OM System 150-400 Astrophotography Review

[@herbertwillkomm2145]

I'm one of your silent view, just wanna say "Continue fighting, we are all here for you

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thanks Herbert!

[@rschellie]

Not only do I enjoy your content, I know that each video you post means you’re continuing your fight.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I appreciate that

[@mohammadhoseinzade4807]

The only one who gives concise and useful content without making a story. Good job 👏

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I appreciate that!

[@kiwikea2002]

Amazing result - shows what you can achieve these days with this kind of equipment already. Thank you for sharing this and the info for that. And - all the best for your fight.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Many thanks!

[@AbrahamLatchin]

I really enjoyed the video, even as someone who has no Astro ambitions :) keep strong and my prayers are for your recovery.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you Abraham!

[@thedarkslide]

That is such a brilliant, detailed image. Fantastic.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you so much 😀

[@roganization112]

Had always enjoyed your content since I got myself a m43 camera. Keep up the good work and your inspiration to all of us.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Much appreciated

[@pankajnjoshi9673]

I always enjoy your content Ben, And this one was no exception. Thank you.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

I appreciate that!

[@sabyasachibanerjee124]

That lens is on my long time horizon about 6 years away! You gave it one more reason why 🙂 Love Your no nonsense reviews

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thanks! 👍

[@RTFM70]

Thanks for making this video Ben. Stay strong, best wishes.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thanks, will do!

[@lensoffrey]

Another fantastic video. Thanks for the great information, as always! Keep rocking dude, sending positive energy your way.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Much appreciated!

[@JustinCooperPhotography]

So pleased I found this channel, excellent content always!! Hope you are doing okay with your health

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you.

[@AnastasTarpanov]

Nice review. I'll call myself now a terrestrial photographer!

[@zachjacob-1]

Hello Ben, I hope you are doing better with your treatment. Happy to see your Video astrophotography with EM1X and 150-400. I have both and I love it. Keep smiling and the Lord got you in his palm. God Bless you and your family.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thank you Zach!!

[@craigperkins9845]

Hi Ben. Great stuff hope you are doing well brother. Keep up the good work. Love from UK

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Hey, thanks!

[@rayphillips815]

Great work again, Ben. I purchased a used copy of the 150-400mm, for sports, astro, and wildlife. So far, astro has been limited to moon, with the recent conjunction with Saturn, rings just barely visible. Last year i used 40-150mm for Orion Nebula, so I'll be trying that again with the Big White for a nice comparison. Loved the detail in your image!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thans. A tracker is an affordable thing these days.

[@rayphillips815]

@TheNarrowbandChannel yup, I have the Star Adventurer GTI that I used for the nebula imaging. Use it with my 6" SCT for Saturn and Jupiter, too, which is really done well considering no guiding.

[@metatechnologist]

Cant believe it took this long to get the channel recommend!

[@Ben_Stewart]

I have a Nikon 400 4.5 and I did some test shots that actually came out really nice. I was pleasantly surprised how round the stars in the corners were for a 35mm sensor.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

That lens is a good one.

[@Lordvader330]

Hope you are feeling better.

[@terrymartin1243]

Very Nice Ben!! Did you have any issues with keeping the lens focused? A few years ago I modified a Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens for Astro photography with a belt drive autofocuser. I found it very difficult to keep the lens in focus with the temperature drops because of all the lens elements inside the camera lens. Each lens element changes at a different rate as the temperature drops. I eventually gave up on the idea of using a camera lens for astro-photography and for the price of the camera lens, you can get quite a nice telescope. Another comment: I also love using my Olympus camera for astro-photography, but man, would it be nice if an ASCOM driver was available. Take care.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

No I did not. However I was only doing about 1 hr worth of imaging. I think focus shift might be mainly due to temperature swings. With the 600 Nikon you had a lot more lens to shrink or swell as temperature changed.

[@ferenc-x7p]

Hey Ben! 100% agree with the "fast" systems and what people assume vs. what people going to get using them. I have my 6" Newtonian with the Starizona Ccorrector and after " Holy Shhh...my scope is an F3 now" wears off we left off with images that have less than desirable stars and a hard to collimate scope. I was just thinking of doing some experiments of stepping down my scope via aperture masks (3D print them) , even if that means that my "OMG F3" becomes a "ok F4 or F5", but with round stars and no tilt.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

What size sensor are you using? Those focal reducers usually need a smaller sensor.

[@jasonkosma822]

It looked awesome thanks ben

[@pinkzombie]

Fellow OM + Astrophotography too. Mainly on wide-filed, occasionally DSO. I have watched all your YT but rarely comment due to language barrier. Any comment on new EM1 III Astro version? BTW Hope ASI Air can support shooting with OM/Olympus in the future.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Toupteck might come out with and ASIAIR competitor that support Olympus and OM cameras soon. The Em1 Mk3 Astro I really want. Maybe I will get it soon. Have some friend looking into it for me.

[@woody5109]

Clearly your skills as a machinist allows you build such a great dual mount, nice.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Thanks. I made a bunch of them. Sold off all but that one.

[@jhgrc]

Thank you very much for validating the lens quality as you see it. How do you see it with shorter exposures, like instead of 25x1min => 100x15s? Any pros/cons? As I do not have as good polar tracker mount as you do so I'd be limited on shorter exposures. I also noted that you used ISO1000, from other yt-channel I understood that for OM-1 ISO3200 is around the sweet spot of sensor readout noise. Although it is not that clear like with some other older cameras with readout noise steps? Sorry I am absorbing/learning, that's why so many questions which are not that clear for me.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

With the older generation optimum ISO was 2000. With the OM1 it's ISO1000 for best read noise. The other channels are wrong. Sorry. Short subs means you will not get the fainter out rejoins without a lot of subs.

[@jhgrc]

@@TheNarrowbandChannel thanks for correcting, maybe it was also my interpretation of data of photons to photos' input-referred read noise vs iso. But sure you are right as big drop as between 800 and 1000.

[@grahamcain7446]

Have you looked at the old 300mm 2.8f Olympus (not micro) four thirds lens? It will be cheaper, better, and you just need an adapter from Olympus to connect it to the Micro Body. I have that setup and will be using it shortly for the first time.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

They called that lens the big tuna. I have wanted one for a long time. Perhaps when I beat this cancer I will start collecting more 4/3rds lenses again. That one will be one of them.

[@jefferycampbell2243]

I was inspired by your ASIair unsupported camera piggy back hack and I'm doing the same with my Fuji XH2s and Tamron 150-500. I'm getting good results undithered with 4min subs, but would like to add dithering. Curious what you are using for your unsynched dither settings.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

even 15min I do a 10pixel dither on main camera. It works pretty good and only a few frames are lost.

[@kevinhanley3023]

Hi Ben So, what is the QE value of the OM system sensor?

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Older IMX270 sensor was 80-85%(depending on production batch) this one is the IMX472 and it's 90%.

[@drontng]

Hi. May I ask you what delay between frames do you use? Say, for 60s exposure 60 sec delay? Or less? Thanks

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

It varies. In summer I do 12sec delay. In winter like this I use 3s.

[@chuckmoney1688]

Very interesting, looked a bit nippy out there!

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

It was!

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

Interesting video

[@kevinhanley3023]

How many photons per sub? A lot. It’s bright.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

A sub is one photo. So it's 26 subs.

[@marklaurendet1861]

Seems a very versatile lens, but so expensive

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

Ever look at the Canon 200-400? It was 11,000$ so really this is cheap.

[@dominikcieslak4259]

I used Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 and I got excellent results with it on nikon, and it is full frame lens costing 15% of that one.

[@TheNarrowbandChannel]

@@dominikcieslak4259 I test that lens soon but from what I hear its hit rate is not as good. You will miss a lot more images with it compared to this lens. You get what you pay for.