Posts Made By: Thomas V Davis

Have you looked at the MI-250? It's a little more in price but substantially more stable, accurate, and the best money value for a precision mount. It is superior to the G-11 in every way (design and support). I have owned one and it was excellent. On the other hand I have owned a G-11 also and it was good, but it took quite a bit a work to get the worms to mesh properly to remove the slop. I am not criticizing the G-11 -- only my opinion from using both mounts.

http://www.mountaininstruments.com/


Tom

I reprocessed to reduce the sharpening a little. It still is pretty sharp around B33 but I like to emphasize it.

Tom

Thank you all for your kind comments.

Tom

Hi Brian,

That's very nice, I like it!

I'm not sure why I spent three and a half hours on it.

Why do any of us spend hours in data gathering and processing in pursuit of a "pretty picture"? Our images generally have little scientific value, yet I'm sure we don't capture these images for their "value". I'm also sure it's a different reason for each of us. None the less, here we are, day after day. I for one am happy to see your images and share mine as well. It's like group therapy!!

Best,

Tom

Hi Greg,

Very nice. I've seen Eta Carina from the highlands of Guatemala through some binoculars at full moon. Needless to say I wish the moon wasn't there!!

Tom

Thank you. I still can't believe it.

Tom

Hi Alex,

I agree with what Stu and Warren have said previously. You ask "what makes a good astrophoto"? Well I ask "what makes a good photo"? If you intend to document a specific place and time with a camera you can do it two different ways: a snap shot or a portrait. Many people have taken pictures of Yosemite, but only Ansel Adams transcended beyond the norm to create the art of Yosemite. He did not document Yosemite by taking snap shots but by creative, artistic portraiture. He manipulated the capture by placing himself deliberately in space and time, he used filters and novel techniques -- he documented the "personality" of his granite subjects.

What makes a good astrophoto? It depends on what you want out of it. If you are interested in the objects documentation then you take a "snap shot". If you are interested in composition, form, color, texture, "personality" then you take a celestial portrait. You carefully set up the place and time, the equipment and control all that you can control to get that piece of art.

I entitled my astroimaging website "Painting with Star Light", because that is what I try to do. Yes, I have taken "snap shots", but now I strive for art (I don't always get it, but I still strive).

Best,

Tom Davis
Inkom, ID
www.tvdavisastropics.com

The makers of Maxim DL have a new software package dedicated solely for DSLR use. It is for full camera control and processing DSLR images.

Tom

Thanks Greg!

Tom

Where did the MI-250 go?

Tom