Finding Focus with a New Astro Camera + Backfocus Explained
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- Опубліковано 1 сер 2024
- So you have a new astro camera and it is time to get it in focus. You put the camera on the scope, take the first picture and it is black, no stars. What do you do? I will break down the mystery and show you the parts to make it happen. This video we use Sequence Generator Pro, with a new Altair Astro 269C camera.
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(The first Color Camera I have been impressed with)
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1:49 this must have been filmed with a Zwo294- look at the amp glow😂😂😂. I jest. Great tutorial, thank you.
BTW, I probably will use more of those thread spacers in place of the tightening screws....
Yay for clear skies!!
Finally!!!
Well done and thanks Amy. Just what I needed.
Happy to help. :)
Hi Amy, I have just bought my first EAF from ZWO then wondered how I set it up, then I came across this fantastic little tutorial video of yours.
Well Amy, in a few minutes you have explained everything I wanted to know, and I was then up and running within 30 minutes. I am still learning but with no clear skies for months I can't get hands on as much as I would like.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge as it really helps people new to the hobby, a picture can paint a thousand words, but your tutorials are even better! Thanks Amy.
I am so happy this helped. Thank you for the comment.
Hi Amy, I recently subscribed to your channel.
What a great job you do. I really love how you explain in details and make things easily understandable !
other channels talk a lot but rarely teach as well as you do.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Welcome!!! You are too kind.
Great tutorial, as usual, thank you.
Thank you!
Interesting video Amy. Gives me a starting point for getting focus with my equipment.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. Everything ive been wanting to know is here in this video. Thank you Amy 👍
You are so welcome!
Thank you this very informative and wonderful video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great Video! Thank you
Glad you liked it!
Great tutorial!
Thank you! Cheers!
Finally, an explanation of back focus that makes sense. Take element number, subtract camera number, add spacers to make the difference. It's what you need to get started I think. Not sure about your light pollution comment though, looked pretty dark compared to my house!
Thank you. Ahh you did not see the stadium lights on the other side of the fence. It was so bright.
Hello Amy...I use a bathinov mask. Then a auto focus process. It saves time..:-)...
Hi.
I do the same.
JM
Great tip!
:)
Nice video
Thanks
I like the way you have the scope nice and neat .... Also I downloaded the new PHD and want to try multi-star but dont look to hopeful
Oh no, you have to try it. watch Cuiv, The Lazy Geek. I did what he said and bam 10 minute subs last night! Never in my life could I do that!
@@AmyAstro When I said dont look to hopeful I meant weather
It was fun and educational again; but you're more lucky than me in Belgium it's been weeks of bad weather and for the next few days it doesn't look much better than just ordered some grease and tools to handle my sky-watcher HEQ5 mount so he's tip-top when I really need it.
Greeting Frank from Belgium
Oh my goodness. I hope it clears for you soon. I've had 3 nights since November.
@@AmyAstro Thanks I hoop so
Thanks Amy, for a great explanation! Two of the last aspects of astrophotography I haven't yet delved into are auto guiding and autofocusing, so this took a lot of mystery out of the latter. I have a bahtinov mask for my Z73 refractor, and am getting somewhat skilled using that and the Bahtinov Aid tool in APT (although I just may have to give SGP a try sometime!). Still waiting for clear skies in Indiana. . . we have them once every few months! Do you have any recommendations as I warm up my credit card to shop for autofucusers?
My personal favorite are moonlite products. Made in the USA, and their service is top notch. I do not have any experience with other focusers to give you a fair comparison. If curious about moonlite, send them an email with which scope you have and they will build you the part list. Since 2018 I have purchased 4 if that says anything. Hope you get clear skies soon!
I thought you presented a fine video. Then I subscribed to the channel...🔭🔭
Welcome! Thank you so much
great video!....could you put a link to the spacers you recommend having on hand? such as as the 35 and 50mm, etc? thanks! I checked your links above, but the spacers are the primaluce spacers for the mounting of the scope.
I have a buffet of these on hand. I really like the grip edges. Easy to handle. www.landseaskyco.com/altair-m48-10mm-extension-32382958.html?ref=amylittle
Thanks for your video. I am a first time buyer and still waiting for my 115mm 4.5 APO let alone the thought of a camera. This definitely helps me to know what to expect when I cross that bridge. Maybe in your extensive description I was wondering what focuser you have on your set up. Thanks in advance.
I use Moonlite Focusers on all of my telescopes. I love having the auto focus function. My eyes play tricks with me. Here is what I am using on this set up. MoonLite CFL 2.5 inch Large Format Crayford Refractor Focusers. Always best to send them an email, let them know what you have and they will get all the parts together for you.
focuser.com/products.php
@@AmyAstro I will get a 2.5 focuser with the lens. Is the moonlite auto focuser strictly for astrophotography or can you use it with an eyepiece as well?
@@chettdavidson1568 That is an excellent question. I would ask that directly to moonlight to get the correct answer though. Best I can tell you is this is a top notch company to work with and they stand by their work. Tell Ron I said hello. :) I was chatting with him earlier today.
Great camera. I have had mine for 12 months now. I wish our tube extenders were as cheap as your. We can expect to pay twice what you pay here in the UK ☹️
Yikes, that is not fair.
What if you don’t use a field flattener would you still need to back focus? 12:50 I’m a newbie and I just started astrophotography after two years of visual astronomy.
Just received my Zwo eco system and all I could see was black image. So much a learning curve.
I have Zwo Asiair mini,120 mini guide scope and Zwo asi585 pro cooled camera.
So thats how it works. I don't remember seeing this procedure done. Bahtinov mask yes but auto focus no. Thank you.
Like everything in life. There are many ways to accomplish the same thing. Choose the one that works for you. :)
Still dotn know what i need for spacer on my Evolux 62ED with an 0.9x Original Skwywatcher Focal reducer for the Evolux. Anyone whoe can help me out?
Hi Amy,
How did your stars in the corners turn out? I am finding that with the larger sensors, getting rid of the coma in the bigger FOV is not quite as easy and finding the right distance from focal reducer to sensor to remedy is a bit trying.
Hi John! I've been imaging with this for the last 2 nights. Most impressive images I've gotten from an OSC. The stars are sharp from corner to corner. I must have gotten lucky. I have 30mm of spacers in the set up.
Oh nice. Thanks for your reply, Amy! The backfocus distance listed by my telescope manufacturer needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
Clear skies!
No mention on how the filter can effect the back focus? Of course, if you're not using one in the filter draw I guess it's no issue.
The filter does not alter it enough to worry about.
It does. I'd rather you said it can than say it does not. Adding the extra 1mm spacer made a huge difference to the corners of my imaging. At the recommended setting (using Vernier Calipers) for my reducer the focus on corners wasn't pin sharp. You'd be surprised.
Just watched your video again and still not sure about back focus. Now you have a reducer , I dont so where do I start figuring out the calculation from... And why aren't the tube extenders figured into the back focus ? That is where I have a problem... Also was watching the focus you did , why did you not just start at zero and use a mask for focus and then run your focus routine ? Anyway no new videos ? Been a long time
Back focus has to do with matching the camera distance to the field flattener. No flattener, though wonky edges. Focus has to be close before the routine will work. I do not have a mask. 😀
@@AmyAstro ok so if you have a field flattener or something else in front of it you don't have to worry about the back focus I guess because my camera on my et80 I have like three extension tubes
@@AmyAstro Masks make it so much easier , I think NINA has a mask thing on it
Ge a drawer of spacers...
I bet aside from a drawer of spacers, you will have: a drawer of adapter rings, a drawer of cables, a drawer of connectors, a drawer of velco ties, a drawer of screws, a drawer of allen wenches, a drawer of screw drivers, a drawer of of boxes of filters, a drawer of dovetail bars, a drawer of....... how many drawers do you have now???
lol More than I want to count. The cables are so bad I now have a USB3 drawer, HDMI drawer and more. yikes!
@@AmyAstro We can have a drawers challenge someday...
lol.
@@AmyAstro And you might find yourself hoarding spacer rings, dovetail bars, screws....
Your one is 34.5mm my one is 37.5mm :)
:)