First Light for 50D! M45 The Pleiades

[markjpcs]

My very first real DSLR photo.

I did not get flats done this go around and it shows!

60 x 1min unguided subs at ISO 1600. Preprocessed/Aligned and Stacked in Deep Sky Stacker. Post processed in PS CS3.

AP Traveler at approx f4.35 using the AP Photographic-Visual Telecompressor (0.75x) (27TVPH)

Lots of potential in this camera! I love it!



Link to Full Size (10 MB file)

[poppie guy]

I would love to be able to do astrophotography, thanks for sharing this!

[Celestron]

Alright Mark !! You did excellent for a first photo , i'm impressed ! Looks like that camera is going to do you well justice ! WTG and thanks for sharing .

[Nighthound]

Looks great Mark. Congrats on the new Canon.

I'm curious why you shot such short sub exposures.

[markjpcs]

No guider. I tried 2 minute subs and the stars were slightly elongated so I backed it down to 1 minute.

Polar alignment was good but I only used the polar alignment scope and did not drift align. If I drift align I will be able to do 3-5 minute unguided. My goal is to not have to guide. I know that will be impossible on some objects but for now I am picking the brightest objects that are available.

[Nighthound]

Ah OK. Your mount sounds much like my G-11 in that aspect. When shooting at 400mm with the Sky 90 I can go 3-5 as well as long as I drift. The polar scope on the G-11 leaves a lot to be desired. My buddy has the Takahashi NJP, the polar scope on that thing is amazingly accurate.

[markjpcs]

At these focal lengths, my mount will go 10 minutes and beyond unguided if I drift align. Once I get it permanently mounted in the observatory that is. Drift aligning on a se-tup/tear-down is not something I do.

My mount's PE is < 2 arc seconds with PEC turned on.

[Nighthound]

Outstanding. I can't even dream of < 2 arc seconds with mine. I've started guiding at 800mm using PHD and an ATIK 16IC mono camera. Works well, just having trouble getting weather that will allow me to sharpen my skills. Unfortunately my skies at home don't make a permanent set up worth while so I travel to dark skies, it's a pain but it usually pays off.

[markjpcs]

I'm traveling to Chiefland Florida the week after next for the Fall Star Party.

Many gigabytes of data to capture down there. I should be there for about a week depending on the weather.

[Nighthound]

I was considering the trip myself. I don't have anyone here that can make the trip and I didn't want to go solo. Not too far from SC. Is this your first time at this party? Are the skies really that dark there?

[markjpcs]

This will be my 2nd trip to Chiefland. I was there in 2003. Skies are dark and steady as I remember. Not as dark as say Cherry Springs Pennsylvania or Merritt Reservoir Nebraska but excellent for photography.

[Celestron]

What kind of mount do you have Mark ?

[markjpcs]

Astro-Physics Mach1 GTO on the AP Eagle 6" portable pier. I have owned just about every Astro-Physics mount made since the 400GTO including a 1200QMD, 900GTO and 1200GTO. I downsized this year to just the Mach1. I love it.



At the Black Forest Star Party, Cherry Springs, PA last month. That's a new Astro-Physics 130mm f6.3 GT riding piggy back. A very good friend let me use it for about a month. I should be getting notified from Astro-Physics after almost 9 years on the waiting list for my own soon.

[Jethro790]

This looks like WAY too expensive a sub-forum for me to be in... see ya!

[markjpcs]

It's not that bad.

Do you own a Harley? A Fishing Boat or other boat? A nice piano perhaps?

The TEC Mak and the Traveler were far less money then quite a few Canon lenses I have seen.