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beren
November 27th, 2007, 02:22 PM
Gday, thought I would post some commentary on a new camera that I purchased in the last week, a DBK 21AF04.AS from the Imaging source company :smile:. Before finally settling on the model brought I was in two minds whether to go for the monochrome version {DMK} which would require filters/filterwheel {more funds} and whether to go for the Firewire or USB connection. Finally settleted on the DBK with Firewire, it was tough choice seeing all the fine work done by people with the DMK but to add the filters exceded my budget :itsme!:.

Been out nearly every morning since getting the camera hoping to catch Mars but the seeing has been woeful for the last week. Even with a 20mm eyepiece through the C9.25 SCT I use its hard to distinguish any features on Mars except for faint hints of albedo surface features. First light with camera was with a nearly full moon whilst setting up for Mars, watching the live feed of the lunar surface first thoughts coming to mind was Wow. Even though the seeing was poor and I wasn't using a barlow just the native FL of the C9.25 I could tell the camera is a step above the Toucam/900CNC I used.
The DBK has the ability to capture frames up to 60fps using different video formats and codecs {still getting my head around all the different methods :biggrin: } and with the right combination a AVI can be taken in raw and uncompressed mode. Anyway I'm looking forward to using the cam and the potential it may provide, here's some pics from first light....not great but a start and also a reminder that seeing conditions is king no matter what gear you use :wink:

PS: the capture software that comes with the camera is very good and easy to use
PSS: added a pic of M42 with a new flattener/reducer I received for my little apo refractor, hooray no more coma/curvature

hpcoolahan
November 27th, 2007, 03:03 PM
Well done Beren, its always exciting with a new toy.

I cant wait to see a Mars shot on a good night of seeing then, thats great mate.:woot: :woot:
I love the satelite streaking by in the Orion one too.
Adds to the nature of our viewing trials and tribulations..:crazy: So thats what you look like when it happened....lol

Clear Skies
Pat

beren
November 27th, 2007, 03:44 PM
Thanks Pat, hope there's some nights of good seeing coming up especially Chrissy week with Mars reaching opposition. Think this opposition is the last good one until 2016 so it would be good to get a few good pics in the bag.

I think the new flattener/reducer plus refractor will be a potent combo, wide FOV at f4.5. On the same night as the orion shot I took some of M45 and the flame/Horsehead neb and was surprised how much detail i got for short subs of 120s. Unfortunately with the wide FOV and the moon up at the same time I had severe gradients that ruined the shots and limited the stretching in processing. Heres two pics off the objects, cropped unfortunately

Radar
November 27th, 2007, 06:15 PM
Brilliant work Stu. That camera is amazing. If that's first light, I can't wait to see what you are doing with it in a month's time.

Ray

Mick
November 27th, 2007, 07:52 PM
Looks good to me, nice work beren.

AstroBob
November 27th, 2007, 07:53 PM
cool pix. :smile:

what is the difference between firewire and usb?

beren
November 28th, 2007, 12:34 AM
Thanks Mick/Bobby {forgot to add the DSO stuff was with a DSLR}....... Bobby with my Laptop I have a 4 pin firewire port {most modern laptops/notebooks have a 4 pin} and the DBK camera has a 6 pin connection which means I need a separate power source to power the camera. I'm using the y styled cable and AC adapter offered by Imaging source some people use powered hubs etc to do it. The USB cameras that have just come out are more convenient because they are powered through the USB port.

Performance wise in respect to transfer of data from camera to computer hard disk there's quite a bit of heated debate which system is best. Firewire for sustained throughput seems to get the nod over USb from what I have read over the net. The USb Dmk/dbk/dfk cameras seem to be getting good reports though, be interesting to see some indepth reviews of them soon. This one is the only one I have seen review (http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2011127/Main/1997435#Post2011127) if you scroll through the messages you'll see some commentary on USb vs firwire

Tenacious Del
November 28th, 2007, 08:41 PM
wow! Mars looks amazing. Great camera. :bow: :bow: :bow: