This Astrophoto ALMOST Didn't Happen 😳[Seahorse Nebula]

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks for watching! What recommendation do you have for a cooled OSC camera?

[@user-hj1il9vh6y]

Either 2600mc pro or 2400mc pro both fantastic and I currently use 2400mc can’t go wrong with the investment

[@Lord_Whiteley]

Hi Nick, I now use an ASI533MC pro on my RASA8, as you don’t want a wide camera obscuring the RASA’s view. I thought the square sensor would bother me, but it doesn’t and now you have the built in Mosaic feature on the ASIair. Just think how much data you will be able to get on the RASA, without having to fiddle around with multiple filters. You won’t need darks with the ASI533MC pro, as it doesn’t have amp glow :)

[@garyw.2224]

If the 2600 is out of range, I second the votes for the 533MC pro. Great little camera!

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

@@garyw.2224 Just might have acquired one recently 😁

[@garyw.2224]

@@WindyCityAstrophotography Yeah after posting, I saw the dates and noticed I was late to the party. 🙂

[@ChucksAstrophotography]

Awesome Seahorse, Nick! I can't believe my RASA is laying around unused right now. It's a great scope.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks so much, Chuck, you are too kind! You make good use of all your scopes it seems; it's ok to let one rest for a bit 😎

[@walterhaase]

Defiantly the 533MC Pro. I love it because of the reach it gives my on all my scopes. You are essentially taking your scopes focal range and multiplying it by 2.7. So a 400mm scope is now just over 1000mm. It gives you a lot more reach just by swapping out your camera. My other cameras are collecting dust just because of it lol

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Lol well I can take others off your hands 🤣 Excellent, a big vote for 533

[@walterhaase]

@@WindyCityAstrophotography haha, I have a 1600mm as well. With the 533, it will also be great for mosaics. The new version of the ASI software is looking amazing for that!!

[@brucehatch7388]

Here's another vote for the 533MC Pro. I'm a novice and this is the first and only astro cam that I own. I would very much like to see the results of this camera in the hands of someone like yourself. Your ASIair tutorials have helped me more than any other channel. I'm hoping that you keep producing those. You provide a great service for beginners like myself.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks so much for your kind words, Bruce! Indeed I do plan to produce more ASIAir tutorials; are there any specific features you'd like to see? Guiding is a big request I've gotten but I am intimidated 😆

[@brucehatch7388]

@@WindyCityAstrophotography A tutorial on how to set up and execute a guided auto run session in AAP would be helpful. Something similar directed at the live stack option and how it differs from auto run would also be helpful. Your past tutorials on PA, dark library, and flats have all been very helpful and appreciated.

[@DSOImager]

Kudos for making the trip to harvest some green from the night sky... final image looks great! I picked up a 533mc for a grab and go setup for that very reason. I think the 533 would be hard to beat with your rasa. The only advantage I think the 294mc gives you is increased fov. The 533 is superior in every other regard. The 533mc does need a uv/ir cut filter. CS!

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks James! Lotsa votes for the 533 on here...!

[@Lord_Whiteley]

@@WindyCityAstrophotography you know what you need to do :)

[@deep_space_dave]

Nick, thanks for the video! The final image was amazing! I had been wanting to go down to Middle Fork but it's kind of far though closer to me than you so I've been a bit nervous about taking expensive equipment and leaving it out all night in a strange place! See you down there with your RASA I feel a little more courage! P.S. Not sure how I missed this video but the bell has been clicked 👍

[@JonnyBravo0311]

Excellent image, Nick! I don't have B4 at the end of my driveway, either... so shooting any dark nebulae is a very rare occurrence for me. Only one I've ever done is the Dark Shark. I don't own OSC (I've got the 294MM). Maybe look for a used 1600MC? That would match your existing camera. Then you could do things like shoot L with your 1600MM and the RGB with the MC. Otherwise, I'd pick the 533MC. Smaller, square sensor, but the sensor is much better than on the 294MC (in my opinion) and doesn't suffer from the quirks and oddities of the 294 series. You could sell that 1600MM and get the 533MM and have a matching set :)

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks, Jonny! An interesting idea for a used 1600MC, but also intrigued about the full switch to 533. Hmm!

[@mattestabrook]

Good video, Nick. Glad you were able to complete the image. I image with a C6/Hyperstar rig and a 183MC Pro. I’ve been very happy with this setup, and think OSC is an important strategy for those with limited time under clear/dark skies. One caveat: the 183 MC Pro has some serious amp glow, which is easy enough to calibrate out, but reasserts itself if you get lazy about refreshing your darks (like I do). Clear skies!

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks Matt! Yeah the amp glow is a consideration, as I am hoping to maybe do some livestream live stacking stuff. Although as you say if I have updated darks as part of the auto integration...hmmm!

[@mattestabrook]

@@WindyCityAstrophotography I have to admit that I haven't ever calibrated a live stack with the ASI Air. I actually thought of doing so last night, but grew impatient at the idea of eating up time taking darks. I do plan to calibrate a live stack soon and will let you know how it goes.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

@@mattestabrook oooh yeah it is kinda fun to see such a clean image come through on the livestack! I hear you on the wasted time though! I usually just do it when I am making the dark library

[@WVAA304]

Hey? Great capture! I use the asi183mc pro and it does great! The 533 has a square crop and no Amp glow. But taking flats will eliminate any Amp glow in the 183, no problem.. good luck and clear skies brother!

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Awesome, thanks for the input! Lots of good options!

[@SeamusMcNeil]

Thanks a lot for all your videos - I am down in St. Louis, MO. myself and Bortle 5-6. I checked out Middle Fork River Forest Preserve which is about 230 miles for me so bit too far without having a camper van/SUV or a sleeping bag. lol. I love your videos as you are showing what you can get even with all the light pollution around Chicago - Nice one. All the best and I look forward to seeing more videos from you soon. Cheers...Jim

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks Jim! Glad you enjoy them. It is reassuring to be able to image without makin the trek to darker skies. Yes, Middle Fork would be a bit far for you, but what about Mark Twain National Forest? Not sure about actual sites to set up, but those are some dark skies!

[@josephluciani5531]

Thanks for this video Nick. I’m relatively new to all this and been using my 294 MC Pro to shoot fantastic images here under the light dome of Manhattan (Bortle7-8). I keep wanting to move toward mono, but with my Hyperstar rig, throwing a filter wheel up front blocking more light keeps me with my OSC. Although I believe mono from my location would be superior, truth be told, my success with the 294 keeps me away from taking the mono-leap. Like most things in life, I keep resisting the urge to go to a dark site. It’s just too easy to set up plan mode with my ASIAir Plus and go to bed. Seeing you at the dark site….staying up, sleeping in the car (I assume) and heading home in the morning….well, hat’s off to you. Wish I had that ambition, LOL

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

LOL it is ambitious, I suppose, but totally worth it a few times a year! Unfortunately I don't have the option to leave the scope up and go to bed when imaging from home, so I actually end up getting more sleep when I am at the dark sky site 😂 Yes, the 294 is a good-looking camera; thanks for the input!

[@feraxks]

There's nothing wrong with getting more data at the expense of having to shoot over more nights. They certainly don't have to be consecutive. I just finished collecting S2 data on a couple of targets to replace the S2 data I took last year that I had some issues with. Your Seahorse Nebula turned out wonderfully!

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks so much! Absolutely, always happy to get more data, and almost all of my projects are over multiple nights! But to have to wait a year just to finish the first pass at an image is more patience than I have 🤣

[@feraxks]

@@WindyCityAstrophotography Let me dispel the "patience of a saint" impression I've accidentally left you. :) Last Nov provided me with a lot of clear nights and I collected 120 hours on 4 targets, but then life got in the way and I didn't have the chance to process the data until recently. That's when I discovered my S2 data had issues (no matter what they say, it matters which side of my filters are facing the front of the scope). For reasons that I no longer recall, I changed the orientation of the filter mid way thru Nov, but that left me with two targets that needed new S2 data. So not really patience on my part, just plain ol' necessity. Clear skies!

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

@@feraxks Fair enough! Such a cool technology that you can combine data from completely different sessions/scopes etc and make it work. Living in the future 😎

[@MakeAMark]

I hear you about the price issue with the 2600mc or 2400mc, which are the two cameras I use. Haven't looked at pixel-scale appropriateness, but I would think a full-frame on the RASA would be a lot of fun, but yeah, they are pricey. I got my 2400 used off cloudy nights. You might look there for a 2600mc-p for a used one.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Yep, not entirely out of the question, but pricey! An astro buddy of mine shoots the RASA 2600 combo and it is truly awesome

[@Norm42551]

I use a ZWO ASI 071MC Pro cooled color camera. It is an APS-C camera and I’ve had great results here in mid-Missouri (Columbia). It goes for $1,480.00. I’ve had it for over a year. I have not regretted it thus far.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks Norm! I will definitely give it a look 😁

[@scottlord6832]

Hey Nick, echoing some of the others on here who have a 533MC Pro. Especially if you are just using it as a Grab and Go, just on occasion kind of imaging session. Rather hard to beat on the price point as well.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Indeed, it is looking more and more attractive as everyone chimes in 😎 Thanks for your input!

[@davewilton6021]

My QHY183C camera (the same sensor as the ZWO ASI183C) arrived the day before yesterday. No experience with it yet, though. Weather permitting, I hope to shoot the Helix Nebula as my first target in a couple weeks at the dark of the moon. It's my first QHY camera and my first cooled OSC camera. Previously I've stuck with ZWO for monochrome and OSC planetary imaging and my Canon DSLR for OSC deep sky.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Awesome, excited for the new gear, Dave! Let me know how it goes; I have been impressed with the QHY results I have seen, just embedded in the ZWO ecosystem 😎

[@astrojourneyuk]

Interesting that as photographers we are trying to avoid dust, but with dark nebula we’re trying to do the opposite. 😁

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Ironic, eh! Moar Dust!!

[@adamsaari8579]

Love the 533mc.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Noted! I have loved the results I have seen

[@petecarpenter1068]

I would give a thumbs up to the 294 mc pro. It’s the only Astro camera I have used but it’s been a smooth journey. The famed amp glow is easily sorted with good darks and has never been an issue for me. Currently thinking of going the other way colour to mono, I’ d love the 2600 but every time time I check the price has gone up again😢. Nick your longer tutorial videos are so useful, a lot of work I’m sure but you’re way better than shorts. I vote for one on guiding too please. Thanks from NZ Bortle 2.

[@ronlundgren4391]

I’ve had the 294MC Pro for over a year now and it’s been great. Would be easy for you to go back and forth.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Yes that's a big plus for it for sure. Thanks Ron!

[@KopLamp]

Woah! You nearly clipped the camera on the fence at the 1:36 mark.

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Haha yes it looked closer than it was 😎

[@scottrk4930]

Hello again . There is also the RisingCam Cameras as reviewed by "Cuiv the Lazy Geek" in his December 27th 2021 Video . He really seemed to like them . Good luck with your hunt for a new camera and let us know what you end up with .Cheers/SRK

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Awesome, thanks Scott!

[@olivierrethore9097]

533MC. With the 2600 you are going to deal with tilt and it is an other story with a RASA. Thanks for your videos

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Yes, tilt is already an issue, so great consideration!

[@RaysAstrophotography]

533 is good enough..what gets me it is only 3000x3000. I might say 2600mc is a good investment

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Yes, smaller size but really good results as you have shown, Ray!

[@RaysAstrophotography]

@@WindyCityAstrophotography I think it is okay to go with 533. I kept it and using it

[@Gordonlanguam]

Do you have a video on the benefits of narrowband using the RASA in bortle 9?

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Hey Gordon, I touch on it in quite a few of my videos but this one talks about it a little more specifically kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXall2engJusfNk

[@scottrk4930]

Hello . Have a look at Lukomatico's KZbin site . He is using Player One non-cooled cameras and getting some spectacular results . These are very affordable as well . Something to check out . Cheers/SRK

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Great point! Yes I subscribe to the channel and I will give it another look with that in mind.

[@bored9260]

That’s ok sir, my backyard is bortle 4-5 but i threw myself a curve ball… alt az, 9 1/4. Edge hd.

[@bored9260]

Im not a professional but I’m sure as hell going to try to be with only seconds on exposures… and massive flexures.

[@victorbeer8209]

I have to say, I am finding your shorts to be distracting and not very interesting. Please discard

[@WindyCityAstrophotography]

Thanks for the honest feedback, Victor. What kind of shorts content would you find more interesting?