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SBIG STF8050C

Started by cosmicmark, 04/18/2018 03:59AM
Posted 04/18/2018 03:59AM Opening Post
Hello, I bought this CCD color camera and it's my first CCD  imaging. I am not getting the results I was expecting. I am getting better images from my DSLR. Any tips on starting out to get me started? This is said to be a "one shot" camera and cannot get that good of an image.  Do you still have to do multiple images and stack them to get good images? I am mainly interested in deep space, galaxies and nebula. Anyone out there with experience with this camera? I am using it on a Meade 16 inch LX600 F\8.
Thanks in advance with your help!!  Mark Cunningham
Posted 04/18/2018 11:04PM #1
Originally Posted by James Mark Cunningham
Hello, I bought this CCD color camera and it's my first CCD  imaging. I am not getting the results I was expecting. I am getting better images from my DSLR. Any tips on starting out to get me started? This is said to be a "one shot" camera and cannot get that good of an image.  Do you still have to do multiple images and stack them to get good images? I am mainly interested in deep space, galaxies and nebula. Anyone out there with experience with this camera? I am using it on a Meade 16 inch LX600 F\8.
Thanks in advance with your help!!  Mark Cunningham

Hello,

"Do you still have to do multiple images and stack them to get good images?"

Short answer: Yes

"This is said to be a "one shot" camera..." "One shot" really means you capture color data in one shot. The data downloaded from the camera is still in Raw mode. Each subexposure has to be calibrated (darks and flats), DeBayered, then aligned and stacked. THEN actual final processing done.

Note that I am giving a generic answer, as I don't have this particular camera (but I do have an OSC CCD that I still have to spread its wings on). But I have experience with mono CCD imaging.

HTH,
Eric
Posted 04/18/2018 11:11PM #2
Hello Mark,

I am not an expert and know just enough to be dangerous so take anything I say with a grain of salt.wink

You are imaging with a very difficult setup, large focal length, so i'm assume you are an experienced astrophotographer. I am familiar with the 8300 chip which is very close to the 8050 that you are using and the first thing that pops out is that with your setup the image scale is at 0.35"/pixel. That is very oversampled and you need excellent seeing conditions to pull it off. Your focal length is good for smaller DSO's but you won't get much of larger nebulas in the frame.

Secondly, with a color CCD camera there is the bayer matrix to contend with. Your DSLR that puts out raw files and takes care of this. When you processing the fit files of the color camera you have to tell the processing program what matrix it is, RGGB, GRGB, BRGG, or whatever it is for your camera, and I don't know what SBIG uses. With one color camera I had to take a daytime shot down the street and try all the different matrices until the colors where right, very difficult to do with your scope but if you have a small refactor it can be done. I'm strictly mono now. And yes, you need to take and stack a lot of frames if you want a pretty picture.

I probably told you things that you already knew but since you haven't had a response yet I thought I would throw out a little information.smile Good luck!

Keith