Celestron at it's finest

Posted by Justin Dildine   10/15/2006 07:00AM

Celestron at it's finest
Celestron has done with planetary imaging what Meade has done for deep-sky imaging with the DSI. Though not hailed as much as the DSI (for some reason), the NexImage is a beautiful product bringing planetary imaging to anyone with $100(not much to ask for how much fun you'll have with it) and a computer. The included AmCap image capture and Registax processing software are as simple and fun to use. After using programs like K3CCD tools and Registax v3+ I'm convinced that what came with the NexImage is all you need (many imaging snobs will tell you otherwise), the programs are so flexible that they're bound to keep you busy learning for a long time.

The included tutoring instructions are perfect for getting fantastic results on your first night. With each image I've learned something new. Flexibility is this camera's strong point, Celestron even encourages tinkering with with the camera to improve image quality on their website. Though I have not attempted any of the modifications, they sound like a fun way to enhance the ability of the NexImage. From the looks of what I've seen others accomplish with the camera, it only seems limited to your telescopes aperture and your ability to use the processing software. There are some truly awesome pictures coming from people with just 8" SCT's let alone 12" or larger scopes! I'm using only a Celestron 102mm f/5 refractor and I've already noticed a difference in my image quality over my old 90mm refractor.

One of the best parts of the camera is sharing my images with others and getting them interested in astronomy. I'm considering purchasing another one and adapting it for deep-sky imaging, yes that's possible too! All in all a perfect product, I have not found a better deal in planetary imaging.