Stacking Showdown - Video Premiere on Friday Sept. 30th
Added 2022-09-29 05:12:26 +0000 UTCI have a new video premiering Friday (9/30) at 12 noon ET (9am PT, 16:00 UTC, 5pm UK time). It is approximately 43 minutes long. Hope to see some of you there in the chat! In this video I am comparing eight different software packages that can calibrate, register, and stack deep sky images.
The next Nebula Photos Sunday Chat will NOT take place this Sunday. I am delaying it one week to Sunday, October 9th so we can talk about progress on the group imaging projects at the start of the chat. We will be collecting the final data on these projects over the next week, check announcements in the Discord - https://discord.gg/nebulaphotos - for more details.
If your are new to my Patreon, welcome! Please use the message feature if you have any questions. I'm happy to help.
Clear skies, Nico
Comments
Well, its for sure handy have starnet++ integrated ( i think both affinity and pixinsight does), but you can always create the starless with the standalone program and then import it as an added layer in your favorite post processing tool. I use gimp and import both the "stared" and "starless" tiffs
Salvatore Di Nardo
2022-10-06 06:44:20 +0000 UTCHello Nico. You have no idea how I aprecyated this comparison. Im quite new to astrophotography, and have always used Siril. I tought SIRIL is a great software, but after your comparison gave ASTAP a try. Just for stacking with default parameters to see the difference. Oh boy!!!!..The image that came from ASTAP it much more clean. Its hard to explain, but during the postprocessing i felt that the subject ( hearth nebula in my case) was just easier to bring it out. The stretching was just easier as the background remained clean and noiseless. The difference from the image stacked with Siril is huge, and the resulting image is just better, and not by a small margin.
Salvatore Di Nardo
2022-10-05 09:51:41 +0000 UTCKeep in mind once you put the mount and telescope on the tripod it gets about 12-18" taller than that. You can also buy a pier extension for about $100 that will raise it up about another foot. And yes, the EQ6R is excellent and will be your best choice for bigger telescopes or telescopes with a long focal length like the RC you were talking about. If your concern with tripod height is polar alignment, there are many electronic means of polar aligning these days that most astrophotographers eventually gravitate towards. Feel free to message me here on Patreon to continue the discussion as the comment threads don't support clickable links. Cheers, Nico
Nico Carver
2022-10-05 02:48:13 +0000 UTCI have really enjoyed your videos, and they have opened up a whole new area of possibilities for me as an amateur photographer. This weekend, I take my Canon 5D Mark IV, Tripod and the lenses: Canon 20mm F2, 50mm F1.4 and now Rokinon 135 F2 with me to east end of Grand Cayman (very dark there) and try some of the techniques you demonstrated in your videos. I downloaded three stacker apps you recommended too. Should be fun !!
Terry Michael
2022-10-05 01:51:52 +0000 UTCAs a photog, B&H is always a go to and check first site. I bought the 135mm Rokinon, that you recommended there. But here is my current conundrum, the HEQ5 is almost $1500 and for $2025 I can get the EQ6. I thought in one of your videos you said you both like and have a EQ6. I thought that was a good endorsement because in researching telescopes the past year I noticed that mount too. But I just now noticed its max tripod height is 48". That's, too short for me and I cannot find any site, B&H, Optcorp, and even Sky-Watchers website that lists the HEQ5 tripod height. So I may just stick with the AVX with its 64" tripod that also has 2" legs the HEQ5 is only 1.75", and the tripod is also a little heavier. As a long time photog, I agree that a sturdy tripod is everything for long exposure and telephoto type photography.
Terry Michael
2022-10-05 01:44:20 +0000 UTCLooks like it is in stock at B&H: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1695023-REG/sky_watcher_s30400_heq5_goto_equatorial_mount.html They are closed for Yom Kippur right now, but will be open for orders again on Thursday.
Nico Carver
2022-10-04 21:27:01 +0000 UTCI am about to buy the mount next and I will definitely look into the HEQ5 ! But right now, trying to find one new is going to be hard to do, but I can keep searching and be a liitle patient.
Terry Michael
2022-10-04 21:21:07 +0000 UTCThank you, very helpful advice.
Terry Michael
2022-10-04 21:07:49 +0000 UTCI don't think of an RC as being a good choice for visual. I think the best visual/imaging scope is an Imaging Newtonian, just add a spacer or a Paracorr to use it with eyepieces. The only problem with any telescope like this on an EQ mount is the eyepiece can get in to weird, uncomfortable positions. This is why I just do imaging on my EQ mounts, and keep a 10" Dobsonian Telescope for visual, but I do get the desire to keep it more simple with fewer telescopes.
Nico Carver
2022-10-04 17:04:37 +0000 UTCFor a mount in that payload range (30 lb.) and price point (1k-1.5k), I'd suggest the Sky-watcher HEQ5 over the Celestron AVX, based on anecdotal evidence from friends and users of both mounts online. Either would be perfectly fine with the Rokinon 135, but for a more extreme telescope, I think the Sky-watcher would be a bit more reliable.
Nico Carver
2022-10-04 17:01:29 +0000 UTCAs WheelJack said, StarNet++ can be used directly in PixInsight as a module. The developer of Siril told me the next release (1.2.0) will have Starnet++ built-in.
Nico Carver
2022-10-04 16:57:30 +0000 UTCAPP has a Star Reducing function, but I haven't really tried it much. StarNet can be imported into PixInsight as a plugin, and I use it all the time.
Wheeljack
2022-10-01 13:27:56 +0000 UTClove these opening graphics and music Nico!!!! Question: do any of these programs have a "StarNet"-like feature built in....to get a starless image?
Mark Muller
2022-09-30 16:01:26 +0000 UTCAlso considering I bought the Rokinon 135mm F2.0 for astrophotography. Thoughts about the above mount with a TPO 6" f/9 Ritchey Chretien Reflecting OTA Telescope from Optcorp.com for both visual and astrophoto?
Terry Michael
2022-09-30 01:04:16 +0000 UTCQuestion - Joined to get some advice. Under Nicks recommendation, I just bought the Rokinon 135mm F2.0 lens. I needed a good portrait and telephoto (non zoom) lens and this seem like a double win for me. I want a star tracker but something that can do more than just camera lens or refractor scope photo, but also can do that too. So how about --> Celestron Advanced VX Computerized Mount 91519 on amazon.com?
Terry Michael
2022-09-30 00:53:24 +0000 UTCThank you Nico, it's an honor and privilege to be able to reach out to someone like yourself! I love your videos :)
Karen
2022-09-29 21:46:20 +0000 UTCThat's great Karen! Let me know if I can answer any questions or assist in any way. Clear skies, Nico
Nico Carver
2022-09-29 16:51:24 +0000 UTCI'm just a beginner but I have loved astronomy most of my life. Now I have the time.
Karen
2022-09-29 16:35:39 +0000 UTC
