Getting better still :-)

[NoRules]

Hi,

Here is the sun of today. I'm now starting to get the tiny filaments over larger area of the surface. This is the level I had set for myself. For some reason, negative, and false colors, illustrate these details better. View at 100%. Now I think I can start taking pictures for real, and not worry or experimenting with phototechnique or PP workflow. Only fine tuning from image to image. Man, I've been driving down some dead ends to get here...







--
Free your mind, and your camera will follow...

 

[starman1969]

Woweeee!

 

[ricocamus]

Wow...a much appreciated thank you for all you do and posting ...man o man...

 

[swimswithtrout]

Very nice, keep them coming !

 

[JacobSR]

Pentax Q7...? really? Wow, that's amazing. Very impressed.

Jacob

 

[NoRules]

Thanks a lot. I've been feeling like a clumsy novice for a while now But to tell you the truth, everybody needs a humbling experience now and then.

I am very happy with the Q7. I bought it just for this purpose, and it finally delivers. It is an optimal camera for this job. Other mirrorless cameras can also be placed in the prime focus, but the sensors are too large. With the Q the sun almost fills the frame, and it uses the sweetspot of the Coronado. Alle these solar telescopes are just 400mm's, but with differnt aperture. Because the Q7 works on time lapse with electronic shutter, I could stop the telescope down to f.8.0 with a DIY flange to get better details. Normally, with mechanical shutter, you need 1/500 or 1/1000 shutter speed. I use 1/160.

I read about doing masks to get the protuberances, and have done it a lot. But ultimately there is no need. Todays cameras have great DR to cope with this issue. I did not use circular masks on this image, only curves and contrast.

Another dead end was stacking. We have learned that more is better, but the ecception is the sun. If you stack you actually degrade the image. But then again you have to stack some images. It's a trade off. You have to stack more than 3, less than 6, with this setup. The result is that sharpness drops, but the fine structures emerge out of the image noise. Very strange and counter intuitive.

And only with video and thousands of images can you get 5-10 images where the whole face of the sun is in register. My approach has been like a collage or puzzle on a semi-sharp backdrop. I know it's not very scientific, but it gives the image a 3D effect. I work with 5-10 areas that I blend in on the backdrop, so this is very hands on.

I have made my self some macros and automated actions, so from start to finish, this image took me about 3 hours to make. And that is acceptable.

Now I just have to make it interesting

 

[Via Lactea]

GREAT, it gives a 3D-feel! in outer space.

 

[JacobSR]

Thanks for the info. Your hard work is paying off and I'm sure that you're having fun doing it. It's amazing to me that using such a tiny camera on an object which is something like 93 million miles away is captured with such detail. You are an outstanding photographer, your hard work is paying off and I'm sure that you're having fun doing it. I will follow your posts and progress hoping maybe you will also do other objects in the sky. Keep up the good work.

BTW I have a Q10 and I love it.

Jacob

 

[TJL LTFF]

Quite a photo - very well done. And thanks so much for the information - you've worked very hard. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Sonylover1]

You are really inspring me to do more complex astrophotography in the Dark part of Sweden.

I have been following you, Michael S, Starman and many others. You are doing what Palomar did a couple of yeara ago. Fantastic.

Keep on working Viking!

 

[Dan]

That is a really cool shot...though maybe I should call it a hot shot.

Never the less very neat to look at for sure and a big congrats on the effort and persistence.

Dan

 

[FuriousFingers]

Impressive! Which solar filter are you using?

 

[NoRules]

Impressive! Which solar filter are you using?

Hi, I'm using a Coronado 60 with H-a filter assembly (etalon). The Q7 has the advantage, because of the very short flange/ sensor distance, to be placed in the prime focus of this 400mm telescope. It's like a perfect match. I use a simple equatorial tracker on a tripod with ball head. The whole setup is just shy of $1600. I was lucky and got a used Coronado last year.

 

[FuriousFingers]

Thanks for the info -- I learnt quite a bit reading about those filters. I was mostly aware of the basic baader filters which are only useful for seeing sunspots.

 

[astrodad1]

It really does seem 3-D. Great job, and thanks for sharing.

 

[solarider]

I second your Woweeee! and raise you a few more eeeee's ;-)

Are you sure you didn't take a closeup of a yellow tennis ball?

Well done!

Nic

Woweeee!

--
Steve

--
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, the rational mind is a faithful servant.
We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. - Albert Einstein
________________
Science... became Scientism, which means it didn't just pursue its own truths, it aggressively denied that there were any other truths at all... Ken Wilber
__________
Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous - Albert Einstein

 

[NancyP]

That's really nice!

 

[NoRules]

Thanks once again. I had to dig up this thread again because of all the flaming of the new Pentax Q camera. I think it's still unique for what it does best. I want one in red and gold, to fit my Coronado

My apologies to all here on the forum that are allready tired of my solar images.

 

[Matt Fulghum]

I'm glad to see you're enjoying yours. I'm still having fun with my q10, personally. Based on these images, it looks like a near ideal solar camera. You've re-inspired me to do some silly things! I've got a crappy 500mm cat lens; I think I'll try stringing together some mount adapters and shoot the moon with it.

 

[NoRules]

I'm glad to see you're enjoying yours. I'm still having fun with my q10, personally. Based on these images, it looks like a near ideal solar camera. You've re-inspired me to do some silly things! I've got a crappy 500mm cat lens; I think I'll try stringing together some mount adapters and shoot the moon with it.

:-D