New astro shot - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

10/25/2006 11:17:29 PM · #1

Went out a-shootin' tonight, trying out the new 30D on some astro applications. Didn't have long, and it was getting windy. Only got one shot:

Four minute exposure, no noise removal (except in PP). This is uncropped (only saved for web). Did a little levels and curves to increase contrast and bump brightness in the mid-tones. Slight noise removal. Compare my shot with the 10D and 70-200 f4 from last year:

This one was much more processed, and cropped more severely too.

Rebecca

Nikon D80

10/25/2006 11:22:25 PM · #2

Those are both really cool shots!

violinist123

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/25/2006 11:25:28 PM · #3

Yeah very cool. What's the damage for the telescope gear?

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

10/25/2006 11:42:14 PM · #4

Niiiiiice! What are you piggybacking on, and how are you focusing? You might force me to try this!

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/25/2006 11:43:11 PM · #5

Originally posted by routerguy666:

Yeah very cool. What's the damage for the telescope gear?

Freighting! This was shot using a 12" Meade LX200 as a guiding platform. That's gotta be about $8,000 worth of telescope alone, plus another 20K for the observatory that houses it. My own gear is much more modest, but a lot more work to get set up, aligned, etc.

violinist123

Canon EOS-6D

10/25/2006 11:44:20 PM · #6

So you just make arrangemnts with the observatory and they let you hook your camera up to their gear?

10/25/2006 11:45:03 PM · #7

Originally posted by scalvert:

Niiiiiice! What are you piggybacking on, and how are you focusing? You might force me to try this!

See above reply for the mount. I focus by eye first, on a bright star, then shoot between 30 and 40 10 second shots at a dimmer star, and look at the results on the LCD, zoomed in. Very slight tweak to the focus, and shoot and look again. Takes a solid 15 minutes or so, but it's the only way to get focus close enough for these magnifications.

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

10/25/2006 11:46:01 PM · #8

Originally posted by routerguy666:

So you just make arrangemnts with the observatory and they let you hook your camera up to their gear?

It's the observatory owned and operated by the Madison Astronomical Society, of which I'm an observing member. I can use it whenever I want. ;-)

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

10/26/2006 12:17:07 AM · #9

Hmmmm. Nice! That 400/5.6 looks like a great performer! Shooting wide open, with the tight pixel pitch on the 30D, and still you get nice crisp star images. What does it look like at 100%?
So the "doc" is back in service I see! Just in time for the cold weather! ;-)