A nondescript nebula I imaged last night with a new camera which is always fun…Just dialing it in but this is a nice Nebula near Polaris.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any appreciated.
Technical Details
Zwo 2600mc color camera (APS-C)
5 hours. 500mm
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Nice!! A lovely region of very interesting nebulosity and dust – on a par with an very nice abstract piece of art.
I’m curious what are the advantages of this camera over your previous one?
Thanks Diane, the other astro cameras are small sensor (large reach) mp cameras.
The 2600 is a regular ASP-C sensor size, (24 X 16)) so much more resolution. 24mp. (6000 x 4000)
It is a large (2 lb.) camera. Its the same as using a crop sensor Nikon or Canon except it cools to -35 and is very light sensitive. A Sony sensor.
It takes more time to process. Most Astro cameras are small sensor mp simply because you take hours of images in processing.
Crop and Full frame cameras are better obviously although they are mostly used with big scopes since the field frame is wide.
I am using this camera for Wide view astro imaging with the scopes I have for large print size resolution.
Sounds wonderful! When I was just starting to mess with this stuff about 6-7 years ago, I was using a Canon 7D2 and 300 or 400mm lenses for many common objects, and a 180 macro for some of the larger ones. I have the silly notion that I would like to see what I can do with my Canon R5 (full frame) and 100-500 RF (with teleconverters if needed). But the advantages of an astro camera and ASIAir computer are VERY tempting. I need to get back on CloudyNights and ask a bunch of questions, but do you have an idea if that lens would work physically with an astro camera? Adapter? Focuser? Filter housing?
Very beautiful, Dan!
Congrats on your new camera. Did you consider a full frame cooled camera as well? It would give great resolution for prints, but maybe it wouldn’t have the reach you want?
Diane, I assume the lens works with adapter with astro camera, the problem with that lens is it is really slow. A lot of astrophotographers use astro cameras with the Rokinon 135 f2 and the new Sigma f1.4 lens. I have the the 135 but I haven’t purchased a Dovetail bracket to use with it on my EQ mounts.
Telescopes come with those dovetails, just makes things simpler and they work better.
You will need the same type bracket with any Dslr lens. Shooting without filters is also a lot tougher to get good results.
Slow lens and no filters will work of course in dark sky but still would require quadruple the time I think.
Mark, Full frame astro cameras are great however they are also 80-100mp raw files that get pretty slow when you stack 20 hours of them…
The Crop sensor is enough resolution for most people and the file sizes are manageable.
Edit, I saw your thread on the Moon, Diane, so you have the lens mount covered.
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Thanks, @Dan_Kearl – the mounting brackets are working really well and rock-solid. I have a lot to remember about processing, and, as you said, the file sizes from the R5 really slow things down.
The mount is behaving really nicely – I have an ASIAIR on order but it could take a while. Meantime I’m doing PA with the built-in scope and after a 3-star align (using a laser to get the first star in the screen) I’m getting perfect GoTos with steady tracking over hours, including after meridian flips. Focusing by zooming in with the LCD screen and using the focus ring is actually comparable to what I can get with EOS Utility, which lets me drive the focus motor down to single steps from chevrons in the interface. And I haven’t seen any degradation in focus with a 20 degree temperature drop or with a dew heater.
I have good results using this mount with a 10lb. camera/scope combo , tracks great.
Easy to handle, not that heavy. Very good product. The Asiair is amazing, just a loss leader for Zwo, it is a bargain, best must have product for Astro. You will see.
Hmmm – sounds like I might even consider using the 600 f/4… I can’t understand why that mount ships with two 7.5 lb counterweights, though. One 3.5 lb out at the end of the arm would balance a lot of stuff.
And it just occurred to me that I could use the camera in crop mode and save some processing time. 45 MP is really overkill except maybe for a 50mm galactic center.