ToUcam Details

[AstroTasmania]

Hi to ToUcam Users,

Hear are some very useful comments from Dan, in the videoastro@yahoogroups.com

What makes the ToUcam outperform most video cameras on
bright objects has to do with a few subtle but important
differences.

The ToUcam uses a smaller format CCD with smaller
pixels than the typical video cam. This mean that critical sampling
can be reached at shorter focal lengths and typically correspondingly
smaller primaries.

The end result is that seeing becomes less
critical, and seeing is what separates the fair from the great. The
second difference is that the ToUcam is read out in a progressive
scan. (No interlacing) = sharper images.

This yields cleaner raw frames than the video camera's
interlaced frames where the odd and even fields where temporally
displaced and combined. Together these two main factors give the
edge to the ToUcam in most people's hands.

Clear skies...

[Radar]

Shev, stupid question, but I take it you are talking about a toucam that can be bought just about anywhere? There are some different model number toucams, is there one in particular you would recommend?

Cheers

Ray

[AstroTasmania]

Hi Radar, Mate,

Please note the spelling of "ToUcam" that is how it is spelt by Phillips, I am a fussy so & so and I like to see things done 'proper', if you get my drift, Dobsonian , not "dob", Newtonian not newt etc.

Doing it right - it's not a bad to get into then we set the path for the newcomers. The fellow who invented the Dobsonian mount for the Newtonian OTA, John Dobson, should be accorded his full due, to my way of thinking anyway! Others will no doubt have their view.

Off the soap box...

The ToUcam comes in 740K, several years old, the 840K maybe 3 years old and the latest version is the 900NC. You will find that the 840K has dropped in price because of the newer model becoming available. http://www.philips.be/Assets/Downloadablefile/LF_840-2368.pdf

I have the first two and the 840K has the long exposure modification. I got mine from Telescopes & Astronomy in SA, Matthew Lovell?

This has to be the lowest cost entry into planetary imaging, and some brilliant results have been acheived with ToUcam's.

Just need clear skies to make use of the toys!!!

[AstroTasmania]

Hi All,

Anyone keen to upgrade to a better cam for lunar & planetary could do well to look at this model, DMK21AF04 firewire camera from the Imaging Source:

http://www.theimagingsource.com/en/products/cameras/firewire_mono/dmk21af04/overview/
a great range of top end cameras for serious work.

Clear skies...

Link to the ToUcam 840K: http://www.philips.be/Assets/Downloadablefile/LF_840-2368.pdf

[Radar]

Cheers for the info Shev

With that last camera you mentioned.

http://www.theimagingsource.com/en/p...af04/overview/

It's monochrome, so I guess you would need filters to do planetary imaging, though I haven't really heard of filters being used for planetary, am I missing something?

Cheers

Ray

[AstroTasmania]

Hi Radar,

This is how many do their colour imaging - with tricolour filters. LRGB.

B&W cameras produce the best resolution and all the detail is in the "L" Luminance channel, the RGB colour is only low res information. However, for many, this is a steep learning curve and requires a lot more time at the telescope to capture all the sets of information, Luminance, Red, Green, Blue, maybe darks & flats, so for one colour shot you have 6 exposures! and a lot more clear sky time! How dedicated are you?

A really good way to start is with a low cost colour web cam to get practise and familiarity with the scope, camera, computer, and seeing conditions. Remember you are imaging planets at high f/ratio, so guiding, keeping image on the chip, focusing etc. are very different from low power wide field photography. Then there is the post processing on the computer to put it all to-gether.

That will take you through a winter season, then -.. - if you want to go the tri-colour way, you are well trained.

Clear skies...

Back in my university days in the 60's, I used to make large colour prints of images through a microscope using a horizontal optical bench, with a technique called the (Kodak) Dye Transfer Process, with which I won several first place International scientific awards. I still have the prints that I submitted as well as a box of Matrix film and some glass plates (unexposed) Check out this link for a brief description of the process. http://www.jagger.com/dyetrans.html
To-days imaging is based on the same principal using digital technology.
The Dye Transfer Process is one of the oldest, and most beautiful, color photographic processes. Practiced by a relative handful of photographers, probably less than a hundred in the world, it is a labor and time intensive procedure that yields extraordinary results.

[Radar]

Hi Shev,

When buying a filter wheel for this camera, what are the pro's and cons I should be looking for? I've never used a filter wheel before so I have no idea how one would perform comapred to another.

I might start a whole new thread about filter wheels.

Cheers

Ray

[AstroTasmania]

Hi Radar,

How many filters do you want to use? I heard you mention the Hubble palette.

Filter wheels come in may guises with various number of filter spaces, with and without remote computer/hand control. The Atik version is about as simple as it gets, also very popular with Meade DSI Pro users to enclose their filters instead of the exposed filter bar.

How much money do you want to spend?

I have a Andy Homeyer which uses standard computer protocol as well as a hand held control box. It is a 5 position wheel, Dark, Flat, Red, Green, Blue, (IR/UV cut) in front section. I can use it with 1.25" & 2" focuser as well as Pentax screw lenses, there is a pic of it in my Picasa album in the camera lenses folder.

Clear skies...

[Radar]

Cheers Shev, I'll check out your wheel.

I guess if I get one, I'll want one that keeps the filters not being used covered, also one that is computer controlled, because at high focal lengths I can imagine the wobble on the scope whilst trying to change filters.

Also a filter wheel where I can change filters, from say RGB to the Hubble Palette.

Cheers

Ray