First light: EOS 350D

Thought I'd try pointing the new toy skywards on its own given the
disappointment of finding that it isn't really practical to put it on the
ETX-105 :-(

OK, I know this is not much by the standards here, but I thought it was OK
given how easy this was to take. Pretty much a set of snapshots really.:

http://www.ayliffe.org/images/stacked_moon1.jpg

20 or so images 300mm F5.6 1/160 - 1/200 sec ISO-400 put together with
registaxx.

I was less successful trying to get a bit of earthshine later. Probably
should have waited for a better time, but the clouds were a-comin'!

http://www.ayliffe.org/images/stacked_earthshine1.jpg

14 images 300mm F5.6 1/15 - 1/25 sec ISO-1600.

Next accessory is a remote release so the shots of constellations don't have
as much shake!

--
Mark
Real email address | Star Trek lines we'll never see:
is mark at | "Cry on someone else's shoulder, I'm off-duty."
ayliffe dot org | - Troi

On or about 2006-04-02,
Pete Lawrence illuminated us with:
On Sun, 02 Apr 2006 12:07:39 GMT, Mark Ayliffe wrote:

Thought I'd try pointing the new toy skywards on its own given the
disappointment of finding that it isn't really practical to put it on the
ETX-105 :-(

What's the problem with putting it on the ETX-105 Mark?

Well I went into Green Witch yesterday and was told that the camera is too
heavy for the ETX 105 and there isn't a proper way of counterbalancing it. I
guess I could cobble something together using lead strip around the top end
of the tube or somesuch, but I'm a little worried about putting too much
weight on the bearings & driveshaft of the ETX. Probably a matter of my
working up enough courage to give it a go. It's not as trivial as I was
hoping it would be.

The chap[1] at Green Witch suggested supporting the camera on another tripod
and "pointing it" at the ETX, but then it's not exactly going to track too
well, which rather defeats the object IMHO.

OTOH I have a 50mm F1.8 lens which I took a few widefield shots with last
night and I reckon that a remote shutter release and the mirror locked up
might produce some interesting results which can be stacked. As I said in
the first post, the shake with manual release & probably the mirror movement
even on a tripod is too much, everything looks rather oval!. And I think I'd
like to try the telephoto lenses in full darkness too, having played with
Registaxx, that might also be interesting.

[1] Lee, who usually is pretty reliable on such things I think.
--
Mark
Real email address | In the land of the blind,
is mark at | the one eyed man is king.
ayliffe dot org

Mark i like your pictures , i use my 350D with my etx -125 ,, well i would
if i could get a clear night ! not seen a star in 2 months now .

On or about 2006-04-02,
Pete illuminated us with:
Mark i like your pictures , i use my 350D with my etx -125 ,, well i would
if i could get a clear night ! not seen a star in 2 months now .

I can relate to the clouds!

Do you use any counerweights or does it work OK without? It does seem that
the eyepeice is quite close to the pivot axis, so maybe it's just OK?

--
Mark
Real email address |
is mark at | Never lick a steak knife.
ayliffe dot org |

Mark Ayliffe wrote in
:

Thought I'd try pointing the new toy skywards on its own given the
disappointment of finding that it isn't really practical to put it on
the ETX-105 :-(

OK, I know this is not much by the standards here, but I thought it was
OK given how easy this was to take. Pretty much a set of snapshots
really.:

http://www.ayliffe.org/images/stacked_moon1.jpg

20 or so images 300mm F5.6 1/160 - 1/200 sec ISO-400 put together with
registaxx.

I was less successful trying to get a bit of earthshine later. Probably
should have waited for a better time, but the clouds were a-comin'!

http://www.ayliffe.org/images/stacked_earthshine1.jpg

14 images 300mm F5.6 1/15 - 1/25 sec ISO-1600.

Next accessory is a remote release so the shots of constellations don't
have as much shake!


Can you set a shutter delay? Some of these cameras have a delay so you can
press the button and run around to be in the shot.

Klazmon

Llanzlan Klazmon wrote in
7.6:

Mark Ayliffe wrote in
:

Thought I'd try pointing the new toy skywards on its own given the
disappointment of finding that it isn't really practical to put it on
the ETX-105 :-(

OK, I know this is not much by the standards here, but I thought it was
OK given how easy this was to take. Pretty much a set of snapshots
really.:

http://www.ayliffe.org/images/stacked_moon1.jpg

20 or so images 300mm F5.6 1/160 - 1/200 sec ISO-400 put together with
registaxx.

I was less successful trying to get a bit of earthshine later. Probably
should have waited for a better time, but the clouds were a-comin'!

http://www.ayliffe.org/images/stacked_earthshine1.jpg

14 images 300mm F5.6 1/15 - 1/25 sec ISO-1600.

Next accessory is a remote release so the shots of constellations don't
have as much shake!


Can you set a shutter delay? Some of these cameras have a delay so you
can press the button and run around to be in the shot.

Klazmon


PS. Looked up the specs for this camera. It looks like you can set a delay
of ten seconds.

On or about 2006-04-03,
Llanzlan Klazmon illuminated us with:
Llanzlan Klazmon wrote in
7.6:

Mark Ayliffe wrote in
:

Next accessory is a remote release so the shots of constellations don't
have as much shake!

Can you set a shutter delay? Some of these cameras have a delay so you
can press the button and run around to be in the shot.

PS. Looked up the specs for this camera. It looks like you can set a delay
of ten seconds.

Yes indeed, but I doubt that would work along with the mirror lock. An
alternative to the remote control would be to use a laptop connected to it
and drive the camera remotely that way of course.

--
Mark
Real email address |
is mark at | Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?
ayliffe dot org |

Originally Posted by Mark Ayliffe

Next accessory is a remote release so the shots of constellations don't
have as much shake![/color]

Can you set a shutter delay? Some of these cameras have a delay so you
can press the button and run around to be in the shot.[/color]

PS. Looked up the specs for this camera. It looks like you can set a delay
of ten seconds.[/color]

Yes indeed, but I doubt that would work along with the mirror lock. An
alternative to the remote control would be to use a laptop connected to it
and drive the camera remotely that way of course.

Mark

Mark - I have the earlier Canon 300D/Rebel without mirror-lock [ok there's a Russian software fix] but mirror slap have never been a problem. Any vibration is in the first few milliseconds and as the exposure times increase this contributes less to the final result - or that's how I read it.

PS: perhaps its just me but I can't see all your images without panning - do they need cropping below the camera's full res?

Nytecam 51N 0.1W
www.astroman.fsnet.co.uk

On Tue, 4 Apr 2006 07:10:10 +0000, nytecam
wrote:


Mark Ayliffe Wrote:

Next accessory is a remote release so the shots of constellations
don't
have as much shake!

Can you set a shutter delay? Some of these cameras have a delay so
you
can press the button and run around to be in the shot.

PS. Looked up the specs for this camera. It looks like you can set a
delay
of ten seconds.[/color]

Yes indeed, but I doubt that would work along with the mirror lock. An
alternative to the remote control would be to use a laptop connected to
it
and drive the camera remotely that way of course.

Mark[/color]

Mark - I have the earlier Canon 300D/Rebel without mirror-lock [ok
there's a Russian software fix] but mirror slap have never been a
problem. Any vibration is in the first few milliseconds and as the
exposure times increase this contributes less to the final result - or
that's how I read it.

PS: perhaps its just me but I can't see all your images without panning
- do they need cropping below the camera's full res?[/color]

Just to add to what Maurice has said, the only time that mirror slap
has affected me is when I've been using a portable slightly unstable
mount - especially if the camera is hanging well off the back of the
telescope away from the mounting point.
--
Pete
http://www.digitalsky.org.uk

On or about 2006-04-04,
nytecam illuminated us with:

Mark Ayliffe Wrote:

Yes indeed, but I doubt that would work along with the mirror lock. An
alternative to the remote control would be to use a laptop connected to
it
and drive the camera remotely that way of course.

Mark

Mark - I have the earlier Canon 300D/Rebel without mirror-lock [ok
there's a Russian software fix] but mirror slap have never been a
problem. Any vibration is in the first few milliseconds and as the
exposure times increase this contributes less to the final result - or
that's how I read it.

That's what I would have expected too. Perhaps I didn't manage to get as
well focussed as I thought, I'll give it another try, thanks.

PS: perhaps its just me but I can't see all your images without panning
- do they need cropping below the camera's full res?

They are cropped, probably not enough though. I keep forgetting that I use
higher screen resolutions than most people, sorry. Here is the full sized
daylight one(!): http://www.ayliffe.org/images/stacked_moon.jpg

--
Mark
Real email address |
is mark at | Common Sense is very Uncommon.
ayliffe dot org |