Why is it SO HARD!

I am new to imaging, and I even think of myself as an advanced computer user=============BUT======== whoever wrote the current crop of imaging software must have been in concert with the DEVIL!

One day someone OTHER THAN Adobe will release an easier to use astronomical image processing software! Probably will be a Chinese company, and then all the American programmers will be complaining about outsourcing! !

My pictures on the laptop are twice as good as the "after" processing picture! :C :S 8O

Joe,

Have you tried ImagesPlus (www.mlunsold.com)? It is specifically designed for processing astro images. It also has the added benefit of being able to control Canon and Nikon DSLRs. It also comes with a tutorial CD which provides step-by-step instructions on how to use all of the processing functions.

Lee

You are correct.

Processing can be difficult. It has a steep learning curve. And the software is not friendly.

Images Plus, as was suggested, is one route. But it does not replace Photoshop for final processing.

Alex

Joe, image processing IS the MOST DIFFICULT part of imaging, no doubt about it! 8)

If you have Adobe Photoshop, I would recommend taking a look at Noel Carboni's Actions (an add-on for PS), which simplify a lot of processes...


Clear skies! 8)

Joe,
My advice would be don't start with PhotoShop, but any one of the dedicated astronomy applications. Some have already been mentioned, plus, at varying costs there's also Nebulosity (inexpensive), AstroArt (Medium priced), Maxim (Expensive), PixInsight (Free for now in time-limited form), AIP4WIN (moderate, with an excellent reference book on processing as well) well, the list goes on and on. Most also have varying forms of demos so you can check them out without risk.
I think these will help you get down the fundamentals of processing with greater ease. I found AstroArt the easiest program to start on, but I also found the AIP4Win book indispensible for understanding the concepts behind the processing steps.
Hope this helps,
Larry