I'll throw mine in!
Captured with Canon 300D
SS 127/700 homebuilt
CG5GT mount
6X30s 10X60s Stacked in DSS Combined in PS2

HHastro:

Here is my M 13:

Takahashi e 200, 8", 800mm, f-4, Canon T3i (600D mod.)
17 subs, 52 min. guided with 12"ACF and ST2000XM.
Processed with DSS, Fitswork, PS-CS4.
Taken on the morning of May 14th., 2012, location 50 mls southeast of Hamburg, North Germany.

Larger version see here: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5342/7208073436_33d679b05f_h.jpg

Thank you: Bruno

Andre Cruz:

Scope: Celestron C80ED-R
Mount: Vixen Great Polaris
Camera: Canon 300D
Capture: MaximDL 5
Exposures: 20 @ 30 seconds. ISO 1600, 8 bias and darks.
Processed and Cropped: Adobe Photoshop

SMigol:

M13 by S Migol, on Flickr

Here's my effort:

Scope: Orion 127 Maksutov Cassegrain (1540mm fl at F12.1)
Camera: Full spectrum modified Pentax K10D with peltier cooler
Mount: Losmandy GM8 with Gemini 2 and OPW upgrade
Tracking: Orion SSAG on ST80 with Maxim DL

Data: 77 lights of 10 minutes at 400 ISO, 44 temperature matched darks, 15 flats. June 19 to June 28 2012 in Menlo Park, CA.
Processing: DSS 3.3.3 beta 47, PixInsight DBE, ACDNR, masked stretch, curves, and histogram stretches. Exported to LR for final touches and upload.

This target was the subject of an exercise in improving tracking methods prior to a big star party. I wanted to collect data at a high resolution that would show errors clearly so that I could develop better techniques.

Direct link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smigol/7463077112/

mirrorandlens:

Shot with C8 on Meade LXD75 mount, unguided.f/6.3 focal reduction. Stock Canon 350 xt, Nebulosity, stacked with Deep Sky Stacker, Processed in 16 bit with Paint Shop Pro X2. ISO 1600, 30 second x 69 frames.

star68:

Hy guys i post my picture of M 13
Takahashi TOA 130 F/7,7
Canon EOS 30D at 640 ISO
Exposure 45 minutes
CS
Stefano

ldesign1:

Here's my first image with my brand new camera. Imaged from my backyard observatory in a red/white zone.
Here's the high resolution version of M13 Great Cluster in Hercules.

Camera: CDS-600D (Cooled EOS T3i-600D)
Telescope: 10" Meade LX200GPS f/10
Guide Scope: Orion EON 80ED f/6.25
LPS Filter: Orion SkyGlow Imaging Filter
Light Frames: 8x600s + 9x300s
Calibration Frames: 83 Darks, 25 Flats, 25 Dark Flats, 50 Offset Bias
Sensor Temperature 21F Degrees
Ambient Temperature 71F Degrees

Congratulations and good luck to each entrant!

*

Which Image is our Winner?
Users may choose only one (36 total votes)

Coliwabl

1 02%

SkyHound

0 0%

martl

2 05%

lakeorion

0 0%

Falcon-

0 0%

mcarroll

10 27%

oldstargazer

0 0%

jgibson1@emich

3 08%

srosenfraz

10 27%

Al8236

0 0%

HHastro

8 22%

Andre Cruz

1 02%

SMigol

0 0%

mirrorandlens

0 0%

star68

1 02%

ldesign1

0 0%