First tests with Nikon D70

[Mike]

First test pics - These images are compressed and reduced in size to fit sensibly on the forum. The original files are in 12bit RAW format at 3008x2000 resolution. You can just about make out the smudges of M51 and M101, there are also a few other Messier objects and i'll let you find them.



If you want to see the full size jpg click here -
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/astro-man/UrsaMajorLarge.jpg

If you want to see the full size TIFF (35Mb) or full size RAW/NEF (6Mb) then let me know and i'll email it to you (NEF Files require the relevant plug-ins to view).

The bright red star at left of bottom centre is a variable red giant and has a great name - "La Superba".

_________________
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."  [/i]

[ This Message was edited by: Mike on 2004-04-21 15:24 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Mike on 2004-04-21 20:35 ]

[Rocket Pooch]

Nikon Nikon oh birthday was it

[Mike]

No, i've been promising myself i'd get a Digital SLR camera for a long while now. Was originally going for the Canon 300D as it is already used extensively for astrophotography, but then Nikon brought out the D70 which is a superior product so I went for it. I'm just trying to find some adaptors now to get some pics with the ETX.

[Rocket Pooch]

Is it a case of a T-Mount and T-Mount adaptor or do you need something more exotic?

Can't you just piggy back it and take some wide field shots?  Like the comet in May?  I know someone who has a LX90 with the piggy back rails.

P.S. Can I have the RAW's please

Looks good though.  Nice new toy

[Whitters]

Now that is a toy and a half, Very nice.

[Whitters]

Mike,
Where did you take the picture from?

[Rocket Pooch]

Not much light polution is there?

[Mike]

The images were taken from my garden and piggybacked on the back of the ETX125. I didn't level off the tripod and just roughly pointed it North, so they could be sharper if I aligned it properly. I just wanted to test it on the Bulb mode to see what the results were like. The ISO setting was also 400 so I could increase the ISO to 1600 and get a lot more noise with shorter exposures or reduce to 200 and get images with less noise, but requiring longer exposures.


Yes, it is just a T mount I need - however, they are a lot harder to get hold of than I anticipated and most camera stockists don't have them ! I shall keep trying.

The light pollution was in the original image, I turned the red channel down completely and the green slightly also to give this image. From my garden light poluttion to the North is naff, but the other directions it is OK. After midnight it reduces dramatically as presumably a lot of lights go out and the light pollution is only just noticeable.

Chris, PM me your email address as I don't have it.

[ This Message was edited by: Mike on 2004-04-21 15:19 ]

[Mike]

And a few more...

Comae Berenices


Or for the full size jpeg click here - http://homepage.ntlworld.com/astro-man/ComaeBerenicesLarge.jpg

Gemini with Saturn and M35 (You can see the 'skyglow' of Bromley bottom right)


Or for the full size jpeg click here - http://homepage.ntlworld.com/astro-man/GeminiwithSaturnLarge.jpg

Leo with Jupiter


Or for the full size jpeg click here - http://homepage.ntlworld.com/astro-man/LeoandJupiterLarge.jpg

[ This Message was edited by: Mike on 2004-04-21 14:09 ]

[Rocket Pooch]

Mike,

If you want I have the LPI suite and it can act as an autoguider for the ETX using the 497 hand controler (the ETX has this), its very easy to setup (I havent used the camera for imaging yet) and I think it will be possible to lock onto one of the stars for quite some time.  Maybe you could take a few very long exposure shots?  

Also I'm trying to find the URL for some high ISO digital image noise reduction software I've seen, my boss here uses it for his ISO1600 exposures and its excellent.  As soon as I have this I'll post up the URL.

[Mike]

Sure, bring it along to the next obs session and we'll have a play. The camera has it's own internal noise reduction algorithm that works quite well. I must try it without it and use some dark frames to see how it compares as no doubt the internal algorithm would lose some data in the images as its not written for astronomical use but for photographic.

[Rick]

Thanks Mike. No more left-and-right scrolling.

What was the sky-glow like before you filtered out the worst of it?

[Mike]

Looking North on exposures up to 1 minute it wasn't too bad. Over that it was very evident. Looking E, W or S you needed exposures well over a minute before it became obstrusive.

Overall though not too bad. That night (19th) it was very clear with no muck in the air to reflect the pollution back to earth. If I didn't have to get up early the next day i wouldh ave stayed up till about 1am and got some more as it would have been very dark then.

[Mike]

Chris - That software you were on about. is it called Neat Image ?

[Rocket Pooch]

yes thats it