Orion Constellation

[weixing]

Hi,
Orion Constellation

Shooting Info
Camera: Canon 450D + EFS 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS @ 30mm
Exposure: 25 x 180s Unguided @ ISO 200 F6.3

Initially, plan to shoot M45 (Pleiades or Seven Sisters) open star clusters again using my EFS 55-250mm IS lens, but some problem with the polar alignment, zoom creep, focus creep and getting too late (need to work next day), so in the end decided to shoot the Orion Constellation. Result was better than I expected.

Hope more clear nights ahead.

Have a nice day.

[mdzmr]

Hi bro, since this orion constellation thread, I want to check my image.
After doing heavy PP with some many layers after layers. Spotted this patch which I circle in red. Any idea what is that? Is it just a clouds? But if it is a cloud, it wont remain there right. Curious.



Using 18-70mm lens @ f3.5 ( focal length @18mm )
20x30sec ISO400

[weixing]

Hi,

Originally Posted by mdzmr Hi bro, since this orion constellation thread, I want to check my image. After doing heavy PP with some many layers after layers. Spotted this patch which I circle in red. Any idea what is that? Is it just a clouds? But if it is a cloud, it wont remain there right. Curious. Using 18-70mm lens @ f3.5 20x30sec ISO400

Yap.. these are normal cloud... the orange cloud is caused by reflecting the light pollution... same colour as the cloud you see at night. Did you see the cloud there when you shoot the image?? Look like it's brighter than Orion itself.

Anyway, cloud will remain there if no strong wind or the cloud are moving very slowly. Also, depend on the method you combine all those 20 sub images, the cloud will appear as long as it's appeared in a few or even one of those 20 sub images. You can check all the 20 sub images you capture one by one... you might find the clouds are not stationary.

Happy shooting and have a nice day.

[djork]

zoom creep/focus creep -- tape the lens

[mdzmr]

Originally Posted by weixing Hi, Yap.. these are normal cloud... the orange cloud is caused by reflecting the light pollution... same colour as the cloud you see at night. Did you see the cloud there when you shoot the image?? Look like it's brighter than Orion itself. Anyway, cloud will remain there if no strong wind or the cloud are moving very slowly. Also, depend on the method you combine all those 20 sub images, the cloud will appear as long as it's appeared in a few or even one of those 20 sub images. You can check all the 20 sub images you capture one by one... you might find the clouds are not stationary. Happy shooting and have a nice day.

But when I shoot this, theres no clouds there accept a very diffuse hazy band which I thought its a milky way. During that night I shall say the weather is fine and the sky is clear accept once a while I saw a passing by clouds which I defintely not shoot at all wait till it clears the frame. Yap its all appear at the same spot. Ok will try to post the raw pic when I get back.

[Octarine]

Originally Posted by mdzmr But when I shoot this, theres no clouds there accept a very diffuse hazy band which I thought its a milky way. During that night I shall say the weather is fine and the sky is clear accept once a while I saw a passing by clouds which I defintely not shoot at all wait till it clears the frame. Yap its all appear at the same spot. Ok will try to post the raw pic when I get back.

Reason is that the camera collects the light with long term exposure but your eye only sees the light of a short moment. I read an article about eye and consciousness and from there I got the information that eye and brain together have a "shutter speed" of maximum 1sec. After this the image in the mind is cleared for the next image from the eyes. It's part of how our visual recognition system works after the millions of years of evolutionary "trial and error".

[weixing]

Hi,

Originally Posted by djork zoom creep/focus creep -- tape the lens

Ha ha ha... I plan of doing that, but that day was home quite late and pack in a rush... in the end forget to bring tape and extra battery... luckily the not fully charged battery in the camera can last till the end.

Originally Posted by mdzmr But when I shoot this, theres no clouds there accept a very diffuse hazy band which I thought its a milky way. During that night I shall say the weather is fine and the sky is clear accept once a while I saw a passing by clouds which I defintely not shoot at all wait till it clears the frame. Yap its all appear at the same spot. Ok will try to post the raw pic when I get back.

The diffuse hazy band should be the cloud as Milky way is only barely visible (the brightest part in Sagittarius and Scorpius region) to the naked eye in some part of Singapore (mainly east side), but not the Milky way near Orion.

Have a nice day.

[mdzmr]

Sori to borrow your thread since this is about Orion.

This one shot few weeks ago if I'm not wrong early Jan. Weather was quite bad but manage to capture at late nite almost midnight. Very heavy process in photoshop.



Sony A100+Takumar 55mm lens f2
ISO400
35 x 8sec & 15sec
Stack with DeepSky Stacker
Final process CS3

[weixing]

Hi,

Originally Posted by mdzmr Sori to borrow your thread since this is about Orion. This one shot few weeks ago if I'm not wrong early Jan. Weather was quite bad but manage to capture at late nite almost midnight. Very heavy process in photoshop. Sony A100+Takumar 55mm lens f2 ISO400 35 x 8sec & 15sec Stack with DeepSky Stacker Final process CS3

Not a bad one consider the bad weather... I think the image will improve a lot if taken during good weather.

Happy shooting and have a nice day.

[dingzyangz]

very nice photos of the constellation.

just curious... what does "35 x 8sec & 15sec" and "25 x 180s Unguided @ ISO 200 F6.3" means?

oh yar... would 180s exposure creates slight star trails?

[mechattax]

Hey guys!

Thanks for posting your photos of the Orion Constellation. I've always wondered what the arrangements of the stars mean e.g. the three linear stars forming the Orion belt. But when I see your photos, my interest piqued and a brief reading in Wikipedia helped me a bit to understand these stars.

Good job!

[weixing]

Hi,

Originally Posted by dingzyangz very nice photos of the constellation. just curious... what does "35 x 8sec & 15sec" and "25 x 180s Unguided @ ISO 200 F6.3" means? oh yar... would 180s exposure creates slight star trails?

"25 x 180s" means 25 images at 180s exposure each. This is one of the method commonly use in Astrophotography to get an "equivalent" long exposure time and also improve the signal-to-noise ratio... basically reduce the image noise.

Yes, 180s will give you star trails if you use a camera tripod, but using an equatorial mount with motor drive and proper alignment, we can reduce the star trails.

Have a nice day.

[dingzyangz]

thanks weixing! looks like i have more to learn and explore. but for now i am only capable of simple trails shots like this.

Originally Posted by weixing Hi, "25 x 180s" means 25 images at 180s exposure each. This is one of the method commonly use in Astrophotography to get an "equivalent" long exposure time and also improve the signal-to-noise ratio... basically reduce the image noise. Yes, 180s will give you star trails if you use a camera tripod, but using an equatorial mount with motor drive and proper alignment, we can reduce the star trails. Have a nice day.

[TroyP]

Originally Posted by weixing Hi, "25 x 180s" means 25 images at 180s exposure each. This is one of the method commonly use in Astrophotography to get an "equivalent" long exposure time and also improve the signal-to-noise ratio... basically reduce the image noise. Yes, 180s will give you star trails if you use a camera tripod, but using an equatorial mount with motor drive and proper alignment, we can reduce the star trails. Have a nice day.

So the equatorial mount moves as the earth rotates? cool, sounds expensive though!

[mdzmr]

Originally Posted by weixing Hi, Not a bad one consider the bad weather... I think the image will improve a lot if taken during good weather. Happy shooting and have a nice day.

Thanks weixing. Yes will improve more once I get a proper equip. Currently I use a slow precision mount. Will be getting a EQ1 mount and narrow or broadband filter. Going for DSO now.

[weixing]

Hi,

Originally Posted by TroyP So the equatorial mount moves as the earth rotates? cool, sounds expensive though!

Like lenses and camera, there are cheapo one to very expensive one... Anyway, I get my used, so not too expensive...

Originally Posted by mdzmr Thanks weixing. Yes will improve more once I get a proper equip. Currently I use a slow precision mount. Will be getting a EQ1 mount and narrow or broadband filter. Going for DSO now.

What equipment are you going to mount on the EQ1?? The EQ1 is designed for visual use using small scope and not Astrophotography, but wide field (using wide angle lens) still can if the load is not too heavy and with good polar alignment.

You want to use the narrow or broadband filter on lens or on telescope?? Narrowband filter is only effective on emission nebula and will also dim down star light. IMHO, I suggest you don't try to use any of the filters first and see how long can the EQ1 track accurately with your load. If the EQ1 mount can't track accurately over 1 minute, the light pollution might not saturate your image, so no point using filter and filter for lens are not cheap. If you really want to use filters, I suggest you try broadband filters first as it's won't cut down the star light by too much while reducing the effect of light pollution.... it's also cheaper.

By the way, most filters will change the colour balance of your image for unmodified cameras, so you need to white balance it properly.

Just my S$0.02.

Happy shooting and have a nice day.

[mdzmr]

Originally Posted by weixing Hi, Like lenses and camera, there are cheapo one to very expensive one... Anyway, I get my used, so not too expensive... What equipment are you going to mount on the EQ1?? The EQ1 is designed for visual use using small scope and not Astrophotography, but wide field (using wide angle lens) still can if the load is not too heavy and with good polar alignment. You want to use the narrow or broadband filter on lens or on telescope?? Narrowband filter is only effective on emission nebula and will also dim down star light. IMHO, I suggest you don't try to use any of the filters first and see how long can the EQ1 track accurately with your load. If the EQ1 mount can't track accurately over 1 minute, the light pollution might not saturate your image, so no point using filter and filter for lens are not cheap. If you really want to use filters, I suggest you try broadband filters first as it's won't cut down the star light by too much while reducing the effect of light pollution.... it's also cheaper. By the way, most filters will change the colour balance of your image for unmodified cameras, so you need to white balance it properly. Just my S$0.02. Happy shooting and have a nice day.

You mean the EQ1 can't take the load of the C90mak even though after put some weight balance. I aware that the base plate is small and is also not easy to operate. But I only can go at low budget at this point of time. For the filter maybe will consider first after tryout the EQ1 mount. I aware that regarding using a filter to unmodded cam. Ok thanks very much for your pointers

[weixing]

Hi,

Originally Posted by mdzmr You mean the EQ1 can't take the load of the C90mak even though after put some weight balance. I aware that the base plate is small and is also not easy to operate. But I only can go at low budget at this point of time. For the filter maybe will consider first after tryout the EQ1 mount. I aware that regarding using a filter to unmodded cam. Ok thanks very much for your pointers

You mean you going to shoot using the C90 Mak?? No problem if shooting Moon as it don't required long exposure, but not DSO. The C90 Mak focal length is 1200mm at f13, you'll need a very accurate mount and long exposure to get decent result... you won't be able to achieve using an EQ1 mount.

Anyway, EQ1 mount can take the load of C90 Mak, but not sure can it take the load together with your DSLR... even it can, it might not be able to give decent tracking (with motor drive).

By the way, what mount are you currently using??

Have a nice day.

[mdzmr]

Originally Posted by weixing Hi, You mean you going to shoot using the C90 Mak?? No problem if shooting Moon as it don't required long exposure, but not DSO. The C90 Mak focal length is 1200mm at f13, you'll need a very accurate mount and long exposure to get decent result... you won't be able to achieve using an EQ1 mount. Anyway, EQ1 mount can take the load of C90 Mak, but not sure can it take the load together with your DSLR... even it can, it might not be able to give decent tracking (with motor drive). By the way, what mount are you currently using?? Have a nice day.

Currently a Precision Slow-motion mount only to my cam. bought it from Astrobargain. The scope currently use for observation only. Tried before mount together with the cam but really sucks. Need to manually guide really nuts man. Just imagine how I struggle with.