HS10 astro-photography

[light-bucket]

I saw all those great moon and Jupiter images and went out and bought the camera! Sorry that I am so ancient that I haven't worked out how to access a blog stream - but hopefully some of the contributors who inspired me will see this post. It's a new moon (natch) and my daughter doesn't remember where she left my tripod when she borrowed it... sooo all I can offer is a (very few) stacked series of the Pleiades balanced on a flattened card board box on my BBQ (low angle - lots of Melbourne light) - I used the fold out screen to stop the camera sliding flat!

Peter (I want my light bucket)

 

[Danielepaolo]

Have fun with your cam Peter. I was out your way today but getting photos of the rare Werribee Blue Box. Perhaps now we will see some Southern Sky constellations - how about the southern cross.





--
Apologies if my lack of photographic knowledge is catching.

 

[jimbo68]

Ah, the old flattened cardboard box and fold out screen trick. Works every time. I would have moved that top star downward a little. Good work, light. You'll like the 10.

 

[light-bucket]

Just as soon as daughter comes up with my tripod - or I rebuild BBQ to face South...

 

[light-bucket]

Chief... I am in total agreement about that dratted star! Have been trawling freeware/shareware looking for "alignment and imagination" - I just keep getting stacked.

 

[light-bucket]

A Cokin Prism I have owned for 15 years!

I don't even know if I managed to add a photo to this comment - but I already love the fact that the HS 10 has a filter thread - I could never afford to experiment when paying for film processing (and who could be bothered when rolling own).

 

[light-bucket]

 

[Danielepaolo]

You have created your own southern lights, Aurora australis.

--
Apologies if my lack of photographic knowledge is catching.

 

[nictita]

This is a very good result!

It is interesting to see what the camera (and stacking) can do ... not only with the brighter objects.

Regards
Nic

 

[light-bucket]

Thanks for all you encouragement everyone,

Tonight's crescent moon - still without a proper tripod. So... 7 continuous shots stacked in Registax, then a "heavy hand" with the threshold when using unsharp mask in Gimp 2.6. [1/125, f5.6, ISO400]

Peter.

 

[light-bucket]

Hmm... I think this shot has exceeded the integrity of an HS10 gripping a cardboard slope with naught but its tilt-screen... Definite movement that isn't attributable to the sky whizzing past! This an example of "light stacking" rather than resolution stacking. 2x 4" @ f5.6 = 8" [ISO 800].

Peter.

 

[nictita]

Thanks for all you encouragement everyone,

Tonight's crescent moon - still without a proper tripod. So... 7 continuous shots stacked in Registax, then a "heavy hand" with the threshold when using unsharp mask in Gimp 2.6. [1/125, f5.6, ISO400]

Peter.

Hello Peter,

your moon shot is well done for the conditions it was made under. You may look forward to better results when using a proper tripod - and ISO 100. The brightness of the moon makes it easily possible. Mine was made with 5x raw and stacked with "photomatix".

Your shot from the orion nebula is awesome! Can't remember any nebula shot by HS10. I think this is hardly to beat with a HS10. Your pic shows that this camera is not made for deep sky objects... but it does big bright things very well...

Regards
Nic

 

[light-bucket]

Thanks Nic,

Now i must say - your crescent moon is stunningly sharp! I will be very happy if I can achieve similar results with the HS10. As for deep space - well - once I work out how to bolt it on to the side of my 8" celestron ... Who knows what might pop out!

(I never did have the patience for waiting for film to be developed - and my telescope predates computer guidance - so.... I'm thinking to use the celestron as the guide-scope. But this will all have to wait till I get home to Tasmania at Christmas)

Regards,
Peter.

 

[nictita]

Thanks Nic,

Now i must say - your crescent moon is stunningly sharp! I will be very happy if I can achieve similar results with the HS10.

It is easy: 5x raw, developped and stacked, ISO 100, steady tripod. Can't go wrong.

As for deep space - well - once I work out how to bolt it on to the side of my 8" celestron ... Who knows what might pop out!

HS10 could perform well when adapted to a tescope. But the quality then is made by the tele. Your Celestron will surely do this very good. How would you mount the cam at the telescope?
This shop in Germany offers adapters for cameras. This one for bigger cameras:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p755_Microstage---Befestigung-von-Kameras-an-Spektive--Teleskope----.html

And this one for smalller cams:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p219_Digiklemme---Universal-Digital-Camera-Adaptor.html

I am living in a bigger town where only the brighties are available. Really dark areas are hard to find in the surrounding...

Anyway, I love to see whats going on at the planets and the moon. And wait for comets brighter as 5 mag. I made nice shots of Hyakuthake and Hale-Bopp (who did not? ;-) )

Regards
Nic

 

[loekids]

Joining.. hand held. this one one stop contrast and sharpen in silkypix.





This one is the original.





Nice tips, nic. Going to try it. But I got to find a lens support, the HDG1758 is quiet heavy.

 

[light-bucket]

Hey Nic,

Thanks for the mounting links - actually I just want to bolt the HS10 "inline" (as in side by side with my scope) so that I can use superior tracking and motor drive to build up better images with the HS10's own lens.
Peter