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Astrophotography
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Friday, 24.08.2012, 05:40 | Message # 16 |
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) This isn't astrophotography but its what I usually do with cameras
Great shot! I've taken my fair share of flower shots as well, they can look so wonderful when they turn out well.
Quote (DoctorOfSpace) I have a Canon 550D.
Lucky! I'd love to have something like that. I have a 1000D 
Quote (DoctorOfSpace) I was using a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens. Have to use a tripod for obvious reasons.
I have a nearly identical lens. It's not flashy, but considering its price it can perform quite well.
Quote (DoctorOfSpace) Would have been better to use a lower ISO and a longer exposure.
Yes. When shooting the sky at 300mm, objects will not start noticeably trailing until longer than 1/10 sec or so, so don't be afraid to let it run a little long. ISO 1600 and 1/10 sec exposure will net you a nice shot of the Galilean moons.
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Friday, 24.08.2012, 05:49 | Message # 17 |
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| Quote (HarbingerDawn) ISO 1600 and 1/10 sec exposure will net you a nice shot of the Galilean moons.
That should help. Next time the sky is clear I'll give it a go and post results. Going to be getting a couple new lenses soon, mostly for nature shots though. Might get myself a 500-1000 lens or a telescope with a camera mount.
Quote (HarbingerDawn) I have a nearly identical lens. It's not flashy, but considering its price it can perform quite well.
It works wonderfully during daytime being held but at night you have to use a tripod for it sadly. My smaller lens has that Canon image stabilizer and it makes night shots, even on a lower ISO, come out really nicely.
Quote (HarbingerDawn) Lucky! I'd love to have something like that. I have a 1000D
Lucky indeed I got it as a gift.
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Friday, 24.08.2012, 06:25 | Message # 18 |
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) My smaller lens has that Canon image stabilizer and it makes night shots, even on a lower ISO, come out really nicely.
Image stabilization has never really helped me out all that much, not enough for me to praise it anyway. I've never given it a true test though so I don't know how much help it does or does not give me. But the vast majority of my shots are either daylight or tripod at night so it doesn't make much difference. I'd love to have it on a telephoto though.
Quote (DoctorOfSpace) Might get myself a 500-1000 lens or a telescope with a camera mount.
At that size level you're probably better off going with a telescope. A decent lens that size is extremely expensive.
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Friday, 24.08.2012, 06:36 | Message # 19 |
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| Quote (HarbingerDawn) A decent lens that size is extremely expensive.
So I've seen
Quote (HarbingerDawn) At that size level you're probably better off going with a telescope
Probably the best option.
Quote (HarbingerDawn) I've never given it a true test though so I don't know how much help it does or does not give me.
It works surprisingly well. I did a few comparison shots when testing it out. Morning, noon, dusk, and night and for all of them the image stabilizer helped keep most of the image from blurring.
Quote (HarbingerDawn) I'd love to have it on a telephoto though.
This is still dependent on exposure time, but it might help in longer exposures if you don't have a remote and have to touch the camera. That is why I plan to get a telephoto lens with it, plus I'd like a few nicer lenses.
Some info on how it works with a telephoto
http://www.mir.com.my/rb....ex5.htm
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Edited by DoctorOfSpace - Friday, 24.08.2012, 06:37 |
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Saturday, 01.09.2012, 12:44 | Message # 20 |
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| So after all this time we finally had some clear skies here.
Sorry about double post but I'd rather not edit my previous one as it is over a week old and the edits may go unnoticed for a while.
I tried to get Venus but I ran into an issue, I can't seem to get the image any clearer than a purple glowing blob, same thing happens for Jupiter. I did get a remote control for my camera though so I can get much clearer images.
Mirror lock/low ISO/high exposure/Remote on Orion
And last night and this morning was that "Blue Moon" thing and I decided to try out the settings you recommended. The quality doesn't seem to be much better than the previous Moon image. The image quality though may be due to my lens fogging up from the humidity, I had to continually clean it while outside.
I did take quite a few images of the Moon but that is the best I could get with my settings.
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Edited by DoctorOfSpace - Saturday, 01.09.2012, 12:49 |
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Saturday, 01.09.2012, 13:44 | Message # 21 |
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) I can't seem to get the image any clearer than a purple glowing blob, same thing happens for Jupiter.
For Venus and Jupiter you have to use very short exposure to resolve the planets themselves. Fairly similar to the Moon exposures, in fact.
And is that Venus in the picture?
Quote (DoctorOfSpace) Mirror lock/low ISO/high exposure/Remote on Orion
If you want to get some detail in the Orion nebula, use a higher ISO (800+) and long exposure (15+ sec). Things will start smearing a bit, but the nebula will really start to show itself off.
Quote (DoctorOfSpace) I did take quite a few images of the Moon but that is the best I could get with my settings.
That looks good. With your camera and lens setup I wouldn't expect anything too much better than what you have there. The real test is on a night where you can see shadows and terrain on the Moon. Try again in a week and see how it looks 
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Saturday, 01.09.2012, 14:15 | Message # 22 |
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| Quote (HarbingerDawn) And is that Venus in the picture?
It is.
Quote (HarbingerDawn) For Venus and Jupiter you have to use very short exposure to resolve the planets themselves. Fairly similar to the Moon exposures, in fact.
I tried that on Jupiter but sadly due to humidity there was just no way to focus it properly. I'm going to wait till later this month and into October when the humidity goes down. I should be able to get better images then.
Quote (HarbingerDawn) If you want to get some detail in the Orion nebula, use a higher ISO (800+) and long exposure (15+ sec). Things will start smearing a bit, but the nebula will really start to show itself off.
I tried a 800 and a 400 ISO but the light pollution is so bad it has the opposite effect. I was using a 200 ISO in that image if I remember correctly. I'll give a higher exposure and 400 ISO a try soon.
Quote (HarbingerDawn) The real test is on a night where you can see shadows and terrain on the Moon. Try again in a week and see how it looks
I will give that a try but I think I can squeeze a bit more quality out of my camera when the weather isn't so humid.
Here is an image I took this morning while the Moon was going down. Little bit of distortion but the Moon looks larger.
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Saturday, 01.09.2012, 14:33 | Message # 23 |
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) I tried a 800 and a 400 ISO but the light pollution is so bad it has the opposite effect.
Yeah, light pollution kills it :/
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| Solaris | Date: Sunday, 02.09.2012, 00:18 | Message # 24 |
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| Quote (HarbingerDawn) Here's a picture I took this morning of Venus, Jupiter, Orion, and the Hyades and Pleiades star clusters  It look really nice, so smooth and peacefull ! Nice catch HarbingerDawn,
DoctorOfSpace, I love your moon pics, you should try to shot it when it rise, or with few clouds
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Wednesday, 12.09.2012, 19:25 | Message # 25 |
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| This one's pretty old, it was after the launch of ATV-002 "Johannes Kepler". The spacecraft can be seen in orbit (the streak) in the dusk sky.
The Moon and Jupiter, thanks to DoctorOfSpace for suggesting that I switch to RAW!
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Wednesday, 12.09.2012, 19:31 | Message # 26 |
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| Quote (HarbingerDawn) thanks to DoctorOfSpace for suggesting that I switch to RAW!
Its a nice format, it just sucks not too many programs support it.
How did you take that Moon picture anyways?
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Thursday, 13.09.2012, 00:17 | Message # 27 |
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) How did you take that Moon picture anyways?
Just the camera on a tripod. It was rushed because there were clouds all morning, and by the time that a few gaps in the coulds began to sneak by the sky was already well on its way to daylight, so I could get no shots of the moons (I was PISSED  ) But I managed to snatch a few shots at the pair through the occasional gaps in the clouds.
Another new one, this time of Jupiter (the Jupiter glow from the moons exposure has been edited out and replaced with the Jupiter disc from a different exposure).
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| DaninAus | Date: Monday, 17.09.2012, 08:03 | Message # 29 |
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| Quote (HarbingerDawn) Another new one, this time of Jupiter (the Jupiter glow from the moons exposure has been edited out and replaced with the Jupiter disc from a different exposure).
I was gonna say that those moons looked massive compared to Jupiter.  Nice job though, I could never dream of getting the gear to do that sort of stuff on my tight budget.
Quote (Watsisname) Here are a couple of my favorites:
They are some good pictures mate, keep 'em comin' 
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Monday, 17.09.2012, 12:29 | Message # 30 |
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| Quote (DaninAus) Nice job though, I could never dream of getting the gear to do that sort of stuff on my tight budget.
This gear cost me $700. You could probably do a lot better than that used. It is possible to do some good stuff with lower-grade equipment, any DSLR is capable of shots like that. If you decide that you want something like this and just save up a little money, eventually you can afford it. That's what I did.
Quote (Watsisname) It's been a while, but every now and then I try my hand at lunar and planetary astrophotography.
Wow, those shots are great! What kind of equipment do you have?
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