Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Matthew Hunt wrote: On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 2:22 AM, Larry Colen wrote: In simple terms, the definition of infinity focus would be to have parallel incident light rays. Divergent rays from a point source are closer than infinity. One could probably set up a calibration unit

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Lovely shots of M31, my favorite "close" object. On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 5:57 PM, Larry Colen wrote: > > > Gonz wrote: >> >> Interesting capture of M42. I remember the first time I saw M42 with >> an 8" scope at the top of the Green building in Cambridge MA. It blew >> me

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 2:22 AM, Larry Colen wrote: > In simple terms, the definition of infinity focus would be to have parallel > incident light rays. Divergent rays from a point source are closer than > infinity. One could probably set up a calibration unit with parallel

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

i always assumed other adjustments were done with other programmes and one used something like starstax for stacking. stacking multiple milky way photographs and creating star trail photographs was what led me to it in the first place but i am just starting out...and have absolutely no experience

RE: Tonight I got a little Messier

Larry Colen wrote: Thank you. Do you mean from the july 4 mount hamilton set? https://www.flickr.com/photos/ellarsee/sets/72157667869222073/ +++ I do indeed. Lovely set. Malcolm -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

IIRC, StarStax is okay for blending the exposures, but not much else. It's a very basic piece of software. However it's very cool for creating looong star trails from individual exposures. Jostein Den 07.12.2016 03.46, skrev Subash Jeyan: On Sun, 04 Dec 2016 11:47:34 -0800 Larry Colen

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Malcolm Smith wrote: Larry Colen wrote: Now that I'm home, here's a link to my astro collection on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ellarsee/collections/72157627826423347/ ++ I love 04884& 05001 by the way! Thank you. Do you mean from the july 4 mount hamilton

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Stanley Halpin wrote: On Dec 4, 2016, at 4:50 PM, Larry Colen wrote: Igor PDML-StR wrote: Larry, I haven't done much of astro-photography, so, I am just curious: why focusing at infinity wouldn't work in this case (i.e. turning the focusing ring to the end of the

RE: Tonight I got a little Messier

Larry Colen wrote: Now that I'm home, here's a link to my astro collection on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ellarsee/collections/72157627826423347/ ++ I love 04884 & 05001 by the way! Malcolm -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Subash Jeyan wrote: On Sun, 04 Dec 2016 11:47:34 -0800 Larry Colen wrote: I tried that once and didn't have any luck with the software I used, it wasn't significantly better than what I got with one frame. I'm curious if anybody has stacking software they like that runs on

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

On Sun, 04 Dec 2016 11:47:34 -0800 Larry Colen wrote: > I tried that once and didn't have any luck with the software I used, > it wasn't significantly better than what I got with one frame. I'm > curious if anybody has stacking software they like that runs on macs > (or linux)

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

> On Dec 4, 2016, at 4:50 PM, Larry Colen wrote: > > > > Igor PDML-StR wrote: >> >> Larry, >> >> I haven't done much of astro-photography, so, I am just >> curious: why focusing at infinity wouldn't work in this case >> (i.e. turning the focusing ring to the end of the

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Gonz wrote: Interesting capture of M42. I remember the first time I saw M42 with an 8" scope at the top of the Green building in Cambridge MA. It blew me away. Have you tried M31? Now that I'm home, here's a link to my astro collection on flickr:

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

On December 6, 2016 1:40:22 PM PST, Gonz wrote: >Interesting capture of M42. I remember the first time I saw M42 with >an 8" scope at the top of the Green building in Cambridge MA. It blew >me away. Have you tried M31? That was my first of that sort, I'm on my phone

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Interesting capture of M42. I remember the first time I saw M42 with an 8" scope at the top of the Green building in Cambridge MA. It blew me away. Have you tried M31? Here is a pic of M42 taken by Hubble that is drool worthy:

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Jostein wrote: Den 04.12.2016 20.47, skrev Larry Colen: I tried that once and didn't have any luck with the software I used, it wasn't significantly better than what I got with one frame. I'm curious if anybody has stacking software they like that runs on macs (or linux) If it's been a

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Den 04.12.2016 20.47, skrev Larry Colen: I tried that once and didn't have any luck with the software I used, it wasn't significantly better than what I got with one frame. I'm curious if anybody has stacking software they like that runs on macs (or linux) If it's been a while since last

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

In my experience, the best way to focus is to use LiveView, zoom the screen in on a star, and use manual focus. Correct focus is never at the lens' infinity setting. :-) Jostein Den 04.12.2016 22.50, skrev Larry Colen: Igor PDML-StR wrote: Larry, I haven't done much of

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Loved your prose, B Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 4, 2016, at 1:55 PM, Bob W-PDML wrote: > > >> On 4 Dec 2016, at 21:51, Larry Colen wrote: >> >> Igor PDML-StR wrote: >>> >>> Larry, >>> >>> I haven't done much of astro-photography, so, I am just >>>

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Most lenses go beyond infinity for two reasons: they focus shift and need the extra room to reach infinity or they are designed to deal with temperature fluctuations. A cold lens shrinks. On Sun, Dec 4, 2016 at 4:50 PM, Larry Colen wrote: > > > Igor PDML-StR wrote: >> >> >>

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

On 4 Dec 2016, at 21:51, Larry Colen wrote: > > Igor PDML-StR wrote: >> >> Larry, >> >> I haven't done much of astro-photography, so, I am just >> curious: why focusing at infinity wouldn't work in this case >> (i.e. turning the focusing ring to the end of the range)? >> Is

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Igor PDML-StR wrote: Larry, I haven't done much of astro-photography, so, I am just curious: why focusing at infinity wouldn't work in this case (i.e. turning the focusing ring to the end of the range)? Is it just because the particular lens(es) are not designed or manufactured well for

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Larry, I haven't done much of astro-photography, so, I am just curious: why focusing at infinity wouldn't work in this case (i.e. turning the focusing ring to the end of the range)? Is it just because the particular lens(es) are not designed or manufactured well for infinity focus? (E.g. they

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Thanks Jostein, also Malcolm, and all who looked. Jostein wrote: Well done you. The Orion season starts a little later up here. It's a bit low on the horizon yet, with light pollution and heat shimmer getting in the way. To make up for it, you have a much better Aurora season than we do.

Re: Tonight I got a little Messier

Well done you. The Orion season starts a little later up here. It's a bit low on the horizon yet, with light pollution and heat shimmer getting in the way. Your results are on par with what I've got from single exposures with the Sigma 500/4.5. Proper focusing seems to be the limiting factor

RE: Tonight I got a little Messier

Larry Colen wrote: Inspired by actually being able to see it in photos with the FA77 I had a go at photographing the Orion nebula. Here it is with the bigma, 500mm, wide open at f/6.7, ISO 800, astrotracer only seems to work up to about 10 seconds at 500mm. However, that beats the rule of 600 by

Tonight I got a little Messier

Inspired by actually being able to see it in photos with the FA77 I had a go at photographing the Orion nebula. Here it is with the bigma, 500mm, wide open at f/6.7, ISO 800, astrotracer only seems to work up to about 10 seconds at 500mm. However, that beats the rule of 600 by a factor of 8.