Brisbane POTN: General Ramblings Thread v2.0

128

Just did it on the laptop and got 82 with 1 error.

So here's the thing - I've seen this little fella below circle around the pointy end of the city, then perch itself on the Stock Exchange building. Problem is that it's around 200 metres away from us so the 70-200, even with the 2x ends up with the results in the pic.

Can see it much better thru the telescope, but don't have an adapter for attaching the camera to the telescope. I'm guessing that's what I need to do, but not sure if it's feasible.

I've taken some reasonable moon shots with the old Canon Powershot A20 thru the telescope, but can't seem to get the 400D (with various lenses) to achieve the same results. Anyone any ideas? Is a bracket available to attach camera to 'scope? If so, what are the results like?

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willstar wrote in post #4593740
...I've taken some reasonable moon shots with the old Canon Powershot A20 thru the telescope, but can't seem to get the 400D (with various lenses) to achieve the same results. Anyone any ideas? Is a bracket available to attach camera to 'scope? If so, what are the results like?

You know, everytime I see the telescopes at work I think, "this'll only be useful to me if I can attach a camera to it". I suppose I should ask my manager, that might be a smart idea. Who knows when I'll be asked that myself.

What sort of telescope is it? If it's a Celestron then I'll let you know what my manager tells me.

Whilst out getting some gas refilled and some wine I took a detour to Roma St (again!) to try out Greg's Siggy 105 Macro (thanks again Greg )

Took a few pics, but got a theme running thru some - pairs.

Pair o' birds

Carjo wrote in post #4593946
You know, everytime I see the telescopes at work I think, "this'll only be useful to me if I can attach a camera to it". I suppose I should ask my manager, that might be a smart idea. Who knows when I'll be asked that myself.

What sort of telescope is it? If it's a Celestron then I'll let you know what my manager tells me.

It's a Sky-Watcher (D=70mm, F=500mm) with a few lenses - I bought a Sieben zoom lens and a Barlow 2x, as well as the ones it came with. It's not a huge one, but ideal for seeing the sights from the balcony.

Where do you work?

Here's a couple of shots for Greg, knowing his love of BIF's.

I had a few probs with the flash (580EX) - not sure if I've got the settings set correctly. It was on ETTL and I thought it would be fairly foolproof, but a few shots were blown. I tried some with the flash offset, as well as directly at the subject - will have to go thru the manual again.

i've seen a camera attached to a massive telescope!!
dave, you will probably have to check your flash settings in camera. When you are close to your subject, you don't need as much flash., so tone it down, and pull out the diffuser thingy from the flash unit, to help as well.
i so wish i lived closer to town, those frogs are calling me!!
nice shots

catsith wrote in post #4594012
i've seen a camera attached to a massive telescope!!
dave, you will probably have to check your flash settings in camera. When you are close to your subject, you don't need as much flash., so tone it down, and pull out the diffuser thingy from the flash unit, to help as well.
i so wish i lived closer to town, those frogs are calling me!!
nice shots

Thanks Tina - I will have a look at the camera settings and play some more.

Meanwhile, here's another frog to quench your thirst. Still can't get it to look as sharp and vibrant as your photo did though.

By the way, do you ever check the stats on your smuggy site? I've had almost 11,000 view this month across the various folders. And not all were me!

Hey Dave, looks like you are having some fun, like Tina says you need to set the FEC to about -1 for a start and see how that goes. With the 105 I'd normally start at F11 1/160 iso400 and FEC at -1 and some form of diffuser. Actually the type of diffuser can have a big effect on the amount of FEC you need. With the Omni-Bounce I used the above figures but with a Lumiquest I need less ie on -1/3. Guess this mean you loose more light with the Lumiquests. The other thing that does help is having the flash off to the side on a bracket.

I hear ya Tina - I'd like another crack at those frogs.

willstar wrote in post #4594119
By the way, do you ever check the stats on your smuggy site? I've had almost 11,000 view this month across the various folders. And not all were me!

Only 10,999 of them hey? :P

Greg_C wrote in post #4594126
Hey Dave, looks like you are having some fun, like Tina says you need to set the FEC to about -1 for a start and see how that goes. With the 105 I'd normally start at F11 1/160 iso400 and FEC at -1 and some form of diffuser. Actually the type of diffuser can have a big effect on the amount of FEC you need. With the Omni-Bounce I used the above figures but with a Lumiquest I need less ie on -1/3. Guess this mean you loose more light with the Lumiquests. The other thing that does help is having the flash off to the side on a bracket.

I hear ya Tina - I'd like another crack at those frogs.

I'll have another play (in daylight!). I ordered a Stofen Omni which will arrive soon, no doubt.

Still ever learning!

-Pleiades- wrote in post #4594151
Only 10,999 of them hey? :P

Hey - I resemble that remark!!

willstar wrote in post #4593740
Anyone any ideas? Is a bracket available to attach camera to 'scope? If so, what are the results like?

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David

I saw your question on scopes and thought I had better put my hand up, after all I am a keen amateur astronomer. I can tell you that you can get attachments for connecting an SLR directly to a scope for prime focus photography. Unfortunately all the ones I have seen for prime focus are for 2" fittings and I think your scope would only be a 1.25" (focus tube, diagonal and eyepieces). Maybe some stepper rings and a doctored lens barrel might get you to where you would want to be, but you would have some serious vignetting.

attached is a pic I took a few months back of my bigger scope while out the other side of Toowoomba before a long night of observing. This scope doesn't have tracking, and with a focal length on 1890mm it kind of needs it for any night time photography. I also own a little 100mm f/5 refractor (500mm focal length) that is ok but as it is only an achromat it does suffer from chromatic aberations. I can stop it down to around f10 using the lens cap with the centre removed and this does improve things regarding the purple fringing. I haven't tried too much terrestrial shots with this little refractor, but I might try and do some over the coming week and I will post here if I do. I also have a 2" barlow that I can use to get the focal length up to 1000mm so I might give that a whirl too - just need to find a subject that far away You could check out York Optical or perhaps Bintel (https://www.bintelshop​.com.au/welcome.htm - where I got my adaptor from) and see if there are any 1.25" options available. Also in Brisbane is Sirius Optics (http://www.sirius-optics.com.au/index2.h​tm) and Ron might be worth a try.

By the way, this is what I got:
Canon T-ring (EOS) and a 2" camera adapter. Unfortunately I can't link to the pages directly, but you can easily search the Bintel site for those things.


On the other end of the scale I got a 100mm f2.8 macro for Christmas and I am going through the same settings hunt with a 580EX II as you. I don't have anything macro-ey worthy of posting, but I am looking forward to the next macro get together to mooch some ideas off the experts.

cheers
Andrew

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Hey Andrew, we went to a place the other side of Toowoomba with an astronomy club earlier in the year - it was on a hill in the middle of a goat farm, and there was a huge white fluffy dog - is this the same spot?

Primm wrote in post #4594258
Hey Andrew, we went to a place the other side of Toowoomba with an astronomy club earlier in the year - it was on a hill in the middle of a goat farm, and there was a huge white fluffy dog - is this the same spot?

Ruth

I am a member of the Southern Astronomical Society and we have a site on a very flat paddock just outside of Leyburn - unfortunately no fluffy white dogs, but there are a few "goats" - particularly in the middle of winter in sub zero temps ... but the clearest and steadiest skies!

willstar wrote in post #4593974
It's a Sky-Watcher (D=70mm, F=500mm) with a few lenses - I bought a Sieben zoom lens and a Barlow 2x, as well as the ones it came with. It's not a huge one, but ideal for seeing the sights from the balcony.

Where do you work?

Australian Geographic.

willstar wrote in post #4593991
I had a few probs with the flash (580EX) - not sure if I've got the settings set correctly. It was on ETTL and I thought it would be fairly foolproof, but a few shots were blown. I tried some with the flash offset, as well as directly at the subject - will have to go thru the manual again.

Greg_C wrote in post #4594126
Hey Dave, looks like you are having some fun, like Tina says you need to set the FEC to about -1 for a start and see how that goes. With the 105 I'd normally start at F11 1/160 iso400 and FEC at -1 and some form of diffuser. Actually the type of diffuser can have a big effect on the amount of FEC you need. With the Omni-Bounce I used the above figures but with a Lumiquest I need less ie on -1/3. Guess this mean you loose more light with the Lumiquests. The other thing that does help is having the flash off to the side on a bracket.

I hear ya Tina - I'd like another crack at those frogs.

N00b question time - Flash Exposure Lock wouldn't help, would it? If it doesn't could you explain why?