Perseid photography - Suggestions for digital photos?

[wizemanb]

<p><span style="font-size:large" class="Apple-style-span">I will be shooting the stars early Tuesday with a Canon Rebel XT. &nbsp;Anyone have any suggestions for shooting the Perseid shower such as ISO, shutter, aperture? &nbsp;Any links to informative sites about space photography?</span></p><p><span style="font-size:large" class="Apple-style-span">Thanks,</span></p><p><span style="font-size:large" class="Apple-style-span">Burt&nbsp;</span></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[neuvik]

I unfortunatly know absoultly nothing about taking images of celestial bodies or events.&nbsp;&nbsp; Best of luck to ya and don't forget to post your results here!&nbsp;&nbsp; <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000">I don't think I'm alone when I say, "I hope more planets fall under the ruthless domination of Earth!"</font></strong></p><p><font color="#0000ff">SDC Boards: Power by PLuck - Ph**king Luck</font></p> </div>

 

[Testing]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I will be shooting the stars early Tuesday with a Canon Rebel XT. &nbsp;Anyone have any suggestions for shooting the Perseid shower such as ISO, shutter, aperture? &nbsp;Any links to informative sites about space photography?Thanks,Burt&nbsp; <br />Posted by wizemanb</DIV></p><p>I have been playng with an EOS xti-400 for a few months now and have only caught one meteor. I can tell you what I do but it has all been luck. Tripod, bulb, ASA400, 18mm, f5.6.&nbsp; Auto exposure&nbsp; compensation I us<font size="1">e a wireless shutter and go for 15, 30, 45 & 60 second exposure. Beyond 30 you get star trails which is someting I am trying to avoid but the one I caught was at 56 seconds and shows 2-3 diameter trail. I have not taken any over 60 seconds. The main problem I have had was focus. I use a 2.5x viewfinder magnifier and touch the focus ring as gently as possible, play the diopter adjust and focus on the magnifier back and forth till I get the tiniest pinpoint I can on a star. Go to max magnified view in the function menu for LCD evaluation. Take a few shots and dump them to the laptop. When you are happy with your focus, turn off the lights in the room for review of images. The only one of over 1000 images that had a meteor I had looked at four times before I saw it.</font></p><p>Good luck!</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I have been playng with an EOS xti-400 for a few months now and have only caught one meteor. I can tell you what I do but it has all been luck. Tripod, bulb, ASA400, 18mm, f5.6.&nbsp; Auto exposure&nbsp; compensation I use a wireless shutter and go for 15, 30, 45 & 60 second exposure. Beyond 30 you get star trails which is someting I am trying to avoid but the one I caught was at 56 seconds and shows 2-3 diameter trail. I have not taken any over 60 seconds. The main problem I have had was focus. I use a 2.5x viewfinder magnifier and touch the focus ring as gently as possible, play the diopter adjust and focus on the magnifier back and forth till I get the tiniest pinpoint I can on a star. Go to max magnified view in the function menu for LCD evaluation. Take a few shots and dump them to the laptop. When you are happy with your focus, turn off the lights in the room for review of images. The only one of over 1000 images that had a meteor I had looked at four times before I saw it.Good luck! <br />Posted by Testing</DIV><br /><br />If you are going for pinpoint stars, you will need to really shoot continuously. Any idea of the size of the field you are aiming for? Remember, even at the peak, under prrfect dark sky conditions, there will only be an average of 1 meteor a minute for a 100 degree (ish) diameter field of view (Approx 7850 sq degrees; that's more or less the assumed standard size for a visual observer, which is what ZHR is calculated for. And that assumes no light pollution at all, allowing you to see meteors to 6th magnitude. Since my skies are never that good, I can't recommend one </p><p>If you cover a smaller number of degrees, you can reduce the expected amount appropriately depending on the size of your FOV.</p><p>If you know the constellation Equluus, the dimmest of the 4 stars is magnitude +5.2. If you know the constellation Triangulum, the 3 main stars are mag +3,+3.5, and +4; right next to the 4th magnitude (dimmest of the three) is a +4.8 star.</p><p>As far as written &nbsp;advice is concerned, there's nothing current I can find. Most photgraphic advice is based on film, and most video material is out of date, referring to the use of intensifiers, since modern digital cameras weren't around then.</p><p>You might peruse the Photographic and video pages here http://www.imo.net/&nbsp;for some thoughts.</p><p>Here's a page which shows the different effects of shooting near to, and far from the radiant.</p><p>http://www.imo.net/video/examples/example3</p><p>However these are all VERY long time exposures showing many meteors. If you shoot at the radiant (near the top of Perseus, meteors will be short and slow, which makes the easier to detect (more light per pixel). Further away they are longer and faster, meaning less light per pixel.</p><p>With 30 second exposures, you will need to take a mess of shots. Hundreds, or more. Get the biggest memory card you can shove into the camera, and just shoot, shoot, shoot.</p><p>MW</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[Testing]

The sky where I go is the finest available to me on a regular basis. Nearest civilization is 30 miles away on the other side of Sierra Nevada crest from the location. Light pollution is negligeable to the SE (Inyokern, Ridgecrest, China Lake) with no man made direct light visible in any direction. Wish I could live up there. &nbsp;I know the odds are against me with sort exposures but am still after pinpoints and a&nbsp;meteor. It can happen! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The sky where I go is the finest available to me on a regular basis. Nearest civilization is 30 miles away on the other side of Sierra Nevada crest from the location. Light pollution is negligeable to the SE (Inyokern, Ridgecrest, China Lake) with no man made direct light visible in any direction. Wish I could live up there. &nbsp;I know the odds are against me with sort exposures but am still after pinpoints and a&nbsp;meteor. It can happen! <br />Posted by Testing</DIV><br /><br />Sounds great, Then shoot, shoot, shoot. Any idea of the size of the FOV you image? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[Mee_n_Mac]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Sounds great, Then shoot, shoot, shoot. Any idea of the size of the FOV you image? <br />Posted by <strong>MeteorWayne</strong></DIV><br /><br />With a 1.6x crop factor camera and his 18mm lens, it's about 64 x 45 deg.&nbsp; Pretty much as was said, I'd set it a stop or 2 from wide open, manual focus at infinity, and take ~30 second exposures at ISO 800 .... a lot of them and hope to catch something. I'm not sure how it works on his Canon but for these exposure times you may be able to forgoe the bulb setting and use the "2 second timer" so as to get the mirror up and and resultant vibrations done before the shutter opens.&nbsp; </p><p>PS - If you've got an IS lens, turn the IS off.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-----------------------------------------------------</p><p><font color="#ff0000">Ask not what your Forum Software can do do on you,</font></p><p><font color="#ff0000">Ask it to, please for the love of all that's Holy, <strong>STOP</strong> !</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<p>So, mee_n_mac, any luck during the Perseids?</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>