dslr revolution

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Practical Amateur Astronomy Digital SLR AstrophotographyIn the last few years, digital SLR cameras have taken the astrophotography world by storm. It is now easier to photograph the stars than ever before! They are compact and portable, easy to couple to special lenses and all types of telescopes, and above all, DSLR cameras are easy and enjoyable to use. In this concise guide, experienced astrophotography expert Michael Covington outlines the simple, enduring basics that will enable you to get started, and help you get the most from your equipment. He covers a wide range of equipment, simple and advanced projects, technical considerations, and image processing techniques. Unlike other astrophotography books, this one focuses specically on DSLR cameras, not astronomical CCDs, non-DSLR digital cameras, or lm. This guide is ideal for astrophotographers who wish to develop their skills using DSLR cameras and as a friendly introduction to amateur astronomers or photographers curious about photographing the night sky. Further information, useful links, and updates are available through the books supporting website, www.dslrbook.com. M i c h a e l C o v i n g t o n, an avid amateur astronomer since age 12, has degrees in linguistics from Cambridge and Yale Universities. He does research on computer processing of human languages at the University of Georgia, where his work won rst prize in the IBM Supercomputing Competition in 1990. His current research and consulting areas include computers in psycholinguistics, natural language processing, logic programming, and microcontrollers. Although a computational linguist by profession, he is recognized as one of Americas leading amateur astronomers and is highly regarded in the eld. He is author of several books, including the highly acclaimed Astrophotography for the Amateur (1985, Second Edition 1999), Celestial Objects for Modern Telescopes (2002) and How to Use a Computerized Telescope (2002), which are all published by Cambridge University Press. The authors other pursuits include amateur radio, electronics, computers, ancient languages and literatures, philosophy, theology, and church work. He lives in Athens, Georgia, USA, with his wife Melody and daughters Cathy and Sharon, and can be visited on the web at www.covingtoninnovations.com.

Practical Amateur Astronomy

Digital SLR Astrophotography

Michael A. Covington

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, So Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521700818 M. A. Covington 2007 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2007

ISBN-13 978-0-511-37853-9 ISBN-13 978-0-521-70081-8

eBook (NetLibrary) paperback

Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Soli Deo gloria

Contents

Preface

page xiii

Part I Basics 11.1 1.21.2.1 1.2.2 The DSLR revolution What is a DSLR? Choosing a DSLRMajor manufacturers Shopping strategy

13 3 6 6 7 8 9 9 9 10 10 12 14 14 14 14 15 15 16 16 16 16 17 17 19 19vii

1.31.3.1 1.3.2 1.3.3 1.3.4

Choosing softwarePhoto editing Astronomical image processing Freeware Judging software quality

1.4 1.5

Is a DSLR right for you? Is lm dead yet? Main technical issues Image lesFile size Raw vs. compressed les Digital lm and camera software

22.12.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3

2.2 2.32.3.1 2.3.2 2.3.3 2.3.4 2.3.5

Focusing Image qualityCombining images Overcoming sky fog Dark-frame subtraction The Nikon star eater Grain

2.4 2.5

Sensor size and multiplier (zoom factor) Dust on the sensor

Contents

2.6 2.7 2.82.8.1 2.8.2 2.8.3

ISO speed settings No reciprocity failure How color is recordedThe Bayer matrix Low-pass ltering The Foveon

2.9

Nebulae are blue or pink, not red Basic camera operation Taking a picture manuallyShutter speed and aperture Manual focusing ISO speed White balance Do you want an automatic dark frame? Tripping the shutter without shaking the telescope Mirror vibration Vibration-reducing lenses

21 21 22 22 23 23 23 26 26 26 26 28 28 29 30 30 32 32 33 33 33 34 35 35 36 38 38 39 40 44 45

33.13.1.1 3.1.2 3.1.3 3.1.4 3.1.5 3.1.6 3.1.7 3.1.8

3.2 3.3 3.43.4.1 3.4.2 3.4.3

The camera as your logbook Limiting light emission from the camera Menu settingsThings to set once and leave alone Settings for an astrophotography session Using Nikon Mode 3

3.5 3.6

Determining exposures Cool-down between long exposures Four simple projects Telephoto Moon Afocal Moon Stars from a xed tripod Piggybacking Going further

44.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5

Part II Cameras, lenses, and telescopes 55.15.1.1 5.1.2 Coupling cameras to telescopes Optical congurationsTypes of telescopes Types of coupling

4749 49 49 50 53 55 55 56 56

5.2 5.35.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 viii

Fitting it all together Optical parametersFocal length Aperture f -ratio and image brightness

Contents

5.3.4 5.3.5 5.3.6

Field of view Image scale in pixels What is the magnication of this picture?

5.4

Vignetting and edge-of-eld quality More about focal reducers Key concepts Optical calculations Commercially available focal reducersLens types Meade and Celestron f /6.3 Meade f /3.3 Others

58 60 61 61 63 63 64 67 67 67 67 69 70 70 70 71 71 72 73 73 74 75 76 76 77 78 80 81 82 84 84 86 87 87 88 89 89 89 90 92 92

66.1 6.2 6.36.3.1 6.3.2 6.3.3 6.3.4

77.17.1.1 7.1.2 7.1.3 7.1.4

Lenses for piggybacking Why you need another lensBig lens or small telescope? Field of view f -ratio Zoom or non-zoom?

7.27.2.1 7.2.2 7.2.3 7.2.4 7.2.5

Lens qualitySharpness, vignetting, distortion, and bokeh Reading MTF curves Telecentricity Construction quality Which lenses t which cameras?

7.3 7.4 7.57.5.1 7.5.2

Testing a lens Diffraction spikes around the stars Lens mount adaptersAdapter quality The classic M42 lens mount

7.67.6.1 7.6.2 7.6.3 7.6.4 7.6.5

Understanding lens designHow lens designs evolve The triplet and its descendants The double Gauss Telephoto and retrofocus lenses Macro lenses

88.18.1.1 8.1.2 8.1.3 8.1.4

Focusing Viewnder focusingThe viewnder eyepiece The Canon Angle Finder C Viewnder magnication Modied cameras

ix

Contents

8.28.2.1 8.2.2

LCD focusingConrmation by magnied playback LCD magnication

8.3 8.48.4.1 8.4.2 8.4.3 8.4.4

Computer focusing Other focusing aidsDiffraction focusing Scheiner disk (Hartmann mask) Parfocal eyepiece Knife-edge and Ronchi focusing

8.5

Focusing telescopes with moving mirrors Tracking the stars Two ways to track the stars The rules have changed Setting up an equatorial mountUsing a wedge Finding the pole The drift method

92 92 94 94 95 95 96 96 96 98 99 99 100 102 102 103 104 106 106 106 107 108 110 110 111 114 115 116 116 116 117 117 118 118 119 119 119 122 124 125 127 127

99.1 9.2 9.39.3.1 9.3.2 9.3.3

9.49.4.1 9.4.2 9.4.3 9.4.4 9.4.5

GuidingWhy telescopes dont track perfectly Must we make corrections? Guidescope or off-axis guider? Autoguiders A piggyback autoguider

9.59.5.1 9.5.2 9.5.3

How well can you do with an altazimuth mount?The rate of eld rotation Success in altazimuth mode What eld rotation is not

1010.110.1.1 10.1.2 10.1.3 10.1.4 10.1.5

Power and camera control in the eld Portable electric powerThe telescope The computer and camera Care of Li-ion batteries Ground loop problems Safety

10.210.2.1 10.2.2 10.2.3

Camera controlWhere to get special camera cables Tripping the shutter remotely Controlling a camera by laptop

10.3 10.4

Networking everything together Operating at very low temperatures Sensors and sensor performance CCD and CMOS sensors

1111.1x

Contents

11.211.2.1 11.2.2 11.2.3 11.2.4

Sensor specicationsWhat we dont know Factors affecting performance Image aws Binning

11.311.3.1 11.3.2 11.3.3

Nebulae, red response, and lter modicationDSLR spectral response Filter modication Is lter modication necessary?

11.411.4.1 11.4.2 11.4.3 11.4.4

Filters to cut light pollutionDidymium glass Interference lters Imaging with deep red light alone Reections

129 129 129 131 133 133 133 135 135 138 138 138 141 141

Part III Digital image processing 12 Overview of image processing12.1 12.2 12.312.3.1 12.3.2 12.3.3 12.3.4 12.3.5 12.3.6 How to avoid all this work Processing from camera raw Detailed procedure with MaxDSLRScreen stretch Subtracting dark frames Converting to color (de-Bayerization, demosaicing) Combining images Stretching and gamma correction Saving the result

143145 145 146 147 148 149 151 154 155 158 159 161 163 163 165 165 165 166 166 166 167 167 167 167 168 168

12.412.4.1 12.4.2

Processing from linear TIFFsMaking linear TIFFs Processing procedure

12.5

Processing from JPEG les or other camera output Digital imaging principles What is a digital image?Bit depth Color encoding

1313.113.1.1 13.1.2

13.213.2.1 13.2.2 13.2.3

Fi