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And lo, after 8 days of rain, the night sky did appeareth:
1 hour total integration time@ 800/5.6, ISO 2000.
1 hour total integration time@ 800/5.6, ISO 2000.
M51 Photo: 1 Hour Total Integration @ 800/5.6, ISO 2000
- Thread starter Andy Resnick
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Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around astrophotography, specifically focusing on a photograph of the M51 galaxy taken with a telephoto lens. Participants explore technical aspects of the image, including equipment used, exposure settings, and image processing techniques.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Technical explanation
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- Participants inquire about the optical train used for the photograph, with some expressing curiosity about the specific equipment and settings employed.
- There is a discussion about the lens used, with questions regarding its mounting and capabilities, particularly in relation to the image's framing and quality.
- One participant notes the challenges of viewing M51 from the southern hemisphere, suggesting atmospheric conditions may hinder visibility.
- Concerns are raised about the cropping of the image and its impact on perceived quality, with references to nearby galaxies that were captured in the full-frame version.
- Participants share experiences with their own astrophotography setups, including equipment satisfaction and the learning curve associated with exposure and alignment.
- There is mention of ongoing improvements in post-processing techniques, indicating a shared interest in refining astrophotography skills.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express a range of views regarding the technical aspects of the photograph and the challenges of astrophotography. There is no clear consensus on the effectiveness of the equipment used or the quality of the image presented, indicating ongoing debate and exploration of the topic.
Contextual Notes
Limitations include assumptions about the cropping process and the quality of the RAW versus JPG images, as well as the dependence on atmospheric conditions for visibility in different geographical locations.
Who May Find This Useful
This discussion may be of interest to astrophotographers, photography enthusiasts, and individuals exploring techniques in capturing celestial objects.
- #2
Chronos
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Nice shot. What was your optical train?
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Chronos said:
Just my telephoto lens and Sony a850... am I misinterpreting? Each exposure was 20s long...(?)
- #4
russ_watters
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That's an 800mm telephoto lens? Impressive lens! What was it mounted on?
- #5
davenn
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Well Done Andy !
Don't think I can see that one from here in the southern hemisphere ... aahh Stellarium tells me it gets to only a few deg above the horizon
I would be shooting through murky thick atmosphere
I know its a perennial fav for the nthrn hemisphere guys
Im assuming that this was a 100% crop of the original image ( ie. you didn't resize the image out of the camera before cropping)
as M51 wouldn't fill the frame like that with 800mm on a full frame sensor ( nor on a aps-c sensor either for that matter)
and would explain the fuzziness and noise
This thread may be of interest to you astrophotographers ...
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=17500235Dave
Don't think I can see that one from here in the southern hemisphere ... aahh Stellarium tells me it gets to only a few deg above the horizon
I would be shooting through murky thick atmosphereI know its a perennial fav for the nthrn hemisphere guys
Im assuming that this was a 100% crop of the original image ( ie. you didn't resize the image out of the camera before cropping)
as M51 wouldn't fill the frame like that with 800mm on a full frame sensor ( nor on a aps-c sensor either for that matter)
and would explain the fuzziness and noise
This thread may be of interest to you astrophotographers ...
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=17500235Dave
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russ_watters said:
I rewarded myself three years ago with a Losmandy GM8- and have been extremely happy with it. I went from zero experience to 20s exposures in 15 minutes- alignment is trivial.
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- #7
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davenn said:
Yep- that's a crop. The full frame shows nearby galaxies NGC 5198, IC 4263, and IC 4282. The image I posted here was made from jpgs, which accounts for most for the quality problems- The RAW version looks much better, not sure why I haven't posted that yet...
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Had another good viewing night last weekend, was able to sharpen things up a bit. Here's essentially the full-frame (central 2/3, anyway):
It still needs some work, but the nearby low-surface brightness galaxies IC 4263, NGC 5169, and IC 4278 are clearly visible. Here's the 1:1 closeup:
Not bad... now it's time to switch over to the Virgo supercluster (weather permitting...)
Edit- slowly getting the hang of this whole 'post processing' thing...
It still needs some work, but the nearby low-surface brightness galaxies IC 4263, NGC 5169, and IC 4278 are clearly visible. Here's the 1:1 closeup:
Not bad... now it's time to switch over to the Virgo supercluster (weather permitting...)
Edit- slowly getting the hang of this whole 'post processing' thing...
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