Using the Imaging Source DFK21AF04
This camera is a complete CCD solar system imager capable of producing high quality planetary images with greater light sensitivity and color fidelity than comparable CMOS imagers and higher frameeates than webcam based imagers. Combined with the IC Capture software package, it can bring out tremendous detail and reveal a final image that will rival those taken with astronomical CCD cameras costing thousands of dollars more. The Firewire interface is capable of large amounts of uncompressed data far exceeding the capacity of USB.
Specifications:
Recommended Minimum System Requirements
Get Registax
Registax version 5.1 release as of April 7, 2009
Registax version 6.108 release as of May 6, 2011
Testing the Imager
Testing was carried out indoors, The camera was placed at the prime focus of the 80mm f/15 refractor through the window of my office and centered on a light standard approx. 350 M away, specifically the lens of the light. Conditions were sunny bright lighting through a double glass pane window at a 10 degree angle. Exposures were run at 30, and 60 frames per second after adjustment of the gamma, gain, contrast/brightness controls. Video length was 2000 frames at each speed.
Resulting AVI's were then processed in Registax ver. 6 with identical wavelet, RGB, gamma, and histogram settings.
30 frames per second.
60 frames per second.
Recommended Camera settings for Planetary Imaging:
Limit exposure by number of desired frames rather than time to keep files manageable and to avoid hanging Registax.
September 29, 2011, f/12, 1500 frames, 15 fps, seeing average Antoniadi II - III.
gamma = 0
gain = < 10%
saturation = 40%
brightnesss = 50%
1/30 sec exposure,15 fps
codec UYVY set at RGB24
White balance set to auto
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